The analysis of contractual relationships between different parties has been the subject of wide research aimed at understanding the factors that affect project outcomes in major capital investments. Yet experience from the construction industry has shown that conventional project execution, based on transactional contracting, may not be suitable in ensuring delivery of high profile projects on time, within allocated budget and to the required standards. In addressing such issues, this research investigates an innovative approach to project management, adopted by BAA for the building of Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport. During this major £4.3 billion project, the overall manager BAA attempted to create an environment for collaborative behaviour amongst parties to the contract by, firstly, managing the majority of the risks and, secondly, through integrating construction contractors within teams at several levels, thus establishing the concept of integrated teams. In addition, reward and monitoring procedures were deployed to motivate suppliers to deliver in accordance with the project parameters. In the event, BAA found that certain integrated teams performed better than others even when they contained the same set of contractors. This affected the overall project performance in terms of cost and delivery because of the inter-dependency of work output between different integrated teams. In an effort to understand and explain this phenomenon, research on this case study adopted a qualitative approach to establish key behavioural and organisational attributes that can lead to desired performance. Semi structured interviews were adopted for data collection and analysis, and were used to develop a Framework that can explain and account for performance drivers when delivering large capital projects of this nature. Using an integrative approach based on agency theory, organisational control, and motivational dynamics, this research has enabled the devlopment of a Framework that can help a construction client focus on controlling factors that affect the supplier's performance. The results suggest that these factors fall into four quadrants of control; behavioural, social, output and process. That is, the client has to ensure control mechanisms are prevalent in these four areas and exerted through their constituent factors such as the skills of the project manager, training, appropriate performance measures, goal congruence and leadership. The existence of these factors in the right magnitude is a vehicle in realising the potential of the performance Framework.

Projects are pervasive and disparate spanning a plethora of domains. Most projects are unified by certain characteristics regardless of the sector or industry to which they belong i.e. time & budget limitedness, a concern for quality, and a goal orientation. Although, projects have been around for a longtime, the phenomenon of conflict in projects gained interest around the 1960s with the introduction of the matrix form of organization. However, out of all the research papers on project centric conflict between 1960 to 1980 time period, only one is empirically grounded and that too focused on IT projects. Surprisingly, the findings put forward during this time period are to date considered valid and propagated by most project literature as universally true. Several other studies have contributed peripheral contributions to the project conflict literature, however, no study has focused on building an understanding of why and how conflicts arise on projects, how they are managed, and affects they create within projects. Recent concerns pertaining to project failures, despite the existence of well-defined problems and toolsets, gave birth to an ESRC funded research network named `Rethinking Project Management'. Whose members in examining the ontological groundings of project management identified several areas of interest for future research in project management; one of which is complexity. The present study therefore focuses on integrating the concerns of conflict & negotiation within the context of project complexity. Every research has its philosophical bearings. This study is ontologically objectivist and epistemologically subjectivist (consequently the axiology is subjectivist as well). This study accepts a Critical Realist view of the world and perceive the conceivable knowledge about this world to be subjective in nature. As the study is concerned about understanding the processes through which conflict & negotiation reify and interplay within a project the objective is not to find generalizations but rather to seek out patterns of occurrences and to build explanations. The methodology followed in the study is mixed, borrowing from both positivistic and constructivist ideologies. The survey methodology is used to, in loose terms, cast a net and capture the status quo. Results of the survey supplement the literature review driven a priori assumptions and seek out context embedded variables that the literature has not touched upon. Findings from the survey contribute to the succeeding case study methodology, which inquired into their detail through the use of interviews. Data for the study was collected between March through August 2010. During the first phase of the study 86 questionnaires were filled from 73 different projects. The survey data was analyzed using aggregate statistical techniques and a thesaurus based automated coding software named Leximancer. Results of the survey indicate that all projects surveyed had experienced some form of conflict and used at least one type of negotiation technique. A large number of projects faced conflicts related to land access, political pressures, time, interdepartmental relationships, and availability of resources. Project behavior when experiencing conflict exhibits a theme of delay, slowness, and work stoppages; there are also negative effects on group cohesion and productivity. The respondents described projects experiencing conflict as challenging, time consuming, delayed, and difficult. The data also revealed several useful patterns within projects experiencing conflicts. Additionally, baseline data for project complexity was captured using Shenhar and Dvir's Diamond Approach from all the projects surveyed. Findings, from the survey contributed to the study by providing preliminary answers to each of the research questions asked. Data gathered as a result of the survey contributed significantly to the design and orientation of the case study interviews. The second phase of the data collection involved implementation of the case study methodology. Personnel at various levels of nine projects, one government consultant, and a tribal elder were interviewed, for a total of thirty interviews. Additionally, six meetings on one of the projects, and two movie filming sequences were observed. Published and non-published reports on all the projects were examined. Interviews were captured using causal-maps (a cognitive mapping technique) and short notes. The causal-maps were captured using Banxia Decision Explorer and later refined using Cmap (an open-source mapping software). Each project's complexity measurements were taken and compared against the complexity baseline developed as a result of the survey. Results from the case study reveals certain patterns of behavior on the projects, specifically in the interactions taking place between a project and its principle organization, peers, and subordinates. Additionally, I find that quality plays the most active role in project conflict & negotiation and contributes significantly to project complexity because of its interconnection to other concepts and the recursive nature of the connections it spawns. Some factors that were reported by the survey as contributing significantly to project complexity and project conflict & negotiation were disqualified and a foundation laid for further inquiry into the role played by conflict & negotiation in project complexity. In concluding the study the data is first discussed through the lens of Jurgen Habermas' (1984) Theory of Communicative Action (TCA) and is followed by a general discussion on the data. The study concludes with a discussion on the possible future work that could result from this work.

No description available.

The worldwide aerospace industry is often characterised by major delays in development and delivery of large aircraft programmes. Suppliers often suffer financial losses and reputational damage as a result of underestimating project risks. This research investigates the quality of project risk management within one of the players in the South African avionics industry, Saab Grintek Defence (SGD). The research investigates the knowledge level, application of risk management principles and behaviour of project teams within SGD. The research study concluded that the quality of project risk management within SGD is of an average standard. The main contributor to project risks in SGD is time risk, followed by human resource risk. / Business Management / M.Com. (Business Management)

Orientador: Professor Dr. Jesus Domech Moré / Dissertação apresentada ao curso de Mestrado em Administração e Desenvolvimento Empresarial da Universidade Estácio de Sá como requisito parcial para obtenção do título de Mestre em Administração / Esta pesquisa analisa os Fatores Críticos de Sucesso (FCS) que influenciam o sucesso no gerenciamento de projetos (GP) de algumas Organizações Militares da Marinha do Brasil (OM). Foram identificados na literatura setenta e sete fatores relacionados ao su / This research analyzes the Success Critical Factors (SCF) and the relation of the success in project management (PM) of some Military Organizations at the Brazilian Navy (MOBN). It was identified from the literature seventy seven factors related to the pr / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-14T18:06:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2019-02-13T19:04:28Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 00000944.pdf: 1178847 bytes, checksum: 177ba5c54bb5d5f025912bd867876ffd (MD5)

The worldwide aerospace industry is often characterised by major delays in development and delivery of large aircraft programmes. Suppliers often suffer financial losses and reputational damage as a result of underestimating project risks. This research investigates the quality of project risk management within one of the players in the South African avionics industry, Saab Grintek Defence (SGD). The research investigates the knowledge level, application of risk management principles and behaviour of project teams within SGD. The research study concluded that the quality of project risk management within SGD is of an average standard. The main contributor to project risks in SGD is time risk, followed by human resource risk. / Business Management / M.Com. (Business Management)

Ces dix dernières années, la mondialisation des entreprises a bouleversé l'organisation des processus d'innovation. Dès lors, on constate qu'un nombre croissant d'équipes d'innovation repose sur des acteurs éparpillés dans le monde entier. Si les gains attendus sont légitimes (localisation proche des marchés, mains-d'œuvre qualifiées à moindre coût…) cet éparpillement des acteurs pose de réels problèmes de coordination. La littérature sur les équipes multilocalisées a jusqu'ici souligné ces difficultés sans pour autant apporter de réponses. À partir de la théorie de la contingence, le modèle de recherche propose d'étudier quels sont les principaux modes de coordination des projets d'innovation adaptés au contexte de la multilocalisation. Le test du modèle est réalisé au moyen des équations structurelles (PLS) et repose sur une enquête ad hoc menée auprès d'équipes projets soumises à différents niveaux de multilocalisation. Le résultat montre que la multilocalisation influence l'ensemble des modes de coordination identifiés et peut ainsi être considérée comme un facteur de contingence. Au final, cette recherche contribue à la littérature sur l'innovation et à celle des équipes multilocalisées en proposant deux configurations de modes de coordination (au niveau de l'organisation, de la décision et de la communication) distincts en fonction du niveau de multilocalisation (faible ou élevé). / Over the past decade, corporate globalization has changed the organization of the innovation process. A growing number of innovation teams are now organized around members scattered all over the world. If the expected gains are legitimate (location close to the markets, skilled and lower cost labor...) the scattering of these teams yields to real problems of coordination. The literature on distributed teams has highlighted so far these difficulties without providing answers. Based on the contingency theory, the research model proposes to investigate the main coordination modes of innovation projects that are adapted to the context of projects distribution. The empirical test of our model is achieved through structural equation modeling (PLS). It is based on an ad hoc survey conducted through project teams of different levels distribution. Main results show that the distance influences all the identified coordination modes and can be considered as a contingency factor. Finally, this research contributes to the literature on innovation and on distributed teams offering two configurations of coordination modes (in terms of organization, decision-making and communication) according to the level of project distribution (low or high).

Si la coordination a été largement abordée dans les organisations et les projets, elle l’a été beaucoup moins dans les projets de type complex product systems (COPS). Dans cette thèse sur travaux, nous mobilisons une approche qualitative longitudinale d'étude de cas unique pour aborder différentes questions de recherche. Théoriquement, nous décrivons le caractère multi-niveaux de la coordination plaidant en faveur d'une combinaison de mécanismes de coordination émergents et planifiés. Nous montrons ensuite, empiriquement, comment, considéré comme un artefact, un référentiel de connaissance dans la gestion de projet (le Guide PMBOK), assure la coordination de ses communautés de pratiques dispersées géographiquement. Ainsi, nous caractérisons la relation entre communautés de pratique et artefact comme étant mutuellement constitutive et co-évolutive. Ensuite, au niveau des acteurs projet, nous explorons le processus de développement des interdépendances en montrant que combler les écarts de connaissances engendre des changements dynamiques dans les interdépendances entre acteurs et celles entre tâches. Ceci nous a permis de mettre en évidence un flux réciproque de causalité entre taches et entre acteurs. Enfin, nous montrons que les barrières de connaissances entravant la coordination sont caractéristiques des projets COPS et nous expliquons comment les acteurs projet les surmontent à l'aide de différents artefacts imbriqués à leurs actions. Cette analyse nous permet de fournir un appui empirique à l’idée que les processus émergents de création de connaissance offrent une explication complémentaire aux problèmes de coordination. Ainsi, notre thèse présente une compréhension novatrice de la coordination dans les projets COPS avec des contributions qui s’inscrivent dans la littérature du management de projet ainsi que dans celle du management stratégique. / Although coordinating was addressed extensively in organizations and projects, it is much less studied in complex product systems (COPS) projects. Using a knowledge perspective, this compilation thesis addresses different research issues inherent to the process of coordinating using a qualitative longitudinal single case study design. Theoretically, we depict the multi-level character of coordination arguing in favour of a blend of emergent and planned coordination mechanisms. We then empirically demonstrate how, viewed as an artefact, a project management practice standard (the PMBOK Guide) ensures the coordination of spatially dispersed communities of practice. Thus, we characterize such relationship between an artefact and communities of practice as one of mutual constitution and co-evolution. We zoom in to a project participants level to depict the process of developing interdependencies by closing knowledge gaps. This results in dynamic shifts in actor and task interdependencies showing a flow of causality reciprocally between actors and tasks. Finally, we show that knowledge barriers to coordination are characteristic of COPS projects, and we outline how project participants overcome them using different artefacts imbricated with social action. This analysis provides empirical support for the idea that emergent processes of knowledge creation offer a complementary explanation for coordination problems. Thus, the present thesis provides a novel understanding of coordinating in COPS projects with notable contributions to the literature in project management as well as that on strategic management.

Research report presented to SBL, Unisa, Midrand. / No abstract / Graduate School of Business Leadership / MBL

Project failure continues to be a concern even though standards and procedures have been in place for years to counteract the issue. Many reasons for the high rate of project management failure have been purported in the research literature (Bauer, 2006; Hammoud, 2008 & Kerzner, 2002). This study analyzes the problem of high failure rate of major capital projects within Transnet Freight Rail. In addition to reviewing research literature that addresses projects failure concepts, critical success factors, project management principles, strategic alignment, skills and capabilities of project managers and how these factors might relate to major capital projects failure, the study will examine possible problems at the organizational and functional level that might be contributing to the high failure rate of major capital projects within TFR. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / M.B.A.