Task Management: the Problems at XTRA - Research Paper Example

Task Management: the Problems at XTRA Introduction XTRA is a small company specializing in Hollywood memorabilia, such as movie posters, signed celebrity photos, action figures and movie scripts. The company was established in 1960’s by four movie enthusiasts, and experienced a phase of profitable growth and sales until the 1990’s, when the company was severely hit by global recession. XTRA has been suffering from lost sales and is on the verge of bankruptcy. The company relied on postal services to conduct business from the central offices based in the city centre. Locally networked personal computers are available for the eight full time staff, however the two part-time staff are not provided access to the computer network. Development of e-business systems has been identified as a probable turnaround strategy to restore the company’s business and gaining back the market share. The introduction of internet web pages as a new platform for increasing sales is a critical step and must be based on a series of evaluations. The e-business is expected to provide a new direction to the company, transforming the activities as per the current environment and redefining the scope of business operations. Building on its existing resources and competencies, the strategic IT decision about e-business will affect the long term direction of XTRA. The e-business venture is expected to regenerate XTRA’s lost business. The marketing data, through IT, will help the company in providing better personalized service to the clients. Although, the staff at XTRA is apprehensive about the introduction of e-business, the new endeavor is sure to bring back the lost sales and company profits. The project plan for the proposed e-business is prepared to address the various issues involved. 1.1 Existing Situation and the problems at XTRA Evaluating the business and system requirements for successful and effective implementation of e-business is a key step. In order to develop and sustain the business, the market sales and profits of XTRA need to increase. The business line of XTRA revolves around the Hollywood memorabilia, which means that the company serves all the customers who are fans of Hollywood actors and aspire to own a memoir of the favorite movie or actor. The product line of XTRA is not a necessity and appeals to a limited segment of customers. Considering the fact that XTRA operated through a centralized outlet at the city centre, the declining sales can be contributed to the limited market exposure and constrained reach. The local demand for the related goods has been well satisfied and saturated. The company attained huge success in the initial years because it provided a unique range of products that were new to the customers. However, XTRA has been operating just at the local level and has not expanded its market. E-business will help XTRA to reach a widely distributed customer base and to provide customer focused products to the potential customers, thus expanding customer base. 1.1.1 Business Aim The business aim of the e-business project is to improve the financial situation of XTRA’s business. Increasing the sales volume and sustainable profits can be achieved by expanding the customer base. Using internet and information systems for business will support the company’s aim by streamlining the process flow to reach and serve a wider customer base. This will also help to improve the company’s efficiency and help retain its reputation. 1.1.2 E-business development Developing e-business at XTRA requires comprehensive planning. The various aspects such as requirements, the Information system solution, the leadership styles involved and the role of tools such as communication, mentoring and coaching are analyzed in the following sections. 2 System Requirements The IT system for the proposed e-business must be carefully designed and implemented after a thorough analysis of the organizational requirements at various levels. 2.1 Technical requirements The internet is a versatile information technology platform that can be used to base a variety of business strategies. The e-commerce applications may include interactive order processing at the company web sites, electronic data interchange (EDI) of business transaction documents and secure electronic funds transfer (EFT) payment systems. The information system that needs to be implemented at XTRA must be extensive to cover end-to-end solution of the business. The IT business model must offer on-line ordering portal for the customers, an on-line catalog that is regularly updated as well as an inventory control system. The e-business will require the company, the suppliers, business partners, customers, remote offices and the inventory management system to be integrated via the internet. (O’Brien, 1999). Reaching the worldwide market through internet necessitates strong order collection and serving capabilities. 2.1.1 Hardware The cost to be incurred on Hardware will depend on the system configuration and upgrading ability of the current eight computers that are already available with XTRA. The worst case could be none of the eight PC’s being suitable and replacement of all of them is required along with other new hardware. 2.1.2 Software The software component will take up a major share of the financial resources. Getting the new software built or purchased and customized will need a major share of monetary allocation. 2.1.3 Data Management E-business necessitates the maintenance of an integrated database that will store the business data. The selection of the database management system is based on the software applications to be supported as well as the company structure. 2.1.4 Facilities IT infrastructure in terms of Hardware, network, database, warehouses, inventory and stores will be needed across the globe. Also the various facilities must be managed to form a smooth running supply chain. 2.1.5 IT Personnel Successful implementation of the e-business at XTRA will require manpower resources from both internal and external sources. 2.1.6 Financial resources The development and sustenance of e-business involves a considerable amount of monetary fund which will form the initial capital and the working capital. 2.2 Technical Constraints 2.2.1 Cost constraint The on-line services and portals that will be provided as a part of the XTRA’s e-business require a computer server that will maintain uninterrupted network with the internet. Software compatibility and hardware capacity problems of the existing systems might call for additional cost to be incurred for buying the computers and other hardware components. Also, cost of software, outsourcing, conducting the project research, feasibility study, consulting and training will cause a cost constraint. 2.1.7 Time constraint The timeline should be prioritized and allocated after analyzing the requirements and then breaking down the task into individual element jobs to be accomplished by various individuals. Historical data and experience can be used in estimating a time frame for each activity and their dependencies, thus a critical path can be drawn to determine the timeline. 2.1.8 Scope and Quality The scope and quality of the system will depend on the requirements, technical constraints such as usability, adaptability and flexibility of the information system. The scope defines the baseline requirements that must be met by the end product of the project. The following figure shows the triple constraints of a project, which must be managed during the entire project’s lifecycle: 2.3 Non-technical requirements The non-technical requirements consist of a range of non-technical factors that will be needed to support the functioning of the e-business. The current structure and level of XTRA lacks the global business ability. Recreating the procedures and process along with changing the mindset of the people is required. 2.3.1 Round the clock support This will be needed to optimize the utilization of the online set up. Since XTRA has currently been operating locally at the normal office hours only, providing continuous response to the customers might be a big problem, which needs to be handled carefully. 2.1.9 Managing the Supply chain problems and Logistics In the global business chain, this is an exhaustive process for a small company like XTRA. Serving the customer orders, timely delivery, place of delivery, maintaining the optimum level of inventory are some problems that are estimated. In order to run an online business, XTRA will need the expertise of a logistics firm to manage its supply chain needs. 2.1.10 Transformation of the legacy system As Turban (2006) points out, transforming the legacy business processes into e-commerce system frequently involves planning to redesign business processes following a four stage model consisting of strategic planning, requirement analysis, resource allocation, and project planning. Strategic Information Technology Planning (SITP) requires collaboration with the business partners. 2.1.11 Prioritization of the critical systems Identification of the information system dependencies is a prime requirement for the planning phase. Design and maintenance of a central repository, document management of project deliverables must be done to ensure maintainability of the system. 2.4 Non-technical constraints 2.4.1 Resistance from the staff The enhanced level of productivity and constant customer support is bound to pose many ‘soft’ human issues. The resistance from the company staff due to their fear of change in roles and responsibilities will need to be overcome. This can be planned using mentoring sessions as well as linking incentives to productivity 2.4.2 Restructuring of the processes The restructuring of the company might pose some threats and crucial decisions might need to be taken to retain the skilled staff. 2.4.3 Experience Curve or Learning curve effect Supporting the extensive network of the e-business, maintaining a comprehensive database, handling the logistics across the globe will all need an active workforce working in shifts . This will require an additional input of finances to support an increased operating cost owing to the experience curve effect. 2.4.4 Communication and participation problems The existing process at XTRA might not offer the level of communication and participation as is needed for the e-business venture. This will necessitate changing the old processes against the staff desire and comfort zone. 2.4.5 Training the unwilling staff Training the staff to handle the software efficiently and effectively is a major issue. Handling the staff inhibitions to learn the new tools, changing the mindset of the people to adopt the new technology is also a major issue. Gathering information, making rational assumptions, handling the change in staff and environment are yet other non-technical constraints. 2.4.6 Unfavorable user-IS relationship The most significant constraint on the project has been the readiness of the companies to move into a web-centric way of working (Stanford-Smith & Kidd, 2000). Lack of staff support and proactive involvement, low team morale, fear of change, lack of commitment on the part of staff are some anticipated non-technical problems. Effective Leadership is the key to most of the non-technical problems. 2.2 E-Business System Definition 2.5.1 CATWOE Analysis CATWOE analysis is a tool that helps in root definition of the new information system. It defines the various elements of the system and maps the identified constraints and requirements to lay the structure of the IT system. Table 1 CATWOE Analysis Analyzing the various requirements of the business and mapping them with the business goals will help in laying down the project specifications. 2.2.1 E-business model Developing information systems solutions to the business problems is a multi-step process or cycle (O’Brien, 1999). Figure 2 demonstrates the four box e-business model. The varying combinations of degree of changes to business model and the role of e-business result in four distinct types of changes. Figure2: E-business model 3 Resource Allocation Resource Allocation is important because it is one of the critical success factors and is directly linked to the performance of the information system. After analyzing the various requirements of the e-business along with the constraints, the next step is to map the business requirements and goals and identify transactions for the selected business process. The limited resources such as money, manpower and time must be allocated to each activity as per the requirement. For the allocation of manpower resources we need to understand the various development stages of the project. The first planning phase will need the outsourcing IT consultant to interact with the staff to understand the business flow. The experienced staff at each level of the cycle must be allocated to this task. 3.1 RAM Responsibility Assignment matrix (RAM) is an excellent resource planning tool used to map roles and responsibilities of different people at different stages. Name Total Work (days) Total Work (hrs) Stage 1 Stage2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Final Stage Project Board Project Manager Analyst Staff Hardware Team Developer Marketing team Trainer Tester Logistics Financial staff Total Hours allocated (hrs) Table 2: Manpower allocation outline The allocation of financial resources would depend on price quoted by the software vendor. The level of customization needed and the maintenance contract must also be considered for monetary allocation. Hiring IT personnel for training the staff and regular upgrading of the information systems will also incur cost. Hiring part time staff to handle the business processes during the training of the full time staff will also need to be considered. Allocation of resources as a part of project plan will affect the timely and successful completion of the project. 4 Timescales It is advisable to execute the project in stages in order to cope up with the new business processes smoothly as well as analyze the customer response to the new system. 4.1 Activity Definition The work packages created in the work breakdown structure (WBS) are further broken down into activity level, where it is easier to estimate, schedule, monitor and manage (Mulcahy, 2005). Determining the critical transactions for XTRA’s business, the various systems that need to be developed are enlisted in the WBS. On-line catalog System: This system will enable the information about the XTRA and all its products to be available online. This online information will help the customers in remote locations to know about the company and buy its products. This module will require minimum development time and can even be used even with traditional postal delivery system. This system will enhance the marketing efforts. On-line Ordering System: This system will take XTRA a step ahead into allowing the customers to order online. This system will be linked to the online catalog system. The system will have to be run and monitored round the clock in order to respond to purchases and make timely delivery. Inventory management System: This system will assist value chain by reducing the lead time and minimum inventory costs. This system will need integration of strong distribution and logistics network. Accounts system: This system will keep track of the customer payment status and match the sales records with the inventory value. All the systems will need to be integrated at the backend with a reliable database system and interactive and attractive front end for business and customer use. 4.2 Activity Sequencing Once the activities have been defined, the next step is activity sequencing. Based on the various dependencies, Network diagrams are drawn to chart out how the work will be performed. The critical path (using CPM) so developed will determine the timeline for executing the project. 4.3 Activity Resource Estimation The Type and quantity of the resources needed for each activity is determined. Manpower, machines, material and money are the vital resources to be estimated. 4.4 Activity Duration Estimation The probable time for each activity is estimated based on the estimator’s experience, resource calendars, organizational processes, risk management and the historical data. A calendar based schedule is then developed and followed by network analysis techniques such as PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique), CPM (Critical Path Method) etc. 4.5 Gantt chart The preparation, planning, development, implementation, system testing, and user acceptance testing of all the identified systems can be broken down into work units. A Gantt chart is then used to assign timeframe to each task and dependencies. Allocating timeframe to each activity is done on the basis of experience and historical data. Figure 3 A Sample Gantt chart Preparation Time: Based on historical data of similar projects, selecting an outsourcing firm, gathering the related data, aligning the business processes as per the IT approach, evaluating system feasibility and getting ready to initiate the process will take up around 3 to 5 months. This constitutes around 22 % of the total time. The management of XTRA must also consider the time taken for re-doing the preparation, in case the outsourced firm is changed after this stage. Implementation Time: This is the actual implementation time and is estimated to take around 70 % of the total time. The various implementation stages will be distributed over a period of 14 months. The four sub-stages will take 3 months each for development and implementation. The first sub system will become live after about 7 months of project initiation. Finalization and live testing: This stage will have the entire system live and updated for the management to use and test for redundancies. 5 Leadership Styles Robbins (2000) defines leadership is the ability to influence a group towards the achievement of goals. A leader is often independent of the formally designated authority and exhibits certain behavioral traits that differentiate them from others. The high level of personal compatibility, subordinate competence and extroverted personality allows the leader to guide and motivate the followers in the direction of the established goals. This requires the leader to build a relation of trust with competence, loyalty, openness, consistency and integrity being the five key dimensions. Leaders envision future; they inspire organization members and chart the course of the organization (Koontz & Weihrich, 1990). A leader has the ability to use power effectively and is capable of comprehending that different people have different motivational factors. Also, a leader has the ability to inspire others, thus developing a climate conducive to responding. At XTRA, successful implementation of e-business is a business level change and so there is a strong need for a leader who will lead the change and smoothly work on the non-technical issues. 5.1 Leadership Style Summary The different leadership styles refer to the different approaches to providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Leveraging the strategic IT platform requires the involvement and participation of the staff across all levels of the company. The leader will not only guide the transition, he will also motivate the staff to work together towards the shared company goals. The type of leadership influences the level of motivation. Generally, leadership is divided into four types of approach (NCC Education, 2004). Low Relationship High Delegation Participation Authoritarian Persuasion Figure 4 Types of leadership styles 5.1.1 Delegation This style of leader passes the job down the execution level and then does not interfere. There is low level of relationship as well as task. Such leaders are not committed to completion or maintenance of tasks. This leadership style is characterized by wastage of time and resources and low employee morale. 5.1.2 Participation This leadership style is characterized by low task orientation and high task orientation. Co-workers are made to feel important and responsible by sharing ideas and objectives. The followers also try to contribute their ability. Management by Objective (MBO) is a part of this leadership style. 5.1.3 Authoritarian This style of leader is task oriented and autocratic. The leader retains the power and decision making authority and there is low team morale and low relationship between the leader and the followers. 5.1.4 Persuasion This leadership style is characterized by high task orientation as well as high relationship. The leader is deeply emotionally connected with the team after having established high level of credibility and staff understanding. Incentives are used by such leaders to push the subordinates into task completion without straining the relationship. 5.1 Effective leadership Effective leadership is the key for strategic implementation of the e-business and depends on theory variables as well as the situational factors. The main function of a leader is to clarify and set goals with subordinates, motivate and guide them and remove obstacles. The best suited leadership style depends on the stage of development and situation at hand. The situation factors include the characteristics of subordinates, their needs and abilities, as well as the work environment that includes the tasks, existing reward system at the organization. For the initiation stage of XTRA’s e-business, project leader will need to build relationship of the employees without bothering much about the output. Participation style must be used at this initial stage to invoke team building and cross-functional cooperation. The second stage of implementation, the (Online Catalog) system will also need the leader to spread the awareness and benefits of the system to the staff while involving the staff to participate in the new venture. Participation style will work at this stage. The next stage, when the logistics and the financial systems will be aligned with the on-line ordering system and the inventory management system, will need the leader to use persuasion style to overcome the staff fears and get the system rolling smoothly. The staff can be given extra incentives to get the task done while building good relationships with them is a good tactic for the persuasion style of leadership. The training and testing phase after the implementation needs full support of the staff. Participation style of leadership can ensure deep involvement of staff to use and test the system rigorously and point out the discrepancies before the outsourcing team finally delivers the project. The project finalization stage demands the use of authoritarian style to ensure that the staff is well acquainted with the system and uses it efficiently. Any redundancy left unresolved will incur extra cost. 6 Effective Communication Famous psychiatrist and non verbal communication scholar Albert Scheflen stated that communication is an organized, standardized, culturally patterned system of behavior that sustains, regulates and makes possible human relationships (Haslett, 1987). The purpose of communication is “to share” the vision, to motivate organization members, to help achieve the vision, and believe in the vision. Figure 5 Communication Management Plan Effective communication among the leader, the management, the stakeholders and the staff is the key to successful IT implementation in any organization. Effective communication occurs when the transfer of an idea from a source to a receiver results in a change in knowledge, attitude and overt behavior on the part of the receiver. The communication method and plan must ensure that the message is correctly decoded and understood by the receiver. Figure 6 Communication Process If the IT vision of the company is communicated properly, the people understand and agree with the IT vision and work towards achieving it. Acceptance of change, represented by acceptance of IT vision is one of the most important factors of Information system implementation. Any exchange of information can be termed as effective communication when audience agrees to understand the communicated message and stands in consensus to collective actions. Communication can handle many issues related to the IT implementation by spreading the awareness about the strategic value of IT in the company. The envisioning process of the strategic IT change must be effectively communicated to the people who are affected by that vision. Performance Reporting also involves communication with the stakeholders. Approved Change Requests and approved corrective actions must be approved by the integrated change control process and efficiently communicated. The effectiveness of the communication defines the level of agreement and acceptance received from the staff. Poor communication is one of the major causes of project failures. 6.1 Problems with IS development Problems of cost, quality and Information system (IS) performance as well as end-user – IS relationship are inherent to e-business development. Supply chain problems such as demand forecast, delivery and quality issues that need to be handled. Also, supply chain may face inventory problems, ineffective inventory schedules as well as loss of revenues due to the Bullwhip effect. Sharing information across the supply chain, by means of effective communication at every stage of project, is a vital element. Identifying the problem at hand is a major task for XTRA, which is in the death stage. E-business must cater to the problems that resulted in the decline. Effective communication between the management, staff and the project consultant is the key to recognize and solve the key issues. Even at the time of feasibility study, the requirements and the other aspects of planned IS project must be clearly communicated. The consultant must organize a well laid presentation of the project plan for the various members of XTRA. The development stage also demands transparent communication to ensure each system module succinctly serves the purpose. 6.2 Role of effective communication Effective Communication plays an important role in combating the problems of IT implementation. Moreover, the communication must be planned to create a positive attitude for the new information system. The leader or the project manager will need to listen to the staff problems and educate them about the new system. Such constructive information sharing is a must to evade the non-technical problems. Planning for contingencies is a significant step in IT planning. The risks, threats, uncertainties and opportunities must be properly and efficiently communicated across the various levels. Weekly status report and status meetings will keep the staff, stakeholders and managers be abreast and informed about the condition of business. Maintaining a log of the activities and encouraging the staff to provide a candid feedback will help smoothen the problems and motivate the staff. Response strategies for threats and risks must be shared in detail with the users to minimize the adverse effect and the cost of the contingency. 7 Mentoring and Coaching Venturing into e-business poses many challenges such as strategic business challenge, information architecture challenge, globalization challenge, investment challenge, responsibility and control challenge. Management tools such as leadership, mentoring & coaching and communication are the key to successful IS implementation. 7.1 Difference between Mentoring and Coaching Mentoring and coaching are both processes that encourage learning to happen but they differ from one another in terms of the contextual roles, responsibilities and relationships (Parlsoe & Wray, 2000). Table 2 Differences between Mentor and Coach (Brefigroup.co.uk, 2009) Unlike mentoring which can be biased, coaching is impartial and focused on improvement of behavior. Figure 7 Mentoring and Coaching (Brefigroup.co.uk, 2009) 7.2 Mentoring Mentoring is the process that encourages learning to happen when someone transferring his knowledge to another (NCC Education, 2004, lecture 21). It is a power –free, mutually beneficial two way relationship where a more experienced person passes on his knowledge to another (less experienced) person by way of providing guidance, support and understanding (upwebsite.com, 2009). Mentoring is based on self-selection, where the mentoree proactively maintains the relationship. The level of perceived value that mentoree derives from the mentor’s influence defines the mutual respect of the reciprocal relation. Mentoring also forms the backbone of training, so that mentor can successfully help the staff to learn and accept the IT and get rid of the fear of change. Robbins (2001) explains mentors as role models and the proteges emulate their traits and actions. Mentors play multiple roles of being a coach, counselor and even a sponsor. They provide support and bolster the proteges’ self confidence. At XTRA, where the existing employees are used to their roles and old system, mentoring is definitely needed to boost the morale of the scared staff and provide the mental support to them. The initial preparation stage and requirement data collection will need the support of the staff to discuss the processes. The fear of new system might prevent the staff from participating openly 7.3 Coaching Coaching, is more specific, in terms of supporting individuals or teams to focus on achieving targets. Coaching has a goal or an agenda linked to it and is generally a part of one’s job (Starcevich, 2009). The coach has an actual or implied level of authority that is used to impart knowledge for a specific task. Coach’s returns are in the form of team harmony and job performance. At XTRA, coaching will be needed at various stages of e-business implementation. The testing phase and the post-implementation stage will require coaching in order to train the staff about the use, benefits and limitations of the new information system. Coaching is also needed to train the people for testing the software. Coaching is vital at this stage to ensure the system functionality is in-line with the requirements. A coach can educate the people about the procedures and policies of the new system. Coaching will increase the staff skills and make them understand their job responsibilities better. 8 Conclusion The report presents an overview of the IT implementation being planned at XTRA. The report highlights the various aspects of the information system project and presents the aspects for the e-business development at XTRA. The generic approach to information systems implementation is presented along with the challenges and opportunities that must be weighed at XTRA. It also highlights the organizational changes that the company must adopt in order to succeed in its new venture. References Coaching and Mentoring: what’s the difference?, (2009). [Online] Available from http://www.brefigroup.co.uk/coaching/coaching_and_mentoring.html [Accessed September 15, 2009]. Haslett, B.J., (1987) Communication: Strategic action in context (Communication Series), Lawrence Erlbaum, [Online] Available from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=lWoTMnECyqEC&pg=PA3&dq=communication#v=onepage&q=&f=false [Accessed September 9, 2009]. Kent, D. (2005) 60 minutes to better project management, PPT, OAUG North Carolina [Online] Available from http://www.powerpoint-search.com/rita-mulcahy-ppt.html [Accessed September 9, 2009]. Lientz, B.P. & Rea, K.P., (2001) Transform your business into E: going beyond the dotcom disasters, Elsevier Science & Technology, [Online] Available from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=bMNnoE6mHykC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false [Accessed September 8, 2009]. Mentoring and Coaching, Urquhart Partnership, [Online] Available from http://www.upwebsite.com/Mentoring_and_Coaching.html [Accessed September 9, 2009]. Mulcahy, R. (2005) PMP Exam Prep, RMC Publications, inc. Leadership Styles, motivation-tools [Online] Available from: http://www.motivation-tools.com/workplace/leadership_styles.htm [Accessed September 15, 2009]. Papp, R., (2001) Strategic Information Technology: opportunities for competitive advantage, [Online] Available from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=o8rNJX6o5CMC&pg=PA98&dq=effective+communication+in+strategic+information+technology#v=onepage&q=effective%20communication%20in%20strategic%20information%20technology&f=false [Accessed September, 8, 2009]. Parsloe, E. & Wray, M.J. (2000) Coaching and Mentoring: practical methods to improve learning, [Online] Available from http://Books.Google.Co.In/Books?Id=Prfdekbmf4sc&Pg=Pa81&Dq=Mentoring+And+Coaching+In+It#V=Onepage&Q=&F=False [Accessed September 15, 2009]. Prosci, (2009) Change-management process & mode, [Online] Available from http://www.change-management.com/change-management-process.htm [Accessed September 15, 2009]. Robbins, S.P. (2001) Organisational Behaviour, (9th ed.). USA, Prentice Hall. Pp51. Stanford-Smith, B. & Kidd, P.T., (2000) E-business: Key Issues, applications and technologies, IOS Press, [Online] Available from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=6FVAfEFyMcwC&dq=mentoring+and+coaching+for+new+e-business&source=gbs_navlinks_s [Accessed September 15, 2009]. Starcevich, M.M., (2009) Coach, Mentor: Is there a difference, [Online] Available from http://www.coachingandmentoring.com/Articles/mentoring.html [Accessed September 15, 2009]. Turban, McLean & Wetherbe, (2004) Information Technology for management, transforming organisations in the digital economy, (4th ed.), John Wiley & Sons, [Online] Available from http://books.google.co.in/books?id=I8U9q7NCq6oC&pg=PA398&lpg=PA398&dq=why+is+resource+allocation+important+for+strategic+Information+Technology+management&source=bl&ots=hmmB0-wvL9&sig=Od5bwQC48UYG28uuPUii9TDCUSA&hl=en&ei=KbKgSumoI4OOkQWsoc2BBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=IS%20problems&f=false [Accessed September 15, 2009]. 9 Appendix A: Elements of E-business Business, e-business and IT all support the business processes and transactions. An e-business strategy is a statement of how to achieve business objectives. The IT vision describes the environment you envision after the e-business has been implemented successfully (Lientz, B.P., Rea, K.P., 2001). Elements of E-business The integration of individual change management with the organizational change management as depicted by Prosci’s change management model describes the different aspects of change management tools (change-management.com, 2009) Change management Tools for PM Process 10 Appendix B: Leadership Styles vs Motivation Leadership Style versus Motivation Leadership Style Motivation Type Motivation is Based on: Personality Type Efficiency Limited supervision Worker with decision making responsibility Self motivated Creativity Leader of ideas or people. Independent Achiever Thrives on change High Team motivated Mixed styles Goal motivated Opportunity Personality type and efficiency depends on leader's skill and/or the work environment he's created. Reward motivated Materialism Recognition motivated Social status High level of supervision Command-and-control Peer motivated To be like others Status quo Dependency Resist change Low Authority motivated Follows policy Threat, fear motivated Reacts to force Style vs Motivation (motivation-tools.com, 2009) Read More