The aim of the research was to investigate the factors to be considered in the adoption of the matrix management organization structure within State-Owned Enterprises. It also investigated how the employees understand the project matrix management organization structure and its application, how they observe it to be and whether their misunderstanding of their roles in the structure will have an impact on meeting the project objectives and performance. This research also investigated whether the utilization of the project matrix management organization structure promotes the successful completion of project or whether it delays the project. The problem examined was “the State-Owned enterprise is still experiencing problems meeting project objectives despite implementing the matrix management organization structure which was intended to facilitate the meeting of project objectives within the organization”. The misunderstanding on the roles and functions of personnel within a project environment using the matrix organization structure was also investigated on whether it has an impact on meeting project objectives and performance. The research question for this study was: “What are the factors that hinder or support the State-Owned Enterprise with the adoption of the matrix management organization structure to meet its project objectives?” The research paradigm was interpretivist. The strategy used was empirical, with an inductive approach. The study approach was qualitative with a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews as data collection methods and the data analysis was thematic. The following were the key findings of the study: In terms of awareness of the structure, most respondents advised that the organisation is using a project matrix management organisation structure. The enablers that were agreed on are managing complexity, resource efficiency, communication effectiveness and output quality. The barriers that were agreed on were ambiguous authority and dual reporting, decision-making delays, management of cross-functional teams, lack of a matrix guardian and level of conflicts. The indication in terms of cost performance was that the projects had cost implications. Most projects were completed on budget with 51% indicating that the projects had an overspend. 74% indicated that the projects that they have worked on were completed behind schedule. 16% indicated that the projects were completed on time. The perception is that this type of structure, due to the number of the managers that are involved lacks decision making. The lack of decision making is caused by lack of communication and stakeholder engagement. Stakeholder engagement was also an issue that was highlighted as lacking.

Matrix Management has been applied in various large organisations with varying degrees of success in order to carry out their projects. The effectiveness or lack thereof, in applying the principles of matrix structures, is believed to be the area of focus in these organisations. Project management in large organisations can be a complex process if a sound strategy of matrix organisation is absent. Organisations normally use the matrix approach to combine the advantages of traditional functional and product structures to increase the ability of managers and other employees to process information. The matrix structure is generally used to basically permit the flexible sharing of employee resources across service or product lines. However, the disadvantages associated with the matrix structure, which include the maintenance of two hierarchies does provide challenges to employees and managers. By reducing duplication of key functional activities of product lines, matrix design could reduce costs in organisations. The matrix manager's function is therefore designed to achieve an overall balance by coordinating the organisation's functional and product / service activities to ensure delivery on time and within budget. It therefore becomes incumbent on the functional and product / service managers to work closely with each other to make the matrix design work well. Matrix organisation requires that managers demonstrate high levels of trust and communication, teamwork and negotiating skills. Co-ordination is achieved through extensive formal and informal meetings or in one-to-one conversations and problem solving. Teams consists of both functional and product or service managers and other employees. Matrix organisation is intended to permit the flexible sharing of employees across product or service lines. The matrix manager obtains the resources and integrates the efforts of functional and product or services personnel. However, the maintenance of two management structures could be expensive. Employees have to report to two superiors, which can be frustrating and confusing. Matrix management would therefore require people to develop good interpersonal skills and requires management to accept this type of management. Furthermore, it would require the matrix manager to maintain a balance between the functional and the product or services interests. In the light of the above, it is apparent that a matrix organisation will not take place naturally (Brown, 1999: p22). There will be resistance to change, also from top management, to do things in the traditional way through the functional structures. In many organisations team cultures are absent. This could lead to a failure to work together and take orders from people outside their functional division. In order to be successful, matrix organisations are thus required to make a number of mind shifts regarding their structures. This research project aims to test the successful or unsuccessful application of the dimensions of matrix management in Sanlam Personal Finance (SPF). Many projects of varying sizes and differing natures are implemented within this company on an ongoing basis both with and without the use of consultants. / Sanlam

by Hsu Wen-pin Benjamin. / Bibliography: leaves 58-60 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1986

<p>In a matrix organization, the process of selecting project team members is a collaboration between the functions and the projects. A project’s success or failure does often depend on that collaboration. This thesis work examines the present situation at Saab Gripen Customer Support. The process is examined from four different perspectives: the roles of the functional and the project manager, competence development, behavioural science team roles and the complexity of the projects. The result shows that the roles of the project manager and the functional manager in their collaboration are not properly defined. The communication between the project manager and the functional manager is insufficient. The competence development during the projects is not fully taken advantage of. There is a need to use behavioural science. Recommendations on how the situation can be improved are given. A model is proposed to give guidance in the process of selecting project team members.</p>

In a matrix organization, the process of selecting project team members is a collaboration between the functions and the projects. A project’s success or failure does often depend on that collaboration. This thesis work examines the present situation at Saab Gripen Customer Support. The process is examined from four different perspectives: the roles of the functional and the project manager, competence development, behavioural science team roles and the complexity of the projects. The result shows that the roles of the project manager and the functional manager in their collaboration are not properly defined. The communication between the project manager and the functional manager is insufficient. The competence development during the projects is not fully taken advantage of. There is a need to use behavioural science. Recommendations on how the situation can be improved are given. A model is proposed to give guidance in the process of selecting project team members.

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We are currently living in a society that is undergoing a rapid digitalization, spurring organizations to adapt and evolve their ways of operating through technology. But is it realistic to accept that all these technological changes come without some form of resistance? Technological resistance is not a new term, tracking back several centuries it is considered to be one of the side-effects that has followed the development of technology. The study utilizes a case study to investigate a department in the swedish public sector that is currently being introduced to intelligent automation (IA). By collecting insights through interviews from the perspectives of essential parties connected to the automation-project, we came to the understanding that the perceptions of a resistance can differ between actors. In this case, the technological resistance boiled down to a fear of technology’s limitations. It also became clear that the organizational form, the implementation, confusion about roles/responsibilities and the system itself were contributing factors to the technological resistance experienced in the case. The study shows the multifacetedness of technological resistance as well as how factors connected to an organization can impact the perception of the phenomenon.

Saab is a global company that primarily operates in the defense industry. The study is conducted at the Project office within the Development Department at Saab Dynamics. In a GAP analysis carried out by Saab Dynamics, one of the company's processes has proved to be unclear. The process that has been noted as problematic concerns how Saab Dynamics receives, reviews and approves and stores technical documentation that accompanies incoming deliveries. The study aims to clarify how the Development Department and the Purchasing Department collaborate on the work step and clarify how quality assurance of required documentation takes place in the current situation and how it can be improved. In the study, theory of total quality management, organizational theory as well as processes and Lean have been used. The case study has a qualitative approach as the focus aims to get a holistic view of the working methods on a specific process at Saab Dynamics that has been studied. The method used to collect data is documentation review and interviews of employees at the company. The result describes an unclear division of responsibilities regarding the work step between the Purchasing and Development Department and there is no clear process for quality assurance of required documentation. In order to have an efficient process, Saab Dynamics needs to eliminate the variation and waste that currently exists. Finally, an implementation proposal is presented for a standardized process for the work step.

Globalization has increased the complexity of the business world, as it adds new dimensions to companies’ operations, such as global suppliers and customers, and competition from global actors. To handle the complexity, companies are pressured to become more data-driven to be able to measure and align their operations, and create possibilities for efficiency and competitiveness [Skjott-Larsen etal., 2007; Long, 2018]. In order to enable the change towards becoming more data-driven, companies need to rethink the structure of their organization. Matrix structures have gained popularity, since it allows companies to focus on more than one dimension by creating functional teams focused on specific tasks [Sy et al., 2005]. However, it is not uncommon that the functional groups becomes functional silos, with an inward focus on the own groups’ performance, leading to decreased understanding of other groups and poor communication between groups. A lack of understanding of other groups can lead to a reactive, rather than proactive, way of handling problems [Motiwalla and Pearson, 2009]. The purpose of this project is to create a process that can be used to facilitate proactive work in adata-driven matrix organization struggling with a reactive way of handling problems. The process can be used as a way to decide between possible solutions in decision-making processes, while making sure that any affected department is involved at an early stage in the decision-making process. At Alfa Laval’s distribution center (DC) in Tumba, they are facing the challenges of functional silos and reactive work. The organization is data-driven, why a lot of decisions are based on data. However, the best decision according to the data is not always feasible, which has lead to decisions being made that affects other departments negatively. Based on data from and observations made at the DC, a processwas created. The process was iterated and improved through application to real-life problems and point of improvements identified at DC Tumba. While it is based on the operations at Alfa Laval, it canbe applied to any organization facing similar challenges. The final version of the process proved to deliver good solutions to problems by involving stakeholders early on in the process, making it possible for them to influence how the solutions should be adjusted in order to avoid the changes affecting their daily work negatively. The most important conclusion is that important stakeholder departments should be involved earlyin decision-making processes. That way, their valuable competence and knowledge can be utilized when identifying possible solution, and any negative effects of a solution on another departments can be discovered before implementation. In addition, by taking the time to thoroughly analyze the root cause and effects to a problem, the understanding of the chain can increase. / Globalisering har ökat komplexiteten av affärsvärlden, då ytterligare dimensioner måste tas hänsyn till i företags verksamheter, så som globala leverantörer och kunder, och ökad konkurrens från globala aktörer. För att hantera komplexiteten blir företag mer datadrivna, för att kunna mäta och samordna sin verksamhet och skapa möjligheter för effektivitet och konkurrenskraftighet [Skjott-Larsen et al.,2007; Long, 2018]. För att möljiggöra ett skifte mot att bli mer datadriven, måste företag se över sin organisationsstruktur. Matrisstrukturer har ökat i popularitet då de möjliggör att företag kan fokusera på fler än en dimensioner samtidigt genom att skapa funktionella grupper fokuserade på specifikauppgifter [Sy et al., 2005]. Dock är det inte ovanligt att funktionella grupper förvandlas till funktionella silos, med ett inåtriktat fokus på den egna gruppens prestationer, vilket leder till minskad förtåelse och bristfällig kommunikation grupper emellan. Bristande förståelse för andra grupper kan leda till ett klimat där problem hanteras reaktivt snarare än proaktivt [Motiwalla and Pearson, 2009]. Syftet med detta projekt är att skapa en process som kan användas för att underlätta proaktivt arbetet i en datadriven organisation där problem hanteras reaktivt. Processen kan användas som ett hjälpmedel för att välja den bästa av flera möjliga lösningar, samtidigt som påverkade avdelningar involveras i ett tidigt stadium av beslutsprocessen. På Alfa Lavals distributionscenter (DC) i Tumba, finns utmaningar med funktionella silos och reaktivt arbete. Organisationen är datadriven, och beslut fattas baserat på data. Dock är inte alltid beslut som baserats på data rimliga, vilket har lett till att beslut tas som påverkar andra avdelningar negativt. Baserat på data från och observationer på DCt, skapades en preliminär process. Processen itererades och förbättrades sedan genom att appliceras på verkliga problem och förbättringsområden som identifierades på DC Tumba. Även om processen togs fram och baserades på Alfa Lavals verksamhet, kan den appliceras på andra organisationer som står inför samma utmaningar. Den slutgiltiga versionen av processen visade sig generera bra lösningar till problemen genom att involvera intressenter tidigt i processen, vilket gav dem möjligheten att påverka hur den rekommenderade lösningen skulle justeras för att undvika att dereas dagliga arbete skulle påverkas negativt. Den viktigaste slutsatsen är att det är viktigt att involvera intressentavdelningar i ett tidigt skede i beslutsfattandeprocesser. På så sätt kan deras värdefulla kompetens och kunskaper nyttjas när potentiella lösningar till ett problem genereras, och negativa effekter från lösningen på andra avdelningar kan upptäckas innan implementering. Att dessutom noggrant analysera roten till problemet och dess effekter kan leda till att förståelsen för hela kedjan ökar.

This thesis is focused on project planning and management optimalization in the department of technical evaluation FEM (TKF/1), Škoda Auto, a. s. Its theoretical part specifies the framework of project management, including the methodology of project leadership and software instruments. Afterwards it mentions various types of organisational structure, stressing the matrix structure. The practical part starts with the description of the company, of its organisational structure and of activities explaining processes in TKF/1. Then follows an analyse of the current situation in the project leadership of the observed department, that is summarised in a well-arranged SWOT. Based on these outlines, a new organisational structure is proposed, as well as a new process of the development projects' planning. The thesis contains a proposal of setting of sources out from the corporate fund of sources that facilitates an effective capacity planning of whole department, and it also contains a template of development activity in MS Project.