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

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.

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Coetzer

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.


2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Coetzer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical examination of the mediating influence of time management (TM) on relationship between adult attention deficit (AAD) and role stress (RS). Design/methodology/approach – In total, 117 actively employed business graduate students completed a self-report measure of RS and identified two close associates, one of which completed an observer version of the Brown Attention Deficit Scale while the other complete an observer version of a TM measure. Product moment correlations were used to test the hypotheses that AAD, TM and RS were associated. The Sobel test of mediation was used to test the hypothesis that TM mediated the relationship between AAD and RS. Findings – AAD, TM and RS are associated with each other and TM partially mediates the relationship between AAD and RS. Research limitations/implications – Research study is limited by a measure of AAD that may not fully represent all the key symptom clusters and an indirect workplace sample. Further investigation of AAD symptoms, including potentially positive manifestations like entre/intrapreneurial cognition and behavior, is required to stabilize the content, structure and measurement of the construct. Practical implications – Organizations wishing to ensure timely completion of tasks and limit disruptive RS need to be aware of the influence of AAD. The provision of TM training, productivity management tools and an organized work space free of distractions is suggested for disordered employees. Various forms of organizational coaching including a peer coaching system may help disordered employees better manage both their time and their role. The effective design and management of teams represents a significant opportunity for effectively distributing the potential benefits of the disorder while managing deficits like poor TM and increased RS. Organizational development interventions that focus on TM and role (re)negotiation are suggested. 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 and take appropriate advantage of employee diversity underscores the general social value of this research. Originality/value – This research study is the first empirical examination of the mediating influence of TM on the relationship between AAD and RS. 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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 804-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Kumar Agrawal

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of ethical climate types on trust in management using Victor and Cullen’s framework, which is based on Kohlberg’s theory of moral development and Gouldner’s sociocultural theory of organizations. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 270 employees from 10 organizations in India was used to investigate the specific relationships between ethical climate types and trust in management. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the different types of ethical climates existing in the organizations. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between ethical climates and trust in management. Findings It was found that ethical climates characterized by caring, laws and codes, and rules and procedures are significant predictors of trust in management. However, no support was obtained for any impact of ethical climates emphasizing company profit, self-interest or independence on trust in management. Research/limitations implications Future research should examine trust in management as a mediating or moderating variable in the relationship between ethical climates and other organizational variables such as commitment, citizenship behaviour or productivity. Additionally, research could also examine different cultural and organizational contexts in testing out these relationships. The role of other constructs such as personality of supervisors and ethical sensitivity in developing trust in management may also been investigated. Practical implications Organizations should try to develop climates based on caring and also emphasize adherence to laws and codes as well as rules and procedures to enhance trust in the management. Originality/value The findings of the study are unique and original because literature examining ethical climates and trust is scarce, and this is the first study to explore how ethical climates can impact trust in management in the Indian context. In particular, the results are unique for. Contrary to expectations, no negative impact of climates of self-interest, company interest and independence on trust in management could be seen in this study. The results throw open new directions to theory building on ethical climates and trust in the Indian context.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Piwowar-Sulej

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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-450
Author(s):  
Karmin Gray ◽  
Frank Ulbrich

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.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Ling ◽  
Tao Qing ◽  
Peng Shen

Purpose – This paper aims to provide theoretical analysis and empirical study on the relationship between training and organizational commitment; analyze the mediating role of employability and the moderating role of expectation value in their relationship; and draw from both of these to suggest practical implications to organizations aiming to effectively train and retain employees, and for employees themselves. Design/methodology/approach – First, the paper reviews the literature regarding training, employability, organizational commitment and expectation value. Second, it develops a theoretical model linking training, employability, organizational commitment and expectation value, and proposes a series of research hypotheses. Third, drawing on samples of 405 Chinese employees, it tests hypotheses based on a series of measurement and statistical analyses. Last, it discusses the analysis results and puts forward related suggestions for management practice. Findings – The paper tests and verifies the applicability of Western training and employability scales in China from a self-perception perspective. Training is positively related to organizational commitment and employability. Further, employability partly mediates the relationship between training and organizational commitment, and expectation value moderates the relationship between employability and organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications – First, the cross-sectional design prevents the making of causal statements. Future research should adopt an experimental (quasi experimental) research method or longitudinal research to study the casual relationship between variables. Second, data are from employees’ self-report, giving rise to concern about possible common source bias. Future research should allow supervisors to rate employees’ employability or provide evaluation of employees’ expectation value to collect multi-source data. Originality/value – The paper first introduces Western scales of training and employability into a Chinese context, and then tests and verifies the two scales' applicability in China. To explain the action mechanism of training to the employee – organizational commitment in a boundaryless career, the paper constructs a moderate mediation model to test the direct effect of training on organizational commitment, the mediating effect of employability and the moderating effect of expectation value. This study complements past research by investigating both the mediating and moderating mechanisms in training organizational commitment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruba Abu-Hussein ◽  
Mohammed Hyassat ◽  
Rateb Sweis ◽  
Afnan Alawneh ◽  
Mutaz Al-Debei

Purpose This purpose of this research is to investigate the project management factors that are affecting the enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects’ performance in Jordan. Based on the conducted literature review, four project management areas were selected for this research: the communication management, the human resource management, the time management and the risk management. Design/methodology/approach In total, 24 Jordanian ERP projects were surveyed through designing a questionnaire that was distributed to project managers. Moreover, interviews were conducted with both the project manager of the largest ERP project in Jordan and a consultant of one of the Big 5 consulting firms. Findings The interviews’ results confirmed the effect of the four project management areas on the ERP project performance which is consistent with the questionnaire results except for the risk management. Originality/value No similar studies were found in Jordan. Moreover, this subject was tackled by only a few studies, so more research is recommended to investigate the project management factors that are affecting the ERP projects’ performance. It is also recommended that future studies extend this research on factors other than project management factors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-171
Author(s):  
Jan Terje Karlsen ◽  
Parinaz Farid ◽  
Tim Torvatn

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.


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerome Choy ◽  
Darcy McCormack ◽  
Nikola Djurkovic

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between leader-member exchange (LMX) and job performance and the utility of delegation and participation as mediators of the aforementioned relationship. Methodology – A survey approach was used in this research. Regression analyses, including mediation analyses, on data from 268 employees in a large public sector organisation were conducted. Findings – The findings revealed that both delegation and participation were significant mediating variables of the relationship between LMX and job performance. Research limitation – The limitations of the study include the use of self-report and cross-sectional data. Future research could include multi-source data, and a longitudinal research design. Practical implication – The implications of the findings for theory and management are discussed, including the use of delegation and participation as effective instruments for developing and maintaining strong manager-employee relationships to improve social capital and enhance job performance. Originality value – This paper enhances understanding of LMX, and sheds some light on how LMX and participative decision making can influence employee job performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valdemilson de Assis Alves de Araujo ◽  
Isabel Cristina Scafuto ◽  
Fernando Ribeiro Serra ◽  
Leonardo Vils ◽  
Flavio Bizarrias

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the effects of internal stickiness (IS) on the success of projects through the perception of managers involved in projects.Design/methodology/approach This study collected 253 valid responses from project managers, using a validated IS scale and project success scale. The results were analyzed using nonparametric correlation due to the nature of the data.Findings The dimensions of success are interrelated, and IS, considering the barriers to knowledge transfer, is negatively related to all of these dimensions. This confirms the importance of the behavior of the individual and the team, rather than only formal processes to avoid IS and positively impact the success of projects.Practical implications The tacit and behavioral component of knowledge management needs to be further explored in practice. Project management activities need to pay greater attention to knowledge development, knowledge transfer and learning between those involved in the project and within a company.Originality/value The study provides a better understanding of knowledge transfer barriers, represented by the IS construct, to the success of projects. The success of projects depends on the relationship with teams that include members of organizational sectors not related to the existence of permanent project management teams. The relationship contributes to the successful transfer of knowledge between the recipient and the source of knowledge according to the recipient's needs.


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