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Project management in every situation is based on planning, organizing, motivating and controlling resources for the attainment of certain goals. This essentially means that the success of the management of a project will depend on the results achieved as well as the resources committed in achieving such results. Irrespective of the objectives of a...
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... Every circumstance that involves PM relies on the planning, organising, inspiration and control of resources to achieve specific objectives. This essentially means that both the results that are attained and the resources that are used to obtain the former will determine how successfully a project is managed (Kuchta and Sukpen, 2013). Regardless of a project's goals, there is one critical aspect that is worth to be considered: projects are managed within a specific national cultural context. ...
... Culture can be defined as how a group of people solves problems and reconciles dilemmas (Schein, 1985). Taking this definition as a starting point, it can be argued that NC is a particular pattern of thinking and acting that is espoused by people in a society, modelled around collective values, beliefs, symbols and practices and inherently different from the systems of other groups of people and societies (Kuchta and Sukpen, 2013). NC may be construed to represent a phenomenon of immense complexity in that it seeks to articulate the understanding of society. ...
... The academic literature has demonstrated that NCDs have major impacts on CPM practices (Kivrak et al., 2009). For example, the studies of Kuchta and Sukpen (2013) observed that construction projects are implemented by persons and in societies. These persons and societies have certain thoughts and mindsets, which influence whatever they do. ...
Construction project management (CPM) in developing countries (DCs) tends to experience high levels of failures. These failures have been attributed to technical, behavioural and economic factors. However, in an increased globalised world, understanding cultural dimensions and their impacts has become essential for effective CPM. This study examines the extent to which national cultural dimensions (NCDs) explain CPM in DCs. Six dimensions that were identified from the review were used in a survey of 140 project management (PM) experts. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, a scale was obtained and validated through structural equation modelling. The results reveal that the level of inequality and the orientation of a developing country with respect to time are able to significantly predict CPM in these countries. This study draws managerial attention to how different cultural dimensions and collaboration among project team members impact CPM. The value of this research lies in the creation of a model that contributes to the understanding of CPM in DCs from the cultural perspective. This will help project managers to properly devise ways of dealing with cultural misunderstandings, which will eventually lead to appropriate approaches to CPM in these countries.
... The project manager,culture and the project environments Culture refers to a specific way of thinking and behaving by group of people in a society exhibited around shared values, beliefs, symbols and practices fundamentally different from the arrangements of other set of people and societies (Kuchta, Sukpen, & Technology, 2013). Environment on the other hand, refers to the area where the project is processed. ...
A project that lacks competent project manager is definitely heading for failure. The motivation, passion and direction needed in project management comes from the project manager. He supervises project team members and ensures that each member is assigned project tasks. Project manager must ensure that these assigned tasks are completed within the stated timeframe. The project manager performs the following responsibilities: 1) Management of project resources; in doing this, care must be taken to avoid wastages and thefts. 2) Identification of critical project tasks during the early stages of the project. 3) Management of stakeholders; this is an important aspect that contributes to project success. The project manager must learn how to relate with the various stakeholders of the project. Creating and maintaining that good relationship will contribute immensely to the success of the project. 4) Financial management; even though the project manager is not a financial expert but he should have fair knowledge on how to manage the finances of the project to keep the project alive. However, it is advisable for project managers to start from small to large projects. This gives them the opportunity to fully understand management principles and skills needed for bigger projects. Projects create an excellent learning atmosphere for project managers. Project initiation, planning and implementation are rigorous stages that requires someone with the requisite knowledge, temperament and technical skills to meet project deadlines. As a project manager, having gone through such, will leave you with the adequate knowledge and skills needed for future organizational growth hence, improving one's career path. Imagine the challenges associated with the implementation of projects, if the project manager is able to meet project requirements within those constraints then it becomes imperative for senior management to consider such project manager for future senior position in the organization. In essence, the project manager's functions in the management of projects cannot be over emphasized.
... This has been discussed in general terms in the triangle model [Nispen 2011], differentiating culture on the level of states, organisations, teams and ultimately the individual. However, research into the relations between national cultures and projects is just as valid (see for instance [Kuchta, Sukpen 2013]. ...
Purpose: to explore and demonstrate the effects of organizational culture on projects, in particular project culture and project management style.
Methodology/approach: descriptive and explorative; through students’ groups. Findings: the cultural relationship between organizations, their projects and the third parties involved (clients) has quite some impact and is more complicated than expected.
Implications/limitations: need for more detailed and structured research, including operationalization of concepts.
Originality/value: although some attention has been paid to the topic, more research is required to demonstrate the impact of culture on the realisation and effectiveness of internal and external projects.
Keywords: organization, organizational culture, projects, project culture, project management.
... The influence of culture can impact on engineering and project management [4,5,6,7] and should be taken into account in engineering and project management. Project management, on the one hand, involves processes, techniques and tools [8], but on the other hand involves an art form that deals with the people doing the work. ...
In project management, conflicts should be treated with utmost seriousness in order to save the project from delay and resultant deadlock. There are several causes of conflicts in project management but conflicts arising from people with somewhat different ideas to reach project objectives are becoming more prominent. When people develop project plans, there is always the tendency for such to happen. There are lots of conflicts raised due to the following reasons: • Different units working on the project might have different expectations about project costs, rewards and priorities • Confusion in the project team as a result of decision making • Uncertainty on who has authority to make decision on resource allocation • Project manager setting cost and time restrictions that the functional manager cannot cope with, are also a recipe for conflict. However, the most appropriate means of resolving conflicts is negotiation. In negotiating, the project manager should seek for a win-win situation unless in cases where such is not applicable or it cannot yield the desired outcome. This style of negotiation helps the project manager to improve his relationship with colleagues and thus achieve project objectives. In essence, the project manager should ensure that the interest of the project supersedes that of his personal feelings and ego during the negotiation process in order to get a better deal.
Risk identification is a challenging process in the management of project risks. Most project managers tend to spend less time in identifying risks and more time in risk mitigation, ignoring the fact that unidentified risks cannot be mitigated. However, it is worth noting that risk identification forms the bedrock in the development of a suitable risk management plan. Once, the risk is identified proper planning process can be instituted to address it. The identification and management of risks can be a daunting task that requires the support of all project stakeholders. Moreover, the project manager does not have monopoly of knowledge and as such requires significant inputs from other stakeholders especially in identifying project risks. This paper delves into the meaning of risk, its significance and how it can be efficiently managed by the project team. In addition, it covers the techniques used to gather risk information, essence of the project risk register and categorization, analysis, response and monitoring of project risk. Considering the fact that a project is a risky venture; there is absolute need for the project manager and team to plan for it. Risks are uncertainties, that may or may not occur; but if it occurs and there is no plan to address it, can mess up the work of the project manager and thus, resulting in project failure. The planning for risks is inevitable in project management and as such should not be treated with levity. The rationale for having an effective risk management plan are thus; prevent waste of project resources, prevent the project from failing, timely delivering of the project, ability to meet client's requirements, serves as a source of learning for future projects.
