Fangwei Zhu, Linzhuo Wang, Miao Yu, Ralf Müller and Xiuxia Sun
Silencing behavior among project team members (PTM) poses a potential threat to project results. Hence, breaking silence in projects is critical to motivate team members and…
Abstract
Purpose
Silencing behavior among project team members (PTM) poses a potential threat to project results. Hence, breaking silence in projects is critical to motivate team members and beneficial for project outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) of project manager (PM) and silence behavior of PTMs. It proposes a mediating role of feeling trusted (FT) to fill this gap by conducting an empirical research.
Design/methodology/approach
A theoretical model was developed and a series of hypotheses were proposed based on existing literature. Then, regression analysis was conducted on a sample of 219 team members of a diverse set of projects in China.
Findings
The paper empirically shows that TL of PM is significantly negatively related to team members’ defensive and prosocial silence (PS), but not with their acquiescence silence. In addition, the study also discovered that team members’ FT mediates the effects of TL on team members’ defensive and PS.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributed to the project management literature by showing that feeling trusted link the relationship between TL of PM and PTMs’ silence. The studies’ findings also contribute to the silence theory in project context through discussions of the rationale behind the main effects. Practical implication is provided for PMs that making the most of TL can reduce the silence of PTM, through building trusted feelings. The limitation to this study is the research setting regarding culture-related issues that focused only on projects in China.
Originality/value
This research is one of the early studies that address the issue of silence behavior in project context, which is a contribution to the coordination and communication in project management.
Details
Keywords
Ralf Müller and Miia Martinsuo
– The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of relational norms on project success in different project governance contexts.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of relational norms on project success in different project governance contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
A worldwide web-based questionnaire yielded 200 responses. Results from regression analyses supported the hypothesis that relational norms impact project success. Hierarchical regression analyses showed the moderating effect of governance and control on the relationship between relational norms and project success.
Findings
Relational norms in the buyer-supplier relationship are positively associated with project success. This relationship is moderated by the strictness of project governance, especially the level of flexibility left to the project manager. Lower levels of managerial flexibility are detrimental to project success in cases of weak relational norms and supportive of project success in cases of high relational norms.
Research limitations/implications
Academic implications stem from the indication that control has a low influence on the relationship between relational norms and project success, but that the level of managerial flexibility ultimately influences the choice of relational norms needed for a project to be successful.
Practical implications
Clear organizational structures and methodologies are supportive of project success in cases of good relational norms. Therefore, project management training should focus on the relationship building capabilities of project managers, to leverage investments in existing methods and organizational structures.
Originality/value
The paper extends the insights of the importance of soft aspects in managing projects across organizational borders and different governance structures.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to describe a useful mentorship experience from the perspective of the current author. It is a one case study at the same time as it opens up for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe a useful mentorship experience from the perspective of the current author. It is a one case study at the same time as it opens up for reflections on mentorship in a variety of contexts with implications for academia.
Design/methodology/approach
Storytelling and reflections for the sake of reviving the notions of mentorship in academia by paying tribute to a trusted mentor.
Findings
The story is about how the mentorship evolved as part of a friendship relation, but the story has also implications for how mentoring can be developed as a personal strategy.
Originality/value
Mentoring can either be planned as a deliberate process or it can just happen, growing out of experiences from working with another person.
Details
Keywords
It is common that junior researchers struggle in finding their own way of doing research. The purpose of this paper is therefore to use the theory of “Muddling through” in order…
Abstract
Purpose
It is common that junior researchers struggle in finding their own way of doing research. The purpose of this paper is therefore to use the theory of “Muddling through” in order to theorize about the junior vs senior researcher collaboration process.
Design/methodology/approach
The theory of “Muddling through” is used in order to reflect on the qualities of shared collaboration between a junior and senior research colleague.
Findings
The research process share the characteristics of policy making where goals many times are fuzzy, and the relationship between means to end is far from self-evident. The research process therefore demands from the senior colleague to act firm, fair and friendly in order to support and inspire junior research colleagues.
Research limitations/implications
It is a personalized single case study; still it provides advice for both junior and senior research colleagues that are in the process of research collaboration.
Practical implications
Junior colleagues need to have the courage of actively suggesting research topics to senior colleagues; they also need to actively reflect on the quality of their shared research collaboration process.
Originality/value
The study provides the research community with a sensemaking example of coaching, inspiration and mentoring in the research collaboration process.
Details
Keywords
Derek Walker and Beverley Lloyd-Walker
The purpose of this paper is to present results and analysis from a case study on ethical dilemmas faced by client-side project management employees of a large Australian…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present results and analysis from a case study on ethical dilemmas faced by client-side project management employees of a large Australian University.
Design/methodology/approach
A single case study approach was adopted using the property services division's experience of potential ethical dilemmas that staff were exposed to as a focus for the unit of analysis. Data were triangulated by interviewing the Deputy Director of the division, a programme manager, a project manager and a client (stakeholder) with experience of dealing with the division. Each person was interviewed and the interview transcribed and analysed using grounded theory to make sense of the data.
Findings
Four potential ethical dilemmas were identified: fraud/bribery/corruption; favouritism and special treatment; occupational health and safety and duty of care; and professionalism and respect for others. Leadership, governance structure and (organisational and national) culture supported initiative and independent thinking through cause-and-effect loops and consequences and this meditated and influenced how these dilemmas were dealt with.
Research limitations/implications
This was just one case study in one cultural and governance setting. Greater insights and confidence in conclusions could be gained with replication of this kind of study. This study was part of a broader study of ethics in project management (PM) that consisted of eight other cases studies by others in the wider research team, also a quantitative study has been undertaken with results to be presented in other papers/reports. The main implication is that governance and workplace culture are two key influences that moderate and mediate an individuals inherent response to an ethical dilemma.
Practical implications
Clients (project owners or POs) and their representatives (PORs) hold a pivotal role in ensuring that PM work takes place within an environment characterised by high ethical standards yet the authors know that all PM parties, including client-side PORs, are faced with ethical dilemmas. What do the authors mean by an “ethical dilemma” and how may POs ensure that their PORs behave ethically? This paper provides practical guidance and demonstrates how ethical dilemmas can be analysed and appropriate action taken.
Social implications
Ethics in PM has profound implications for value generation through projects. Project managers need sound guidance and processes that align with society's norms and standards to be able to deliver project value so that commercial or sectarian interests do not dominate project delivery at the expense of society in general.
Originality/value
This paper provides a rare example of a case study of project teams facing ethical dilemmas. The PM literature has few cases such as this to draw upon to inform PM theory and practice.
Details
Keywords
Mattias Jacobsson and Markus Hällgren
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of what a good grabber is and how to construct one. This is done by drawing on the insights provided by Professor…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of what a good grabber is and how to construct one. This is done by drawing on the insights provided by Professor Timothy L. Wilson, for whom this paper is written as an “honorary piece.”
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a small sample of papers from the 48 journals that have received contributions from Professor Wilson throughout the years. A total of 12 papers have been selected, using a mix of convenience and haphazard sampling. The grabber of each paper has then been analyzed based on its nature and style.
Findings
Based on the review and analysis, five different types of grabbers were identified; the quote, the anecdote, the provocative question, the surprise, and the metaphor, each type representing a unique way (and strategy) of creating initial interest.
Research limitations/implications
As this paper was intentionally based on a convenience sample, further investigation is needed to establish whether the presented categories have clear validity and/or whether there are additional categories/strategies for how to create good grabbers.
Originality/value
Creation of interest is an increasingly important part of everyday academic practice. As the grabber is a rarely addressed phenomenon in academic literature, the presented categories should be of both interest and practical use to academics in most fields.
Details
Keywords
Hallgrim Hjelmbrekke, Ola Lædre and Jardar Lohne
From a project owner's perspective, it is obvious that a project shall contribute to achieving the organisation's strategic goals. The purpose of this paper is to find out what…
Abstract
Purpose
From a project owner's perspective, it is obvious that a project shall contribute to achieving the organisation's strategic goals. The purpose of this paper is to find out what project owners can do to ensure value creation in their projects, what owners actually do in the few cases in which they are actively involved in ensuring value creation and what is the result of their choice.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have analysed 12 projects in the Norwegian construction industry, using a qualitative approach. A general business framework for understanding projects has been applied in order to identify possible shortcomings and success factors. The authors have used semi-structured in-depth interviews combined with questionnaires for data collection.
Findings
The study reveals an absence of project strategy, resulting in projects which only to a small extent achieve strategic goals. This lack of strategic perspective in project management is also recognised by the research literature as a common tendency. Traditional project management approaches concentrate on time, cost and quality, instead of on providing strategic success. Based on business literature, the authors identify the value proposition and the customer value proposition as being essential.
Practical implications
The authors recommend construction project owners – as described in the literature – to appoint a project sponsor responsible for communicating a value proposition and business rationale to the project supplier. The sponsor should also be responsible for aligning the suppliers’ customer value proposition with the owner's strategy. The authors recommend that the project sponsor be supported by a project governance body. This will help project owners to ensure value creation in their projects, as described in the literature. The authors pinpoint a need for bridging theory and practice.
Originality/value
The originality of the paper lies in introducing insights from business literature to the construction industry. In the value proposition the owner defines the benefits the project is to provide. The customer value proposition is the statement where the supplier aligns the proposed project output with the project owner's needs. The project governance body is responsible for ensuring this communication process.
Details
Keywords
Supachart Iamratanakul, Yuosre F. Badir, Sununta Siengthai and Vatcharapol Sukhotu
The purpose of this paper is to rank the importance of the critical success factors (CSFs) for best practices in technology product development in the Thailand electronics…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to rank the importance of the critical success factors (CSFs) for best practices in technology product development in the Thailand electronics industry and to determine the relationships between these factors in terms of their impact on project success.
Design/methodology/approach
Interviews with experts and a review of past studies are used to design an instrument for data collection. A case analysis is conducted to classify CSFs. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) methodology is applied to analyze CSFs and investigate their relationships.
Findings
The authors identified 14 “driving” and “dependent” factors, which were then classified into four factor categories: linkage, autonomous, dependent, or independent factors. The results show that strategic alignment was the most significant CSF. Three factors which had a high driving power and were less dependent on others were: follow-up work, co-ordination, and relationships with clients.
Practical implications
The results may inform and assist technology project management in the little understood business cultures of the developing world. These finding may allow practitioners to prioritize the factors that drive project success when allocating their limited resources.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the field of project management by identifying the relative importance of the CSFs which enhance the management of technology projects. Despite the abundance of studies on CSFs, their importance has still not been fully explained. The findings provide insights into the degree of importance of the factors and their interdependencies, which can either drive or undermine project success. In addition, the ISM methodology the authors used is a unique approach in the project management field.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to explore how the concept of honesty can shed light on misreporting issues in projects. Research on honesty can be useful for practitioners and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how the concept of honesty can shed light on misreporting issues in projects. Research on honesty can be useful for practitioners and researchers in project management, in order to understand and counter the withholding and distortion of relevant information from projects. In moral psychology, dishonesty is often explained as a result of moral neutralization. The paper provides an account of how neutralization can lead to dishonesty in projects.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study is based on a literature review of research on misreporting and dishonesty in projects, and of relevant generic studies of honesty.
Findings
The author concludes that the phenomenon of moral neutralization can explain dishonesty and misreporting in projects. Honesty can be encouraged by identifying attempts at moral neutralization, and rendering them unacceptable. At the core of this position is the view that the level of honesty amongst project members is most adequately understood and explained from a circumstance rather than a character approach.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is based on a literature review, and needs to be supported by further empirical studies within project management.
Practical implications
The suggested primacy of a circumstance approach to honesty implies that project practitioners should be aware of the phenomenon of moral neutralization. Even people of good moral character can become involved in neutralization, in order to render misreporting acceptable. The central practical challenge can thus be to recognize tendencies of neutralization in one's own and other people's moral reasoning.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this paper is to introduce the concept of honesty in general, and the concept of moral neutralization in particular, to project management research and practice. The paper also suggests concrete ways to redirect attention from character to circumstances, based on more general research findings in social and moral psychology.