Bringing project and change management roles into sync

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 797-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katalin Pádár ◽  
Béla Pataki ◽  
Zoltán Sebestyén
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Change Agent ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Meta Review ◽  
Common Domain ◽  
Change Projects ◽  
Role Definitions

Purpose Change management (CM) and project management (PM) literatures examine the key roles (change agent, project manager, project or change sponsor) played during projects or changes only from their respective points of view. They do so even in cases where projects and changes occur at the same time – or are so-called change projects. In such cases, effective management should utilize both scientific fields’ bodies of knowledge (BoK). The purpose of this paper is to unfold how and in which domain(s) typical roles of the two disciplines correspond to each other. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a systematic, bi-disciplinary meta-review that simultaneously studies relevant literature on roles performed during projects and changes. The common domain of CM and PM was identified; the systematic review and comparison of role definitions followed. Findings This paper examines and illustrates the correspondence of 7 CM and 14 PM roles; e.g., “sponsor” refers to the same role and “change agent” and “project manager” are corresponding ones, referring to the same role up to a certain degree. Research limitations/implications This paper does not provide an exhaustive overview of various instances of different role (and stakeholder) interpretations. Practical implications Findings should facilitate the better management of changes that require CM-type and PM-type capabilities and actions. Originality/value As a result of the meta-review, two CM roles were re(de)fined. Linking PM and CM roles provides common ground on which practitioners of both fields can rely. A step-by-step tool for the identification of such cases in practice, when both types of roles should be played and both BoK can be utilized complementarily, was developed.

scholarly journals A projektek és a változtatások szerepelméleteinek összehasonlítása (Comparison of role concepts of projects and changes)

2012 ◽  
pp. 30-38
Author(s):  
Zoltán Sebestyén ◽  
Katalin Pádár ◽  
Béla Pataki
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Change Management ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Management Team ◽  
Important Conclusion ◽  
First Order ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
Team Project ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Role Definitions

A szerzők jelen cikkükben a projektmenedzsment és a változásmenedzsment szakirodalmában olvasható szerepelméleteket hasonlítják össze. A hasonlóságok szembeötlőek, de nem nyilvánvaló, hogy az egyes definíciók pontosan miben egyeznek vagy térnek el egymástól. A két szakterület irodalmában nem találtak ilyen összehasonlító elemzést. Először összehasonlítják a projekt, az elsőfokú (morfostatikus) és a másodfokú (morfogenetikus) változás közkeletű definícióit, hogy körülhatárolhassák a közöttük lévő átfedéseket, ahol egyáltalán van értelme összevetniük a különböző szerepmeghatározásokat. Találnak közöttük átfedést, ahol a különböző szerepdefiníciók egyaránt érvényesek, így összehasonlíthatók egymással. A két szakterület szerepmeghatározásainak tartalmát elemezve teljes egyezések, részleges hasonlóságok és különbségek is találhatók. Legfontosabb megállapításuk az, hogy a tartalmi átfedések és kapcsolódások miatt mindkét szakterület oktatói, kutatói és gyakorlati művelői komoly haszonnal forgathatják a másik terület szerepelméleti szakirodalmát is. ________ This paper compares the role concepts which are in current use in project management and change management literature. The similarities are noticeable at first sight but it is not clear where the domains of the different definitions of the two management disciplines overlap and where they vary from each other significantly. The authors have not found such an interdisciplinary comparison in the literature of the two fields. At first, they compared the widely used definitions of project, first order (or morphostatic) and second order (or morphogenetic) changes to find the overlapping areas where it is reasonable to compare the different role definitions at all. They found an overlapping area where the different role definitions are all valid and the role theories can be compared. The typical project stakeholders are: project sponsor, project manager, project management team, project team, influencers, customer/user, performing organization etc. The typical change roles are: sponsor (initiating and sustaining), agent, target, advocate, facilitator etc. The authors found samenesses, similarities and differences alike between the two sets of roles. The most important conclusion is that the findings enable participants working on these types of activities to rely on both bodies of knowledge properly.

scholarly journals Partners and plagiarisers: dualities in consultants’ influence on organisational change projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Strategic Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Consultants ◽  
The Past ◽  
Management Consultancy ◽  
Change Projects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between the requirements for successful organisational change and the imperatives faced by management consultancy firms in running successful businesses, and how this interplay affects the ways in which management consultants influence organisational change projects. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews literature on management consultancy and organisational change over the past 30 years to identify insights into this issue. Findings The paper shows that business imperatives faced by management consultancy firms affect the ways in which consultants influence organisational change projects. It shows how management consultants aspire to form strategic partnerships with their clients in order to win profitable business, and to plagiarise established organising practices and change management methods in defining their services in order to manage their costs. It illustrates how these aspirations give rise to a number of dualities that consultants face in undertaking organisational change projects. Originality/value Only limited research has been carried out into the ways in which the business imperatives of management consultancy firms interact with the requirements for successful organisational change in shaping the influence that management consultants have on organisational change projects. This paper demonstrates the significance of this issue and suggests directions for future research into it.

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.

Design cybernetics in support of cross-disciplinary collaboration: educating the next generation of Chinese architects and structural engineers

Kybernetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 2109-2124
Author(s):  
Christiane M. Herr
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Design ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Structural Engineering ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Applied Design ◽  
Structural Engineers ◽  
Building Practice

Purpose This paper offers design cybernetics as a theoretical common ground to bridge diverging approaches to design as they frequently occur in collaborative design projects. Focusing on the education of architects and structural engineers in China, the paper examines how compatible approaches to design can be established in both disciplines. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses relevant literature as well as observations from Chinese practice and academia. Design cybernetics is introduced and examined as a basis for establishing shared narratives to support cross-disciplinary collaborations involving architects and structural engineers. Findings Design cybernetics offers a body of vocabulary and a rich resource of strategies to address applied designing across design-oriented disciplines such as architecture and science-based disciplines such as structural engineering. The meta perspective of design cybernetics also provides a basis for the implementation of pedagogy supporting cross-disciplinary collaboration in applied design. Research limitations/implications The scope of the paper is limited to the examination of the theoretical framing as well as the implementation of pedagogy in the cultural and geographical context of China. Practical implications The paper outlines several design cybernetic strategies for pedagogy in support of cross-disciplinary collaborative design processes and illustrates their implementation in applied design education. Originality/value Addressing a significant and persistent gap between the two disciplines of architecture and structural engineering in the context of Chinese building practice, this paper examines the particularities of this context and presents an educational approach to support cross-disciplinary collaboration that has value in and beyond the context of China.

Increasing the strategic role of HR: the importance of macro-economic conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Adam Morris
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
Economic Trends ◽  
Change Projects ◽  
Theories Of Change ◽  
Internal And External Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce notions for increasing the strategic position of the HR function by outlining the influence that macro-economic trends play on the role of the function and the success of its initiatives. The main focus is on how HR can over time change with economic cycles to add tangible value and drive strategic conversations. Design/methodology/approach This argument is split into three sections: the importance of strategic considerations for change, macro-economic trends and HR, and HR’s increased input to business strategy. It looks at the work of key theorists in change management, analyzes the history of HR and develops these arguments into conclusions about how to improve HR’s strategic role. Findings Key theories of change management demonstrate that strategy is critical to the success of change projects. This means encompassing both internal and external factors affecting a business. By examining the historical development of HR it is clear to see that macro-economic trends are a significant external factor that is not often investigated by HR. If HR can harness this information, they will be able to implement proactive initiatives and drive strategic conversations. Originality/value The notions outlined in this paper identify a significant factor for the success of HR that is not often investigated by the function, allowing HR to implement more effective initiatives at optimal times.

Information processing by elderly consumers: a five-decade review

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluigi Guido ◽  
Marco Pichierri ◽  
Cristian Rizzo ◽  
Verdiana Chieffi ◽  
George Moschis
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Processing Activity ◽  
Elderly Consumers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review scholarly research on elderly consumers’ information processing and suggest implications for services marketing. Design/methodology/approach The review encompasses a five-decade period (1970–2018) of academic research and presents relevant literature in four main areas related to information processing: sensation, attention, interpretation and memory. Findings The study illustrates how each of the aforementioned phases of the information processing activity may affect how elderly individuals buy and consume products and services, emphasizing the need for a better comprehension of the elderly to develop effectual marketing strategies. Originality/value The study provides readers with detailed state-of-the-art knowledge about older consumers’ information processing, offering a comprehensive review of academic research that companies can use to improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts that target the elderly market.

Private ethical fund investors across countries and time: a survey-based review

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anett Wins ◽  
Bernhard Zwergel
Keyword(s):  
Keyword Search ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Screening Criteria ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Responsible Investment ◽  
Private Investors ◽  
Ethical Funds ◽  
Fund Portfolio

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an overview of the literature to point out similarities and differences among private ethical investors across countries and time. Over the past three decades, many surveys have been conducted to advance the understanding of the demographic characteristics, motivation and morals of private ethical investors across countries and time. To date, the survey-based evidence on private investors into ethical funds is geographically rather segmented, and the research questions are fairly diverse. This permits only very temporally or regionally selective conclusions. Thereby, the authors identify interesting topics for future research. Design/methodology/approach – To identify the relevant literature for our review, the authors carried out a structured Boolean keyword search using major library services and databases. Findings – When questions about negative screening criteria are presented in a direct investment context, the consensus of private ethical investors “worldwide” (on average) is that social screening issues are most important, followed by ecological and moral topics. The percentage of ethical funds in the fund portfolio of the average private ethical investor in Europe seems to increase when the investor exhibits high degrees of pro-social attitudes and perceived consumer effectiveness. European private ethical investors are of the opinion that ethical funds perform worse but are less risky than conventional funds. Practical implications – The authors make suggestions on how investment companies should design their funds so that they can attract more socially responsible investors. Originality/value – The paper is of particular value because it focuses on private investors in the fast growing retail market of socially responsible investment funds.

Rising from the ashes: Satyam's story

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Tanvi Gautam
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Executive Education ◽  
List Type ◽  
Corporate Communications ◽  
It Industry ◽  
Market Reactions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employee Trust ◽  
Starting Point

Subject area Leadership, human resource management, crisis management, change management and communication. Study level/applicability Executive education; postgraduate; undergraduate. Case overview This case study describes the collapse of Satyam, a leading IT industry service provider from India. Satyam went into a crisis mode after revelation of financial fraud by its Chairman. This resulted in a crisis not just for the company, its clients and employees – but it also had the potential to shake up the entire Indian IT industry the world over, by shattering investor and client confidence in the Indian IT sector. The case provides the students with an inside view of the unfolding of events at Satyam and the people challenges that emerge in a crisis scenario. The case outlines reactions from the industry, government, clients and employees as they tried to make sense of a very chaotic situation, and its multi-level ramifications both within India and outside. The case ends with Thallapalli Hari, the Global Head of Marketing and Communication and ex-head of HR, trying to visualise and prioritise a course of action to propose to other members of the leadership team. Expected learning outcomes The key aim of this case is to provide a backdrop to the crisis, and also help students put themselves in the role of an HR crisis manager as well as portray the decision making and communication challenges that emerge in chaotic situations. The importance of an immediate and yet strategic response is emphasised and the case is a great starting point to have a discussion on the competencies and skills required in HR to lead under unusual circumstances. This case allows participants to get an in-depth understanding of the collapse of Satyam. The case also illustrates principles of leadership, change management and communication, in particular: Leadership: The Satyam story is an HR and leadership crisis nightmare come true. What should an HR leader do when you wake up to find your company with a ruined reputation, minimal financial capital, 53,000 employees on the payroll and more than 500 clients with pending deliverables worldwide. Where do you begin? The case illustrates a situation where immediate action is required to stop the tailspin into which the company was heading. Change management: The situation demanded that change be managed from a chaotic system to a stable system. The big issue though remains as to how one can get a system into a state of stability when everything is changing at the same time. Most change management plans have some stable variables, however in the case of Satyam there were multiple changes taking place simultaneously. A combination of change in leadership, client relationships, employee trust and confidence, market reactions together make for a perfect storm. Dealing with even one of these changes is a challenge for a company. In the case of Satyam, its entire existence was at stake. Communication: The demands for communicating effectively in a crisis situation are different than communicating under stable systems. The choice of medium, the speed of response, the content all need careful monitoring. Whereas most companies have teams that separately deal with internal and external communication, Satyam provides a unique situation where managing both effectively at the same time was critical to the future of the firm. The stakes for effective communication are much higher under the circumstances. This case can be used in organizational behaviour, human resources and corporate communications modules being taught to under-graduates, post-graduates and for executive education. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Communicate belonging? Duoethnography of an organisational change study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Crestani ◽  
Jill Fenton Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Change Initiatives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inclusive Language ◽  
Employee Resistance ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis duoethnography explores feelings of belonging that emerged as being relevant to the participants of a doctoral organisational change study. It challenges the prolific change management models that inadvertently encourage anti-belonging.Design/methodology/approachA change management practitioner and her doctoral supervisor share their dialogic reflections and reflexivity on the case study to open new conversations and raise questions about how communicating belonging enhances practice. They draw on Ubuntu philosophy (Tutu, 1999) to enrich Pinar's currere (1975) for understandings of belonging, interconnectedness, humanity and transformation.FindingsThe authors show how dialogic practice in giving employees a voice, communicating honestly, using inclusive language and affirmation contribute to a stronger sense of belonging. Suppressing the need for belonging can deepen a communication shadow and create employee resistance and alienation. Sharing in each other's personal transformation, the authors assist others in better understanding the feelings of belonging in organisational change.Practical implicationsPractitioners will need to challenge change initiatives that ignore belonging. This requires thinking of people as relationships, rather than as numbers or costs, communicating dialogically, taking care with language in communicating changes and facilitating employees to be active participants where they feel supported.Originality/valueFor both practice and academy, this duoethnography highlights a need for greater humanity in change management practices. This requires increasing the awareness and understanding of an interconnectedness that lies at the essence of belonging or Ubuntu (Tutu, 1999).

Dancing in the storm: finessing emergency remote teaching in the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Louise Whittaker ◽  
Hayley Pearson
Keyword(s):  
Change Management ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Business School ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Management Process ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Managers ◽  
Academic Level

Case overview The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), a South African based business school and one of the top ranked business schools in Africa, was yet again facing a crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic. Having emerged out of an extraordinary year of strict lockdown regulations and having managed a rapid shift to emergency remote teaching. GIBS had managed to maintain its academic programmes, ensuring the completion of the curriculum within the academic year whilst maintaining the exceptionally high standards and quality learning experience it was known for. As 2020 drew to a close, the academic programmes team and the students looked forward to starting the new year in a more “normal” mode of operation. GIBS closed for Christmas holiday with the intent on returning, in early 2021, in some form of face-to-face teaching. However, on the 27th of December 2020, the President of South Africa announced a return to level-3 lockdown as the second wave of infections swept through the country. Strict measures were once again enforced, significantly impacting GIBS’ possible return to campus in January 2021. Reflecting on the lessons learnt over the past year, the Executive Director: Academic Programmes, Professor Louise Whittaker, yet again faced the challenge of deciding how best to proceed given the circumstances. The case illustrates the need for effective change management through the application of Kotter’s 8 steps to transformation, whilst demonstrating the complexity of change management during a crisis. A particular focus on the importance of communication during a change management process in a crisis is illustrated through this case. Expected learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: students need to understand that in a crisis, change management will be emergent and requires flexibility and adaptability; students will determine what concrete actions may be required during a change management process in a crisis; students will need to discern that theoretical models do not necessarily fit real world contexts, particularly in a crisis situation; and students will identify aspects that might be missing or inadequately formulated in standard models of change management. Complexity academic level The case is positioned at a post-graduate level and would be ideal as a teaching case for business school students on a Master of Business Administration programme, a specialised business masters programme or selected executive education programmes for general managers or senior executives. The case can be taught in a course in the following fields, namely, change management, leadership or strategy. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

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