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1 – 10 of 11Suggests that an open‐door policy is one of the means organizationsuse to improve communication with employees, enhance trust andmotivation, and reduce the need for unionization…
Abstract
Suggests that an open‐door policy is one of the means organizations use to improve communication with employees, enhance trust and motivation, and reduce the need for unionization, though it is problematic and difficult to implement. Points out that a major difficulty is employees′ perceptions of the barriers that exist between them and management; additional obstacles involve behavioural as well as organizational issues. Discusses the pay‐offs associated with open‐door policies, together with the difficulties and dangers involved. Outlines the elements which characterize an effective policy and describes examples of policies that have been demonstrated to work in practice.
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Aaron J. Shenhar and J. Renier
Applies a modular approach to the definition of management. Includes ten separate definitions and modules in an attempt to answer the relatively sweeping question of what…
Abstract
Applies a modular approach to the definition of management. Includes ten separate definitions and modules in an attempt to answer the relatively sweeping question of what management is all about. Various parts of the model could be used for different purposes. First, it may help managers understand the complexities of their job in various situations and identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. Second, the model may assist teachers and educators in planning programmes of management development.
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K. V. Sandhyavani, Arun Kumar, G. Taviti Naidu and Goutam Dutta
This is a case of a crisis project management which showcases the unpredictable nature of the project and the role of management in handling the crisis. It is the case of a very…
Abstract
This is a case of a crisis project management which showcases the unpredictable nature of the project and the role of management in handling the crisis. It is the case of a very severe cyclonic storm hitting the city of Visakhapatnam plant during October, 2014. The whole city was devastated and so was the situation in the Steel plant as it was under zero power conditions for around 10 days. This case gives need for managing an integrated steel plant in case of very severe cyclonic storm and documents the sequence of events and managing unforeseen uncertainty using NTCP concepts.
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Hallgrim Hjelmbrekke, Ole Jonny Klakegg and Jardar Lohne
The purpose of this paper is to describe how the concepts of business models and project governance can enhance value creation in building projects.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe how the concepts of business models and project governance can enhance value creation in building projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on theory derived from management literature, the authors outline a framework combining a project’s business case and governance functions with the business model of the design team. This was tested in two major projects and evaluated in three expert workshops.
Findings
The research reveals that the business model of the design team focus on efficiency rather than on the client’s strategic objectives. This entails a need for project governance functions. The framework presented shows promising capability of aligning the project with client strategy. The authors believe there is significant value in transferring these ideas and knowledge across national boundaries.
Practical implications
The research identifies a gap between business objectives and outcome. The value creation approach in the client organisation diminishes into the way project governance is implemented in some projects. The conceptual framework provides the industry with a new tool for improving its knowledge and practice.
Originality/value
First governance model derived from strategy theory that combines strategy and governance in one holistic model.
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Per Svejvig and Sara Grex
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the similarities and differences between the Danish rethinking project management (RPM) initiative named Project Half Double (PHD) and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the similarities and differences between the Danish rethinking project management (RPM) initiative named Project Half Double (PHD) and the RPM research stream. The paper furthermore discusses how PHD and RPM can inspire each other in research and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an empirical paper based on collaborative research between industry and researchers. PHD has developed principles and practices driven by industry consisting of ten leading stars and the impact, leadership and flow (ILF) method. The ten leading stars and ILF method are compared to RPM research. The comparative analysis is then used in a broader discussion about how the research-driven RPM initiative can enrich the industry-driven PHD initiative and vice versa depicted in a theoretical understanding of translations between global ideas and local implementations.
Findings
RPM and PHD share a focus on value creation, social processes, learning and complexity while PHD also focusses on lean thinking, agile thinking, front-end loading and leadership, which are largely topics beyond the RPM research stream.
Originality/value
The paper presents how stakeholders from Danish industry interpret the actuality in projects and how they want to move forward with a radically different project paradigm. This is expressed in the ten leading stars and ILF method, which is compared and contrasted to the existing RPM literature providing a foundation for further development of both RPM and PHD.
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Ding Wang, Jianyao Jia, Shan Jiang, Tianyi Liu and Guofeng Ma
Despite the documented benefits of voice behavior for projects, little is known about antecedents of voice behavior in the project context, especially construction projects…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the documented benefits of voice behavior for projects, little is known about antecedents of voice behavior in the project context, especially construction projects. Against this background, adopting a multi-team system perspective, this study attempts to investigate antecedents of team voice behavior from a contextual view.
Design/methodology/approach
This study identifies and examines six factors that influence team voice behavior. Specifically, project urgency, project temporality, and project complexity are identified from the project nature perspective. Satisfaction, trust, and commitment are generated from the relationship quality approach. Then, data from completed construction projects in China was collected to verify the effectiveness of these factors. Besides, the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used in this study.
Findings
All six factors are found to be significant predictors of promotive team voice behavior. For prohibitive team voice behavior, only project complexity and project commitment make significant effects. Further, the differential effects of these factors on two types of voice behavior are revealed.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on voice behavior in the project context, especially construction projects consisting of multiple teams. Also, this research enriches our knowledge on antecedents of team voice behavior in construction projects and thus affords practical implications to foster voice behavior.
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Cláudia Sousa Silva, Cláudia Pereira and José Magano
The contribution of project success and the organisation's efficiency is consensual in the literature. However, the value of project management (PM) brings to the organisation's…
Abstract
Purpose
The contribution of project success and the organisation's efficiency is consensual in the literature. However, the value of project management (PM) brings to the organisation's effectiveness through the alignment with strategy, contributing to its competitiveness and business success, is yet little explored. This study addresses the literature gap that concerns the relationship between PM and the organisation's competitiveness, proposing a holistic conceptual model to understand of how PM brings value to the organisation. This work also aims to demonstrate the practical implications of theoretical contributions to the value of PM. For this, a detailed action research (AR) was planned to show how researchers and practitioners could work and collaborate in a real problem and prove the AR approach's adequacy to the PM field.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology starts with a systematic literature review (SLR), followed by content analysis to develop a conceptual model of PM's value. To validate the theoretical constructs and transfer the results to real context, an AR plan is then carried out to support a specific PM problem presented by an automotive industry company.
Findings
The results have theoretical and practical implications. An original conceptual model is developed–the value of PM: Key factors–defending a multidimensional and holistic perspective to understand the PM's value. A set of key factors was identified, structured, interrelated and exemplified their practical implementation in a single company. In addition to the technical key factors identified in the literature review, the AR plan unveils crucial social aspects to improve PM's value, such as leadership, strong communication and open processes. This work shows the central role of PM methodologies in integrating and interconnecting the key factors, emphasizing the projects' strategic level.
Research limitations/implications
The present work was developed in a specific and particular organisational context and industry.
Practical implications
The AR plan presents a company's original programme–Hyper Competitiveness (HC) Temple–implemented in an automotive company. Project management professionals could understand how this company implemented each key factor, defended in a conceptual model and lead the project's results to the business value.
Originality/value
The research originality lies in rethinking PM's value to organisations from a holistic perspective: multi-dimensional, temporal, life cycle, multi-organisational, pointing out a set of technical and social key factors.
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Jennifer Brown and Craig Garthwaite
At the dawn of the twenty-first century, Boeing and Airbus, the leading manufacturers of large aircraft, were locked in a battle for market share that drove down prices for their…
Abstract
At the dawn of the twenty-first century, Boeing and Airbus, the leading manufacturers of large aircraft, were locked in a battle for market share that drove down prices for their new planes. At about the same time, the two industry heavyweights began developing new aircraft families to address the future market needs they each projected.
Aircraft take many years to develop, so by the time the new planes made their inaugural flights, significant changes had occurred in the global environment. First, emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere were growing rapidly, spawning immediate and long-term demand for more aircraft. At the same time, changes to the market for air travel had created opportunities for new products. These opportunities had not gone unnoticed by potential new entrants, which were positioning themselves to compete against the market leaders.
In October 2007, the Airbus superjumbo A380 made its first flight. The A380 carried more passengers than any other plane in history and had been touted as a solution to increased congestion at global mega-hub airports. Four years later the Boeing 787, a smaller long-range aircraft, was launched to service secondary cities in a point-to-point network.
The case provides students with an opportunity to analyze the profit potential of the global aircraft manufacturing industry in 2002 and in 2011. Students can also identify the actions of participants that weakened or intensified the pressure on profits within the industry.
Audio format (.mp3 file) available with purchase of PDF. Contact cases@kellogg.northwestern.edu for access.
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Libiao Bai, Huijing Shi, Shuyun Kang and Bingbing Zhang
Comprehensive project portfolio risk (PPR) analysis is essential for the success and sustainable development of project portfolios (PPs). However, project interdependency creates…
Abstract
Purpose
Comprehensive project portfolio risk (PPR) analysis is essential for the success and sustainable development of project portfolios (PPs). However, project interdependency creates complexity for PPR analysis. In this study, considering the interdependency effect among projects, the authors develop a quantitative evaluation model to analyze PPR based on a fuzzy Bayesian network.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the primary purpose is to comprehensively evaluate project portfolio risk considering the interdependency effect using a systematical model. Accordingly, a fuzzy Bayesian network (FBN) is developed based on the existing studies. Specifically, first, the risks in project portfolios are identified from the project interdependencies perspective. Second, a fuzzy Bayesian network is adopted to model and quantify the interaction relationships among risks. Finally, the model is implemented to analyze the occurrence situation and characteristics of risks.
Findings
The interdependency effect can lead to high-stake risks, including weak financial liquidity, a lack of cross-project members and project priority imbalance. Furthermore, project schedule risks and inconsistency between product supply and market demand are relatively sensitive and should also be prioritized. Also, the validity of this risk evaluation model has been proved.
Originality/value
The findings identify the most sensitive risks for guaranteeing portfolio implementation and reveal interdependency effect can trigger some specific risks more often. This study proposes for the first time to measure and analyze project portfolio risk by a systematical model. It can help systematically assess and manage the complicated and interdependent risks associated with project portfolios.
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Few scholars have been cited as frequently as Pinto, Slevin, and Prescott for their contributions to project success and related critical success factors (CSF) in the 1980s…
Abstract
Purpose
Few scholars have been cited as frequently as Pinto, Slevin, and Prescott for their contributions to project success and related critical success factors (CSF) in the 1980s. Studies since then built on their articles to broaden and refine our understanding of the topic. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the reasons for the impact of these seminal contributions and how the topic of project success continues to evolve.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyses the popularity of Pinto and his colleagues' contributions to project success and reviews the development of this field of research since then.
Findings
Project success remains a vibrant school of thought as do the earlier definitions, measurement scales and dimensions, and assessment techniques that Pinto and his colleagues developed. The authors view success more broadly and think of it strategically because they consider longer‐term business objectives. Some research is now based on managerial or organizational theories and reflects the multi‐dimensional and networked nature of project success.
Practical implications
Practically, the classic contributions in project success continue to be valid. The authors see diversity in how success is defined and measured. The CSFs vary by project types, life cycle phases, industries, nationalities, individuals, and organizations.
Originality/value
The paper relates earlier understandings of project success to subsequent research in the field and underscores the significant findings by Pinto, Slevin, and Prescott.
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