Communication risk and strategy in temporary organizations

Communication is a critical and emerging metric for successful outcomes in the high-stakes field of project management. Professional management societies have quantified financial losses caused by ineffective communication. Consulting project management exemplifies a maximum communication risk environment - misunderstanding threatens project finances, strict deadlines, and technical benchmarks - exacerbated by the complexity of a temporary organization structure. The context of work in a temporary organization adds layers of ambiguity to project communications - an ill-structured domain in technical communication terms. Formal study of communication in temporary organizations is relatively new. Recent studies are derived from engineering and business management perspectives. This baseline study investigates risk and strategy in temporary organizations from a communication perspective. Project management consultants dialogue about their experiences of project risk and communication strategy in a critical incident interview. This research identifies the communication complexities of work in these temporary contexts. Contrasting the base communication models of professional project management, this study proposes rhetorical analysis as a systems thinking strategy for project communication. This thesis argues that professional technical communication is strategic expertise and advocates humanistic strategies to mitigate the elevated sociotechnical communication risk within a temporary organization

The Integration of Three Factors That Lead to a Project Manager’s Success

The purpose of this multi case positivistic study was to determine if the combination, rather than any individual skill or competency, of project management technical skills, communication skills, and emotional intelligence is what makes a project manager successful. While numerous studies have been conducted on the importance of individual project management technical skills, communication skills, and emotional intelligence, it is the combination of these three skills and competencies that differentiate this case study. This multi case positivistic case study relied on interviews with five project managers (as well as four or five peers for each project manager) to explore the importance of the combined skills contributing to the success of five project managers. Findings included: (a) project managers needed project management technical skills; (b) communication skills were important, although having strength in one area (verbal, written, and listening communication skills) compensated for gaps in other areas; (c) emotional intelligence competence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management) was valued by team members. Research was not found that specifically delineated communication skills as verbal, written, and listening skills so this combination and breakdown of communication skills as including all three is also new

Rhetorics of Functionally Applicative Game Design: Designing and Testing the Project Management Game \u3ci\u3eScrummage\u3c/i\u3e

In this project, I designed and tested Scrummage, a tabletop game to teach the scrum project management system to undergraduate students. The project grew from the gaps in both academic literature and pedagogical tools for project management and collaboration in the technical communication classroom. Although the field of technical communication places significance on project management, research shows that many employers find the project management skills and knowledge of recent graduates to be under-developed. Situated in the fields of game design, game studies, project management, and technical communication, this project asks how we as educators can improve the project management learning outcomes for technical communication graduates. After conducting research into the forms of project management, I make the argument that using a game designed using vetted game design and playtesting techniques from the field of game design could be a possible solution to this problem. I argue for term “functionally applicative games” (instead of educational, serious, or transformative games) as a way to define games designed with objectives that extend beyond the gameplay itself. I develop a series of rhetorics of functionally applicative games to guide the development and design of these types of games. To demonstrate these rhetorics of functionally applicative game design, I developed Scrummage, a four-player cooperative game in which players work together to complete a project scenario using scrum project management. My project utilizes a dual methodological approach. The first set of methods--used for playtesting Scrummage--describe the process of crafting, designing, and revising Scrummage over a series of three playtesting sessions with undergraduate students. The second set of methods draw from instructional design testing schema and test the presumed learning outcomes of Scrummage in regards to scrum project management with a separate group of students. The results not only provide insight into development and testing a functionally applicative game, but also how the processes of introducing, teaching, and reviewing games as learning tools need a heuristic that can be utilized by educators wishing to incorporate them into the classroom

D1.1: Project management structure and communication channels

This deliverable will describe next main points: the establishment of the Project Management Structure and of the related bodies, the constitution of the Project Management Board and the Project Technical Board. Also, the organization of the internal communication among participants

STANDPOINTS ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF PRODUCTS DESIGN

In this paper the engineering design process is defined and the Product Design Specification is detailed. Subjects covered include form design, design for manufacture and assembly, materials and process for powder products selection. In general the simplest solution is the best and all professional engineers seek elegant and simple solutions. Design is not solely the achieving of technical solutions but also creating useful products which satisfy and appeal to their users. So along with the engineering science knowledge used the importance of communication, teamwork an project management cannot be underestimated.products, form design, project management

Project Manager's Communicative Competence in Customer Interface. A Case Study in a Global Manufacturing Company.

The aim of this research is to increase understanding of communication as a success factor in project management, particularly in the customer interface of projects. This research has two objectives: First, to examine project manager’s communicative environment and communicative tasks to identify central issues that affect project success in the customer interface, and second, to investigate how a project manager can acknowledge those issues in his/her daily communication and therefore, enhance project success. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study. Empirical data was collected in the electrical machines business of a global manufacturing company, focusing on communication between the production unit project managers and local sales units project managers. The data collection was done in triangulation combining interviews, observations, and documentary data. Ten interviews, of which six were conducted with the production unit and four with the local sales units’ project management from Africa, America, Asia, and Europe, served as the main source of information. They were supported by observations in the production unit and by email conversations between the production unit and the sales unit project management. The theoretical framework consists of project management literature and business communication literature. The project management literature has been examined to get an understanding of the project environment and how success and communication are seen in the field. The business communication has been reviewed for two reasons: First, to get an understanding of the effects of the virtual global business environment to project communication, and second, to understand how a project manager can enhance project success by communication. This research offers a multifaceted image of project managers’ complex working environment and the constitutive role of communication in it. The literature and the empirical data suggest, that project managers are not only seeking task-oriented communication, which is connected to clear and precise information, but also relational communication, which allows them to control uncertainty: The success factors identified in the specific context of the case company’s customer interface of technical projects are clarity, technical knowledge, timely and sufficient information, and relationships. The success factors are analyzed through four communicative competences, technical, discourse, socio-linguistic, and strategic competence. Based on the analysis, it can be concluded, that a project manager can enhance project success and improve as a communicator by consciously using the communicative competences to acknowledge the success factors

Technical Communication and Project Management: A Mixed Methods Study in a Corporate Context

A mid-size manufacturing business grew from a family start-up to a global leader in less than three decades, but no plan was developed for Project Management or Technical Communication. Recently upper management acknowledged this corporate weakness and asked us to research interdepartmental communication, with emphasis on New Product Development. Formal Project Management had not previously been attempted at this company, and New Product Development was conducted as a committee. After a literature review, we conducted a mixed-method study to assess employee satisfaction with current project processes, technology, and communication. A survey combining two existing tools was administered to all personnel in departments involved with New Product Development. Downs and Hazen's Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire was tailored to evaluate the company's communications, and a customized version of the Universal Technology Adoption and Use Theory tool assessed technology use and acceptance within the company. Subsequent to the survey, all department managers directly involved with New Product Development at the organization were interviewed. Quantitative results were analyzed statistically, and qualitative results were analyzed through open coding. Findings from this study can provide insight into the dynamics of improving both Project Management and Technical Communication within a corporate context

Community-based Data Gathering and Co-management of Marine Resources in Timor-Leste

This the final technical report regarding communication products and outputs created as a result of lessons learned from eleven years of the Fisheries Management Science Programme (FMSP). These lessons, together with tools, methods and informative experiences have been brought together into accessible communications products that aim to highlight the FMSP experiences in relation to fisheries co-management and lead the reader towards the more detailed products available. As such the project has not aimed to generate any particular new insights into any aspect of the co-management process but instead to communicate what exists to a range of stakeholders. The project has developed a communication strategy that has identified a range of target communications stakeholders including policy makers, implementing agencies and agencies with a capacity building remit who might benefit from the lessons learned. The communications strategy was developed together with two other projects to ensure a coordinated approach to the promotion of products relating to co-management and a single communications database was established through which the strategy could be implemented. Based on lessons learned in earlier uptake promotions projects, a range of communications products were developed

AgRISTARS: Foreign Commodity production forecasting. Project procedures designation and description document, volume 1

The crop estimation analysis procedures documentation of the AgRISTARS - Foreign Commodity Production Forecasting Project (FCPF) is presented. Specifically it includes the technical/management documentation of the remote sensing data analysis procedures prepared in accordance with the guidelines provided in the FCPF communication/documentation standards manual. Standard documentation sets are given arranged by procedural type and level then by crop types or other technically differentiating categories

Hubungan di antara Kekhuatiran Berkomunikasi dan Kesepaduan Kumpulan dengan Persepsi terhadap Kejayaan Pengurusan Projek di Kalangan Warga Kerja Jabatan Kerja Raya Selangor

Communication skills and cohesiveness are important for task group in any organization in achieving its goals and mission. However, communication apprehension often become obstacles to some individuals. In order to achieve the organization’s objectives, the level of communication apprehension must be low and group cohesiveness must be effective and established. This research intended to answer the question what is the level of communication apprehension of the staff of Public Works Department of Selangor; whether significant relationship exist between all the dimension of communication apprehension with the perception on project management success; whether significant relationship exist between group cohesiveness with the perception on project management success; and whether there exist any differences among the demographic factors between the comnnunication apprehension, group cohesiveness and perception on project management success. A total of 140 respondents selected using purposive sampling method from the engineers, assistant engineers and technical assistant supervising the projects. There exists a significant, positive but weak relationship between communication apprehension and group cohesiveness with the perception on project management success. There are no significant differences between demographic factors and communication apprehension. There exist significant differences between genders and both group cohesiveness and perception on project management success. In conclusion, the research has answered all pertaining questions regarding communication apprehension traits and group cohesiveness through quantitative research and hypothesis testing