Line Ramsing (seated) with Professor Linda Henderson.
Line Ramsing, a Doctoral Candidate in the Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University, Denmark, recently began a guided study here at USF School of Business and Professional Studies with Professor Linda Henderson of the department of Organizations, Leadership and Society. Dr. Henderson is an internationally known expert in the field of Project Management Communication. Ms. Ramsing’s dissertation, which she is writing currently — and enriching through her work with Professor Henderson — is titled, Internal Project Management Communication in a Strategic Perspective
Both Professor Henderson, and Ms. Ramsing agreed to answer a few of our questions:
Professor Henderson, could you give us a quick précis of your work?
My Ph.D. is in Organizational Communication and my research primarily focuses upon the role of communication in management and project management. This has been a continuous theme in the majority of my studies with my most recent article showing the substantive role that project managers’ communication competencies play in their project team members' satisfaction and productivity.
Professor Linda Henderson
Ms. Ramsing, how did you find Professor Henderson, and what in particular were the areas of interest that that you felt with her work? What do you mean to accomplish while you’re here?
Working on my dissertation, I came across one of Linda Henderson’s articles. It immediately caught my attention and interest since Linda’s work was so close to my own area of research – being Project management and communication. After reading several of her other articles, I decided to contact her. The Danish government encourages all PhD students to go abroad for a period of two to three months while working on their dissertation. With the mindset No points for not trying, I wrote to Linda to ask whether she and USF would be interested in working with me for a couple of months – sharing knowledge and ideas.
Line Ramsing
What are you finding here at USF BPS that was not available to you in Denmark?
At the Aarhus School of Business, I work at the Centre for Corporate Communication and there are no professors dealing with communication in project management. Coming here gives me a fantastic opportunity to look at my own research from other perspectives and learn from Linda Henderson and her colleagues. Going beyond the comfort of my own university exposes me to new and interesting questions about my work. I am positively challenged by having to present and explain my work to people within a different context than my own, which sharpens my own understanding and perception and as a result this strengthens my own capability to communicate my research.
Professor Henderson, what was your correspondence with Line subsequent to being discovered?
Line contacted me over a year ago and we have been exchanging emails since that time to better understand one another's research perspectives, expectations and hopes for her visit.
How was the study relationship arranged?
The study relationship was arranged by me providing Line with a Letter of Invitation for her advisor's approval; and, subsequently the approval of the appropriate Danish government agency.
What is the study relationship duration?
Line is visiting for 2 months.
Will any of this particular work find its way into our courses? Will Line do any teaching while she’s here?
Line will be teaching a module from her dissertation to a project management class.
Do you anticipate any publications coming out of this work?
Line and I both see this as an opportunity to provide us with the potential to collaborate in the future on project management communication. That’s our intention.
View a video conversation between Professor Henderson and Line Ramsing about their work.
