PROJECT MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE

Project Management Performance

Project Management Performance

Introduction

Activities in any organisation fall into one of the two categories: operations and projects. The activities in operations characterised by repetition and day to day execution, like production, service or manufacturing. Projects, on the other hand, are longer and complex activities that involve unparalleled, onetime initiatives, e.g. the launch of a new product, or extending the line of products or adding business units. New ventures with other firms and improvement of products already existing might also be regarded as projects. In many instances, investments in the infrastructure of the company are also projecting entities (Turner 1999). Projects drive business innovation and change in fact, project is the single way in which organisations can 'change', carry out a strategy, innovate, or derive competitive advantage. With high demand for growth and innovation, the share of operations in most organisations is declining and the share of projects is on the rise (Arbaugh, 2002). This trend started out in the 1900s, and it is speeding up in nearly every organisation and industry: not only do product life cycles turn more scant, but also customers nowadays call for greater variety and more choices, driving companies to provide more products in about all markets (Kotter et al 1979).

In this connection, this study intends to explore the experiences of 22 project managers and organizational leader from Silicon Valley, California who has successfully executed various projects. This phenomenological study will examine the perceived effect of the CSFs on the successful start-up phenomenon. This research will also discuss an investigation of participants' perceptions regarding the following CSFs:

Project planning and execution strategies, such as daily project knowledge-sharing during project planning phase and daily problem-solving meetings during project execution phase;

Project monitoring strategies, such as daily project status-checking meetings during project monitoring and controlling phase.

Background

Projects are non repetitious enterprises or long term undertakings that have a definite beginning and an end. Because of the relentless and accelerating crunch of change, industry is taking on a new face, a project look, although repetitive-motion activities persist. While bolt tightening at an auto plant is not a project, design and prototyping of a new four-wheel-drive roadster is as are continuous improvement activities, maintenance upgrades, production-line revamps, and the development of integrated project teams” to improve productivity (Csordos, 2003). So while production lines are processes by nature, it is projects that give them life and that keep them competitive by shortening the product cycle.

Cleland an Ireland (2002) noted that using project management will help aid a “paradigm for how the management functions of planning, organizing, motivation, directing, and control carried out in the commitment of resources on the project”(p.40). The PMBOK guide showed project management is a system which can be utilized to handle the use of strategy (Kenny, 2003). Tucker found that project management is a process which involves “application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a broad range of activities needed to meet the requirements of a project” ...