Factors Influencing Post-disaster Reconstruction Project Management for Housing Provision in the Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestinian Territories

In the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Gaza Strip has suffered regular cycles of reconstruction due to systematic destruction during Israeli military operations, as in 2006, 2008–2009, 2012, and 2014. In this context of ongoing conflict this article aims to identify, rank, and discuss the most important factors influencing post-disaster reconstruction project management (PDRPM) for housing in the Gaza Strip. A set of key factors that influence PDRPM were assembled as a result of a global literature review. A questionnaire survey was conducted, and the obtained data were analyzed using a relative importance index for each PDRPM factor. Findings are presented in six groups: housing approaches, organizational behavior, project funding, supply chain and logistics, communication and coordination, and PDRPM context. Findings indicate that the most significant factors that influence PDRPM for housing provision in the Gaza Strip are related to issues associated with financial resources. It is critical that sufficient funding should be available in order to allow organizations to undertake housing projects in an effective and efficient way. Joint efforts are required from international donors and local organizations in order to effectively manage financial resources with the ultimate goal of improving PDRPM for housing provision

Reconciling order and chaos in multi-project firms: Empirical studies on CoPS producers

Purpose: One of the key challenges faced by companies in the present (and in the past) is to cope with the coexistence of contradictory demands: uncertainties treated as cer-tainties, mass customisation, regional globalisation, flexible efficiency, creative reliable solutions, etc. The goal of the study was to understand how companies reconcile one of these coexistences – that between order and chaos. Approach and Methodology: The research was focused on multi-project firms in gen-eral and CoPS producers in particular. It followed three phases: Exploratory Phase (liter-ature review and interviews), Conceptualisation Phase (abductive elaboration of the Conceptual Model based on field and longitudinal studies in a CoPS producer), and Vali-dation Phase (deductive validation of the model through a multi-case study conducted with seven CoPS producers). Conceptual Model explored the ability of organisational units to reconcile order and chaos through the fit between complexities faced by the project portfolio (complexities of faith and fact) and the flexibility of the organisational structure. A framework formed by the juxtaposition of these concepts distinguished four organisational archetypes: the cre-ative-reflective and mechanic-structured (in fit); chaotification of order and bureaucratisa-tion of chaos (in misfit). The position of organisational units and the framework itself were dynamic. The necessary core competences of the company (reliability, technological in-novation and interaction) to deal with different complexities were identified. Findings: Multi-project firms inexorably deal with contradictory demands amongst pro-ject phases, organisational units, inside of organisational units and between environment and organisation. Successful companies create “chaotic” structures to deal with “or-dered” external demands. Companies in “chaotic” environments tend to create their own “order”. As external inflexibilities were more respected, these companies are more likely to succeed if the internal order is accepted as an “Act of God”. Consequently, the ability to reconcile order and chaos is relevant and lies on the balance of forces leading to mis-fits, and, in the case of mis-balance, chaotification of order is preferable to bureaucratisa-tion of chaos, as towards bureaucratisation of chaos tends to impact results more nega-tively than that towards chaotification of order. Due to the dynamic of business, “order” may lead to bureaucratisation of chaos, and consequently, has to be questioned, or muddled through in certain situations. Project Conclave, Fit Chain Management and Fac-titious Positions are possible approaches to respond to this dynamic. “Interaction core competence” is advantageous to keep reconciling order and chaos. Practical Implications and Tools: Project Conclave: team that cannot be dissolved until the achievement of its objective; this can be used to link or transform chaos into order. Fit Chain Management: Organisational units influence each other. One relevant pattern was that organisational units moved towards a higher bureaucratisation of chaos in order to compensate for the chaotification of order of others. The analysis of these mutual-dependences may assist companies to reconcile order and chaos. Creation of Factitious Position: Employees produce an image that they are in a different place than they in real-ity are, and consequently increase the acceptance of their position. This was used to at-tend to unrealistic demands of the client, or overcome barriers to the execution of some-thing unique, etc. However, this behaviour may also undermine genuine changes

Improving and embedding project management practices in organizations—the human perspective

A conceptual framework of the factors that facilitate embedding useful project management improvement initiatives (PMIIs) was developed from an exploratory study. This paper aims to make some contribution to theory as well as to practice by exploring the human perspective of the framework conceptualization. The framework resulted in 15 key PMIIs and in 26 key embedding factors, that can act as levers to be used by organizations in devising strategies to promote embedding PMIIs into their systems. Almost half of each, seven PMIIS and twelve embedding factors, are directly related to Human aspects.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio