Graduate engineers are often thrown in at the deep end when they start a career in the construction industry and they may be expected to manage a team of workers almost from the day they start. This could be a problem because of a lack of management education in their undergraduate degrees, compounded by the fact that there are few structured development programmes they can follow. In many cases, engineers from a mostly technical background are promoted into project management positions without any formal development or structured training in team or project management. One of the biggest effects of this is the poor management of construction projects.The study aimed to establish the most relevant project management competencies that graduate engineers in the construction industry need to be exposed to prior to leading large sections on a construction site. This aim was met by interviewing seven graduate engineers within two years after joining the construction industry, two human resources senior managers, and eight senior project managers, directors and managing directors of a large South African-based construction company. The data from the interviews were combined with data from a literature review to design questionnaires, which were distributed, and more data were obtained from 29 graduate engineers, 16 human resources professionals, and 42 senior project managers, directors and managing directors.The study identified seven competencies deemed the most important ones to be developed in graduate engineers – no significant difference in opinion on these competencies were found between the various respondent groups. The study also identified six methods that would be well suited to develop these, but found a significant difference in the opinions of the different respondent groups on which methods would be best suited. It seems that one of the main differences between the views held by the graduate engineers and those held by the more senior personnel is their opinion about physically working on a construction site and gaining experience in that way, as opposed to receiving formal training early on in their careers. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Thesis (M.Com. (Business Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / This research focuses on the evaluation of the project management maturity at Eskom. The problem is that Eskom struggled with delivery of projects as planned. The main objective of this research was to identify an applicable PMMM to assess the project management maturity level of Eskom’s core business units, namely Transmission, Distribution and Generation, by assessing its capability to undertake projects effectively in order to provide electricity to the Southern Africa communities. A quantitative research methodology was selected. A survey was conducted with a closed-ended questionnaire made up of three parts (Applicable project management maturity model, project management culture and project management organisation strategy maturity). The population consisted of senior project managers, project managers, and related project management personnel from Eskom in MegaWatt Park Johannesburg. 200 questionnaires were distributed to the Eskom business units, namely Distribution, Generation and Transmission project management employees, selected purely on their experience and knowledge, hence purposive sampling was used. Surveys were emailed to the respective project management personnel with the help of the senior manager. 133 were returned. This is a response rate of 66 %, which was deemed acceptable. Descriptive statistics was utilised to assess the project management maturity level of Eskom business units. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24 (SPSS) was utilised for the purpose of data and reliability analysis. Correlation and linear regression analysis were undertaken to evaluate influence of maturity levels of organisational strategy and culture on the project management maturity level. A Cronbach’s Alpha was utilised to measure the reliability of the data. It was concluded there were project management process areas, not performing well. Namely: project time management, project cost management and project procurement management. The assessment of project management organisational factors indicated that project management culture maturity did not perform well. It performed under the project management maturity level of Eskom. The recommendations of this study are that the applicable project management maturity model proposed should be continuously utilised to evaluate the project management maturity of Eskom on an ongoing basis; there should be a significant cultural change and a project management office should be established.

Abstract in English / Software project management has been less effective as a result of being focused on resource management and the completion of projects within allocated resources and other confines. There has not been much focus on improving software project management quality through improved decision-making, software project management standards and methodologies, hence the focus of this study to explore the possibility of using data analytics with project management standards and methodologies to improve software project management quality. The main question to be addressed in this study is: Can data analytics use in software project management improve decision-making and project management quality? This study, therefore, explores and provides insight on data analytics use, by means of a survey that was completed by software project managers. A questionnaire was used to collect data from software project managers. The gathered data was captured and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and the analysed data was used for validity testing, while the reliability of the measurement items was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha. A hypothesis was used to evaluate the effect of data analytics use on software project management quality. The research made use of the positivist research method. The study established that data analytics has not yet been widely adopted by software project managers and organisations alike, as both the project managers and organisations have not done enough to promote the training in, and the adoption of data analytics. The research also established that data analytics can improve software project management quality through improved decision-making and in complementing software project management standards. The study findings will be beneficial to software project managers, researchers and organisations as it reveals the factors that are necessary to effectively use data analytics in software project management, as well as highlighting how data analytics improves software project management quality / School of Computing / M.Sc. (Computing)

A competência em gerenciamento de projetos (GP) é reconhecida como um fator crítico para o desenvolvimento de novos produtos e possuir sistemas de informação adequados é um quesito fundamental para apoiá-la. Há uma disponibilidade de ferramentas e em contrapartida, um número significativo de críticas à sua utilização, especialmente no caso de produtos inovadores e complexos. O trabalho tem por objetivo identificar os desafios a serem enfrentados para o desenvolvimento de ferramentas de software para apoiar práticas com esse enfoque. Empregou-se a revisão bibliográfica combinada com o estudo de caso múltiplo. Compilou-se os desafios apontados na literatura, revisando os temas: colaboração, gerenciamento ágil de projetos e softwares para gerenciamento de projetos. O resultado, organizado segundo as áreas de processo do PMI, foi comparado com problemas reais, coletados por meio do método de estudo de caso. O setor de bens de capital foi escolhido para garantir a complexidade dos projetos (número de peças do produto e presença de colaboração). A unidade de análise é o sistema de informação para gerenciamento dos projetos (SIGP) de cada empresa. Descreveu-se o SIGP e o papel dos softwares de GP, de forma a identificar os desafios e classificá-los segundo áreas de conhecimento de GP. Os instrumentos utilizados foram roteiros de entrevistas, observações e análise de documentos. Os desafios foram confrontados com o esforço da comunidade científica, identificado por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica, classificada segundo as mesmas áreas de GP. Ao final, comparam-se os desafios das empresas com a teoria e identifica-se uma lista de requisitos para o desenvolvimento de softwares na área. A análise indica também que as ferramentas de GP são utilizadas de forma restrita na indústria de bens de capital e que há discordâncias entre o esforço dos pesquisadores e necessidades dos profissionais da área. Por fim, esta pesquisa identifica como temas relevantes: a integração de dados, o desenvolvimento de funcionalidades de aquisição e de gerenciamento de interfaces, riscos, recursos e multiprojetos. / The project management competence has been recognized as a critical factor to develop new products. Information systems are a fundamental factor to support it. There is an exceptional amount of tools. In opposition there are a significant number of critics about its utilization, in special in projects like innovative and collaborative product projects. The critics pointed needs for new methods and practices to support the agile project management. This research aims to identify challenges of developing project management tool to support this approach. The method used combines a bibliographical review with a multiple case study. The literature challenges were compiled, reviewing the themes: collaboration, agile project management and project management software. The result, organized by PMI process areas, was compared with case study real problems. The capital goods (BK) sector was chosen to ensure the projects complexity (by the product and collaboration presence). The analysis unit is the project management information system (PMIS) of each company. The PMIS and the role of the project management software were described to identify the challenges and classify them according to project management areas. The data collection instruments are plan interview, non-participant observations and document analysis. The challenges were faced with the scientific community effort, identified through a literature review and classified according to the same areas of PM. Following, the challenges of companies was compared with the literature and a requirement list is identified to develop PM software. The analysis indicates that the PM tools used in the BK industry are restricted. There is a mismatch between the researcher efforts and necessities of professionals in the area. Finally, this research identifies as relevant themes: data integration, development of acquisition features, interfaces, risks, resources and multi-projects management.

A competência em gerenciamento de projetos (GP) é reconhecida como um fator crítico para o desenvolvimento de novos produtos e possuir sistemas de informação adequados é um quesito fundamental para apoiá-la. Há uma disponibilidade de ferramentas e em contrapartida, um número significativo de críticas à sua utilização, especialmente no caso de produtos inovadores e complexos. O trabalho tem por objetivo identificar os desafios a serem enfrentados para o desenvolvimento de ferramentas de software para apoiar práticas com esse enfoque. Empregou-se a revisão bibliográfica combinada com o estudo de caso múltiplo. Compilou-se os desafios apontados na literatura, revisando os temas: colaboração, gerenciamento ágil de projetos e softwares para gerenciamento de projetos. O resultado, organizado segundo as áreas de processo do PMI, foi comparado com problemas reais, coletados por meio do método de estudo de caso. O setor de bens de capital foi escolhido para garantir a complexidade dos projetos (número de peças do produto e presença de colaboração). A unidade de análise é o sistema de informação para gerenciamento dos projetos (SIGP) de cada empresa. Descreveu-se o SIGP e o papel dos softwares de GP, de forma a identificar os desafios e classificá-los segundo áreas de conhecimento de GP. Os instrumentos utilizados foram roteiros de entrevistas, observações e análise de documentos. Os desafios foram confrontados com o esforço da comunidade científica, identificado por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica, classificada segundo as mesmas áreas de GP. Ao final, comparam-se os desafios das empresas com a teoria e identifica-se uma lista de requisitos para o desenvolvimento de softwares na área. A análise indica também que as ferramentas de GP são utilizadas de forma restrita na indústria de bens de capital e que há discordâncias entre o esforço dos pesquisadores e necessidades dos profissionais da área. Por fim, esta pesquisa identifica como temas relevantes: a integração de dados, o desenvolvimento de funcionalidades de aquisição e de gerenciamento de interfaces, riscos, recursos e multiprojetos. / The project management competence has been recognized as a critical factor to develop new products. Information systems are a fundamental factor to support it. There is an exceptional amount of tools. In opposition there are a significant number of critics about its utilization, in special in projects like innovative and collaborative product projects. The critics pointed needs for new methods and practices to support the agile project management. This research aims to identify challenges of developing project management tool to support this approach. The method used combines a bibliographical review with a multiple case study. The literature challenges were compiled, reviewing the themes: collaboration, agile project management and project management software. The result, organized by PMI process areas, was compared with case study real problems. The capital goods (BK) sector was chosen to ensure the projects complexity (by the product and collaboration presence). The analysis unit is the project management information system (PMIS) of each company. The PMIS and the role of the project management software were described to identify the challenges and classify them according to project management areas. The data collection instruments are plan interview, non-participant observations and document analysis. The challenges were faced with the scientific community effort, identified through a literature review and classified according to the same areas of PM. Following, the challenges of companies was compared with the literature and a requirement list is identified to develop PM software. The analysis indicates that the PM tools used in the BK industry are restricted. There is a mismatch between the researcher efforts and necessities of professionals in the area. Finally, this research identifies as relevant themes: data integration, development of acquisition features, interfaces, risks, resources and multi-projects management.

This thesis seeks to better understand how a combination of different project management approaches could lead organisations to cope with project closure in more effective ways. More specifically, a coexistence of Waterfall and Agile project management is examined and presented as positive contribution to insurance and investment organisations for more effective transitions from project management to business-as-usual. A comprehensive framework combines within the theoretical chapters the hybrid approach between Agile and traditional project management for successfully closing projects. It represents the lens through which the empirical material can be analysed.The empirical work is based on a single-holistic case study of Intesa Sanpaolo Life dac, incorporating seven semi-structured interviews with the most authoritative individuals of this company in relation to the topic of this paper. This case study provides a deep insight on project closure management which is addressed by investigating challenges and highlighting effective practices of the company in question. Throughout the analysis of the data gathered, the authors managed to highlight findings which provide managerial and theoretical contributions.The originality and the value of this research is given by the fact that this work expects to enrich project-based organisations which use a combination between Agile and traditional project management and struggle to get a proper project closure and transit to the operation phase. Consequently, this represents a completely new point of view in the literature related to project management, which sees project closure as the most understudied phase of the project life-cycle.

M.Ing. (Engineering Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

As sustainability and sustainable development becomes increasingly important on levels from individual to global scale, there is a need for everybody to do their part. The construction industry has a huge impact on all three pillars of sustainability and thus, has to adapt to facilitate sustainable development in their practices. Facilitating and incorporating sustainability can be attempted in many ways, among which sustainable project management is one alternative. This thesis aims to explore opinions and experiences of project managers in the Swedish construction industry connected to sustainability, with focus on the tensions and reactions that emerge when incorporating sustainability in projects. This will be realised by replicating the article “The Paradoxical Profession: Project Management and the Contradictory Nature of Sustainable Project Objectives” by Sabini and Alderman (2021). To facilitate an understanding of fundamental concepts and the subject, a literature overview was conducted. Empirical data was obtained through semi-structured interviews, analysed in accordance with the Gioia methodology and discussed using paradox theory and a tension framework. The findings show that project managers face various tensions as well as reactions connected to the incorporation of sustainability in projects. While four tensions and six reactions emerged from the analysis, most of the described problems stem from a deficit of knowledge or project and industry constraints. The largest differences between the findings of Sabini and Alderman (2021) and this thesis are attributed to the time difference between when the interviews were held as well as the change of context. Despite the emergent tensions and reactions, the overall attitude regarding sustainability among the respondents was positive and they gave examples of sustainable practices already in place as well as shared ideas for future improvement. These indicated that most project managers have a business case frame mindset as opposed to a paradoxical frame, seeking to eliminate any tensions that emerge. Additionally, the findings indicated that expanding knowledge regarding sustainability would most likely be the largest aid in the incorporation of sustainability in projects, for example through an industry wide knowledge base. / I takt med att hållbarhet och hållbar utveckling blir allt viktigare på alla plan, från individuell till global nivå, ökar behovet av att alla gör sin del. Byggbranschen har stor påverkan på alla tre hållbarhetsdimensioner och behöver därför göra förändringar för att underlätta och främja hållbarhetsarbete. Integrering och främjande av hållbarhetsaspekter kan angripas på många olika sätt, där hållbar projektledning är ett alternativ. Denna uppsats ämnar därför att undersöka åsikter och erfarenheter kopplade till hållbarhet bland projektledare i den svenska byggbranschen, med fokus på de spänningar och reaktioner som uppstår när hållbarhet integreras i projekt. Detta är ämnat att åstadkommas genom att replikera artikeln “The Paradoxical Profession: Project Management and the Contradictory Nature of Sustainable Project Objectives” av Sabini och Alderman (2021). För att skapa insikt och förståelse för grundläggande begrepp och relevanta kunskapsområden genomfördes en litteraturstudie. Empirisk data erhölls genom semistrukturerade intervjuer som sedan analyserades med utgångspunkt i Gioia-metodologin och diskuterades utifrån paradoxteori och ett spänningsramverk. Resultaten visar att projektledare stöter på flertalet spänningar och reaktioner på dessa kopplade till integrering av hållbarhet i projekt. Trots att fyra spänningar och sex reaktioner framkom från analysen så hade de flesta problemen sin grund i otillräcklig kunskap alternativt begränsningar från branschen eller projekten. Den största skillnaden mellan Sabini och Aldermans (2021) resultat och de som framkom i denna uppsats anses i huvudsak bero på tidsskillnaden mellan genomförandet av intervjuerna tillsammans med att alla respondenterna är verksamma i byggbranschen. Även om spänningar och reaktioner förekom var alla respondenter positivt inställda till hållbarhet. De gav exempel på redan förekommande hållbarhetsarbete, men kom även med förslag på hur det kan förbättras i framtiden. Dessa indikerade att de flesta projektledare har en business case frame-inställning till skillnad från en paradoxical frame och söker sätt att eliminera de spänningar som uppstår. Utöver detta indikerade svaren att den troligtvis största förbättringen för involverande av hållbarhet i projekt skulle komma från ökad kunskap om hållbarhet över hela branschen, exempelvis genom införande av en delad erfarenhetsbank för hela branschen.

In recent years an increase of agile methodologies and their implementation in mainstream software engineering projects have been seen, but this implementation has reportedly changed agility in practice into a hybrid form of agility and more classic methodologies. With a lack of research regarding these hybrid methodologies this multiple case study empirically analyses the practice of methodologies from two different conglomerates and places the results in the Information Technology Management framework (ITMF) to answer the research question; How are hybrid agile methodologies enacted in practice in mature agile teams and why are they enacted in such a way? The result show that the organizations work agile within a waterfall framework, a hybrid form of requirement handling into agile development followed by waterfall testing. The hybrid methodologies are imposed by external factors such as the sales department and traditional economic reporting. This study acknowledges a need for a greater understanding of the engagement between external actors and software development.

The aim of this thesis is to study the influence that the human resource allocation process carried out at ALLEGION has over the employee satisfaction level of its employees. ALLEGION is an international manufacturing project-oriented company based in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, which operates with over 8,500 employees. Up until the development of this thesis, ALLEGION had never contemplated the job satisfaction level of its employees as a result of the human resource allocation process carried out in the company. Some studies have previously paid attention to the impact that best practices in human resource management have in employee performance, however, to our knowledge, it has never been discussed how the allocation of the human resources in a company can influence job satisfaction. For this reason, we believe is pertinent to conduct a study focusing on this topic. This thesis is presented as a case study of ALLEGION which follows a qualitative method and an inductive approach, where we as researchers, explored the influence that the current method followed by the company to allocate its human resources to projects has over the job satisfaction level of its employees. The first section of this thesis is dedicated to discuss the background of our research topic and to examine relevant literature focused in the subjects of human resource allocation and employee satisfaction. As part of this section, we encountered that four factors are consistently mentioned in the literature related to these core topics having an intrinsic relationship among them. We found that these factors were utilised by some scholars in the development of models to optimise the human resource allocation process and also during the measurement of employee satisfaction in different contexts. The four factors are: personal qualifications –referring to skills utilisation and expertise–, personal aspirations –referring to career development and personal growth–, group relationships –referring to personal relationships with co-workers and managers–, and finally, personal motivations –referring to job motivations–. At the end of this section we present a theoretical model that summarises our findings and highlights the correlations of the factors we identified from the literature. The central part of this thesis focuses on our practical method which comprised nine interviews with employees and project managers of ALLEGION. Our interviews were aimed to discover the relationship and influence that the human resource allocation process implemented in the company had over the job satisfaction level in its employees respectively. As part of our findings we discovered that four elements were contributors to such influence and simultaneously were related to the findings obtained during our literature review. Based upon these four factors, we drew our conclusions for the study. As a conclusion of this thesis, we found that the human resource allocation process conducted at ALLEGION holds a significant influence in the job satisfaction of its employees working in projects, and that four distinct factors should be taken into consideration during the process that functional managers carry out when they have to allocate their human resources to a certain project. These factors are: skills utilisation, career development, individual relationships of the employees with their co-workers and managers, and finally, job motivations. We concluded that the extent to which these elements are considered as part of the decision-making involved in the human resource allocation process will bring as a result a positive or negative outcome in terms of employee satisfaction among the projects of the organisation.