The goal of this paper is to evaluate international project management at XY and to make recommendations for a better project cooperation. Therefore, first the typical project management approach at this company is examined. In a second step problems and weaknesses of the process are identified, to present in a third step possible solutions.
This paper the project management approach of XY is described from the perspective of the author. For a higher degree of detail one would have to question more employees of the company who participated in projects. Moreover, when having a look at the cultures, not all of the cultures that are found at XY are considered, because that would exceed the scope of the pa-per. Certain cultures are selected to make a point clear. Lastly it also was not tested whether or not the recommendations are practical.
In chapter two, the company XY is briefly introduced. A larger version of the organizational chart of the firm can be found in the appendix A. The subsequent third chapter presents the current project management approach at XY. This process is divided into: project initiation, project planning, action and control and finishing the project. The fourth chapter points out problems related to the project management approach and additional cultural and language specific problems. The cultural Indexes, which help to categorize the cultures, can be found in the appendix. The recommendations for improvement are described in chapter five. The paper is completed in chapter six with a conclusion.
For the preparation of this paper, primarily textbooks were used, which can be found in the appendix listed alphabetically. More knowledge was obtained from websites. Lastly the experiences of the author at a six-month internship at XY were essential to describe the project work there.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Objectives
1.2 Scope
1.3 Structure of the Paper
1.4 Methodology
2 Introduction of the Company
3 Current Project Management Approach
3.1 Project Initiation
3.2 Project Planning
3.3 Action and Control
3.4 Finishing the Project
4 Project Problems
4.1 Project Set-up Within the Organisation
4.2 Language
4.3 Culture
5 Recommendations for Improvement
5.1 Weekly 5 Minute Country Presentation
5.2 Language Courses or Tandem
5.3 Time Management Course
5.4 Daily Scrum
5.5 Implement Lessons Learned
6 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to evaluate the existing international project management processes at a London-based start-up company, identify operational weaknesses, and propose pragmatic, actionable solutions to enhance project cooperation and efficiency within a culturally diverse, fast-paced environment.
- Analysis of current project initiation and planning workflows.
- Examination of challenges arising from matrix organization structures.
- Assessment of language barriers and informal communication issues.
- Investigation of cultural dimensions using Hofstede’s framework.
- Development of practical recommendations for process optimization.
Extract from the Book
4.1 Project Set-up Within the Organisation
As mentioned earlier, many of the projects at XY are carried out in the matrix organization. A common problem is that the reporting relationships are very complex and can lead to misunderstandings. Project workers have at least two managers (i.e. CEO, PM, Department Manager) they are reporting to and take orders from. This can be very challenging for the project workers, as they have to meet the expectations of multiple managers. Often the outcome is: conflicts in their time schedule and uncertainty of which tasks to prioritize.
The PM must work together with other PMs, Head of Departments and the CEO very closely in order to complete projects. This is necessary, because all of these managers share the same limited resources. At XY the communication between managers isn’t very good and the delegation of tasks to project workers often happens in an unstructured way. For example the CEO is very decisive. He doesn’t just coordinate and control projects. He also changes project plans if he thinks it is necessary. The CEO sometimes communicates these changes directly to the project workers without informing the PM first. This can be very frustrating for the PM, as he finds out later on that plans have changed without his knowledge or approval. These situations where too little communication between managers happens are not just very inefficient, they also increase the risk of conflicts.
It is important that all team members of a project have the same information. In a matrix organization structure this can be challenging. Team members do not all sit in the same department, which makes easy communication difficult.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Defines the research objectives, the scope of the study, and the methodology, which combines literature review with practical internship experience.
2 Introduction of the Company: Provides an overview of the start-up company, its mission, its workforce structure, and the dynamic environment in which it operates.
3 Current Project Management Approach: Details the four-phase project lifecycle at the company: initiation, planning, action/control, and finishing.
4 Project Problems: Discusses identified challenges, focusing on organizational structure complexities, language hurdles, and cultural differences.
5 Recommendations for Improvement: Offers concrete solutions, including team building, language support, time management training, and agile methodologies like Scrum.
6 Conclusion: Synthesizes findings and advocates for simple, practical management principles suited to the company's start-up nature.
Keywords
International Project Management, Matrix Organization, Start-up, Cultural Dimensions, Hofstede, Project Initiation, Project Planning, Agile, Daily Scrum, Language Barriers, Time Management, Lessons Learned, Intercultural Cooperation, Efficiency, Knowledge Transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper evaluates the international project management processes at a specific London-based start-up to identify inefficiencies and propose improvements.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
Key areas include the company's organizational structure, project management lifecycles, cross-cultural communication, and language proficiency challenges.
What is the main objective of the study?
The goal is to analyze existing project workflows and provide actionable, pragmatic recommendations to improve team collaboration and project success rates.
Which scientific methods are applied in this work?
The author utilizes a combination of literature research on project management and cultural theories, alongside personal empirical data gained during a six-month internship.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the current project management stages, identified organizational and cultural problems, and specific recommendations for improvement.
Which keywords characterize the paper?
Key themes include International Project Management, Matrix Organization, Cultural Dimensions, Agile methodologies, and Process Improvement.
How does the company's matrix structure impact project workers?
The structure creates complexity because employees report to multiple managers, often leading to conflicting schedules and prioritization uncertainty.
Why does the author suggest implementing the Daily Scrum?
The Daily Scrum is proposed to improve information flow and synchronization, helping to mitigate coordination problems between weekly meetings.
What role does Hofstede’s research play in the paper?
Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are used to categorize the diverse workforce and explain potential misunderstandings in power distance, individualism, and uncertainty avoidance.
What is the final conclusion regarding the company's management style?
The author concludes that the company should follow the "KISS" (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle, maintaining simple and practical processes suitable for a start-up environment.
- Quote paper
- Johannes Michl (Author), 2014, Applied International Project Management. A Theoretical Analysis and Pragmatic Application of a London Start-up Company, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/300887
