Project Management In today’s competitive environment, Human Resources (HR) Directors are competing with other operational departments for project funds. This requires the HR department to be able to detail the benefits the project provides the organization and have a competitive Return on Investment (ROI). HR Directors need to weigh the benefits of contracting out the service to vendors, working with the Information Technology (IT) department to develop software that meet HR’s requirements, purchasing off the shelf software, or lease Software As A Service (SAAS). Human Resources Information System (HRIS) projects do not just happen, they require input from a wide range of users, extensive planning, testing, feedback loops, an implementations plan, and garner the acceptance from individuals within the organization. Even if a program meets every requirement, the program requires a lead to serve as a Change Agent. Team members do not generally embrace change; they know how the current program functions and need to understand the reason for the change, training, and an opportunity to provide input in the process for the project to be successful. The paper will discuss Cost Benefit Analysis, risk and mitigation factors, project management tool, project management feedback loops, and organizational behavioral concerns and mitigating factors that can be used to increase the likelihood a project is successful. Cost Benefit Analysis In today’s competitive economy it is vital that organizations invest their funds wisely. A tool used by many organizations use is the Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) to assist them in the decision process in determining which projects make the best financial sense. The CBA requires HR departments to develop exper... ... middle of paper ... ...tion. Vienna, VA: Management Concept Press Jeffreys, J., ((2009, June 25). Advantages and Disadvantages of Gantt Charts, Retrieved November 13, 2013 from internet site http://www.pmhut.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-gantt-charts Kavanagh, M. J., Thite, M., Johnson, D. J., (2012). Human Resource Information Systems, Thousand Oaks, CA; SAGE Publications, Inc. Kotter, J. (2013). The 8-Step Process for Leading Change, , Retrieved November 14, 2013 from internet site http://www.kotterinternational.com/our-principles/changesteps Palmer, I., Dunford, R., Akin, G., (2009). Managing Organization Change, New York, McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Sharma, R., (2013, May 18). Advantages and Disadvantages of Critical Path Method, Retrieved November 14, 2013 from internet site http://www.brighthubpm.com/project-planning/60960-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-critical-path-method/
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In his book, Leading Change, Dr. John P. Kotter communicates why organizations fail or succeed based on ten years of conducting research on more than 100 companies to see what contributed to their successful transformations and what hindered those transformations. “In October 2001 Business Week magazine reported a survey they conducted of 504 enterprises that rated Professor Kotter the number one “leading guru” in America.” The two significant aspects I took from this book were the reasons why change initiatives fail and an eight-stage process to lead the organization through a successful transformation.
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This paper will be broken down into six sections profiling each critical part of implementing and managing change in an organization. The sections included are; outline for plan creating urgency, the approach to attracting a guiding team, a critique of the organizational profile, the components of change, and how to empower the organization.
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Whether an organization consists of five or 25,000 employees, human resources management is vital to the success of the organization. HR is important to all managers because it provides managers with the resources – the employees – necessary to produce the work for the managers and the organization. Beyond this role, HR is capable of becoming a strong strategic partner when it comes to “establishing the overall direction and objectives of key areas of human resource management in order to ensure that they not only are consistent with but also support the achievement of business goals.” (Massey, 1994, p. 27)
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Organizational success or failure is dependent on a myriad of variables that can be challenging to measure and interpret. Success or failure can simply be luck and timing or an orchestrated and deliberate effort. As new technologies allow organizations the ability to rapidly measure and assess its internal and external environmental factors, more efficient strategies can be quickly implemented. The focus of this literature review is specifically on one of these mentioned variables. The paper will detail the relationship that Human Resources (HR) practices have with an organization’s strategic goals and vision.
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