Project Management (Chapter 3)

what are the challenges to organising projects?

the uniqueness and short duration of projects relative to ongoing longer-term organisational activities

how to choose an appropriate project management structure?

a good system balances the needs of the project with the needs of the organisation

what is a functional organisation?

different segments of the project are delegated to respective functional units, coordination is maintained through normal management channels

what are the advantages of a functional organisation?

no structural change, flexibility

what are the disadvantages of a functional organisation?

lack of focus, poor integration

what are dedicated project teams?

teams operate as separate units under the leadership of a full-time project manager

what are the advantages of dedicated project teams?

simple, cross-functional integration

what are the disadvantages of dedicated project teams?

expensive, limited technological expertise

what is a matrix structure?

is overlaid on the normal functional structure, two chain of commands (functional and project), project participants report to both functional and project managers

division of project manager and functional manager responsibilities in a matrix structure example

project manager: what has to be done?

negotiated issue: who will do the task?

functional manager: how will it be done?

what are the different matrix forms?

weak, balanced, strong

what is the weak form?

authority of the functional manager predominates and the project manager has indirect authority

what is the balanced form?

project manager sets the overall plan and the functional manager determines how work is to be done

what is the strong form?

project manager has broader control and functional departments act as subcontractors to the project

what are the adv and disadv of strong form?

adv: efficient, flexible

disadv: stressful, slow

how do you determine what is the right project management structure?

organisation considerations, project considerations

what are organisation considerations?

how important is the project to the firms success?

what % of core work involves projects?

what are project considerations?

size of project, need for integration (no. of departments involved)

what is organisational culture?

a system of shared norms, beliefs, values and assumptions which binds people together

what are the key dimensions defining an organisations culture?

member identity

team emphasis

management focus

risk tolerance

how do you identify cultural characteristics?

study the physical characteristics of an organisation, read about the organisation

what are the challenges for PM in navigating organisational cultures

interacting with the culture and subcultures of the parent organisation, interacting with other organisations connected to the project