4143: Project Management

Transcription

1 COURSE CODE NO: 4143 COURSE NAME: Project Management COURSE LEVEL: Elective MSc course, compulsory course in the 4 th semester of the 2007 Business Administration major and minor programmes ECTS CREDITS: 10 APPROVED: Approved by the Study Board on 23 Oct SEMESTER FOR WHICH THE COURSE DESCRIPTION APPLIES: Spring 2008 REPLACES COURSE DESCRIPTION DATED: September 12, 2006 INTERVALS AT WHICH THE COURSE IS OFFERED: Every second semester FILLED IN BY: Jens Hørlück LECTURER: Jens Hørlück NUMBER OF HOURS PER WEEK: 4 lectures per week for 12 weeks, giving a total of 48 lectures. COMPLEMENTARY COURSES: RESTRICTIONS ON ADMISSION: COURSE DESCRIPTION: Management of projects differs from line management because the project as an organization is temporary, has a specific (but not always specified) goal and includes processes and/or products which are unique to the parent organization. Therefore each project in principle will have different requirements for management. During the course we will discuss types of projects and their corresponding suitable management methods. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Based on the theories and concepts in the literature of this course and literature from prerequisite courses, the student should be able to: Describe projects as organizational structures with the characteristics stemming from a unique purpose and planned ending. Compare projects with other types of temporal organizational structures.

2 Describe variations in projects stemming from project type, scope, the base organization s structure and the relation between the base organization and the project. Argue for the consequences of these variations for project management issues such as goal formulation, planning, risk analysis, delegation, control (of time, resources and quality) and evaluation of the project. Describe and analyze the use of project management tools, techniques and methods. Describe and analyze how theories on organizational behavior affect projects, management of projects and use of project management tools, techniques and methods. Based on the above and using real life situations, the student should be able to: 1. Analyze the situation and derive the project type based on appropriate theoretical models for characterizing the project type, scope and organizational setting. 2. Evaluate the selected theoretical models and argue for their implications for the choice of project management tools, techniques and methods in the specific situation. 3. Apply and evaluate the application of appropriate tools, techniques and methods for improving the situation. 4. Reflect on the limitations of the choices of models and tools, techniques and methods. In order to receive top grading, the student must be able to analyze a real life situation and from the curriculum of this course and prerequisites select all relevant theoretical models appropriate for the situation. The selection must be argued. From the situation, the student must extract all relevant elements and apply them in the selected theoretical models. Based on this, the student must be able to argue for the selection of all the appropriate tools, techniques and methods and reflect on their relevance and limitations. TEACHING METHOD: Lectures and case/situation discussions. After a short period of introduction, students will be placed in groups with the purpose of presenting and discussing cases/ situations. FORM OF ASSESSMENT: 4-hour written exam At the end of the course at least 3 weeks before the exam a number of cases will be published at the course home page, some of which have not been discussed

3 during the course. The examination will be based on analysis of a few of these cases, and the student will be evaluated on the ability to analyze, argue, discuss and reflect as described in points 1 to 4 above. (Copies of cases will not be provided at the exam.) EXAMINATION AIDS ALLOWED: All (except all kinds of electronic communication equipment including PC s TEACHING LANGUAGE: English LITERATURE: (total approx. 800 pages of which approx. 20 pages not yet decided) Cases: Approximately 100 pages. To be downloaded from course homepage. Schtub, A., J. F. Bard, et al. (2005). Project Management - Processes, Methodologies and Economics. Upper Saddle River, Pearson Education. 668 pages 320 pages required text 80 pages supplementary text, not to be known in detail 80 pages not required text (but required reading for students from other studies: investment theory, utility theory etc) 30 pages case not to be used. 80 pages index, references etc. ARTICLES AND BOOK CHAPTERS Anell, B. I. & Wilson, T. L Ch. 9: Organizing in two modes. Beyond project management: Copenhagen Business School Press. Boddy, D Managing Projects: Building and Leading the Team. Pearson Education. Ch. 6: Influencing Stakeholders Bonnerup, E. and e. al. (2001). Erfaringer fra statslige IT-projekter hvordan gør man det bedre? København, Teknologirådet: Chapman, C. & Ward, S Project Risk Management. Chichester. England: John Wiley & Sons. Christenson, D. & Walker, D. H. T Understanding The Role Of "Vision" In Project Success. Project Management Journal, Ekstedt, E Form of employment in a project-intensive economy. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 36(S1):

4 Engwall, M Ch. 14: The futile dream of the perfect goal. Beyond Project Management: Copenhagen Business School Press. Fickman, R. G., Keil, M., & Tiwane, A Beyond Valuation: "Options Thinking" in IT project Management. California Management Review, 47(2): Hørlück, J: Project definitions and -types, 15 p Hørlück, J: Notes on project risk management. 20 sider Jugdev, K. & Thomas, J Project Management Maturity Models: The Silver Bullets of Competitive Advantage? Project Management Journal, 33(4): 4. Keil, M., Mann, J., & Rai, A Why Software Projects Escalate: An Empirical Analysis and Test of Four Theoretical Models. MIS Quarterly, 24(4): Kerzner, H Strategic Planning for Project Management - Using a Project Management Maturity Model. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Modig, N A continuum of organizations formed to carry out projects: Temporary and stationary organization forms. International Journal of Project Management, 25(8): Muller, R. & Turner, J. R The impact of principal-agent relationship and contract type on communication between project owner and manager. International Journal of Project Management, 23(5): Pryke, S. & Smyth, H The Management of Complex Projects. Blackwell. Ch. 1: Pryke, S. & Smyth, H Scoping a Relationship approach to the management of complex projects. Ch. 4: Smyth, H Measuring, developing and managing trust in relationships. Ch. 12: Ive, G. & Rintale, K The economics of relationships. Stewart, R. W. & Fortune, J Application of systems thinking to the identification, avoidance and prevention of risk. International Journal of Project Management, 13(5): Thiry, M. & Deguire, M Recent developments in project-based organisations. International Journal of Project Management, 25(7): Turner, J. R. & Simister, S. J Project contract management and a theory of organization. International Journal of Project Management, 19(8): Vaaland, T. I. & Håkansson, H Exploring interorganizational conflict in complex projects. Industrial Marketing Management, 32:

5 Ward, S. & Chapman, C Transforming project risk management into project uncertainty management. International Journal of Project Management, 21(2): Webster, G Project definition - the missing link. Industrial & Commercial Training, 31(6): Zedtwitz, M. v Organizational learning through post-project reviews in R&D. R&D Management, 32(3): COURSE SUBJECT AREAS: 1) Projects Projects are normally associated with a unique undertaking, including a specific goal, a specific organization with dedicated resources and a limited timeframe. Projects are discussed both in relation to other temporary and permanent organizational forms and in relation to various typologies of projects, scope of project, the base organization s structure and the relation between the base organization and the project. The discussion is based on organizational theories and includes advantages and disadvantages of the project as an organizational concept. 2) Project management tools, methods and techniques are used for a) Defining visions and goals for the project b) Estimation and control of resource consumption and utilization. Including comparison with traditional accounting methods. c) Estimation and control of time spent. d) Management of functions and quality of the result of the project, including scope and integration. e) Risk management. f) Team manning, development and motivation. 3) Project management This includes the role of the project manager, using the tools, techniques and methods described above. Management of the project team and of relations to project owner and stakeholders as well within the organization as outside the organization. 4) Contingency project management

6 Under which conditions are the different management tools, techniques and methods suitable and what course of action should the project manager take. REQUIRED COURSES (progression): The course requires Organizational Design, 1st sem., and Accounting, 2nd sem., (Compulsory courses) and 8035 Organizational Behavior as prerequisites. [This course has up till now attracted students from other studies at the University of Aarhus. Students who have not followed the prerequisite courses are referred to the master course: International Project Management at International Studies starting beginning of January].