Project Management In Companies Research Articles

Client perceived barriers to change of the construction process

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify client‐perceived barriers to a change towards increased client influence on the end result of the construction process. Additionally, the variables of size of clients' markets and the extent of external project management are investigated in order to see how they influence the perceptions concerning important barriers to change.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected through a survey responded to by 87 Swedish construction clients.FindingsIdentified barriers are divided into three types: attitudinal, industrial and institutional. Attitudinal barriers (adversarial attitudes, lack of ethics and morality, focus on projects instead of processes and a short‐term focus) and industrial barriers (traditional organization of the construction process, conservative industry culture, industry structure and traditional production processes) are perceived to be important, whereas institutional barriers (standard contracts, laws and traditional procurement procedures) are not perceived to be critical. Each different type of barrier is tested against the use of internal or external project management and the sphere of activity of the client. Attitudinal barriers are perceived as being more critical by clients using external project management. “Nearness” in terms of the sphere of activity (e.g. how large is the client's market?) also has an effect on how clients perceive the barriers. Locally, active clients do not consider attitudinal barriers to be as influential on the end result of the construction process as nationally active clients.Research limitations/implicationsSince the empirical results are based on data collected only from Swedish clients, international generalizations should be made with caution.Practical implicationsClients wishing to act as change agents need to be aware that their use of internal versus external project management affects their chances to influence the other construction actors and implement change and innovation. Large national and international client organizations, which due to their size have significant opportunities to influence the industry, rely heavily on external project management, which may hamper their change agent role. Hence, such clients should make careful and purposeful selections of project management companies. Another more influential alternative is to strengthen their organisation and rely less on external project management.Originality/valueThis paper presents a unique investigation of the connections between the use of internal/external project management and perceived barriers to change.

Understanding the Value of Project Management from a Stakeholder's Perspective: Case Study of Mega-Project Management

Project management can generate significant value for organizations (Thomas & Mullaly, 2007). However, the value of project management varies depending on the different size and complexity of projects managed. Focusing on mega-projects, this study explores the value of project management from the stakeholders’ perspective, thereby creating a value framework. In the case of SHRBC Company, it analyzes the company's project management practice and the value of project management, and consequently certifies the applicability of this value framework through empirical study.

O ajuste urbano: as políticas do Banco Mundial e do BID para as cidades

The process of structural adjustment following the Third-World debt crisis in the early 1980s - and still persisting as a permanent adjustment - seems to have produced a corresponding" urban adjustment". In both the structural and urban adjustments, the roles of the World Bank and, in Latin America, of the IDB, in partnership with local elites and technocracies, were decisive. Despite of the strong interference of the two financial institutions with public policies in the developing world, their strategies for action represent a new theme that has not been fully surveyed by academic research. The purpose of this paper is to study the type of model for a city defended by these institutions, as well as the meaning of this model. In my Master's dissertation at FAUUSP, I found that World Bank and IDB loans - which come to public managers as a" salvation" in times of crises - are not" neutral" and carry with them an agenda: they are intended to model given standards for the use of public resources and for the organization of governments. Both institutions have disseminated public policies that follow corporate profitability criteria and a public management model based on outsourcing, which is subject to private technical staffs from project management companies, private foundations, NGOs, and numerous consultants. Their purpose is to change some local governments in developing countries - particularly those that include territories that support transnational business - into administrative structures that are increasingly trained to respond to big private interests and are free from any commitment to real democracy.

The Project Management Maturity Model

This article describes a five-level model of project management maturity that can be used as a structured assessment tool for a company's project management capability.

Knowledge Reuse and Transfer in a Project Management Environment

This paper analyzes how project management companies manage knowledge. The research focuses on the creation, transfer, reuse and management of that knowledge. We propose a model for knowledge reuse in a project management environment where knowledge is absorbed at a tactical level and flows to a strategic level. This model derives from the: the OODA loop - Observe, Orient, Decide, Act, which focuses on strategic requirements and the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle, which focuses on the operational or tactical level of projects. Both the OODA Loop and the PDSA Cycle are adaptive learning and decision- making cycles where changes or actions are produced via repeated cycling through that loop. We suggest the ’Act’ step of the PDSA cycle is similar to the ’Orient’ step of the OODA loop because changes or learning is occurring. In this instance the PDSA cycle is renamed the PDSO (Plan-Do-Study-Orient) cycle. Research results indicate that knowledge flows between projects at all steps of (the PDSO Cycle) and OODA Loop. Key findings include a preference for informal over formal networks, the lack of a knowledge management system and the link between knowledge processes and the corporate project methodology. However, an effective knowledge management strategy also requires a strategic fit between social networks, technology, processes and corporate culture.

A Conversation with C. Richard Panico: Leading an Ethically-Based Organization

Rich Panico began his professional career with Johnson & Johnson in Chicago in 1973. During his fifteen years there he was part of the operations group and held positions of increasing responsibility within the engineering and maintenance organizations. While at Johnson & Johnson, Rich developed a reputation for building strong organizations, promoting and enforcing high standards of quality and performance, and, most importantly, for placing an emphasis on developing relationships based on honesty and trust. Rich received the prestigious Supervisor of the Year award in 1975 in recognition of his outstanding leadership. Rich was promoted to the position of Chief Engineer at Johnson & Johnson's Personal Products Division in Wilmington, Illinois in 1982. He served in this position until he left in 1988 to fulfill his lifelong goal of founding his own company, Integrated Project Management Company, Inc. (IPM). IPM started in 1988 with 2 employees and a few contracts. It is now an innovator in the field of professional project management utilizing proprietary processes across its six business segments (Product Development and Life Cycle Management, Business Process Optimization, Strategic Planning and Organizational Alignment, Manufacturing and Chemical Process Analysis and Capital Project Management; Site, Facilities, and Infrastructure Capital Project Management; and Information Management and Technology Applications). IPM's project managers have led over 2000 projects for over 100 major corporations, most of which are Fortune 500 companies. IPM has grown to nearly 100 employees with offices in Chicago and St. Louis. Besides his role as president of IPM, Rich has been actively involved in the De Paul University Institute for Business and Professional Ethics and has served as its chairman since 2001. Rich maintains a strong passion for influencing how business is conducted and promoting the responsibility of leaders to incorporate an ethical conscience in every decision. When he is not devoting his attention to his business or volunteer activities, Rich can usually be found keeping physically fit in his home gym, restoring classic cars, riding his motorcycle, or enjoying quiet time with his wife, Kristy.

An analysis of the problems faced by project management companies managing construction projects

With the proliferation of clients using a separate project management company to manage construction projects, a number of problems arise. This paper analyses the problems found by project management companies when managing construction projects in New Zealand. The fundamental problems faced were relationship‐based. The research in this paper found that project management companies need to overcome problems in their relationships with other professionals on the project team and with the client. The paper discusses these problems using data collected from a survey to project management companies in the New Zealand construction industry. The research in this paper examined how project management companies saw their role, their experiences of managing construction projects and makes suggestions for improving relationships. This research suggests that the problems faced by companies in New Zealand are likely to be global and therefore any solution suggested can be applied to other countries.

An analysis of the problems faced by project management companies managing construction projects

With the proliferation of clients using a separate project management company to manage construction projects, a number of problems arise. This paper analyses the problems found by project management companies when managing construction projects in New Zealand. The fundamental problems faced were relationship‐based. The research in this paper found that project management companies need to overcome problems in their relationships with other professionals on the project team and with the client. The paper discusses these problems using data collected from a survey to project management companies in the New Zealand construction industry. The research in this paper examined how project management companies saw their role, their experiences of managing construction projects and makes suggestions for improving relationships. This research suggests that the problems faced by companies in New Zealand are likely to be global and therefore any solution suggested can be applied to other countries.