Stewardship of the Work Management Discipline
The Role of the Work Management Institute
The Work Management Institute (WMI) is an independent organization serving as the steward of the Work Management discipline, responsible for defining and maintaining its core concepts, standards, and foundational frameworks during the discipline’s formative stage.
Work Management requires careful stewardship—focused on clarity, shared language, and practical standards—so the discipline can mature responsibly and inclusively over time. WMI exists to fulfill that role.
What Stewardship Means
In a professional discipline, stewardship differs from regulation or centralized authority.
Stewardship involves:
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Establishing clear and consistent definitions
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Maintaining shared language and conceptual boundaries
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Curating foundational frameworks and bodies of knowledge
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Supporting education, research, and professional development
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Encouraging broad participation while avoiding fragmentation
Stewardship does not imply ownership of the field, exclusivity, or permanent authority. Instead, it provides a stable reference point while the discipline develops and broader professional ecosystems form around it.
This model mirrors how other modern disciplines—such as project management, data science, and product management—evolved during their formative years.
Why Work Management Requires Stewardship
Work Management has emerged in response to growing complexity in how modern organizations operate. While many tools, roles, and methodologies exist, there has historically been no shared, discipline-level framework for how work itself is clarified, coordinated, and completed across teams and systems.
Without stewardship, emerging disciplines risk:
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Conflicting definitions
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Tool-centric interpretations
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Fragmented practices
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Loss of conceptual coherence
WMI was established to address this gap by providing a neutral, discipline-first foundation for Work Management—independent of specific tools, vendors, or methodologies.
WMI’s Stewardship Responsibilities
As steward of the Work Management discipline, the Work Management Institute focuses on the following responsibilities:
1. Defining the Discipline
WMI maintains a formal definition of Work Management as:
the discipline of clarifying, coordinating, and completing all organizational work in a predictable, effective, and sustainable way.
This definition serves as a shared reference point across education, research, and professional practice.
2. Maintaining Foundational Frameworks
WMI develops and curates conceptual frameworks that explain how work functions across modern organizations, including principles, domains, and practices that apply beyond individual projects or tools.
These frameworks are designed to be:
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Tool-agnostic
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Role-agnostic
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Scalable across industries
3. Stewarding the Work Management Body of Knowledge (WMBOK™)
The Work Management Body of Knowledge (WMBOK™) is a structured reference that documents the core knowledge areas, principles, and practices of the discipline.
WMI serves as the steward of the WMBOK™, ensuring it:
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Remains current and coherent
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Reflects evolving research and practice
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Provides a stable foundation for education and certification
4. Supporting Education and Certification
WMI aligns educational programs and professional certifications—such as the Certified Associate in Work Management (CAWM)—to the discipline’s foundational knowledge and standards.
These credentials are intended to:
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Promote shared understanding
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Support professional development
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Encourage responsible adoption of Work Management practices
Relationship to Other Professional Bodies
Work Management intersects with, but does not replace, established disciplines and professional organizations.
For example:
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Project Management Institute (PMI) focuses on project-based delivery
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Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) focuses on people and workplace practices
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American Management Association (AMA) focuses on general management competencies
WMI’s role is distinct: it focuses specifically on work itself—how it flows, connects, and is sustained across teams, systems, and time.
As the discipline matures, stewardship may naturally broaden to include additional institutions, academic bodies, and practitioner communities.
A Discipline in Its Formative Stage
Work Management is still in its formative stage as a standalone discipline. During this phase, stewardship is essential to ensure clarity without rigidity, structure without exclusion, and progress without premature standardization.
WMI does not claim to be the sole authority on Work Management, nor to permanently govern the discipline. Its role is to act as a neutral, responsible steward—maintaining coherence while the field evolves.
Looking Ahead
As Work Management continues to mature, its stewardship will increasingly involve collaboration with practitioners, organizations, educators, and researchers around the world.
The Work Management Institute remains committed to:
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Advancing shared understanding
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Maintaining foundational standards
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Supporting the long-term health of the discipline
Stewardship today enables sustainability tomorrow.
Learn more about the Work Management Body of Knowledge (WMBOK™) and the principles that define the discipline.