ABSTRACT
The Institute for Commercial Management, established in the 1970s and currently based in Ringwood, Hampshire in the United Kingdom, purports to be the leading international body for commercial and business development staff. Its definition of commercial management positions it as: ‘the identification and development of business opportunities and the profitable management of projects and contracts, from inception to completion’. While the roles within commercial management may be varied, individuals take responsibility for sales, marketing, contracting, negotiations, contract law or property management. Moreover, Turner acutely recognises that the majority of the literature in the project management area treats the project as an island, totally isolated from other actions, activities, events or structures. However, the project can no longer be considered an island. It would appear that recognition of the key role of commercial management and the need to rethink project work materialises on an intermittent basis, probably about once a decade.
