<p> A company or government is only as good as its most qualified employees. This qualitative interpretative phenomenological study sought to understand what skills are needed to supervise government information technology (IT) project managers through their lived experience. Fifteen participants in the field of government IT were interviewed. They included five senior managers, five supervisors, and five project managers who worked as IT government contractors or employees were interviewed. The participants&rsquo; responses revealed that different groups disagreed as to what skill sets were essential in supervising government IT project managers. The findings of the research highlighted that the senior managers and supervisors valued skills from a macro-level perspective, while project managers valued skills from a micro-level perspective. The results of the study indicated that the different groups of IT employees&mdash;senior management, project managers, and supervisors&mdash;deemed different skill sets as essential. There was a consensus regarding the importance of communication skills as all groups included aspects of communication in the top-five essential skills. However, the rating number allocated to these skills and the definition of the terms differed between the participants and across the groups. The results of the study brings to light the importance of developing appropriate position training for government IT supervisory positions.</p>

<p> Affirmative action public procurement programs (AAPPP) stem from legislation related to the Civil Rights movement. Debates about program usefulness and relevance have occurred as well as court decisions challenging not only the legality of these programs, but their very existence. The problem is that, although minority small businesses are fast-growing, access to public procurement opportunities is minimal. An assessment of the perceived social and economic impact of affirmative action public procurement programs between participants and non-participants could provide needed information to inform stakeholders more about how these programs are experienced. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental causal-comparative (ex post facto) study was to determine whether minority business owners who have participated in AAPPP perceive the economic benefits, economic costs, social benefits, and social costs in minority businesses differently than non-participants. A random sample of 128 minority business owners seeking government contracts in the information technology field participated in this study. The participants were requested to complete a survey to assess their perceptions of affirmative action public procurement program participation on its economic benefits, economic costs, social benefits, and social costs. The findings showed AAPPP participants and non-AAPPP participants perceived economic costs and economic benefits similarly. The findings also showed AAPPP participants perceived both the social costs and benefits significantly greater than non-participants. Although the findings lend support for the continued use of these programs, the results paradoxically lend some support for their discontinuance. Without any overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it can be argued that continuing with these programs is necessary, since an inherent form of discrimination based on race or gender within the economic system still appears to exist, although not coherently depicted or understood. </p>

<p> Increased globalization and competition have forced companies to implement solutions at a rapid pace using new and evolving technology. As a result, companies are now initiating an increasing number of complex projects each year. Project management (PM) practitioners &ndash; the individuals responsible for leading a project team through the planning and implementation of these complex projects &ndash; need to understand the tools and techniques to implement a complex project successfully to meet the strategic goals of the organization. Emotional intelligence (EI) is a primary component of the leadership skills necessary to manage a complex project. The purpose of this study was to explore the EI competencies used by PM practitioners who managed a complex project as defined by Qureshi and Kang (2015). Using the Goleman model of EI, this study investigated 22 PM practitioners who managed a complex project and found the PM practitioner&rsquo;s ability to be adaptable, innovative, and trustworthy to be key personal competencies used in the management of a complex project. Furthermore, the ability to understand organizational politics and its effect on the team and the complex project, to maneuver around it, and to be influential, and deal with conflict are necessary social competencies when managing a complex project. These competencies are not limited to complex projects. This study also investigated EI competencies experienced in non-complex projects and found that trust, conflict management, influence, and political awareness were all EI competencies that held equal importance to PM practitioners when managing a non-complex project. People were the key. Findings from this study found that &ndash; although non-complex projects may not provide the innovative approaches or the need to adapt to change as found in a complex project &ndash; when people are involved, PM practitioners still need the ability to trust, resolve conflict, deal with and maneuver around the political climate, and influence the team.</p>

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-116). / This thesis explores nested and parallel real options and applies the suggested methodology to the Case of Ford Motor Company's investment in Ballard/Daimler Chrysler's joint venture. After reviewing the different existing methods that could be applied to the evaluation of Ford's investment, an analysis of the previous major applications of the "Real Option Thinking" to real projects was included. A two dimensional approach in the evaluation of a project with uncertainty was introduced, followed by a suggested methodology. Two approaches were considered in the Ford Case: -- The first divides the investment into two parts one associated with Ford Holdings in Ballard Power Systems (Ford holds 15% of Ballard shares) and the other relative to the investment in the research and development of fuel cells for automotive applications. -- The second adopts a more global view and looks at the investment as buying a portfolio of options. Each option is relative to a specific application of the technology. The suggested methodology was applied to the Ford Case using the first approach only. In fact, with the right set of inputs, both methods should yield comparable results. In the last part of the Thesis, a policy analysis that explores other dimensions that could have influenced Ford's decision was included. This analysis went through isolating the problem, identifying all the available options, analyzing external and internal factors and designing a strategy that would have helped implement the best available option. / by Skander K. Oueslati. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 153-156). / With the recent proliferation of new wireless communication technologies in the U.S. and abroad, several competing air interfaces have emerged. This situation may soon be further complicated by compeuuon to influence upcoming international standards for 3rd-generation wireless communication systems capable of enabling global access to wireless multimedia services. For the wireless communications market, this heterogeneity poses problems for highly mobile users attempting to roam between different types of networks with phones that work over only one air interface. Brute force solutions have been introduced which combine two or more air interfaces in a single wireless communications appliance using traditional manufacturing approaches. An attractive alternative solution involves an emerging technology known as software-definable radio (SOR). This technology could enable the development of a new class of wireless information appliances, referred to here as "software phones", capable of working over any air interface. By migrating much of the radio functionality from hardware to software, such devices could switch between air interfaces and wireless applications/services much as a computer switches between applications programs. This thesis will assess the likelihood of emergence of a single dominant design standard for future generations of wireless communication systems, and the importance of software phone technologies as components of any such dominant design. The thesis is being sponsored by the Modular Multifunction Information Transfer System (MMITS) Forum, a wireless industry forum that is actively promoting software phone concepts. The analysis uses a variety of information sources and analytic techniques, and will also present a series of strategic recommendations to enhance the likelihood that software phone technologies will be included as critical components in any dominant wireless design standard. / by John D. Ralston and Peter G. Bier. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000. / Also available online at the MIT Theses Online homepage <http://thesis.mit.edu>. / Includes bibliographical references. / Fostering creativity in research and development (R & D) operations, especially in large corporations in mature industries, is a critical challenge. I hypothesized that very creative groups, what some have termed "hot groups," can be formed even in such organizations and that they may have an impact on the entire organization. A hot group is a lively, high-achieving, dedicated group whose members are extremely excited to work on challenging tasks. The principal research questions in the present study are, "What are the kinds of situational settings where hot groups can arise, grow and sustain in an organization?" and "What are the effects of a hot group on the parent organization?" Based on the literature review and interviews, this study concludes that hot groups can be formed even in cold, hierarchical organizations. Strong sponsorship by senior managers is the most important success factor for the formation of hot groups. In addition, introducing fluctuation or "unfreezing" into organizations, forming a creative culture and formulating policies and systems that stimulate autonomy contribute to the viability of hot groups. In order to sustain the creativity of hot groups, the importance of what has been termed "virtual knowledge" should also be recognized by the sponsors and group members. If top management fails to recognize the achievements and also the effects of hot groups, members of the hot groups often leave the company, causing the diffusion process to cease. Organizational boundaries largely impair the penetration of hot groups' excitement and creativity. The thesis identified two different patterns in the diffusion process of hot groups into the parent organization. In the horizontal diffusion model, the excitement and creativity of a hot group first diffuses horizontally to other people in the parent organization, typically middle to bottom people. The organization changes from the bottom of the hierarchy. Although this is the best way to share the virtual knowledge of how to be creative by the bottom people, it may create disordered chaos in the organization and may take a long time to change the organization. In the vertical diffusion model, top management of the company jumps into the diffusion process in the early stages, and establishes policies and systems to facilitate formation of hot groups. The organization changes from the top of the hierarchy. Although this is the best way to quickly introduce the hot group concept into the organization in a controlled manner, there exists the potential for ending up with insufficient "heat" in the organization. The horizontal and vertical diffusions are complementary and sequential. In order to energize organizations and to make them creative by the hot group concept, both the horizontal and vertical diffusions are required. Overall, the hot group can be a powerful tool for re-energizing organizations and fostering creativity in large corporations in mature industries when they are stuck on the past narrow incremental improvement. / by Hideaki Murata. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000. / Also available online at the DSpace at MIT website. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-72). / The telecommunications industry is highly competitive. Many of the players in the Carrier, Commercial and Network Construction Service markets are looking to have financial, personnel, marketing, other resources and other competitive advantages such as B2B Internet services. Increased consolidation and· strategic alliances in the industry, resulting from the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is giving rise to significant new competition in the industry. In addition to this, the advent of the Internet has made the traditional circuit-switched telephony no longer efficient and economical, and to a certain extent obsolete. The less expensive and easily maintainable IP-switched networks are in greater demand. Information age has made Ecommerce the process of empowering the organizations for information exchange using digital technology. This study includes an analysis of the effect of the above factors on a network operator's business. It also consists of the case studies of two new-age network operators, Level 3 and Qwest. / by Tharunidhar Narravula. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000. / Also available online at the MIT Theses Online homepage <http://thesis.mit.edu>. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-87). / Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), the largest telecommunication carrier in the world, was broken up, and reconstituted NTT mad a new start on July 1, 1999. On that day, free competition in the telecommunication industry began in Japan. And, NTT Communication, new subsidiary, launched international telecommunication services as a no-regulated company. In many other countries, the telecommunication market has already been deregulated. Since there is no longer a distinction between long-distance and local telecommunication carriers, competition has become more severe. Globally, telecommunication has turned into a commodity. It is difficult to differentiate the service from rivals. Furthermore, due to recent data communication and Internet growth, the demand for the integrated network has increased. As business is becoming borderless, to overcome the time and distance, a global network is necessary for multinational companies. In this severe situation, Japanese telecommunication carriers, including NTT and new common carriers (NCCs), have to play the game with these strong experienced players. The mission of NTT, the leading company in the Japanese telecommunication market, is not only to win among Japanese competitors, but also to help strengthen the Japanese telecommunication industry as well. Therefore, at this point, NTT's global strategy is critically important. This thesis begins with an analysis of the Japanese telecommunication industry. It comparatively analyzes NTT's global strategy with those of global rivals, taking NTT's capabilities into consideration, and concludes by offering recommendations concerning NTT's global strategy. / by Atsuko Oka Sumi. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000. / Also available online at the MIT Theses Online homepage <http://thesis.mit.edu>. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-86). / The evolution of the Internet has deep influence on the way businesses are managed. It not only has great impact on the way businesses approach their customers but also on the interface with their trading partners, employees, as well as their internal businesses processes. Today, developing an electronic business implies the total redesign of the enterprise; in other words it involves the total transformation of the way we do business. This thesis will address the following main question: How do different companies within the telecommunications industry gain competitive advantage from business to business e-commerce? The main focus of the study will be to compare and contrast business to business e-commerce practices for two companies within the following matrix: Maturity, Incumbent, Attacker: Company, AT&T, MCI Worldcom. In order to answer the main question I will be focusing on the following issues (for the above mentioned cases): ** What have been their approaches to b2b e-commerce? ** What has been the economic impact, due to the b2b e-commerce practice? ** What are the implications on the corporate strategy level? Have any of these companies redefined their culture and/or business model? ** What is the impact of such b2b e-commerce initiative on the value proposition? ** What appears to be the critical success factors in leveraging B2B e-commerce? ** What have been the constraints and or limitations? / by Fabio A. Naranjo O. / S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000. / Also available online at the MIT Theses Online homepage <http://thesis.mit.edu>. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 92-95). / An Application Service Provider (ASP) provides a contracted service, which offers to deploy, host, manage and rent access to popular packaged software applications. Customers, primarily enterprises, are served from centrally managed facilities. Clients access the service through Internet technologies. The ASP is responsible for providing all specific activities and expertise to manage these software applications. The ASP is a new ( or renewed) application delivery model. It represents a new ( or renewed) business model. Customers rent access to applications addressing enterprise-wide needs such as accounting or customer relationship management. Installation, maintenance, security, and updating responsibilities lie with the ASP, hence reducing expenses and IT infrastructure for the customer. In return the vendor receives a rent-like payment for its services. These revenues are shared between the software provider and the service provider. This thesis includes an industry analysis, a market assessment and plans for developing an ASP business. The business plan includes plans for developing the product, marketing, financing and staffing. Analysis suggests that although the service is likely to be(-come) very attractive to customers, it is also likely to have some commodity attributes. The ongoing challenge to create and sustain profit will be to continue to innovate so as to provide differentiation for the customers the ASP chooses to serve. / by Paul Robert Mattson. / S.M.M.O.T.