Ambiguity acceptance and translation skills in the project management literature

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-450
Author(s):  
Karmin Gray ◽  
Frank Ulbrich
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
Knowledge Competencies

Purpose The project management literature provides a fairly united picture of the importance of projects being successful. One success factor is represented by project managers themselves, whose personality, skills, knowledge, competencies, and traits affect project success. To better understand various project manager types, the purpose of this paper is to review the extant project management literature and propose a framework for categorising project managers based on the traits that they possess or lack. Design/methodology/approach The research commenced with identifying and collecting articles from the academic project management literature. The articles were then coded to identify different competencies and traits that a project manager needs to be successful. Based on this analysis, a framework with four main project manager types was developed. Findings The results indicate that ambiguity acceptance and translation skills are two important dimensions that project managers need to be successful. The four project manager types were arranged around two dimensions. Research limitations/implications The framework presented is based on previous research. Empirical testing of the proposed framework would be a promising direction for future research. Practical implications The framework assists reflective practitioners in identifying what kind of project manager they currently are, suggesting how they might transition into a different project manager type to increase their project management success rate. Originality/value This paper conceptualises project managers and how their personal traits relate to project success. It offers practical help to project managers in understanding their strengths and limitations, and how to become a different type of project manager.

The Project Manager's Leadership Style as a Success Factor on Projects: A Literature Review

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rodney Turner ◽  
Ralf Müller
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
General Management ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
Direct Contrast

The Project Management Institute has commissioned the authors to conduct research into whether the project manager's leadership style is a success factor on projects, and whether its impact is different on different types of projects. In this paper, we review the literature on the topic. Surprisingly, the literature on project success factors does not typically mention the project manager and his or her leadership style or competence as a success factor on projects. This is in direct contrast to the general management literature, which views effective leadership as a critical success factor in the management of organizations, and has shown that an appropriate leadership style can lead to better performance. Since, unlike most literature on project success factors, project management literature does consider the role of the project manager, we also review what it says about his or her leadership style and competence.

Project manager roles in a public change project: the case of a municipal merger

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-171
Author(s):  
Jan Terje Karlsen ◽  
Parinaz Farid ◽  
Tim Torvatn
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Roles ◽  
Management Roles ◽  
Change Projects ◽  
Depth Interviews

PurposeThis paper investigates the emphasis placed on different managerial roles by the project manager in a public merger and change project.Design/methodology/approachA research model was designed based on six management roles: leader, resource allocator, spokesman, entrepreneur, liaison and monitor. Empirical data were collected using in-depth interviews. The studied case concerns a large public merger and change project between two municipalities in Norway.FindingsThe paper reveals that the project manager emphasized the externally oriented entrepreneur role mostly. The internally oriented resource allocator role that focuses on managing the project was least emphasized. The research identifies a gap between needed and actual competence in basic project management as a barrier to exercise the resource allocator role more thoroughly.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should investigate other public merger and change projects so that these findings may be generalized.Practical implicationsThis research concludes that project managers in public change projects should be more internally oriented towards the resource allocator role. Furthermore, public project managers need to make sure that they possess the necessary technical project management competence to practice the resource allocator role effectively.Originality/valueRather than stressing the importance of leadership in general to manage a project, this paper is original as it applies a set of management roles to empirically study what a public project manager practice.

scholarly journals A Correlational Study on Project Management Methodology and Project Success

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-65
Author(s):  
Michael Pace
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Correlational Study ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Multiple Project Management ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This non-experimental correlational study extends previous research investigating the relationship between project management methodology and reported project success, as well as the moderating variables of industry and project manager experience. The sample included North American project managers with five years’ experience, 25 years of age or older, and experience with multiple project management methodologies. The survey instrument consisted of 58 questions, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale to record responses. The survey contained three sections, including demographic information, questions related to a successful project, and questions related to a less-than successful (failed / challenged) project. 367 usable responses were received. The examination of the constructs included Pearson’s correlation coefficient as well as linear regression to determine the impact of moderating variables. Results indicated that project management methodology has a weak correlation with reported project success, and this correlation is not moderated by industry nor project manager experience. The results did not align with previously conducted studies, illustrating a need to continue the study of methods impacting success including investigating additional moderating variables.

Mediating influence of time management on the relationship between adult attention deficit and the operational effectiveness of project managers

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 970-984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Coetzer ◽  
Godfrey Gibbison
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Operational Effectiveness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between adult attention deficit (AAD) and the operational effectiveness of project managers (OEPM) as mediated by time management (TM). Design/methodology/approach In total, 104 actively employed business graduate students each had the opportunity to be a project manager within a project team. Each team member rated the others on their operational effectiveness, completed a self-report measure of TM and identified a close associate who completed an observer version of the Brown Adult Attention Deficit Scale. The Sobel and Hayes tests were used to test the hypothesis that TM mediates the relationship between AAD and OEPM. Findings AAD is negatively associated with TM and OEPM, and TM is positively associated with OEPM. TM partially mediates the relationship between AAD and OPME. Research limitations/implications Future research requires a sample of project managers drawn directly from the workplace, and needs to examine the association of AAD with a wider set of project conditions and associated competencies to identify potential benefits and challenges. An updated and validated measure of both TM and the OEPM is required in future research. Practical implications Individuals and organizations wanting to ensure timely and successful completion of key tasks and projects need to be aware of the potentially constraining influence of AAD on TM and OPME. Relatively more intensive time and project management training is suggested for disordered project managers and team members. The use of organizational coaches and peer coaching within project teams represents a potential opportunity for distributing the potential benefits of the disorder while managing the challenges. Employee assistance programs that raise awareness and provide access to assessment are an important part of multi-modal management of the disorder in the workplace. Social implications Employers are facing increasing social, legal and economic pressures to support functional but disordered employees, be more inclusive and take appropriate advantage of employee diversity. This research provides constructive suggestions for how to support disordered employees with project management responsibilities. Originality/value This research study is the first examination of the relationships between AAD, TM and OEPM, and is of value to researchers, organizational development specialists, human resource management specialists, managers and employees who are seeking effective multi-modal management of the disorder in the workplace.

An empirical examination of the relationship between adult attention deficit and the operational effectiveness of project managers

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Coetzer
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Symptom Clusters ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Operational Effectiveness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multimodal Management ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between adult attention deficit (AAD) and the operational effectiveness of project managers (OEPM). Design/methodology/approach – In total, 160 actively employed business graduate students participated in a business course where they were assigned to four person project teams responsible for completing a major business project. The project contained four sub-projects each of which was managed by a different team member. At the end of the semester each team member rated the others on their operational effectiveness as a project manager. Each subject identified a close associate who completed an observer version of the Brown Attention Deficit Scale. Product moment correlations were used to test the hypotheses that AAD and each of the symptom clusters are negatively associated with OEPM. Simultaneous linear regression was used to test the hypothesis that difficulties activating and organizing to work (DAOW) is uniquely associated with OEPM after controlling for the influence of all the other symptom clusters. Findings – AAD and each of the symptom clusters is negatively associated with OEPM, and DAOW is uniquely associated with OEPM. Research limitations/implications – Research study is limited by use of an indirect work sample (working graduate students) and future research requires direct workplace samples of project managers. The influence of creativity within the relationship between AAD and project management effectiveness requires further investigation and may reveal beneficial aspects of the disorder. Practical implications – Individuals and organizations wanting to ensure timely and successful completion of key tasks and projects need to be aware of the influence of AAD on OEPM. The provision of intensive project management training/coaching, regular performance feedback, project management tools and an organized work space free of distractions is suggested for disordered project managers. Disordered project managers are especially vulnerable during the task activation and organization phase which may be addressed through the use of peer coaching and constructive team support. The effective design and management of project teams represents a significant opportunity for distributing the potential creative benefits of the disorder while managing the deficits. Pairing disordered employees with coworkers who are less creative but have better administrative skills may be mutually beneficial. Employee assistance programs that raise awareness and provide access to assessment are an important part of multimodal management of the disorder. Social implications – Increasing social, economic and legal pressures to provide reasonable accommodation for functional but disordered employees, be more inclusive and take appropriate advantage of employee diversity underscores the general social value of this research. Originality/value – This research study is the first examination of the influence of AAD within the nomological network that determines project manager effectiveness. The results are of value to researchers, organizational development specialists, human resource management specialists, managers and employees who are seeking effective multimodal management of the disorder in the workplace.

scholarly journals Organizational culture and project management methodology: research in the financial industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Financial Industry ◽  
Dominant Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Project Characteristics

PurposeOrganizational culture has an impact on various activities in organizations, including project management (PM). The aim of the study is to answer the following research questions: RQ1: what significance is attributed to organizational culture compared to the objective project characteristics when choosing the dominant PM methodology in organizations? RQ2: which type of organizational culture is preferred for successful implementation of different PM methodologies? RQ3: what kind (if any) of relationship exists between the dominant type of organizational culture in organizations and the dominant PM methodology?Design/methodology/approachThe author surveyed 100 project managers working in the financial industry in Poland with the use of personal structured interviews. The competing values framework (CVF) concept authored by Cameron and Quinn was used.FindingsProject managers find organizational culture more important than objective project characteristics when choosing the dominant PM methodology in an organization. Although statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between the preferred type of organizational culture and PM methodology, there is no significant relationship between the existing type of organizational culture and the PM methodology which prevails in the company.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should investigate other industries and other typologies of organizational culture.Practical implicationsThe paper provides recommendations for management practice on how to shape organizational culture in the context of successful PM with the application of different PM methodologies.Originality/valueThis study fills a gap in the theory of PM by identifying and empirically verifying the theoretical linkage between the type of organizational culture and PM methodology.

scholarly journals Project Management Yinyang: Coupling project success and client satisfaction

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 5523
Author(s):  
Greg Stewart Usher ◽  
Stephen Jon Whitty
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Client Satisfaction ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
The Other ◽  
Language Games ◽  
Tightly Coupled ◽  
Paradox Theory

Our research applies paradox theory to a project management construct to help project management researchers and practitioners understand the tensions that can exist between project success and client satisfaction. Our research highlights that although project success and client satisfaction are both present within a project management construct, they also belong to different functional systems. Project success and client satisfaction have different systemic-discourses and use different language games to convey information. These distinctions can create latent and sometimes salient tensions within the project management construct that project managers must understand, embrace, and work with.We have used a Grounded Theory (GT) methodology to explore the lived experience of project managers, and from this have identified a phenomenon which we have termed project management yinyang.Project management yinyang is the state that exists when both project success and Client satisfaction are tightly coupled within the project management construct. Project management yinyang highlights that these two phenomena cannot be viewed as separate elements because the ‘seed’ of each exists within the other. And to truly achieve one, you must also achieve the other.Our findings indicate that in order to create project management yinyang the project manager must embrace a paradoxical yet holistic philosophy. They must understand the complementarity, interdependency, and structural coupling that exists between the positivist and interpretivist paradigms within the project management construct. They must understand how satisfaction (Yin) and success (Yang) are created through focus. Furthermore, they must understand how project management yinyang is separate from, but borne from, the convergence of the other two elements.

A practical, multidisciplinary approach for assessing leadership in project management education

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Mazzetto
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Practical Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Working Groups ◽  
College Of Engineering

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a practical approach to the teaching of project management as it was applied in the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the College of Engineering, Qatar University. The leadership skills of the project managers, leading several working groups, were evaluated by running a multidisciplinary collaborative project. Design/methodology/approach The main aim of the research was to propose a practical approach for assessing the extent to which the knowledge and skills of a leader are important for ensuring that a project is completed successfully. The research exercise highlighted the fact that some of the leadership attitudes of the project manager are fundamental to the success of the work. The project manager’s ability to lead a team through the different work stages of a project is seen as a fundamental contributor to its success. Findings This practical approach to the appraisal of leadership brings the theoretical teaching of project management closer to its practical applications, by encouraging students to learn the techniques and tools commonly used in the professional setting. The paper concludes by suggesting that there is a need to focus more attentively on assessing leadership skills when selecting a project manager, in either an academic or a professional context. Originality/value The research exercise highlighted the fact that some of the leadership attitudes of the project manager are fundamental to the success of the work. The project manager’s ability to lead a team through the different work stages of a project is seen as a fundamental contributor to its success.

Fostering engagement and dealing with stress in projects that effect change

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-143
Author(s):  
H. Frank Cervone
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Change Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Successful Management ◽  
Effect Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Change ◽  
Change Efforts

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the factors that can contribute to successful management of these issues by project managers. Frequently, projects involve significant change efforts. To achieve project success, project managers must have the skills and understanding to manage the personnel issues related to change and stress related to change. Design/methodology/approach – By reviewing the definitive literature related to change management, the author provides some criteria for project managers to consider as they foster engagement and manage stress related to change in projects. Findings – There are three primary strategies project managers can use to successfully manage both engagement and stress in projects that involve significant change efforts. Originality/value – While the issues related to change management have been discussed generally, the application of these theories and practices to project management has not been extensively explored in the literature. This article provides a general overview of the major theories in direct relationship to project management.

scholarly journals The Role of Project Management Social Responsibility in Project Success: An evidence of Project Sustainability Management from Developing Regions

2019 ◽  
Vol IV (IV) ◽  
pp. 310-318
Author(s):  
Muhammad Iftikhar Ali ◽  
Shumaila Israr ◽  
Samia Zaheer
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional

Projects have been playing a vital role in the sustainable development of organizations and society as well. The study aimed to examine the role of project management social responsibility in the enhancement of projects success in Pakistan. The methodological approach was survey-based research utilizing 13 items of social responsibility questionnaire, whereas project success was measured through the 25 items Project Success Assessment Questionnaire. A stratified random sampling technique was used and 300 questionnaires were distributed to project managers for cross-sectional data collection. The project managers were the respondents having work experience of social sector projects in Pakistan. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analyses. Findings highlighted that social responsibility has a positive and significant effect on the enhancement of project success. The study offered recommendations for government funding organization for sustainable project management. The study provides directions for future research.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document