Question 1
Project governance involves the management of the framework in which the decisions concerning the project are made. The success or failure of the project is dependent on the decisions that are made and the way several stakeholders run the functions in the organization. Project governance is critical in any project because it lays down the responsibilities and the accountabilities that are concerned with the given project. It shows the people who are responsible for a given task in the project, and they outline the timeline under which the functions in the project are carried out so that purposes intended will be met accordingly to the benefit of the organization (Hällgren & Lindahl, 2017, p 245). One important role of project governance is the fact that it provides a decision making framework that is robust, logical and repeatable to govern the capital investments that have been put in place by a certain project. The project governance, therefore, enables an organization to have a structured approach that will enable them to perform the project, the change in the business as well as the performance of the day to day activities within the business. Project governance is composed of three pillars namely the people, the information as well as the structure (Loch, Mähring, & Sommer, 2017, p 46).
Most of the companies spend more of their earnings on projects as a result of the projects not meeting the goals that have been put in place in the organization. Project governance may be applied to the organization by drafting a to-do list for the tasks that are supposed to be performed within the organization. The next process is to come up with a roadmap on how the tasks are supposed to be performed in the organization. The execution of the project also involves preventing delay as well as the termination of the project before it achieves the purposes intended. The failure of the project is characterized by inadequate planning, inadequate risk management practices, and lack of the management and leadership skills, the stakeholders who fail to work in line with the requirements of the project as well as changing the scope before the project advances (Ahola et. al., 2014, p 1322). It is the work of the project manager to ensure that the project is well governed and that the purposes intended are carried out effectively (Too & Weaver, 2014, p. 1382).
Question 2
The leadership of the term paper team was designed to enable us to come up with a comprehensive term paper that will fulfill the course requirements. It was composed of the leader who was the manager of all the information that was being contributed by the members. He was in charge of making sure that all the people in the group adhere to the rules and that the purpose intended is fulfilled for the benefit of the members and the group as a whole. There were different ways in which the functions were being carried out to ensure that the purpose intended is reached. There are some cases where the members were forced to change the processes, especially when the time was running out, and the term paper is not ready. The leader had to take the necessary steps to meet the deadline that was fast approaching. The initial plan was taking a lot of time, something that forced the group members to come up with ways of improving the functionality of the group. The members that were slow in contribution were encouraged to stay put. They could not be removed from the group because that is where they belong. There are times when the timelines for that have been given for the completion of the project are not enough if the project manager decides to stick with the original plan. The term paper group found itself in a similar situation, and they had to change some management tactics as a way of increasing efficiency and ensuring that all the functions are carried out accordingly and that the term paper is ready on time. The management of the group has the power to ensure that the people perform in the group and they can perform the purposes intended in the organization.
Question 3
A temporary organization has been set with the aim of performing given acts after which it is disbanded. A project is an example of the temporary organization because it has a stipulated time plan and it is disbanded immediately the task intended is done. Temporary organizations are important because there is a possibility of employing the workers for a given period then pay them for the time that they are working hence saving the financial resources. Most of the projects can be classified as temporary organizations because they only exist for a short period and when the purpose intended is completed the management is dissolved then the other employees working in the organization are relieved of their duties. The management of the organization may decide to use the same team in another project just in case they have it before they decide to disband it. The employees in the plan who have shown outstanding work are likely to be considered for future tasks. There are some positive implications of the temporary organization which include the fact that it provides a means of livelihood to many jobless individuals in the society. They also help in solving the urgent problems that emerge in society such as inadequate drinking water. A temporary organization is also important because it offers jobs to the jobless in the society. The temporary organizations are set up to achieve a given objective in a cost-effective manner. However, several negative implications are associated with them including the fact that the commitment and the zeal of the employees may be down because the job will not last for a longer period of time. The implementation of the tasks in the organization may be affected by the less commitment hence a lower quality of service compared to the permanent organizations. An individual may have a short time in the job and will have to look for another working place (Lundin & Söderholm, 2013, p. xx).
Question 4
One of the contemporary projects is the American Airlines merger with US Airways. Stakeholder management was essential in the success of the project. The stakeholders in the merger were the top management of American Airlines and US Airways. The other stakeholders in the project were the clients who are affected by the actions taken by the top management of both companies. The shareholders were also important stakeholders in the merger, and their interests had to be met to ensure that all the activities and the planned changes will affect them in the organization. The management agreed that 72% of the shares in the organization would be owned by AMR Corporation. The project management was tasked with deciding the name of the organization, and the way the ownership of the new company will be done. The work of the project management would be over once the merger has successfully taken place. Different stakeholders have to get different attention based on their influence on the project. The project manager is the senior stakeholder in the organization and he or she is the highest priority. The project managers manage the other stakeholders in the project such as the functional managers, contractors, the government agencies, the other organizations, the project sponsors as well as the customers. The project manager is accountable to the top management. The departmental managers are responsible for various departments in the organization. The clients are important to the organization since they are the reason why many organizations exist in the first place. The merger should not affect the clients in any way. The management was in charge of the planning and implementation of various actions in the project, and their interests were met. People tend to address their interests before they address the interests of the other people in society. The junior employees will have the lowest priority because they are not of a bigger influence in the organization. Different stakeholders should be handled differently because they have different roles and influence in the organization. In any project management conflicts arise that need to be effectively handled to ensure the success of the project. Potential conflict in the mergers is how the ownership of the organization will be planned. In such a case, it is important to ensure that all the needs, grievances and concerns of all the stakeholders are heard. Seeking a consensus of all the people is important towards ensuring unity and effective discharge of their duties Larson et. al., 2014, p 333).
Figure 1: A figure showing the logos of the merger between American Airlines merger with US Airways (“American Airlines-US Airways Merger: By The Numbers,” 2014)
References
Ahola, T., Ruuska, I., Artto, K., & Kujala, J. (2014). What is project governance and what are its origins? International Journal of Project Management, 32(8), 1321-1332. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.09.005
American Airlines Merger (Management In Action Case Study). (2015, April 12). Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/metalwihen/american-airlines-merger-management-in-action-case-study
Hällgren, M., & Lindahl, M. (2017). Coping with lack of authority. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 10(2), 244-262. doi:10.1108/ijmpb-04-2016-0036
Loch, C., Mähring, M., & Sommer, S. (2017). Supervising Projects You Don’t (Fully) Understand. California Management Review, 59(2), 45-67. doi:10.1177/0008125617697944
Lundin, R. A., & Söderholm, A. (2013). Temporary organizations and end states. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 6(3), 587-594. doi:10.1108/ijmpb-09-2012-0055
The American Airlines-US Airways Merger: By The Numbers. (2014, December 9). Retrieved from https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/the-american-airlines-us-airways-merger-by-the-numbers/
Larson, E. W., Gray, C. F., Danlin, U., Honig, B., & Bacarini, D. (2014). Project management: The managerial process (Vol. 6). Grandview Heights, OH: McGraw-Hill Education.
Too, E. G., & Weaver, P. (2014). The management of project management: A conceptual framework for project governance. International Journal of Project Management, 32(8), 1382-1394. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.07.006