The Biggest Challenges of a Novice Project Manager - Literature review Example

The Biggest Challenges a Novice Project Manager is Likely to Encounter Background to the Problem Project Management is among the most demanding jobs in the business industry. Project managers are needed to undertake numerous tasks that determine the overall success of a project. The following paper aims at offering a research brief on the potential challenges a novice project manager is likely to encounter. The main research problem is identifying the potential challenges that new project managers may encounter in their workplaces. According to Scheid, (2013, p. 1) the Project Management Institute provides one of the biggest reasons that project manager’s face the global challenge. With an increasingly globalized world, project managers have to work across different cultures, teams, and projects (Englund & Bucero, 2012, p. 25). A novice project manager can be defined as one without any prior experience or with minimal experience. This means that they are probably fresh from school. Without any experience, novice managers are bound to encounter numerous challenges in their workplace. These challenges can range from communication to project scope. Additionally, project management is not a predictable process, thus the element of change is a challenge to new project managers. New project managers rely on their education and training to be successful in their projects. Nonetheless, without the proper education and training new project managers can encounter increased challenges (Englund & Bucero, 2012, p. 28). Furthermore, project management always involves a double-sided element where project managers are required to meet the demands and needs of their internal and external stakeholders. A literature review will better help to understand the potential challenges that novice project managers may encounter. According to Bowen (2010, p. 1) one of the major challenges for new project managers is communication. Communication is a critical element for successful project managers. Having the right communication skills is necessary. However, new project managers only receive education and training, but lack the adequate real-world experience. Working with different people, stakeholders and different projects means there are language and cultural differences that may hinder communication. Loosemore & Muslmani, (1997, p. 96) investigated communication challenges linked to cultural diversity between the Persian Gulf and UK. In their research, the authors found communication to be a challenge for UK managers working on projects in the Persian Gulf because of cultural differences. In this case, it is clear that new project managers may encounter communication challenges especially when working around the world. Loosemore & Muslmani (1997, p. 99) conclude by recommending cultural initiation training by UK firms that desire to operate successfully in the Middle East. Additionally Purvis, et al. (2009, p. 780) developed a case study by considering the role of project managers in the tragedy witnessed in Everest in 1996. Among the top challenges that the author identified is communication. Lack of communication and communication channels as well as resources was identified as a huge challenge (Purvis, et al. 2009, p. 781). Moreover, the case study also denotes that culture and language was a communication barrier. Understanding different languages and culture is paramount for a new project manager (Purvis, et al. 2009, p. 781). This is because it determines their success in projects that involve multi-cultural and international stakeholders. In addition, the case study also concluded that poor communication delayed decision making (Purvis, et al. 2009, p. 781). Decision making is also another critical element of project management. Scheid’s (2013, p. 1) article explains that globalization means working in diverse workplaces, thus the need to adapt to different countries and best practices in terms of project management. Another challenge that project managers may encounter is planning or managing a project scope. A project is bound to change over its lifecycle. This means that one may never understand the whole scope of the project. Additionally, Crew, (2011, p. 1) also identified planning a project scope is always challenging. This is because of the lack of resources and time (Keil, Lee & Deng, T 2013, p. 410; Crew, 2011, p. 1). Crew’s, (2011, p. 1) article focused on asking colleagues on their advice to aspiring or new project managers in terms of challenges. The article indicates that sharing resources was a major challenge for project managers. Another big challenge that novice project managers may encounter is leadership competencies. Crew, (2011, p. 1) argues that project managers rely on their team or other stakeholders for the success of their projects. In this case, leadership styles and competencies gain increased focus. This is because project managers must illustrate numerous leadership skills and styles for their team to work productively or work towards a mutual goal. Bowen (2010, p. 1) believes that the challenge of depending on other can be described as the lackluster team. The lackluster team is a challenge for new project manager since conflict is always common in project teams. Based on the subject of leadership and team management, the University of Villanova, (2015, p. 1) argues that managing expectations is also a big challenge for project managers. This relates to leadership where project managers are required to gain followers to enable engagement and team work from all stakeholders. Last but not least, novice project managers also face education and training challenges. There is lack of standardization of training programs in different companies. This means that new project managers may lack the proper training and education for them to succeed in different projects. Overall, the biggest challenges for new project managers can be summarized as communication, planning, leadership, sharing resources, globalization, training and education. Based on the literature review, it is clear that novice project managers are bound to encounter different challenges in their workplace or careers. The implication of not finding identifying these challenges would lead to incompetent project managers as well as losses in terms of time and money for projects assigned to novice project managers. It is clear from the background of the problem that it is important to understand the challenges new managers face to better prepare them for their job, thus realizing success in future projects around the world. Objectives The overall research aims at understanding the potential challenges that novice project managers are likely to encounter. It also focuses on understanding the characteristics of a novice project manager. This can be achieved by understanding the experience and job responsibilities of a project manager. Additionally, the study also aims at identifying the biggest challenges for a new project manager by proposing a hypothesis. The aims objectives of the paper include: To understand the biggest challenges that a novice project manager may encounter. This objective is meant to help in understanding the specific challenges in terms of the biggest challenges that a newly hired project manager would encounter in the workplace. The objective will allow for further research on how to overcome such challenges as well as develop research in project management. To understand the nature or attributes of a novice project manager. To understand the challenges of a new project manager, it will be important to define who qualifies as a novice project manager in terms of their qualifications, skills, and experience among others. To identify the different variables and deliverable necessary for identifying challenges a novice manager may face in their workplace. This will help in developing a conceptual framework in project management research. The main research questions include: What are the attributes of a novice project manager? What are the challenges a novice project manager is likely to encounter? What are the biggest challenges a novice project manager is likely to encounter? The basic hypothesis of the research is that the biggest challenges a novice project manager is likely to encounter are communication, planning, leadership, sharing resources, globalization, training and education. This hypothesis is based on the literature review conducted earlier, but may require further study. Project Deliverables The first important project deliverable relates to understanding who is a novice project manager. To make this objective a reality, it is important to consider the attributes of a new project manager. This includes the basic demographics profile of age and gender. The next important attribute is their education and training that can encompass their qualifications in project management. It is also important to get information from a company-view point. In this case, it would be important to seek information on companies hiring new project managers in terms of their job requirements. The information can be accessed by seeking companies with recent vacancies for project managers. The second deliverable focuses on understanding the challenges facing new project managers. This kind of information requires one to understand the different experiences new managers undergo at the workplace. The basic deliverable is asking new project managers to share their experiences through a structured survey or research methodology. Additionally, it is necessary to evaluate the success and failures of projects that were under new project managers. A case study can also be used to determine the challenges project managers face in the case of failed and successful projects. This means that it is necessary to find case studies on project management and determine the common challenges faced by project managers. Numerous articles and books offer case studies on project management and lessons learned. Last but not least, information on solving the problem can be acquired through a qualitative research approach. The approach can be in the form of a survey or interview that should seek the opinions and views of novice project managers in terms of challenges. Project Timing The research will take an estimated four weeks until completion. The first week will focus on acquiring information on the attributes of a novice project manager and making conclusions to what attributes best define a novice project manager. The second week will involve identifying the potential participants and the development of a survey or questionnaire. The fourth week will involve an analysis of the findings and discussion of interesting issues or correlations. The final week will focus on drawing conclusions on whether the objectives have been achieved and if the proposed hypothesis is true or false. References Loosemore, M, & Muslmani, H 1999, 'Construction project management in the Persian Gulf: inter-cultural communication', International Journal of Project Management, vol. 17, pp. 95-100. Purvis, RL, Henry, RM, Leigh, W, & McCray, GE 2009, 'Are You Managing an "Everest" Project? A Case Study Considering Issues for Project Managers Born from Tragedy', Communications of the Association for Information Systems, vol. 24, pp. 777-784. Keil, M, Lee, HK, & Deng, T 2013, 'Understanding the most critical skills for managing IT projects: A Delphi study of IT project managers', INFORMATION AND MANAGEMENT, vol. 50, no. 7, pp. 398-414. Bowen, R., 2010. What Are the Biggest Problems Facing PM Today?. [Online] Brighthub Project Management. Available at: [Accessed 13 Jun. 2015]. Scheid, J., 2013. Today's Project Managers: Challenges of the 21st Century. [Online] Brighthub Project Management. Available at: [Accessed 13 Jun. 2015]. University of Villanova, 2015. Top 10 Project Management Challenges. [Online] Villanova University. Available at: [Accessed 13 Jun. 2015]. Englund, RL, & Bucero, A 2012, The Complete Project Manager: Integrating People, Organizational, and Technical Skills: Integrating People, Organizational, and Technical Skills, Management Concepts Press, [N.p.]. Crew, K., 2011. Top 10 Issues for Project Managers. [Online] Kelly's Contemplation. Available at: [Accessed 13 Jun. 2015]. Read More