Leading, Creating, Implementing and Improving

Project Management: Leading, Creating, Implementing and Improving (M1) - Group Assignment

An evaluation on the "Multi Projects Incorporated" case study is being presented within the scope of this submission. As Multi Projects Incorporated is a company that provides a consulting service, it relies on the acceptance of project proposals in order to generate revenue. In the case, Multi Projects Incorporated has two projects that have been awarded to them and are at different stages in their lifecycles. The Goodold project is the first of the two projects and is presently in the implementation phase. The Growin Corporation project is the second project and has just been awarded to Multi Projects Incorporated to commence. The dilemma that is presented is that the project manager of the second project, Jeff Armstrong, is displaying characteristics that are not synonymous with an effective project manager. This evaluation will elaborate on the environmental factors that appear to have caused the dilemma in the case study. The factors include the effective delivery of the organizations strategy, the organizational structure that is in use within Multi Project Incorporated, the human resource and development aspect, effective communication and change management. These factors will be presented as the driving forces behind what appears to be a project manager that is displaying undesirable characteristics. Recommendations as to what and how change should be made, is provided within context to drive behaviours that are perceived as more favourable when considering effective project leadership.

The effective delivery of the organizations strategy:

An organisations strategy is the central point around which all other organisational activities, including project activities, revolve. This has a long-term and comprehensive orientation. Pg 42 Project management for success

Multi Projects provides consulting services in three different business units, market research, manufacturing system design and executive recruiting. The company's strategy, as is evident from this case, is to target growing companies, satisfy them with exceptional services in the hope to grow with them and get repeat business in the future. As a result it is evident that Multi Projects' strategy appears to be working for it, given that the company has managed to maintain repeat business from nearly 30% of its existing client base, whilst campaigning for projects within the market of growing companies. This is evident by the recent success in acquiring Growin Corporations first project which is a rapidly growing company. The company's "growing with clients" aspect of their strategy seems to be successful as it has had to employ an additional one hundred employees over the past two years to stay abreast of demand.

In terms of its strategy, it is clear that the criterion for bidding for projects is primarily whether a client is growing, irrespective of the size or value of the project. Whilst this may seem to be working in Multi Project's favor for the moment, it also appears as the reason why things have been hectic for employees, including their having to bend over backwards to accommodate new clients.

There is evidence that the company's matrix structure has not clearly been defined as associated aspects such as the allocation of functional resources to projects is being questioned. Effective communication in a matrix organization structure, human resource training and management appear not to be working cohesively to achieve the goals that the organization desire for strategic benefit.

Organizations where people, teams, projects and systems are not pointed in the same direction as each other, or as the strategy, create wasted resources in budget and human energies. To address these challenges, the approach to change should integrate a balanced improvement of both process and organisation, and adapt to the organisational culture or climate of each directorate/department unit. Pg 46 Project management for success

The behavior and intransigence of an ambitious project manager, Jeff Armstrong, is bringing to light some inherent organizational strategic and structural fissures. For example, despite Tyler (Tyler Perkins as per the case material) being completely utilized on a current project, it appears that Multi Projects has implied his availability to the Growin Corporation project, without making contingency arrangements in the event of their proposal being selected by the Growin Corporation. This would likely have a negative effect on both projects and place Multi Projects in a negative position relative to both of the clients. There is evidence of ineffective communication of the strategy to partners, especially where the organization currently have to bend over backwards to accommodate the new clients, whilst also trying to keep existing clients satisfied. This analysis considers the organizational structure that multi Projects is using to deliver on its strategy, the forecasted resource utilization and related staff development issues that have led to what appears to be a project manager displaying undesirable traits.

Matrix Organizational structure:

It is important for a company to have an organisational structure as it defines the organisation culture that reflects the personality of an organisation, just as each individual has a unique personality so each organisation has a unique culture. In this case Multi project Inc is using the Matrix structure which is a hybrid organisational form in which a horizontal project management structure is overlaid on the normal functional hierarchy. In a Matrix system, they are usually two chains of command, one along functional lines and the other along project lines. (Project Management the managerial process Erik Larson, Clifford gray fifth edition page 73)

The Matrix structure is considered by many practitioners to be the natural project organisational structure as it formalises the informal links between departments. In other companies they utilise this structure temporary to deal with specific projects and other companies it may be a permanent fixture. In multi-disciplined projects people need to communicate at the operational level to perform their tasks. Where the lines of responsibility intersect this represents the people to people contact, thus providing shorter, more formal lines of communication. When a company is using the matrix structure it is important and mandatory for the project team share information with all the affected functional areas. (Fundamental Project management tools and techniques Roy Burke page 310)

The team