Project communication, trust, collaboration and success : a structural equation model and the influence of computer mediated communication

Project success is the goal of every project that is undertaken. Literature supports the fact that project communication in addition to several other ‘human-related’ factors has an influence on the ultimate success of the project as it is well-known that it is people who deliver projects: not processes or systems. This thesis theoretically and empirically establishes that the quality of communication, level of trust and degree of collaboration are the main human-related factors that determine project success. Structural equation modelling techniques are used to determine that project success is positively influenced by the degree of collaboration and indirectly by the level of trust between project team members based on a foundation of quality of communication. Moreover, that the quality of communication factor is determined by frequency of interaction, communication content, type, technology, number of channels, audience and communications plan. Similarly, the level of trust in a project is determined by the degree of knowledge exchange, imported trust and meeting team members' expectations while the degree of collaboration is determined by team relationships, coordination, proximity, commitment, conflict and incentives. In order to better understand the foundational role that project communication plays in the model, the study determines that project and programme performance can be achieved by communication-mediated communication (CMC) that is facilitated by a programme call centre. A call centre can provide the correct combination of informal and formal communication to increase the communication, collaboration and trust between principals and agents in a project. The programme benefits of a call centre include improved team communication, project deliverables, service delivery and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, it was found that the CMC mediums of instant messaging and video conferencing impact positively on the variables that determine the quality of communication in a project, as they lead to more appropriate communication and improve the quality of communication of virtual teams. The thesis provides project managers with many practical ways in which project success can be achieved by promoting communication, trust and collaboration in their projects through the use of a call centre and other CMC’s. The results and findings of the two related studies that were undertaken have been published in ISI-rated international and national journals. The findings of this thesis contribute to better communication management in projects and enhance existing knowledge of project communication, trust, collaboration and project success.Thesis (PhD (Project Management))--University of Pretoria, 2014.Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM)Unrestricte

The role of trust in project negotiation : a case study

SYNOPSIS : Most projects include procurement processes which may consist of tendering, negotiation or a combination of the two. It has been found that if the procurement relationships in a project are healthy, then it has a significant influence on the success of the project. This may be because team performance in a project environment is influenced, amongst others, by the extent to which the contracting parties trust each other. However, most of these studies have been conducted in Europe, America, and Asia and in large international construction projects where tendering is the usual method of contract award. Few studies have investigated the role and types of trust during project initiation, specifically during project negotiation. RELEVANCE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION : One significant practical implication of the findings is that the customer and the other negotiating parties should determine to what extent they have competence, integrity and intuitive trust in the other party. As all three, these trust types are essential for increasing the likelihood of a successful negotiation outcome. Where a successful negotiation outcome is determined by the extent to which expectations regarding the outcome are aligned, the outcome is perceived to be fair and where both parties reach consensus. RESEARCH DESIGN : This paper investigates the role that trust plays during procurement negotiations. Thein-depth case study research was done on an electrical turn-key trace heating contract at the Medupi Power Station in South Africa. Five semi-structured interviews were undertaken with the organisation representatives that participated in the negotiation process to appoint a new contractor to carry out the project work. The interviews were transcribed and analysed based on the propositions put forward in the conceptual framework. MAIN FINDINGS : A conceptual framework is developed which shows that competence trust, integrity, trust, and intuitive trust are essential for a successful negotiation process. Implications of these findings for researchers and project practitioners are discussed. RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS : Academics and project practitioners may use the results regarding the role and types of trust that are instrumental to successful project negotiation to conduct further research in this field and increase the likelihood of successful project negotiations, respectively.https://pmrp.online/index.php/pmrp/indexhj2021Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM

Smart project management information systems (SPMIS) for engineering projects - project performance monitoring & reporting

Engineering projects are becoming increasingly complex as projects get larger and as technology improves. Greater competition worldwide has meant that projects are delivered quicker and cheaper. This necessitates sophisticated Project Management Information System (PMIS) technologies to be adopted to improve efficiency and quality on projects. PMIS data and reports can be used to better understand the risk exposure, resource utilisation, profitability, and scheduling of a project. It also informs strategic project decisions and performance monitoring and reporting. Unfortunately, project data is often fragmented and embedded in different systems. This paper investigates several commercially available PMIS, to understand and compare the functionality of these systems. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with purposively selected project systems experts at twelve project-based organisations. Thematic analysis revealed what functions PMIS fulfils, how these systems are integrated and how they facilitate project monitoring and reporting. Moreover, a novel model for the basic architecture of a ‘Smart’ Project Management Information System (SPMIS) is proposed, which would facilitate software integration and intelligence based on identified industry needs and requirements. The model addresses the shortcomings of existing models by combining models and incorporating system intelligence i.e. the automation of certain project management activities.http://www.sciencesphere.org/ijispmam2022Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM

Exploring the influence of instant messaging and video conferencing on the quality of project communication

Growth in computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies such as instant messaging (IM) and video conferencing (VC) has led to a need to explore the utilisation and influence of these tools on the quality of project communication, which must still be established. This article reports the results of a survey conducted among 210 project practitioners using CMC in various industries to determine how, why and what each medium is used for, and how these media influence factors that promote quality communication. Some results showed that the use of both instant messaging and video conferencing in projects is moderate and both improve the quality of communication in virtual teams, however in different ways.Die groei in rekenaar-bemiddelde kommunikasietegnologie soos kitsboodskappe en videokonferensies het gelei tot ʼn behoefte om die benutting en invloed van hierdie tegnologie op die gehalte van projekkommunikasie te verstaan aangesien dit nog nie vasgestel is nie. Hierdie artikel rapporteer die resultate van ‘n opname wat gedoen was onder 210 projekpraktisyns wat CMC’s gebruik in verskeie industrieë om te bepaal hoe, hoekom en waarvoor elke medium gebruik word, en hoe hierdie media die faktore beïnvloed wat kwaliteitkommunikasie bevorder. Sommige resultate toon dat die gebruik van beide hierdie tipe media in projekte matig is en dat kitsboodskappe en videokonferensies albei die gehalte van kommunikasie in virtuele spanne verbeter maar egter op verskillende maniere.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/structam2016Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM)Statistic

Leadership styles in projects : current trends and future opportunities

Currently, many organisations experience challenges as a result of uncertainty, fast-changing environments, globalisation, and increasingly complex work tasks. In order to adapt to these challenges, a shift in leadership style may be needed. Traditionally, leadership has been seen as a vertical relationship (top-down influence). For a number of decades, this vertical leadership model has been the principal one in the leadership field; but lately, shared and balanced leadership have gained importance, especially in the project management literature. This theoretical study highlights some differences between ‘leadership’ and ‘management’, and explores current trends in the leadership literature. It especially focuses on vertical, shared, and balanced leadership in project management, and identifies future opportunities for research.Baie organisasies ervaar vandag uitdagings as gevolg van onsekerheid, vinnig-veranderende omgewings, globalisering, en toenemend komplekse werkstake. ’n Verskuiwing in leierskapstyl mag nodig wees om aan te pas by hierdie uitdagings. Tradisioneel was leierskap gesien as ’n vertikale verhouding (bo-na-onder invloed), en hierdie vertikale leierskapsmodel was die vernaamste een in die leierskapsveld vir baie jare. Gedeelde en gebalanseerde leierskap het onlangs begin om belangrik te word, veral in die projekbestuursliteratuur. Hierdie teoretiese studie bespreek sommige verskille tussen leierskap en bestuur, en ondersoek die onlangse rigtings in die leierskapsliteratuur. Dit fokus veral op vertikale, gedeelde, en gebalanseerde leierskap in projekbestuur, en identifiseer toekomstige geleenthede vir navorsing.Presented at the 29th annual conference of the Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering (SAIIE), held from 24-26 October 2018 in Stellenbosch, South Africahttp://sajie.journals.ac.zaam2019Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM

The impact of a call centre on communication in a programme and its projects

Call centres are increasingly being utilised in public sector programmes to facilitate and manage communication between numerous stakeholders. Yet, the impact of call centres on projects has not been investigated. This paper reports on a survey with 92 respondents that assessed the impact of a call centre for a repair and maintenance programme. An empirically verified model is presented to illustrate the relationship between call centre communication and project performance. A balance of frequent informal and formal communication is shown to reduce mistrust and conflict of interest resulting from each party trying to maximise his respective economic position in the principal-agency relationship. The data provides evidence that a call centre improves the communication, collaboration and trust in project principal-agency relationships which, in turn, is perceived to contribute to project performance.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijpromanhb2016Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM

Linking trust and collaboration in project teams to project management success

PURPOSE : The purpose of this paper is to emphasise the importance of high levels of trust and collaboration for increasing the likelihood of project management (PM) success. However, the link between these three constructs remains unclear. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : In this study, the authors use structural equation modelling (SEM) based on the findings from an international survey of 151 project practitioners to demonstrate the significance of project team trust and collaboration for increasing the likelihood of PM success. FINDINGS : The results indicate that PM success becomes more likely as the degree of collaboration improves which, in turn, is influenced by an increase in the level of trust between team members. The two factors of PM success are project performance and knowledge integration and innovation. The six factors of the degree of collaboration that were studied are physical proximity, commitment, conflict, coordination, relationships and incentives. The three factors of the level of trust investigated are expectations, knowledge exchange and imported trust. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : The results of the study are expected to provide insight for project practitioners to increase the likelihood of PM success by taking cognisance of the factors that influence collaboration and trust. The results of the study may also provide insight into teaching and learning in tertiary education, in terms of professionalism and integrity issues. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : This paper presents a new perspective for investigating PM success. SEM techniques are used to determine the likelihood of PM success by promoting trust and collaboration in the project team. This unique approach highlights the “human factors” that influence perceived PM success which should benefit both researchers and practitioners.https://www.emeraldinsight.com/loi/ijmpbhj2018Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM)Statistic

Exploring project-related factors that influence leadership styles and their effect on project performance : a conceptual framework

It is widely accepted that project leaders should adapt their behaviour to meet the unique leadership demands of a variety of situations. Recently, vertical, shared, and horizontal styles of leadership have gained prominence, especially in the project management literature. Several factors are believed to play a role in determining an appropriate balance between these leadership styles. This theoretical study explores the influence of project types, the stage in the project life cycle, organisational project management maturity, and the level of trust and collaboration between project team members on the appropriate balance of leadership styles in projects. This paper presents a conceptual framework of these factors, while empirical results will be reported on in the sequel to this paper.Dit word wyd aanvaar dat leiers hulle gedrag by spesifieke situasies moet aanpas sodat die unieke leierskapvereistes wat aan hulle gestel word nagekom kan word. Vertikale, gedeelde en horisontale leierskap style is deesdae op die voorgrond, veral in projekbestuur literatuur. Verskeie faktore speel ’n rol in die bepaling van ’n geskikte balans tussen hierdie leierskapstyle. Die faktore sluit in die tipe projek, die stadium in die projeklewensiklus, die projekbestuurvolwassenheid van die organisasie, en die vlak van vertroue en samewerking tussen mense binne die projek. Hierdie artikel stel ’n konseptuele raamwerk van hierdie faktore voor, terwyl empiriese uitslae in ’n opvolgartikel gerapporteer sal word.http://sajie.journals.ac.zaam2018Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM

Exploring the use of computer-mediated video communication in engineering projects in South Africa

Globally-expanding organisations that are trying to capitalise on distributed skills are increasingly using virtual project teams to shorten product development time and increase quality. These virtual teams, which are distributed across countries, cultures, and time zones, are required to use faster and better ways of interacting. Past research has shown that virtual teams that use computer-mediated communication (CMC) instead of face-to-face communication are less cohesive because they struggle with mistrust, controlling behaviour , and communication breakdowns. This study aims to determine whether project practitioners in South Africa perceive virtual teams that use videoconferencing as suffering from the same CMC disadvantages described in past research in other environments; and if they do, what the possible causes could be. This paper reports on a survey of 106 project practitioners in South Africa. The results show that these project practitioners prefer face- to-face communication over CMC, and perceive virtual teams using videoconferencing to be less cohesive and to suffer from mistrust and communication breakdowns, but not from increased conflict and power struggles. The perceived shortcomings of videoconferencing might result from virtual teams that use this medium having less time to build interpersonal relationships

Improving knowledge transfer processes to address skills and knowledge gaps between senior and junior staff in engineering projects

Skills and knowledge gaps between senior and junior staff is prevalent in engineering projects. This study aimed to identify the factors that affect knowledge transfer and methods to retain transferred knowledge between senior and junior staff in the South African engineering environment. Although several studies have examined the factors that influence knowledge transfer, very few have studied the factors affecting knowledge transfer between senior and junior staff in engineering projects. This study found that knowledge transfer is not made a priority in projects, and that there is a lack of knowledge transfer platforms and structures in projects. Incentivising knowledge transfer by making it a work outcome would improve knowledge transfer in projects.Kennis- en vaardigingsgapings kom al hoe meer voor tussen senior and junior personeel wat op ingenieursprojekte werk. Hierdie studie het ten doel om die faktore wat die kennisoordrag tussen senior en junior personeel in die Suid-Afrikaanse ingenieurs omgewing belemmer, asook die metodes wat dit kan behou, te bepaal. Heelwat navorsing is reeds gedoen op die faktore wat kennisoordrag in die algemeen beïnvloed, maar min van hierdie studies spreek die faktore aan wat vir die kennis oordrag tussen senior en junior personeel in ingenieursprojekte geld. Hierdie studie het bevind dat kennisoordrag nie as 'n prioriteit binne ingenieursprojekte beskou word nie en dat daar 'n tekort aan kennisoordragstrukture en -platforms binne projekte bestaan. Verder is bevind dat die kennisoordrag binne projekte verbeter kan word indien dit aangespoor kan word deur dit deel te maak van die prestasie uitkomste van projekte en individue.http://sajie.journals.ac.zaam2023Graduate School of Technology Management (GSTM