Multi-National Project Team Communications and Cultural Influences

This exploratory case study dissertation examined multinational project teams\u27 communication satisfaction as influenced by the project team\u27s cultural attribute of power distance. Utilizing a exploratory case study, semi-guided interview research approach, ordinal scale data and open-ended contextual based question responses was obtained. This data was gathered from United States---Russia and Canada---Angola multi-national, complex, high technology oil transportation project teams. Triangulation data gathering techniques were utilized to obtain empirical data from multiple sources of data and multiple data types. Subsequent data analyses combined descriptive statistical analysis, graphical analysis, cluster analysis, and content analysis techniques to derive a theoretical construct of multi-national project team communications and the individual\u27s power distance culture attribute interactions. According to published literature, project team communication is affected by the individual member\u27s culture. The literature also indicates that the greater the diversity of individual cultures, the greater the potential for unsatisfactory project communications. This research utilized two culturally polar multi-national project teams as identified by their national culture index. Focusing this research on culturally diverse project teams was supported from cross-cultural research literature that identifies the need to use \u27polar\u27 examples to develop new theoretical constructs. Relying on previously validated instruments, this empirical study analyzed these culturally polar project teams to identify how the project team communication satisfaction, as indicated by the participants, related to the identified individual cultures power distance index. The research concluded that individual project team members\u27 culture indexes did not reflect the extreme diversity that Hofstede indicated national origin culture indexes suggest. This finding indicates that for these case studies the ability to accurately predict a project team member\u27s cultural index according to their nation of origin is low. The study also found that, overall, the project teams\u27 rate project team communication satisfaction as satisfactory to very satisfactory. These findings and supporting published literature data generated the theoretical construct that these experienced, multi-national, project teams\u27 exhibit a middle to low power distance cultural attribute with satisfactory project team communication. The findings also indicate that there is a positive relationship between the project team power distance index and project team communication satisfaction rating

Designing project management systems

The purpose of this paper is to develop the concept of project management system from the perspective of systems science. There is a need to extend the body of knowledge for project management. In particular, the application of systems perspectives and systems theory offers a significant opportunity to advance the current state of project management knowledge. Although there have been suggestions of systems approaches for project management, rigorous systems science has not been used to support these depictions. First, we develop the background and define a perspective of project management systems. Second, assumptions and principles are drawn from systems science to provide a foundation for project management systems. Third, a model for project management systems is developed from systems sciences and management cybernetics. Our initial explorations are promising, demonstrated by a case study application review using a complex system of systems (SoS) project encompassed multiple government agencies, and we offer future directions and implications for further model refinements, applications, and research into project management systems.Publisher's Versio