MSc Project Management: Applied Methods - Research Proposal Example

Running Head: APPLIED RESEARCH METHODS Applied Research Methods s Applied Research Methods CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Effective leadership and skilful management do not talk only of “telling people what to do” or increasing financial gains and raising pecuniary targets each year. More than anything else, these concepts thrive on vision, on the availability of trainings, on the practice of efficient employee relations, and heeding to the needs of the whole organisational culture. The economy requires that financial services organisations rethink and refocus their leadership development practices to accommodate the shift to new, relationship-oriented business models. To make that shift, financial services organisations must redefine requirements for leadership effectiveness, refine practices and policies for leadership development, and hold leaders accountable for real leadership in the financial services organisation. Perhaps most importantly in this era of transition, leaders themselves must understand that their real legacy will not be the past performance of their financial services organisation, but its sustainable success. Helping leaders learn how to get results by being boundary-less thinkers, network builders, diplomats, and interpreters is a first step in meeting this challenge. Holding them accountable for getting results today and developing next-generation leaders for tomorrow is the quantum leap. The intention of this research proposal is to analyse and evaluate the managerial effectiveness of ‘the management’, and the perception of leadership and culture within Pembroke Consulting (PC) and the impact on employees and the organisation. Furthermore, it will be argued that the human relations management concept that entails the participation and involvement of all hierarchical levels has not been operative within PC. Company Background By examining the Company Background, it will be seen that both management and rank-and-file staff have difficulty coping with and adjusting to the series of transitions that have taken place in their organisation that contributed to its “stalemate” status. It is also shown how financial growth does not correspondingly translate into real development for an organisation or for the growth of the most important resource of any business group, - people. Various research methods will be used to determine perceptions, effectiveness and culture, and a ‘way forward’ will be proposed in the subsequent dissertation. Since downsizing and restructuring are often just euphemisms for wholesale layoffs, this is a prospect that most Asian financial services organisations and workers have a culturally determined difficulty taking seriously. Sometimes it seems as if some Japanese and Korean financial services organisations would rather close their doors altogether than carry out significant personnel cuts. Thats how strong the sense of group identity is in the East. Company Background Pembroke Consulting is a financial services company providing access to financial markets, principally, futures and options, through electronic and other means. It is financial advisors, accountants and general insurance specialists and based in Weybridge, Surrey, UK. Since its inception, the company has undergone tremendous growth both organically and through acquisition, however, it was not, until recently, that the company became an active market-player. Three major company mergers brought about this evolution over the last eight years. Because of which, various aspects of the company including its work volume, staffing and market position all increased exponentially. The mergers contributed predominantly to a great success in terms of the bottom-line but operationally speaking, the outcome has been a disappointing failure. The organisation failed initially to integrate the significant changes brought about by the first two mergers until the last tree years. This was the latest in a chain of events in the history of Pembroke Consulting that provides the basis in explaining the impact on the climate of organisational culture and research into leadership Moreover, the recent merger, which was restricted to its European offices, has the capability of creating many more severe problems. To date, however, it has not affected the company for three reasons: No impact on employees or the business in the UK head office; Resulting in the executive “UK-centric” executive management not paying any attention, lending support or providing any understanding with regards to the merger in Europe; and finally The financial impact in terms of profitability was minimal therefore; the merger was virtually ignored at the executive management level. The major impact was on the employees in Europe who were affected adversely through redundancy and stress brought about by working long hours in an unsuitable environment and during a prolonged period of uncertainty. The executive management, predominantly based in the UK ignored these facts entirely. Traditionally, financial services organizations do not value HRM. As expected, there was no human resource management strategy employed before the three mergers for both the micro and macro levels. The focus of the company has always been on the acquisition of systems for data integration and the cultural integration of employees was never one of the top concerns. The best opportunity for cultural integration was when the Global Head of HR for the Corporate and Investment Bank was appointed in 2000. The appointment of a female executive to the Global Management Team set a change of pace. She clearly saw the need for investment in the development of leaders and a consistent culture of leadership throughout the organisation including the PC subsidiaries. A 5-day leadership development program called Harbridge, originally implemented by Harvard and Cambridge Universities for corporate managers in the UK, and has been sold to consultants in the UK and Europe. The then incumbent CEO of CAI and the previous CEO of Pembroke Consulting supported the program in PC. It proved to be successful in breaking down barriers, creating a shared vision and introducing staff to each other, and gave them opportunities to build relationships beyond the borders of the different divisions. Unfortunately, the program’s implementation stopped after spring 2003 because the new CEO of Pembroke Consulting did not support the program and had never attended the program himself. The cessation of this activity and the recent lack of support by the present CEO provide in part, an explanation for the lack of training and leadership development within PC. The current CEO grew up in the business as a salesperson on the trading floor and the selling profession is the only point of reference and experience upon which he can draw lessons from. His entire sales team was acquired early in the history of the company as top salespersons from a competitor. His success in the sales arena inevitably enabled him to achieve rapid promotion. His perspective of the company is purely sales and probably will not change. As Hofstede (2001) intimates, “[he] grew up in a particular society in particular periods, and [his] ideas cannot but reflect the constraints of the environments [he has] known.” (p.374) He is tactical in his approach to problems, has little patience for debate, discussion and analysis. He is also not known to be strategic in any way. Moreover, he has an aggressive, bullying style; however, he combines it with an informal, friendly “one of the boys” approach on certain occasions. The CEO is a macro manager. He readily delegates most things to the appropriate functional manager responsible, without discussion among the entire executive team and in most instances when a major decision is required, he prefers to have a consensus among his entire senior managers group only, which matches his own opinion before announcing a decision. This has led to sub-leadership factions and hidden agendas. He holds staff directly accountable but does not actively promote teamwork. He understands the industry extremely well and focuses on organisation survival against consolidation and elimination from the market by competitors. Unfortunately, he only relies on the Sales team to achieve that goal. In relation to this, his establishment of goals is simplistic and narrowly focused on survival in the industry year on year; there is no long-term plan or strategy. His goals and therefore PC goals are based on purely financial targets, no operational, social or other targets, little concern for dynamic change and the need to react to the outside environment. There are no 3/5/10 year plans. This stems from a lack of vision, which results in rewards being purely economic. It can be objectively said that the CEO does not realise the operational and human factors necessary to support and encourage organisational growth. The organisation therefore, is managed by someone who possesses a one-dimensional leadership style. This is a key factor in determining the company and in particular the local office organisational culture and climate. Such is the situation at Pembroke Consulting (PC), which is the focus of this research. It fosters a lack of effective leadership and management that leads to a dysfunctional organisational culture and climate. The key areas to be investigated under the general rubric of ‘managerial effectiveness’ include both the managerial and employee perception of leadership and organisational culture and the existing organisational culture of the company. This research will explore the leadership of PC as one of the key factors, which perpetuates a dysfunctional organisational culture, a managerial ineffectiveness and poor leadership caused in part, by a lack of awareness of organisational cultures and the various employee perceptions. A second key factor is the lack of understanding and appreciation for the HR department and other departments evidenced by the experience of the Harbridge initiative, which is not directly related to sales and resulted in a negative culture, low trust environment and poor motivation. It really isnt surprising that progress has been slow in this area. Countries around the world are desperately struggling to move from a centuries-old utility industry structure with pronounced monopolistic tendencies to a modern competitive business model. Although deregulation was able to proceed relatively rapidly in the banking and airline industries, the existence of an immense network of in-the-ground wires makes rapid telecommunications change nearly impossible. Governments may be criticized for moving too slowly, but the problems they face are formidable. Research Questions With regard to the relationship between leadership and culture the research questions this paper seeks to answer are: What is the existing organisational culture of PC? What are the differences between employee and senior management perceptions on leadership and culture? What are the effects of organisational culture on managers and employees? What do the managers, employees perceive to be the organisation’s climate, and how does the interface of the organisation culture and leadership influence the managerial effectiveness of PC London? Research Objectives This paper aims to achieve the following objectives. a. Examine the style and management effectiveness of leaders within Pembroke Consulting – London Office and define its organisational culture b. Determine managerial and employee perception of organisational culture and leadership within Pembroke Consulting - London Office and establish the extent of their differing perceptions c. Investigate the relationship and interaction between leadership and culture d. Validate the results of the research through discussions/interactions with HR colleagues globally Hypothesis There is only one hypothesis that would be testified in this research. Leadership and organisational culture have a symbiotic relationship. The dynamics of this relationship lead to an increase in competitive advantage for the company or the disintegration of the infrastructure required in sustaining long-term profitability. That is, this interdependent relationship could result in increased ‘functionality’ or ‘dysfunctionality.’. In other words, leadership is critical to the creation and maintenance of culture. If this hypothesis is true, the empirical research should provide support. However, as the initial investigations and anecdotes indicate, this does not seem to be the case in PC, particularly in the London Office. In fact, Hofstede’s ideas of culture, though dated seem more pertinent in this situation. The hypothesis was that the validity of a theory was constrained by nationality. In short, Hofstede, suggests that national cultures, have an impact on organisational cultures, particularly if one tries to ‘export’ concepts from one continent to another, without modifications. As Hofstede (2001) recently stressed, ‘our culture affects in particular those ideas that are taken for granted without further proof because no one in our environment ever challenges them’ (p. 380). The impact of this is evident in the PC London turnover ratio. The leadership in the UK has changed twice in seventeen years, while the medium size London Office with 150 employees, leadership has changed five times in the corresponding period. This indicates a need to determine the answers to the research questions presented in this study, which in turn will assist in proving or disproving the hypothesis. CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Present-day organisations are making considerable monetary and human resource investments in the field of training, specifically in such areas as problem analysis and problem solving techniques, within the context of Total Quality Management (TQM) programs and, in some cases, culture change efforts. (Dansereau, 2004, 46-78) These investments are being made with the conviction, rooted partly in the "human relations management" movement, that the participation and involvement of all hierarchical levels will result in higher product/service quality and, subsequently, improved organisation performance. (Corbett, 2000, 14-26: Youndt, 1996, 836-66) Today, business is at the point of extreme globalisation. Extensive borders, competition, and telecommunications enable companies to conduct business never believed possible. As such, changes in business necessitate changes in management and business processes.( Huselid, 1997, 45-50; Karathanos, 1998, 123-32) Some of these changes are explicit such as a switch from paper to electronic. Moreover, some are implicit such as roles and titles. One noticeable change is the scenario of managers learning about and trying to become leaders. Substituting "leadership" and "leader" for "management" and "manager" are not just new-age word games. (Saunders, 2003, 91-99) They are the linchpins of any enterprise in todays global marketplace. All leaders need to be able to manage, but few managers have the talents, qualities, or inclination to be leaders. Credibility, not a fancy title, is the key. Therefore, to get through the hurdles and become more profitable, competitive and efficient corporations are shifting and transforming from management to leadership.( Ulrich, 1997, 171-80) Akin to these matters, is the growing concern, interest and the ever-increasing awareness of the relevance of human resource management to the success of companies and the viability of business organisations? These have led corporate strategists to allocate more time, effort, and money in fostering and nurturing efficient managerial skills and leadership abilities in order to create an operational environment conducive to optimal profitability, efficiency, and growth. This phenomenon signifies a shift in focus that has effected in the assessment of organisations in various frameworks, in an attempt to distinguish the fundamental dynamics, which are common to all. (Guest, 2000, 503-21) Such awareness brings to light the significance of an organisation’s culture, climate, and leadership with the objectives of effortless but competent day-to-day operation, staff motivation, and morale. In relation to these developments are in-depth studies on effective leadership and managerial efficacy. A major issue concerning this investigation is that most theorists believe that managerial and leadership skills are different. "Leaders create and articulate vision; managers insure it is put into practice" (Syrett & Hogg, 1992, p.5). Kotter (1990, 16-24) elaborates on the differences stressing that management focuses on dealing with complexity, while leadership involves dealing with change; management is committed to planning and budgeting, while leaders formulate a vision and set an organizational direction; management is concerned with organising and staffing, while leadership involves aligning people to a shared vision. (Graen, 1995, 219-45; Kamoche, 1996, 213-33) Management is controlling and problem solving; leadership is motivating and inspiring. Further, there has been found a strong distinction between the two roles. A leader is a conceptualist with an entrepreneurial vision. A leader needs to be concerned with the big picture and the long-range future of an organization. Managers, on the other hand, are concerned with day-to-day routine operations, and part of their objective is to isolate leaders from these operations. (Davis, 1999, 119-23) CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research philosophies and theories that will be examined in the study require rigorous adherence to the research methodology and proper use of the data interpretation instruments supported by an organised data gathering process. In this study, the Research Process “Onion” will be utilised so that the findings of the study can be thoroughly established. The inner part of the onion describes the methodology portion, whereas the outer part discusses the strategies that can be utilised in interpreting the results of the findings. However, because of the complexities of PC, using one method will not be sufficient to adequately analyse the issues. The descriptive research method uses observation and surveys, is inexpensive, and time efficient. For this reason, it will be utilised in this study. Descriptive method of research includes the gathering of information about present existing conditions, analysis, and interpretation of data. Additionally, the research described in this study is also partly based on quantitative research methods. This permits a flexible and iterative approach. During data gathering the choice and design of methods will be constantly modified, based on ongoing analysis. This permits investigation of important new issues and questions as they arise, and allows the researcher to eliminate unproductive areas of research from the original research plan. For this study, a survey will be carried out to gather information. This will be the most appropriate tool since it is inexpensive and quick. Survey questionnaires will be prepared to gather the data needed. Questionnaires will not be of an intimidating nature and can be completed within 30 minutes. The respondents will grade each statement in the survey questionnaire using the Likert scale with a five-response scale wherein respondents will be given four response choices. The results will then be tabulated and averaged to obtain the strengths and weaknesses of each question in the survey. There are advantages in being able to ‘hand deliver’ questionnaires personally, however confidentiality and anonymity are key in this survey, (De Geus, 1997, 31-36) given the sensitivity of the topic. In light of this, it will be necessary to distribute the questionnaire in such a way so as to protect the respondents’ identity and elicit honest replies to the questionnaire. This will include a covering letter stating their rights and the researcher’s responsibilities, the purpose of the research, the fact that responses will be returned via a third party’s internal post box in a sealed envelope, neither the researcher nor the third party will know which response came from which respondent and therefore keeping the whole process anonymous. The researcher will be the only person reading the responses and once the questionnaire have been collated and the results examined, the questionnaires will be shredded, and a summary of the results included in the research (which is the purpose of the survey). The study will also employ qualitative research method, to find sound anecdotal evidence. These qualitative elements do not have standard measures; rather they refer to behaviour, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs. A focus group will be formed composed of randomly selected employees. However, this will be done only if the interviewees are comfortable participating in the focus group discussion. In addition, to conducting focus group discussions, in-depth interviews will be conducted with middle managers from the operations and business area and the Managing Directors of PC - London Office to have a broad and overall understanding of their perception of leadership and culture. The empirical nature of this research necessitates the use of all these methods. Sample The population sample for this study will be the employees of Pembroke Consulting - London Office. Stratified random sampling will be used to ensure a sample representative of all levels in the workplace. The focus group will be a made up of 15% cross section of PC London population. The questionnaire survey will cover a minimum of 50% of the population, which will allow for a fall out of 17%, therefore equally, allowing for receiving adequate and meaningful responses. The in-depth interviews with middle managers will represent 17% of the organisation. Analysis Significant reliance will be placed on journal information to support the findings from both qualitative and quantitative research. Because this research is inductive (i.e. the topic is derived from experience and observation), this is an appropriate method to adopt. The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of the situation, as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular phenomena. This method will be used in order to obtain primary data from the respondents to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study. Conclusion This research will conclude and evaluate the potential results of primary and secondary data and in the light of the interpretation and processing of collected data, it would conclude the qualitative as well as quantitative results. As global competition intensifies and technological change accelerates, comprehending the challenges of service development is increasingly vital. This study would explore and address the nature, dynamics, and impacts of contrasting financial services segments in the UK in services development and management projects. Managers may be well served by developing a complicated and paradoxical repertoire of practices. Managing tensions between loosely and tightly coupled activities, bottom-up and top-down processes, and flexibility and discipline may provide a key to high performance. We hope that, by capturing the tensions and building from activities of project management, this conceptual framework will provide a potentially valuable foundation for future research. Research framework would allow for the fact that behaviours may change. A manager may engage in a set of behaviours reflecting one set of values at one point and in an entirely different set of values at another point. Bibliography Corbett, L.M. & Rastrick, K.N. (2000). Quality performance and organizational culture: A New Zealand study, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 17, 1, pp. 14–26. Dansereau, F., Graen, G.G., & Haga, W. (2004). A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership in formal organizations. Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance, 13, pp.46-78 Davis, B., Hellervik, L., Skube, C., Gebelein, S., & Sheard, J. (1999). Successful corporate renewal. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. 119-23 De Geus, A. (1997). The living company.  Boston:  Harvard Business School Press.  31-36 Graen, G. G., & Ulh-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years: Applying a multi-level multi-domain perspective. Leadership Quarterly, 6, 2, pp.219-245. Guest, D. E. (2000), Human resource management and industrial relations. Journal of Management Studies, 24, 5, pp. 503-521. Hofstede, Geert. Cultures Consequences, Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications, 2001. 373-80 Huselid, M. A. & Becker, B. E. (1997). The impact of high performance work systems, implementation effectiveness, and alignment strategy on shareholder wealth. Paper presented at the 1997 Academy of Management Meetings, HRM. 45-50 Kamoche, K. (1996). Strategic human resource management within a resource capability view of the firm. Journal of Management Studies, 33, pp. 213-233. Karathanos, P. (1998) Crafting corporate meaning - Developing corporate culture. Management Decision, 36, 2, pp. 123–132. Kotter, J. P. 1990. What leaders really do. In Frontiers of leadership: An essential reader. Syrett, M. and Hogg, C. (eds.) p. 16-24. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Saunders M, Lewis P, Thornhill A (2003). Research Methods for Business Students, Third Edition, Prentice Hall 91-99 Syrett, M. & Hogg, C. (1992). Frontiers of leadership: An essential reader. Cambridge. P. 5 Ulrich, D. (1997). Human resource champions: The next agenda for adding value and delivering results. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. 171-80 Read More