Action #1: Training in project management. As stated in the case, these organizations were at different levels of project management maturity, including two of them that were “clueless” about project management. As their goal was to implement an enterprise project management methodology, training in project management represent the first step in this endeavor. It will also help them to create a general and common understanding of what project management is and how it should be implemented, as the other tow companies that knew and implemented project management, exert their implementation in a different way.
Action #2: Adapt the methodology according to the PM maturity level of each company. Currently, Honicker was working to implement their
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Organizational culture is key in project management and in any merge process, as it will dictate the parameters in which an organization preforms. In the case of Honicker and its merge process, organizational culture has a tremendous importance, as it regulates the way in which this organizations execute in regular basis and how they interact with their clients and stakeholders. Schein (2010) stated: “culture is an abstraction”. It can be argued then that even when companies are working in the same market, the way in which they actually do business might (most probably) be different. In any merge process organizational culture plays a pivotal role as it might signify the success of complete failure of the process. Honicker appears to be a mature organization in project management; nevertheless, the other four companies, along with their PM immaturity, possess cultures that showed little commitment to Honicker’s goals (which after the merge were their goals as well), a different teamwork approach, and a selfish engagement to the “common” endeavor. One of the main reasons why this situation happened was because of the different cultures that characterized each organization. If these cultural issues continue, the merge is most likely to end up being a failure, as the acquired organizations will not be able to perform in accordance to Honicker’s standards and
Gray, C., Larson, E. (2008). Project Management: The managerial Process. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
Defendants of the theory suggest that these differences have to be taken into account at an early stage in the merger process to tackle possible barriers right away. This model believes that the level of cultural compatibility between the units to be merged determines the success of the integration process (David & Singh, 1994; Morosini & Singh, 1994; Cartwright & Cooper, 1996; Javidan & House, 2002). It derives its conclusions from the development of the cultural differences which are apparent at the pre-merger stage, into the post-merger integration results. Scholars Cartwright and Cooper, significant defendants of the cultural fit perspective, argue that the cultures of the merging parties should be similar or adjoining in order to integrate them successfully. The authors explain that if there is an equal deviation of power, the units involved in a merger should adapt to each other’s culture and ultimately create a coherent third culture to overcome the differences. However, since organizations inherently strive to retain their own culture, mergers between culturally divergent units are argued to result in major integration
Frame, J.D., Managing Projects in Organizations: How to Make the Best use of Time, Techniques and People, third ed., San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,112-117, 2003.
Project management is "the art and science of converting vision into reality" (Atkinson, 1999). Project management delivers results. Project managers enjoy the challenge of juggling multiple responsibilities and optimizing workflow in a highly competitive environment. From managing the development of a website to launching new company wide integration system, project managers keep projects on time, on track and within budget. Strong business, management and organizational skills as well as experience with current technologies put qualified candidates in high demand in this extraordinary career field. The practice of project management focuses efforts on your mission by defining priorities, utilizing resources, and producing outstanding goods and services for businesses and customers alike. A successful project translates a broad public mission into concrete results and outcomes.
Organizational culture relates to a system of shared values, beliefs, and assumptions, which direct how people behave in organizations. These shared beliefs have a major influence on people in the organizations and dictate how they act, perform their duties, and dress. As such, organizational culture also impacts the change management process as it determines how people will respond to the change (Briody, Pester, & Trotter, 2012). The recent years have seen many companies and businesses engage in mergers to enhance their competitiveness in the market. The success of these mergers is largely dependent on the resulting firm’s ability to integrate cultures from both companies forming the merger. Cultural clashes often lead to problems in the management process and in most cases, if this is not addressed, the merger ends in failure. Sprint/Nextel merger is a perfect example of a merger that did not survive as a result of cultural clashes (Woodsworth & Penniman, 2013).
Project Management is quickly becoming a field of study and importance in the business world. A search on the Internet of the title “Project Management” yields hundreds or results including forums, training manuals and job openings for related positions. Project Management is a broad term referencing the necessary steps taken by management to ensure a product is feasible before and during implementation. According to Project Management Learning Objectives, the steps to achieve success in this area include: testing and measuring products, evaluating and managing the product cycle, comparing costs and benefits, measuring product worth, economic analysis, product analysis, teambuilding and leadership, and budgeting and cost control (Project Management Outline). Project Managers oversee many different areas of the business and are responsible for project success.
Based on the findings from CIO – Project Management Definition and Solutions, Project Management Certification, Wisconsin School of Business – Project Portfolio Management, and Project Management Institute this paper will answer the question: how can organizations justify investing in enterprise project management for IT projects?
Successful organizations must manage resources and control the diverse range of projects operating within their systems at any one time. To be successful in the current business climate, organizations need to focus on how to manage the many competing requirements for resources. Conflicting resource requirements across multiple projects and corporate priorities not centrally managed usually are grounds for failure. I believe that a properly organized enterprise project office is the formula for successful project implementation. This paper briefly outlines what I feel is the main philosophy of the project office and two functions it can provide.
Meredith, J. M. (2009). Project Management A Managerial Approach. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Patanakul, P., & Milosevic, D. Z. (2010). They are business leaders at Spotlight Corporation. In D. Z. Milosevic, P. Patanakul, & S. Srivannaboon, (Eds.), Case studies in project, program, and organizational project management (pp.409-416), Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Migrating from Crisis to Controlled environment is the need of this Era and it can be achieved by Synergistic Project Management. Several research studies indicate that organizations are in a crisis with respect to how projects are managed. The key factors contributing to this crisis that need to be managed is discussed in this paper.
Continental Computer Corporation experienced challenges while attempting to consolidate projects under a single project manager if the fundamental practices of project management are not in place. “One of the biggest mistake made is developing a different methodology for each type of project” (Harold Kerzner, 2004, p. 95). Proven project management ethics should be used in order to achieve a successful project outcome, therefore the use of different project procedure will just complication and errors. “Project management is accomplished through the appropriate application and integration of the 47 logically grouped project management processes, which are categorized into five Process Groups. These five Process Groups are:” (PMI, 2013, p.
Merger and Acquisition indicates the change in management and corporate culture. Culture implies the way groups of people perform to align with the company’s value. In other words, “Culture encompasses the way things get done in an organization” (Marks & Mirvis, 2011). It also means that corporate culture; which exhibits shared values, roles, norms and ideologies, will highly influence behaviors and att...
They outsourced and gave a quick training on project management for 50 employees (out of 300), some of which were place as part of the committee to create a project management methodology for the company. After two months of meetings, and mainly due to personal interests, three stage-gate models were created: information systems, new products/services provided, and one for acquiring new
When planning a new project, how the project will be managed is one of the most important factors. The importance of a managers will determine the success of the project. The success of the project will be determined by how well it is managed. Project management is referred to as the discipline that entails the processes of carefully planning, organizing, controlling, and motivating the organization resources so as to foster and facilitate the achievement of specific established and desired goals and meet the specific criteria of success required in the organization (Larson, 2014). Over the course of this paper I will be discussing and analyzing the importance of project management.