The Impact of Influence in the Global Project Management Context - Challenges and Possible Solutions - Research Paper Example

THE IMPACT OF INFLUENCE IN THE GLOBAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONTEXT: CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS and The Impact of Influence in the Global Project Management Context: Challenges and Possible Solutions Abstract (150) 147 The rise of globalization has led to the growth in international operations. As a result, project managers are now required to manage projects that span across multiple international borders. The new changes have created an opportunity for project managers to increase their influence both within and outside their organizations. However, it has also presented a number of challenges as project managers have to manage employees across different cultures while navigating various bureaucratic structures. Due to the fact that project management is going to be increasingly globalized, it is important that possible solutions for the challenges that they face be evaluated and implemented promptly. The influence that they have on both the specific projects and the whole organization will increasingly be evaluated. Consequently, it is imperative for project managers to understand the influence that they have, the challenges that limit that influence and the possible solutions for them. 1. Introduction (105) 105 Globalization has dramatically changed the way projects are designed and executed (Kayode 2012, p. 2). Project managers are finding themselves having to work within a global context. The new scenario places significant challenges on their ability to influence the rest of the team who may be stationed in different parts of the world. In addition, they have to manage employees who are from different cultures. Furthermore, they have to deal with a global supply chain. Although a majority of top level executives in global organizations understand how to navigate this new scenario, project managers do not because they are used to working on localized projects. 2. Review of Literature and Related work (525) 509 Elena (2010, p. 657) states that the globalization has led to increased competition among organizations. As a result, there is a drastic increase in demand for faster and more efficient operations. The need has forced organizations to establish operations in the most cost efficient places (Kayode 2012, p. 2). Consequently, project managers are expected to manage teams that are drawn from diverse cultures (Elena 2010, p. 657). The difference in culture places a significant limitation in their ability to effectively manage their teams. The crossing of national boundaries implies that there are both tangible and intangible obstacles to the operations of an organization (Eberlein 2008, p. 31). As a result, the impact of influence is significantly undermined. For example, the internal project culture can be difficult to replicate across different nations. One of the biggest challenges that project managers and their organizations face is the need to find the right balance between maintaining the organizational culture and adapting to the local environment. It is important for the project manager to ensure that all the employees of the organization understand and keep its culture. Similarly, the organization would benefit from adapting to the local environment. The struggle between the two undermines the influence of both the project manager and the organization that employs them. Global operations often involve impersonal communication between project managers and coworkers. In addition, the project manager may only be able to communicate with other project stakeholders such as suppliers through emails or conference calls. As a result, their ability to influence their actions may be limited. However, the organization can ensure that all the project stakeholders understand and are committed to the values of the organization by requiring them to undergo a prequalification stage. Project managers can overcome the limitations to their influence in the global environment by adopting flexible leadership. The approach requires them to appreciate that every region has people who have different values and belief systems. However, it is important for them to have conditions that cannot be compromised. For example, a commitment to integrity and fair play should never be compromised even if they are operating in a country with a corrupt culture. Project management classes should include a unit on global culture. As globalization increases and organizations move their operations overseas or expand to other regions, project managers will be increasingly be required to manage teams spread across the world (Pinheiro, 2010). Consequently, there should be a deliberate effort to prepare them for this reality. The organizations that will succeed over a long term are those who will optimize their influence in project management (Pinheiro, 2010). Nearly every international expansion will require a team or a number of teams working on a project. As a result, project management is increasingly becoming a mainstream responsibility in organizations. Unfortunately, it is growing at the same time that the rise of global competitors is creating a rush for expansion is creating a scenario where the organization is undermined. In order to gain competitive advantage, organizations need to find a way to increase their influence. 3. Proposed Methodology (105) 112 The first step towards solving the problem involves raising awareness. Although a majority of organizations appreciate that the evolving nature of project management due to globalization has adversely affected their influence, the business community will only be pushed to action by data. The data will be gathered from multiple sources. Firstly, case studies will be used to learn from the experiences of project managers in the new global landscape. Second, articles on the subject by authoritative personalities on the field will be evaluated to establish the different approaches that can be used to address the problem. A majority of the data that will be collected will be qualitative in nature. 4. Proposed Model (630) 647 The model that has been advanced as a solution for this problem involves recommendations and research proposal for a study that will demonstrate the need for organizations to pursue them. The problem requires multiple intervention measures. Firstly, organizations need to align the hiring of project managers with the need to find individuals who are not only skilled at what they do but have a good grasp of the global nature of modern business. There is a clear value for organizations in adopting this approach. Project managers should adopt a proactive approach to the dilemma between maintaining the organizational culture and adapting to the local environment. It is possible for the influence of the organization to be felt even as it tries to adapt to the local culture. For example, the manner of working on a given project may vary from country to country but the commitment to the local approach to delivering a high quality user experience or product cannot and should not change. However, an exhaustive study into the matter can be conducted to establish the full benefit that adopting the approach presents to organizations. Five organizations with international projects can be used for the study. The organizations should be drawn from different sectors of the economy. For example, they can be drawn from the following industries; the telecommunication industry, the hospitality industry, the manufacturing industry, the marketing industry and the entertainment industry. In addition, the projects that should be examined should be those being carried out in at least three countries. The conceptual model for the study can be developed by interviewing project managers, teams that have a lot of diversity and business leaders. The insight gained should guide the structure of the study. The growth of the internet and the rise of emerging economies mean that globalization will increase even more. As a result, project managers need to find ways of optimizing their influence. In addition, organizations need to ensure that they are able to influence all the people who work for it so that they contribute towards a shared objective regardless of their culture. Achieving these objectives requires a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, project managers need to understand the different cultures of their team members (Elena 2010, p. 657). Understanding their culture will enable them to relate with them better. Secondly, organizations need to hire project managers who have a global perspective. The study can include a comparison between the projects that are run by project managers with a global record and those that are run by project managers with no global record. The former group is expected to achieve their deliverables more effectively than the latter group. Thirdly, for project managers to be successful, they will have to be original and willing to adapt to the different countries (.Rodrigues & Sbragia 2013, p. 39). For example, the way a particular operation is run in Europe should be different from how it is run in Africa. The two geographical regions have significant differences in both the culture of the people and the infrastructure available. Project managers who have worked in both regions can be interviewed to get insight from their experiences in both regions. They should be able to present the differences and similarities that influence plays in both regions. Moreover, an American organization carrying out projects in Africa and Europe will have greater influence in the latter region as compared to the later due to the similarities in culture. According to Rodrigues & Sbragia (2013, p. 38) the fact that the phenomenon is new means that there is no theoretical development on the topic. As a result, there is a need for research on the issue. The research can be funded by the business community. The findings of the research will be published in journals and business literature as a means of building the body of work on the topic. 5. Discussion/Synthesis (630) 596 The proposed model presents an opportunity to highlight the factors that differentiate a successful global project management task and unsuccessful one. Moreover, it also provides an opportunity to demonstrate how influence is affected across different countries. Furthermore, the insight gained will provide the basis for more research on the matter. For example, future research can focus on why influence is more visible in some countries as compared to others. The advantage of the proposed model is that it not only aims at identifying the limitations facing influence in global project management but also seeks to highlight the competitive advantage that organizations that are able to optimize influence gain and the factors that determine the effect that it plays in an organization. For example, the performance of the five organizations can be evaluated and a correlation drawn between their ability to perform well and their ability to optimize their influence. In addition, their location in different countries and regions provides an opportunity to evaluate how influence varies depending on the region. The disadvantage is that the structure of the conceptual model makes prevents it from evaluating other factors that undermine global project management and the consequences that it has on the organization. For example, it will not show how the organizational goals of the organization are undermined by the challenges facing their influence. In addition, the global project management may be undermined by political and governance structures. A significant constraint that the proposed model will face is the difficulty in being able to visit all the operations of the organization in the different countries. The cost of travelling to those countries will increase the cost of the research. Consequently, it will undermine the ability of the research to carry out an exhaustive study. The impact of influence in a global context is limited for all fields not just project management. The world is made up of countries with different governance structures and values. Besides the cultural differences, there are also significant differences in terms of the infrastructure, skill and approach to work in the different countries. The way that projects are done in one part of the world cannot be replicated with the exact level of success at other parts of the world. It is important to note that influence does not just emanate from the project manager and the organization. According to Rodrigues & Sbragia (2013, p. 38) it can also emanate from the regions in which they operate in. The latter is a double edged sword. If organization acquires positive values and lessons from the locals then it will benefit from the experience. However, if it acquires its negative values then the image of the organization may suffer. For example, an organization operating in a country with an authoritarian leadership may be forced to give kickbacks as a necessity. Although the move may enable the organization to compete in the local environment, it will stain its organizational culture and ultimately undermine its standing in the international community. The proposed model helps to solve the problem identified in the paper. Firstly, it provides a means to measure the impact that influence has on global project management. Second, it is accompanied by recommendations for tackling the phenomenon to ensure that the competitiveness of the organization is not undermined. In addition, the increasing outsourcing of some activities during projects has reduced the influence of project managers. According to Takavarasha, Hapanyengwi and Chimanikire (2013, p. 66) outsourcing requires the management of a multi-cultural team. Moreover, the project managers have little power over the individuals the activities are outsourced to. 6. Conclusion (105) 110 In conclusion, it is evident that influence in global project management faces a lot of challenges. However, it is also clear that understanding its limitations presents an opportunity to identify possible solutions for the problem. Moreover, the increasing globalization of commerce and organizational structures requires prompt action on the matter. Information on the issue has been found from an analysis of case studies; credible articles on qualitative research on the matter. The findings demonstrate that there is an urgent need for organizations to hire project managers who appreciate the increasing globalization of operations. Fulfilling this need will increase the influence that organizations and their project managers have on the employees. 7. References Elena, R.D., 2010. Cultural Differences in Project Management. Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, vol 12, no 2. pp 657-662 Eberlein, M., 2008 Culture as a critical success factor for successful global project management in multi-national IT Service Projects. Journal of Information Technology Management. vol19, no 3. Kayode, O., 2012. Impact of Globalization on Human Resource Management. Science Journal of Business Management.vol 219, no 4.pp. 1-4 Pinheiro, AB., 2010. How Do Managers Control Technology-Intensive Work? Journal of Technology Management & Innovation.vol 5, no 2  Rodrigues, I & Sbragia, R., 2013. The Cultural Challenges of Managing Global Project Teams: a Study of Brazilian Multinationals.vol 8, pp. 38-55 Takavarasha, S., Hapanyengwi, G & Chimanikire, D., 2013. An IT Project Management Framework for Assessing the Dynamism of Culture under Globalization: Evidence from Zimbabwe. International Journal of Information Technology Project Management, vol. 4, no 4. pp. 66-81 Read More