International Project Management Research Articles

Implementation of international project management at the educational establishment

This research article concerns the critical domain of the implementation of international project management within educational establishments. Recognizing the transformative potential of global engagement, the study centers on the development and execution of a comprehensive internationalization strategy. A nuanced exploration of the role of strong leadership and governance structures serves as a focal point, emphasizing the necessity of visionary leadership and transparent governance for successful international project management initiatives. The research underscores the strategic importance of a dedicated international office or department, acting as a central hub for expertise, coordination, and oversight in the complex landscape of cross-cultural collaboration. Furthermore, the study examines the integration of a global mindset among stakeholders, emphasizing the infusion of international perspectives into the curriculum and the facilitation of student and faculty mobility. Technological integration emerges as a pivotal enabler, balancing advancements with the need for flexibility in diverse technological landscapes. The findings of this research offer a comprehensive framework for educational establishments seeking to navigate the dynamic challenges and opportunities associated with international project management. The insights presented contribute to the broader discourse on globalizing education and position educational institutions to excel in an interconnected and interdependent world.

Project management in the construction industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan: maturity level analysis

If we consider the construction market as a type of economic activity, the market provides for the creation of objects, measures for their restoration. The project has goals, prerequisites for implementation and takes into account the individual characteristics of both the project and the construction site. The basis for effective and high-quality project implementation is an effective project management system. Currently, in the organizations of the construction industry, the most widespread project-oriented management approach. More and more construction organizations, in order to quickly and timely respond to emerging changes, come to the realization of the need to standardize project management processes. The purpose of the study is to analyze the level of maturity of construction companies in the Republic of Kazakhstan. For this, an adapted Berkeley model was used to assess the maturity of project management in construction companies of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on the basis of which the intensity of the use of project management processes in construction projects was analyzed. In the article, depending on the tasks to be solved, methods of scientific abstraction, system analysis, comparative analysis, models of the project management maturity level, a quantitative survey method, etc. are used. The novelty and result of the study is the adapted Berkeley project management maturity model, combined with the processes of the PMBOK international project management standard, to assess the maturity of project management in the construction sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The budgets development of international projects in the context of improving the efficiency of foreign economic activities

Introduction. Effective management of international projects in modern conditions of globalization and ever-increasing competition is becoming an important success factor for many enterprises, requiring, at the same time, large intellectual, resource, and financial costs. One of the key elements of successful project implementation is a properly formed budget, which determines financial resources and costs necessary to achieve the set goals. However, despite the fact that budgeting, the result of which is the formation of the budget, is not a new practice of domestic organizations, difficulties and problems still arise in its implementation. The purpose of the paper is to identify the problems of the budget development of international projects by domestic enterprises in the context of increasing the efficiency of foreign economic activity and to develop recommendations for their solution. Results. The budget is the result of budgeting, which is an integrated management technology that is directly implemented at the first stage of the management process and forms the basis for its implementation. In the process of developing the budgets of international projects, a detailed analysis of the effectiveness of the use of financial resources, formed sources after the completion of the project and the ineffective use of information in the field of risks is often not carried out, which often leads to an increase in the expenditure part over the revenues in the budgets of international projects. In order to ensure optimal use of resources, improve the budgeting process and make better management decisions, the management staff of domestic enterprises is recommended to implement post-project analysis as the last stage of developing international project budgets. It is a post-completion evaluation of the project, analyzing actual and projected budgets for time, cost, and quality. And also to include the stage of risk management in the process of developing the budgets of international projects. This phase will involve justifying resource allocation decisions and carrying out an assessment of the cost of the measures to be taken to minimize, accept, eliminate or transfer risks. Conclusion. In conditions of uncertainty, recommendations for domestic enterprises to carry out post-project analysis to obtain information about existing advantages and disadvantages in the formed preliminary budgets and the introduction of a risk management stage in the development of the budget at all stages of the implementation of an international project will allow domestic companies to be more efficient in the implementation of foreign economic activities and to use your finances rationally.

A Mediation Model of the Usability and Intergroup Relation for Online Project Management Community Effectiveness with Microsoft Teams

Effective international project team development and management is a crucial aspect of project management that directly influences the performance and satisfaction of team members. As reductions in travel and physical mobility are prioritized for sustainability efforts, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is of paramount importance to identify and share effective innovative remote, online project management practices. The purpose of this study is to address the scarcity of related research and investigate the impact of Microsoft (MS) Teams usability on team management effectiveness as mediated by intergroup relation. The population of this study includes university personnel that have participated in the Erasmus+ project Benefit, with a sample size of 52 respondents. The data was analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. The findings revealed that the usability of MS Teams had a direct, positive, and substantial influence on intergroup interactions and team performance. Further intergroup relations have a direct and significant impact on team effectiveness. The findings of the mediation study indicated that the association between MS Teams usability and team effectiveness is partially mediated by intergroup interactions.

The effect of humble leadership on the success of international development projects: the mediating role of organizational learning

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of humble leadership on project success. In addition, we examine the mediating effect of organisational learning on the relationship between humble leadership and the success of international development projects.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a quantitative research methodology based on questionnaire data collected from 80 international development project managers from different sectors in Senegal (West Africa). The variance-based structural equation method, following the partial least squares approach, was used to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe results showed that humble leadership is positively related to project success. Furthermore, organizational learning mediates the relationship between humble leadership and project success.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has several limitations. The authors did not examine the role of organizational culture as a moderating variable. However, the authors believe that the cultural variable can have an impact on project success and team building, and future studies should consider this aspect as well. In the African context, each country has its own culture, which may affect the behaviour of the project manager. Also, the authors admit that the sample size is relatively small, which greatly reduces the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsThese findings have important implications. First, because a project leader’s humility enhances project success, it is critical for development projects to select leaders who demonstrate modest conduct in the workplace. The perfect selection of a humble leader depends heavily on judgements about the characteristics of a humble leader from new project manager candidates.Originality/valueDrawing on conservation of resources theory, this study found that humble leadership is important for project success, thus extending the utility of the concept of humble leadership to the project literature.

Competencies and Capabilities for the Management of Sustainable Rural Development Projects in the Value Chain: Perception from Small and Medium-Sized Business Agents in Jauja, Peru

The guinea pig value chain in Jauja, Peru, has been developed through the application of productive projects, institutional strengthening, and implementation of the Principles of Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI). Given the smallholding conditions of the Jauja territory and the proliferation of commercial guinea pig breeding, the actors in this chain constitute a key human capital for development. To improve the performance of the actors in the sustainable rural development of the territory of Jauja, Peru, the research carried out an evaluation of the competencies and capabilities for project management in 46 actors linked to the business programme on the CFS-RAI Principles, representing 1094 people in the guinea pig value chain in Jauja, using the Working With People (WWP) model and empirical instruments based on the Octagon method, project management competence evaluation, performance evaluation carried out by experts, attitudinal evaluation. and the Business Model Canvas. The results have helped to structure the actors of the value chain, who show an intermediate mastery of project management competencies (2.73/5), institutional capabilities in development (2.89/7), and a growing organisational management performance (26.2/100). In addition, trust and proactivity have been generated among the actors in the chain, with an interest in continuing with the implementation of the CFS-RAI Principles in order to achieve sustainability in their productive projects with commercial innovation. The results have allowed us to generate the design of an innovative programme for the development of competencies, which balances the three dimensions of project management competencies (perspective, people, and practice), as defined by the International Project Management Association (IPMA), in connection with the CFS-RAI Principles. Both processes complement the strengthening of human capital in agrifood value chains through sustainable project management and contributing to sustainable development in the region.

Problems of selection and usage of innovative tools for international projects management in the context of foreign economic relations expanding

Introduction. Today, international project management trends are reflected in the increasing importance and significance of resource and process planning, as a well-thought-out and well-founded plan that can take into account all potential risks and challenges makes it possible to respond to them in a timely manner in the process of implementing a business idea. The most important factors that influence the choice of innovative management tools by the management of international projects are their understanding of the functionality of this tool, the appropriateness of its application in the project, and the cost of such an innovation. Having studied the works of scientists, it can be argued that such innovative tools are currently reengineering, benchmarking, outsourcing, crowdsourcing and the ICO or initial coin offering technology The purpose of the paper is to highlight the problems of selection and usage of innovative tools for international projects management at company in the context of foreign economic relations expanding and development of recommendations for their solution. Results. As a result of the research, the current problems of the selection and use of innovative international project management tools of company in the conditions of the expansion of foreign economic relations were identified, such as traditional international project management tools characterized by low efficiency in the conditions of the expansion of foreign economic relations and the dependence of financing on international projects from one investor narrows the possibilities of using innovative international project management tools in the conditions of expanding foreign economic relations. As a result of the study, recommended ways to solve problems were given, namely, the use of a crowdsourcing platform to search for and analyze information and technologies for the implementation of international projects of company and the implementation of ICO technology to attract investors to finance international projects. Conclusion. The use of innovative management tools will help the company better implement its project strategy, but too few tools or their incorrect selection, which do not correspond to the expected result of the implementation of the business idea, can negatively affect the company's activities. The involvement of additional tools and their combination with each other allow to analyze projects in more detail and to use less risky solutions by the management of the enterprise. Implementation of these tools allows the company to save basic resources, such as time and money, and effectively implement international projects.

Crossing digital frontiers with cultural intelligence - a new paradigm for project managers

The evolution of the international business environment during the past twenty years due to globalization and the recent pandemic determined an increase in international projects requiring new organizational and individual capabilities to ensure project success. Cross-cultural competencies have been analyzed within the cross-cultural management field and organizational behavioral studies, with limited research available in the international project management field.Through a comprehensive literature review, the current research outlines the gap within the project management domain concerning the need triggered by the pandemic to acquire cross-cultural and digital abilities among project professionals. We disclose how the existent globalized virtual environment differs from the new one triggered by the pandemic due to the forced shift to the digital setting with a strong impact on in-person interactions, verbal and non-verbal communication.The originality of this work resides in the development of a novel project professional ability framework, including digital and cross-cultural components that emerged during the pandemic. Secondly, we propose the application of the identified cross-cultural and digital abilities within the project process group of the life cycle based on their scope and outputs.

Theoretical and methodological principles of international project management in institutions of higher education

Theoretical and methodological principles of international project management in institutions of higher education

Research on the risk transmission mechanism of international construction projects based on complex network.

The risk transmission process between international construction projects largely contributes to the dilemma of risk management of international construction projects. Firstly, this paper adopts methods such as literature review and brainstorming to identify the risks in international construction projects from all aspects and all stages. Connections between risks is built by the Delphi method and further construct the international construction project risk network. Combined with "ucinet", a network visualization analysis tool, overall feature parameters and local feature parameters are presented for analysis as the focus. Starting from this, the risk transmission in complex construction projects is analyzed to identify key risks and transmission relationships and reveal inherent laws of risk transmission. Accordingly, when formulating risk prevention strategies for international engineering projects, it is proposed that measures to curb risk transmission should be effectively adopted from both key risks and their transmission relationships.

Міжкультурні особливості в процесі управлінських комунікацій.

The main problem of cross-cultural communications is that decoding is closely related to the specifics of the participants' culture in information exchange and joint activities. Representatives of different cultures decipher received messages in different ways. The participants of collective actions represent the further the cultures, the more difficult it becomes to achieve mutual understanding and the more difficulties arise in implementing everyday actions. Studying and accounting for the peculiarities of cross-cultural communications allows for predicting the behavior of foreign partners and avoiding mistakes in the management of international organizations and projects. For the timely prevention and resolution of emerging conflicts, a balanced strategic policy of company management, readiness to see the causes of conflicts and make changes to achieve a reasonable compromise, flexibility, and adaptability of the organizational structure are essential. The in-depth knowledge of managers of the characteristics and basic parameters of the cultures in which the organization works and whose representatives are its employees is of great importance. Professional solutions to cross-cultural problems can be effective management of communications and human resources, use of virtual teams, and development of bicultural skills. The practical work of managers with human resources in companies is vital. A positive view of different attitudes and values helps prevent problematic situations and conflicts. Intercultural communication in the workplace is about understanding different business customs, beliefs, and communication strategies. This happens when people from different cultural backgrounds interact with each other. As we live in an age of globalization, it is only natural that employers are not limited to hiring people close to them. Specific cultural barriers exist to effective communication between a manager and a team. Since cultural diversity can positively and negatively affect the company, HR managers should consider the importance of developing effective intercultural communication in clearly conveying intended information to employees of different cultural orientations and ensuring unity of goals and objectives. Keywords: communications, features, interaction, management, information.

РОЗВИТОК СТАНДАРТІВ З УПРАВЛІННЯ ПРОЄКТАМИ: МІЖНАРОДНИЙ ДОСВІД

The article examines the main international standards for quality management and configuration management in projects. The most widespread standards were analyzed, namely: PMBOK (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge) – a body of knowledge on project management, developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI); ISO standards (ISO 10006:1997 Quality management – Guidelines to quality in project management – standard for quality in project management, ISO 21500:2012 Guidance on project management – standard for project management, ISO 21500:2021 Project, program and portfolio management – Context and concepts – the main profile standard, which is a comprehensive guide to the use of the ISO 21500 series of standards); Prince 2 and PRINCE 2 Agile – a standard method of effective project management developed by the CCTA (Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency); IPMA - standards of the International Project Management Association. International Project Management Association; OPM 3 (Organization Project Management Maturity Model) – a model of Organizational Project Management Maturity; P2M (from Project and Program Management for Enterprise Innovation) is a Japanese approach to managing complex projects of implementing innovative technologies at the enterprise level in an unstable environment. An analysis of the evolution of PMBOK international standards from the 1st edition of 1996 to the 7th edition of 2021 was carried out, which was characterized in detail and presented the relationship between project management principles and areas of project effectiveness according to PMBOK 7th edition. ISO standards are considered and the main ones related to project management are characterized. The standard method of effective management of Prince 2 and PRINCE 2 Agile projects is studied and the main principles on which they are based are given. The main evolutionary transformations of the IPMA standard from 1965 to 2015 are characterized. Appropriate conclusions have been drawn.

EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF WATERFALL AND AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES – A CASE STUDY FROM MACAU'S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The adoption of project management techniques is a crucial decision for corporate governance in construction companies since the management of areas such as risk, cost, and communications is essential for the success or failure of an endeavor. Nevertheless, different frameworks based on traditional or agile methodologies are available with several approaches, which may create several ways to manage projects. The primary purpose of this work is to investigate the adequate project management methodology for the construction industry from a general perspective and consider a case study from Macau. The methodology considered semi-structured interviews and a survey comparing international and local project managers from the construction industry. The interviews indicate that most construction project managers still follow empirical methods with no specific methodology but consider the adoption of traditional waterfall approaches. In contrast, according to the survey, most project managers and construction managers agree that the project's efficacy needs to increase, namely in planning, waste minimization, communication increase, and focus on the Client's feedback. In addition, there seems to be a clear indication that agile methodology could be implemented in several types of projects, including hospitality development projects. A hybrid development approach based on the Waterfall and Agile methodologies as a tool for the project management area may provide a more suitable methodology for project managers to follow.

Assessment of Project Management Maturity Models Strengths and Weaknesses

The purpose of this article is to analyze the most popular maturity models in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Research conducted by international project management communities such as Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Project Management Institute (PMI), International Project Management Association (IPMA), Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) showed that organizations with high managerial maturity are more likely to achieve their planned project goals than those that do not identify and standardize their best management practices. This circumstance has encouraged scientists from all over the world to start developing various models that can measure and evaluate managerial maturity in projects. Nowadays, the variety of models created has led to considerable difficulty in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each model. To solve this problem, the article authors conducted a critical analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular project management maturity models. The results obtained will be of interest to project managers, members of project teams, heads of organizations, project offices and everyone involved in the development of project activities. Based on the analysis, it was found that the most developed maturity models are based on international codes of knowledge of project management. Most maturity models ignore the presence of structural and infrastructural elements, such as a workplace, the necessary equipment and software, the availability of professional standards, instructions, regulations, etc. It was also revealed that there are no processes for assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of using the best practices in the maturity models.

Students' English-medium instruction motivation in three English-medium instruction courses in China.

English-medium instruction (EMI) has been spreading rapidly as the result of China's movement to internationalize its HEIs (higher education institutions). However, there is a dearth of research studies on students' motivation in EMI contexts, which should not only explore students' Foreign Language Learning (FLL) motivation in isolation but the highlights of integrating both content and language learning as a complex. This paper specifically reports on the development of students' EMI motivation and anxiety over one semester and compares three disciplines: International Trade, Film Production, and Project Management. Pre-post questionnaires and post focus group interviews were administered to students. Results showed that students generally had high EMI motivation and anxiety though the levels decreased from pre to post phases. The International Trade group had greater motivation, particularly instrumental motivation. Findings are discussed in relation to the existing literature and the local context. Pedagogical and institutional-level implications for policies are also provided.

Rubric’s Development Process for Assessment of Project Management Competences

Assessment rubrics are recognized for their positive effects, being defined as an evaluative instrument that establishes assessment criteria and performance levels. In this sense, assessment rubrics can be associated with professional practices for more authentic assessment processes. In the context of Project Management, the International Project Management Association (IPMA) has developed a framework that establishes the individual competences for professionals working in the area, the Individual Competence Baseline (ICB). The objective of this study is to propose a process of rubric development for competence assessment in Project Management. A rubric for Leadership competence was developed to show the applicability and relevance of the proposed process. The research methodology adopted in the study was Design Science Research. The application and evaluation of this rubric in a pilot study show that the rubric development process allowed the creation of a specific rubric for the assessment of leadership competence. This paper guides those who need to develop and assess project management competences, and it is intended to propose a replicable process for the other ICB competences.

Stakeholder Behavior Risk Evaluation of Hydropower Projects Based on Social Network Analysis—A Case Study from a Project

Since construction involves many stakeholders and their behavioral risk interaction, which brings risks to the project construction, it is necessary to strengthen the research on the risk management of hydropower projects. This study comprehensively considers the characteristics of hydropower project construction and identifies relevant stakeholders to build and improve the stakeholder behavior risk evaluation index system. On this basis, the social network analysis method is used to build an evaluation model of stakeholders’ behavioral risk transmission network, identify core factors and key relationships, analyze the path of behavioral risk transmission, take measures to cut off the transmission of core factors and key relationships, and test the effect of the risk network after control. The results show that: the evaluation model can effectively identify the core behavioral risk factors and key relationships in the construction process. Then, after taking targeted measures on the core behavioral risk factors and key relationships, hydropower projects are less affected by behavioral risk factors, and the risk transmission paths are reduced, which reduces the probability of behavioral risks arising from stakeholders and improves the behavioral governance efficiency of stakeholders. Applying this research model to the risk management of international hydropower projects can provide better guidance to the stakeholders and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of analyzing the behavioral risks of stakeholders in hydropower projects.

A MODEL FOR THE SELECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY BASED ON FUZZY-MULTIPLE ANALYSIS

The article analyzes existing approaches to the creation of decision-making support tools for choosing a project management methodology, which showed that currently many different methods are used for software support in choosing a project management methodology, and most of them are multi-criteria decision analysis. In this study, it is proposed to use fuzzy-multiple analysis, the use of which will fully ensure that project metrics are taken into account when choosing a project management methodology. Among the alternatives of project management methodologies, the following four approaches were chosen: cascade Waterfall methodology, Spiral model, Scrum methodology, and Kanban. All of them are aimed at optimizing processes within the project team, facilitating and speeding up product development. But each methodology has its own characteristics, because it is calculated on different teams both in terms of composition and volume, and is adapted to different projects in different ways. The question of the correct selection of the methodology for a specific project is decided on the basis of data about it. The work highlights the characteristics of the project that are most important for international projects: project parameters and requirements, types of communication tools, project risk assessment, team parameters, etc. A total of twenty-five indicators. An important aspect in the development of the proposed model is that the solution to the task is complicated by the vagueness of the existing recommendations regarding the applicability of different methodologies in different cases and conditions, in particular for the development of projects not related to software development and having an international direction. It is proposed to solve this task by using questionnaires. Each parameter that describes the project in the questionnaire is considered as a set of possible values. Each methodology is considered from the point of view of its application for specific options of answers to questionnaire questions. The task of formalizing information for the given project management methodologies is solved, based on the application of the mathematical apparatus of fuzzy sets. At the same time, the membership function determines the degree of applicability of the methodology to the parameter that corresponds to the answer option of the question given in the questionnaire. An expert commission is elected to determine the appropriate functions of all the mentioned approaches. To determine the management approach that is most suitable for a given project, we estimate the distance from the project assessment to the methodology assessment. Of all the ways to determine the distances between fuzzy sets, the system chooses one or another metric, depending on the nature of the problem under consideration. Each of these metrics has its advantages and disadvantages, which become advantages in applications. It is possible to use several metrics to compare results. Based on the developed model, the program module "Methodology Selection" was created. This module, after entering all the data and processing it, gives the name and information about the international project management methodology that is optimal for the chosen project.

Competency model for international engineering project manager through MADM method: The Chinese context

Due to the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese engineering contracting companies have ushered in excellent opportunities in the international engineering market. However, for the lack of comprehensive talents, Chinese international engineering projects are currently facing various difficulties. How to select, evaluate, and train highly competitive engineering project managers is of great significance to them. In this paper, an improved Multi-Attribute Decision Making Method (MADM) is used to construct the competency model of international engineering project managers, so as to provide a reliable reference and suggestions for the evaluation process and future development.The current study of project managers’ competency is mainly focused on the local level rather than the international level, and discussed about the competency of general project managers instead of a specific industry of engineering. Also, we noticed the lack of a systematic method of competency evaluation for Chinese international engineering project managers.Aiming at the manager competency of international engineering projects, this paper firstly combines Repertory Grid technique (RepGrid) with the help of Chinese experts abroad and factor analysis to construct a competency evaluation index system, and then combines Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) to explore the interaction between various indicators and determine the weight of each indicator. Finally, through improved Vlse kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method the five candidates from a Chinese company in the case are evaluated. The final parts of this article provide a methodological reference and improvement suggestions for the recruitment, performance evaluation, training and career development of international engineering project managers based on the constructed model.

Sustainability management and the success of international development projects: the role of political and social skills

PurposeThe objectives of this study are twofold: first, to identify the effect of sustainability management on the success of international development projects, and second, to investigate the moderating role of political and social skills on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a quantitative research methodology based on questionnaire data collected from 43 international development project managers from various fields in Burkina Faso (West Africa). Descriptive statistics and exploratory and confirmatory analyses using principal component analysis were used to assess the quality of the measurement model. A multiple regression analysis based on the partial least squares approach was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that sustainability management positively contributes to the success of international development projects. However, given the specificities of these projects and their perception of success, the project coordinator's political and social skills do not predict a greater impact of sustainability management on the success of international development projects. The study also found that project coordinators prioritize their technical skills over behavioral ones.Originality/valueThis study fills a gap in the literature, given that little is known about the moderating role of political and social skills in the effect of sustainability management on the success of specific projects such as international development projects.