Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/3004

Title

Best practice in project management in contemporary global economy

Author(s)

Saee, John

Abstract

Faced with increasing competitive international trade pressures, in rapidly changing and technically challenging international environments, companies are adopting flexible strategies and structures in order to speed improved quality products to market and provide better customer service (Johns, 1995). In this management method, specialists from various functional areas across the organizations work together jointly and in adhoc project teams from inception to completion of projects for which they are wholly responsible. These project teams are empowered to act on behalf of their company as extensions of the customer’s need for service or products. (Peters, 1994). The project management approach is relatively modern and is characterised by new methods of restructuring management and adapting special management techniques, with the purpose of obtaining better control and use of existing resources. (Kerzner, 1998). The project management provides an organization with powerful tools that improve the organization’s ability to plan, organise, implement, and control it’s activities and the way it uses its people and resources. The project management emerged because a number of forces in our society required new methods of management. Of the many forces involved, two are paramount: (1) the growing demand for complex, sophisticated, customised goods and services and (2) the exponential expansion of human knowledge. Another important social force is the intense competition among institutions both profit and not for profit, fostered by our economic system. This puts extreme pressure on organizations to make their complex, customised outputs available as quickly as possible. Responses must come faster, decisions must be made sooner and results must occur more quickly. (Meredith & Mantel, 1985). Project management is not simply regarded as an interesting application of previously expounded theory, it is regarded as very much the future of management and particularly of international project management. (Jackson, 1993). In this research paper, an attempt has been made to understand the dynamics of international project management and to identify various factors, which are crucial in the context of project management across cultures. An effort has been made to understand as to how these factors affect the performance of a project across the cultural, economical, and political divides in an international setting. The paper also discusses what strategies and tactics are to be adopted to make the project successful. As a result, the research paper further identifies best practice in international project management that is worthwhile pursuing by firms intent on globalising their operations.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Journal of management systems, Vol. 13, no. 4 (2001), pp. 80-96

Publication year

2001

Publisher

Maximilian Press

Format

pp. 80-96(17)

ISSN

1041-2808

Publisher URL

Journal of management systems

Publisher URL

http://aom.inter-source.org/pub/JMS-13-04-06.pdf

Copyright

© 2001 Maximilian Press.