Benchmarking the strategic roles of the project management office (PMO) when developing business ecosystems

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 452-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maqsood Ahmad Sandhu ◽  
Tareq Zayed Al Ameri ◽  
Kim Wikström
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Strategic Plan ◽  
Project Management Office ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Business Ecosystem ◽  
The Government ◽  
Public Organisations ◽  
The Individual

PurposeProjects are an inherent part of implementing strategies. Still, the challenge is to connect a long-term strategy for larger ecosystem development to the individual projects being undertaken. The purpose of this paper is to test the ability of seven project management office (PMO) roles to achieve strategic planning in large society development public organisations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Design/methodology/approachThe questionnaire survey that was employed for data collected from 450 project members in 19 project-based public organisations having PMO unit had a response rate of 60 per cent. The received data analysed quantitatively by using multiple regression.FindingsThe survey data revealed that PMO enhanced the achievement of the strategic plan for better development of the business ecosystem. The analysis outputs, as expected, have indicated that 95 per cent of the targeted organisations established their own PMO for developing business ecosystem.Research limitations/implicationsDespite there are PMOs hosted by private organisations, the study is limited to the PMO within the context of the government and semi-government organisations in the UAE.Practical implicationsThese findings further utilised in developing the conceptual PMO model that would be flexible to be applied to similar project management methodology in various business settings, as well as pave the way for further scholarly investigations.Originality/valueThis work is both exploratory and causal study, which concentrates on investigating the effectiveness of seven proposed PMO roles (as independent variables) in carrying out the strategic plan (as the dependent variable) of the public-sector organisations in the UAE for the development of business ecosystem.

Analysis of the interrelationships between enablers and results in King Abdullah II award for excellence model

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Rawabdeh ◽  
Mazen Arafah ◽  
Mohannad Mousa Mustafa
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Model Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Model ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Sector ◽  
Business Excellence ◽  
The Government ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Public Organisations

PurposeThis study aims to validate the KAIIAE model in the public sector and analyse the interrelationships between Enablers and Results in the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence (KAIIAE) model to better understand the dynamic logic behind improving excellence results.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used is structural equation modelling (partial least squares technique), and the data were obtained from the assessment processes for the KAIIAE for 98 Jordanian public organisations.FindingsThe findings showed that the award model has proven to be a reliable and valid framework, as the criteria and sub-criteria were highly correlated. The set of Enablers was strongly related to the set of Results, and the synergies between the critical criteria confirmed the importance of leadership, strategy, and processes for the organisation's excellence results. It was found that the new significant and direct relationships between “People” and “People Results” and between “Partnerships and Resources” and both “Society Results” and “Key Results” improved the understanding and implementation of the model. There was a significant interrelationship between model criteria, excluding the relationship between “Society Results” and “Key Results”, since the government's main objective is to serve society. A new structural model for the KAIIAE with the new relationships was suggested.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper concentrated only on the public sector, although the excellence model has been implemented in the private sector. Features of the different types of organisations were not tested. Furthermore, the variations in size, covered fields, number of employees and provided services need to be investigated further.Practical implicationsGovernment award bodies can use these research findings to develop a new model version for public sector awards by combining a cohesive array of elements for any government organisational need or application. The study suggested adding new criteria or relationships or eliminating those that are not significant and have no impact on public sector organisations. The findings will assure the organisations' managers that the KAII excellence model criteria are highly correlated and synergised for public sector organisations. These criteria perform efficiently once they are considered and implemented in an interconnected manner rather than managing them independently, which makes up their management framework. This knowledge about the validity of the structure of the model allows public sector organisations to benefit fully from the self-assessment processes and improve the organisation's management, enhancing their faith in excellence award models.Social implicationsThis study has contributed to the existing literature on the reliability and validity of business excellence models as a framework for implementing, evaluating, and improving excellence, particularly in the government sector. Several important insights have emerged from this study. The relevant analysis supports a new model structure for excellence in the public sector. Among the model structure relationships, the study identified the existence of new direct relationships between enablers and results. New significant and direct relationships are added to the model that advances the implementation and understanding of the model. Moreover, it informs theory about Excellence Award implementation in developing countries within the context of Jordan – a topic that has previously received limited attention in the international business excellence literature. Since there is limited research on the suitability of implementing the KAIIEA excellence model (that is based on nine criteria of the EFQM model) in public organisations, this work suggested introducing a new modification to the model to suit the characteristics of the public sector.Originality/valueThe considerable prominence of the government sector has drawn attention to the excellence parameters within its organisations. Hence, a lack of studies and inadequate knowledge in the governmental management system have limited testing excellence in the public sector. This paper provides support that the excellence model (KAIIAE model that is EFQM based) is an appropriate framework by identifying direct and significant model interrelationships for the public sector based on the actual and sufficient performance of its entities so as to drive the changes of the next model generation. This is the first study that attempts to comprehend and describe the validation of the KAIIAE model in the public sector.

An investigation of the role of communication in IT projects

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marly Monteiro de Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
It Projects ◽  
Communication Management ◽  
Managerial Implication ◽  
Project Management Office ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
Barriers To Communication ◽  
The Individual

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore communication management in information technology (IT) projects and to identify barriers to communication, from both individual and organisational standpoints, and from distinctive stakeholders' points of view (project management office (PMO), project manager, IT and business personnel). Design/methodology/approach – A case-based research in a large IT service provider was conducted, mixing qualitative and quantitative data. A literature review shed light on different epistemological fields, and different aspects of communication in IT projects were analysed and different perspectives were brought together in a communication integrated framework (CIF). Several data collection methods were combined. Structured and unstructured interviews of 78 participants (PMO, IT and business personnel), PMO archival data, and survey-based research were performed in order to achieve triangulation. Findings – The contribution of the CIF to project communication management theory can be summarized as follows. First, the framework considers different perspectives, from the individual to the organisational, which affect communication during IT projects in the form of an integrated system approach. Second, the contingency perspective of different stakeholders are explored, particularly as regards the PMO, IT and business personnel. The case revealed an inconsistency: on the one hand, the importance of communication is exalted by all the analysed stakeholders, and on the other hand, the communication processes and practices proposed by the PMO and formalised in the company's project management (PM) methodology are neither followed nor prioritised by project managers. Research limitations/implications – This study was dependent on self-reported perceptions. It embraced IT projects, and new studies should be done for other types of projects. The focus is within a specific organisation and its characteristics conditioned the findings. Practical implications – CIF allows improving the assessment of the communication area in projects. An important managerial implication of this study is that the adoption of a standardised PM framework is not sufficient for the elimination of barriers to communication. The study suggests that firms should consider manners of developing the communication management process, as well as increasing the efficient use of performance report and communication tools to reduce detrimental conflict. Originality/value – The paper proposes a framework. CIF allows to considering different perspectives, from the individual to the organisational level that affect communication in IT projects.

A benchmarking study of Indian seaports

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-102
Author(s):  
Sajeev Abraham George ◽  
Anurag C. Tumma
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Port Authorities ◽  
Financial Performance Measures ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to benchmark the operational and financial performances of the major Indian seaports to help derive useful insights to improve their performance. Design/methodology/approach A two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology has been used with the help of data collected on the 13 major seaports of India. The first stage of the DEA captured the operational efficiencies, while the second stage the financial performance. Findings A window analysis over a period of three years revealed that no port was able to score an overall average efficiency of 100 per cent. The study identified the better performing units among their peers in both the stages. The contrasting results of the study with the traditional operational and financial performance measures used by the ports helped to derive useful insights. Research limitations/implications The data used in the study were majorly limited to the available sources in the public domain. Also, the study was limited to the major seaports which are under the Government of India and no comparisons were carried out with other local or international ports. Practical implications There is a need to prioritize investments and improvement efforts where they are most needed, instead of following a generalized approach. Once the benchmark ports are identified, the port authorities and other relevant stakeholders should work in detail on the factors causing inefficiencies, for possible improvements in performance. Originality/value This paper carried out a two-stage DEA that helped to derive useful insights on operational efficiency and financial performance of the India seaports. A combination of the financial and operational parameters, along with a comparison of the DEA results with the traditional measures, provided a different perspective on the Indian seaport performance. Considering the scarcity of research papers reported in the literature on DEA-based benchmarking studies of seaports in the Indian context, it has the potential to attract future research in this field.

The 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner elections

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the 2016 elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and to compare them with those that took place in 2012. It seeks to evaluate the background of the candidates who stood for office in 2016, the policies that they put forward, the results of the contests and the implications of the 2016 experience for future PCC elections. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based around several key themes – the profile of candidates who stood for election, preparations conducted prior to the contests taking place, the election campaign and issues raised during the contests, the results and the profile of elected candidates. The paper is based upon documentary research, making particular use of primary source material. Findings The research establishes that affiliation to a political party became the main route for successful candidates in 2016 and that local issues related to low-level criminality will dominate the future policing agenda. It establishes that although turnout was higher than in 2012, it remains low and that further consideration needs to be devoted to initiatives to address this for future PCC election contests. Research limitations/implications The research focusses on the 2016 elections and identifies a number of key issues that emerged during the campaign affecting the conduct of the contests which have a bearing on future PCC elections. It treats these elections as a bespoke topic and does not seek to place them within the broader context of the development of the office of PCC. Practical implications The research suggests that in order to boost voter participation in future PCC election contests, PCCs need to consider further means to advertise the importance of the role they perform and that the government should play a larger financial role in funding publicity for these elections and consider changing the method of election. Social implications The rationale for introducing PCCs was to empower the public in each police force area. However, issues that include the enhanced importance of political affiliation as a criteria for election in 2016 and the social unrepresentative nature of those who stood for election and those who secured election to this office in these contests coupled with shortcomings related to public awareness of both the role of PCCs and the timing of election contests threaten to undermine this objective. Originality/value The extensive use of primary source material ensures that the subject matter is original and its interpretation is informed by an academic perspective.

Performance measurement and management in the public sector: state of the art and research opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrizia Garengo ◽  
Alberto Sardi
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Business Management ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Opportunities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Organisations

PurposeSince the 1980s, performance measurement and management (PMM) has been described as an essential element of new public management (NPM) reforms. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current state of the art and future research opportunities for PMM in public sector management.Design/methodology/approachThe paper carried out a bibliometric literature review using two main techniques named (1) performance analysis and (2) science mapping techniques. It investigated the academic research area describing the main publications' trend, the conceptual structure and its evolution from 1996 to 2019.FindingsThe results highlighted the growing relevance of PMM research in public organisations and confirmed a great interest of the business, management and accounting literature on PMM in public sector management. Furthermore, the results also described a conceptual structure of the public PMM literature analysed and its evolution being too generic to answer public organisations' needs. The results identified five main research gaps and research opportunities.Originality/valueAlthough the adoption of rigorous bibliometric techniques was recognised as being useful for assessing the academic research study, the paper describes the business, management and accounting literature contributing to new theoretical and practical future opportunities.

Public service motivation and organizational performance in Chinese provincial governments

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 770-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunkui Zhu ◽  
Chen Wu
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Public Service Motivation ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Hunan Province ◽  
Government Employees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Government

Purpose This paper aims to examine different hypotheses concerning the effects of public service motivation (PSM) and other attitudinal or institutional dimensions on organizational performance (OP). Specifically, based on the experience of Chinese provincial governments, this study provides new evidence about how PSM may affect OP. Design/methodology/approach This study collected data from a survey of different provincial government departments in Sichuan Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province and Chongqing Municipality in 2011. Using data from 761 respondents, Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to explore the relationships between related factors. Findings PSM, job satisfaction, affective commitment and job involvement have statistically significant effects on OP, and these results are consistent with the findings of previous researches that PSM positively affected OP at a significant level. The results suggest that, if civil servants have a strong PSM, the performance of their organizations will be high. Research limitations/implications Future research should look for additional factors that affect OP, comparing employees’ perceptions of an organization’s performance with objective data to determine whether, and to what degree, subjective measures of performance are valid measures of OP in the public sector. Practical implications In the process of improving government performance, it is significant to give attention to the government employees’ mentality. The government training and promotion system should encourage civil servants to care about the public interest. A more flattened organization should be considered as part of the next steps in government reform, and more opportunities should be provided to involve more government employees in policy making. Originality/value This study helps to clarify the effects of individual factors of PSM on OP in China in a tightly controlled bureaucratic environment, where related data are hardly accessible.

Unsettled Libyan politics may fuel violence in Tripoli

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
National Unity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Military Commander ◽  
The Government

Significance The violence is indicative of growing friction between local Tripolitanian militias under the influence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and forces now loyal to the Government of National Unity (GNU), which in 2019 rallied from across western Libya to defend the capital from eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar’s siege. Impacts This is a last-ditch act by the UAE’s only remaining military assets in western Libya, and could provoke conflict with Turkish proxies. Violence involving Turkish-backed forces would refocus European attention on Ankara’s role in Libya and reignite pressure for a withdrawal. Renewed violence would end a recent economic revival in Tripoli, created by a period of peace and many reconstruction contracts.

Hong Kong’s institutional incongruities and its tourism policy

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiew Ping Yew
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Political System ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Institutional Arrangements ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Interests ◽  
Tourism Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Policy And Planning

Purpose – With a focus on Hong Kong tourism policy, the purpose of this paper is to explain the Hong Kong government’s conundrum in addressing society’s concerns and controversies over the massive influx of mainland tourists in recent years. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts the approach of historical institutionalism, in which the notion of structural-power takes centre stage. It outlines some notable trends in Hong Kong’s tourist arrivals and highlights some of the controversies that have arisen before delving into how existing institutional arrangements and key actors have shaped Hong Kong’s tourism policy amid the city’s shifting social, political and economic contexts. Findings – The prevalence of business interests and the ideology of economism largely explain the Hong Kong government’s stasis in tackling the problems stemming from the large inflow of mainland visitors. Institutional arrangements in the post-handover period have further empowered the business class, giving it an edge over the unelected executive that lacks a popular mandate. Therefore, even if the central government has signaled its willingness to adjust the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) policy, the Hong Kong government is unlikely to propose significant cuts to the inflow of IVS arrivals. Without further political reforms to boost the executive’s legitimacy and accountability to the Hong Kong people, it is doubtful that the government may emerge from its predicament in the near future. Originality/value – Through the lens of tourism policy and planning pertaining to inbound mainland visitors, this paper aims to assess the current state of governance in Hong Kong. It not only offers a timely look into Hong Kong’s political system 17 years after handover but also explores the extent to which apparent dysfunctions in the city’s governance today are a consequence of institutional incongruities in its political system.

Ethical climate, corporate social responsibility and organizational performance: evidence from the UAE public sector

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherine Farouk ◽  
Fauzia Jabeen
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Ethical Climate ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Employees ◽  
Corporate Social

PurposeResearch about ethical governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the United Arab Emirates is still in its infancy. This study aims to explore the public sector employee’s perception toward ethical climate, codes of ethics and CSR and its impact on organizational performance. This research sheds light on the link between formalized ethical procedures and employee responses including CSR, organizational engagement and organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 426 middle-level public sector employees in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, using structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe findings of this study suggest that an ethical climate is an important organizational component, and that the incorporation of effective codes of ethics and CSR initiatives is desired. Perceptions of public sector employees are positively influenced by the organization’s ethical climate and CSR activities, which in turn affect organizational performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides managerial insights for improving the ethical climate and CSR within the public sector context in the United Arab Emirates.Practical implicationsThe study offers implications for public sector employers and points out that public sector employers should formulate policies to boost the ethics and CSR environment at workplace to attain competitive advantage.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the literature by being one of the first to study organizational ethical climate and CSR within a Middle Eastern public sector context and offers implications for theory and practice.

Entrepreneurial mindset and the role of universities as strategic drivers of entrepreneurship

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fauzia Jabeen ◽  
Mohd. Nishat Faisal ◽  
Marios I. Katsioloudes
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Entrepreneurial Success ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employment Choice ◽  
Strategic Factors ◽  
Modelling Methodology ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the factors that influence the mindset of youth in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in choosing entrepreneurship as their future employment. It also suggests the pathway to improve the role of the universities as strategic drivers in inducing an entrepreneurial mindset. Design/methodology/approach An exhaustive literature review of extant research followed by an exploratory study was conducted. Furthermore, to understand factors influencing the role of universities, interpretive structural modelling methodology is applied to evolve a hierarchy-based relationship among the strategic factors. Findings The results of empirical research suggest that young people in the UAE rank entrepreneurship as their first employment choice. However, most of them have not attended any formal entrepreneurship-related course in school or in college. The study also suggests that individual and environmental factors influence the entrepreneurial mindset of both males and females in the UAE. The structural model developed in the study indicates that to give an impetus to the entrepreneurial mindset, the government must create a supporting environment with UAE universities playing the role of a catalyst. Practical implications Professional entrepreneurship instruction is seen as a strategic tool to stimulate financial and societal growth. The results could provide insights for both entrepreneurship educators and policymakers and will boost their commitment to promote the entrepreneurial mindset within UAE society by enhancing and developing traits associated with entrepreneurial success. The results support recognition of the factors that induce educational programmes and economic incentives targeted at the development of sustainable entrepreneurial culture and ventures in the UAE. Originality/value The study is an effort to highlight the role of higher education in envisaging and cultivating entrepreneurs in a fast-growing developing country through a survey and a hierarchy-based model.

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