Project Champions Research Articles

When case studies are not enough: the influence of corporate culture and employee attitudes on the success of cleaner production initiatives

Cleaner production is not only about changing raw materials, processes and products. It is also about changing corporate culture and the attitudes of people. An understanding of the dynamics of change within organisations undertaking cleaner production can help educators, consultants and project champions to improve the potential for success. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the range of key human dimensions that are potentially relevant to the success of cleaner production initiatives. The paper includes examples of the literature relevant to the subject as well as a summary of the results of research into elements of change within 22 organisations participating in a major cleaner production demonstration project in New Zealand. The research was designed to provide insight into changes in key indicators of environmental management and cleaner production, as well as elements of organisational culture and attitudes. For control purposes, a group of randomly selected organisations was also included. Organisations were surveyed before the start of the demonstration project and approximately a year later. Not surprisingly, results for the demonstration group show trends towards indicators of environmental management and cleaner production. Conversely, results for the control group indicate a trend away from environmental management and cleaner production. Trends in organisational culture and attitudes are less predictable. The paper provides a discussion of the implications of the results and suggests that organisational change theory should be incorporated into cleaner production research and programme development, implementation and evaluation.

Information technology project outcomes: user participation structures and the impact of organization behavior and human resource management issues

Abstract Despite considerable research examining user participation in information technology (IT) project implementation, the findings are equivocal concerning how beneficial IT user participation is for project outcomes. Likewise, evidence concerning the management of various forms of user participation is also mixed. This study posits an integrated user participation structure composed of a combination of steering committees, cross-functional teams and project champions performing different functions and supporting each other during the course of project implementation. The study builds a research model that identifies the impact of various organization behavior and human resource management (OB/HRM) issues on the ability of the user participation structure to influence IT project outcomes. It presents the results of field research in the form of nine case studies to identify various OB/HRM factors that can discriminate between different IT project outcomes. The field study leads to a revised research model that emphasizes the role of processes and dynamics within the user participation structure, as well as the role of OB/HRM variables, in influencing the relationship between user participation structures and IT project outcomes.

Improving Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction: Experience from the Cooperative Cardiovascular Project

The Cooperative Cardiovascular Project (CCP) was initiated by the Health Care Financing Administration to improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries admitted to the hospital with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Four peer review organizations formed the CCP Best Practices Working Group (Working Group) to identify effective intervention strategies that enable a hospital staff to improve AMI care. The peer review organization in each state was asked to identify six hospitals with exemplary quality improvement (QI) plans for AMI care; 33 states responded. Data about the hospitals' baseline performance on the CCP quality indicators and components of the QI plans were collected from each hospital. Thirty-six of 40 randomly selected hospitals from this group were interviewed. The Working Group identified 191 hospitals in 33 states with exemplary QI plans. Administration of thrombolytic therapy and aspirin were the quality indicators most commonly addressed. Staff education, development or revision of clinical pathways and standing orders, and ongoing data collection were the most common QI plan components. The need to develop interdisciplinary teams and to identify a strong physician champion for the QI efforts were the most common recommendations for other hospitals considering implementation of the CCP. The CCP stimulated interest in QI activities for AMI care in the institutions identified for the Working Group. The characteristics of the hospitals' improvement plans were consistent with those identified by contemporary leaders of clinical QI as central to improving care. These plans focused on changes in clinical processes, deployment of interdisciplinary teams, identification of project champions, and ongoing data collection to assess and improve quality of care.

Organizational information management strategies

Abstract. Information technology is a key factor in competitiveness. Business managers increasingly have to make decisions in this field. Their involvement in planning and decision making should be active and genuine. There are numerous methods to support information systems planning and implementation. This study focuses on the organizational approach to generating plans. An interactive framework for evolutionary information systems planning is presented together with the results of applying this framework in six organizations. The author has been working with these organizations very intensively, using an action research approach. The main emphasis is on the success of the organizational method of creating information management strategies. The main finding is that an interactive way of generating strategies is not enough. The role of internal ‘project champions’ in both planning and implementation is extremely important. Outside facilitators cannot replace their contribution.

Preaching the Gospel: The Evangelists of New Technology

This article reports on ten field studies of the implementation of CAD/CAM in Canadian manufacturing firms of a three-year period, focusing on the implementation efforts of the sponsors (patriarchs) and champions (evangelists) in each case. Although the patriarch appeared critical in the new technology involved, it was the evangelist who stayed with the project throughout its life and whose efforts were critical to its successful implementation and integration. The successful evangelists were those who fulfilled three basic roles (pathfinding, problem solving, and implementing) and who demonstrated faith and persuasion. The authors offer prescriptions for senior management with regard to the selection and management of project champions in the implementation of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies.

Become a project champion

Champions create great projects. But are great project champions born or made? It is suggested that they can be made, and it is shown how the project manager can develop the skills of a champion: mobilize public opinion, resolve stakeholder conflict, and win the hearts and minds of the project team.