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Business Case Studies
Abstract
The focus of the first three cases is project management including the one about managing risk. They are semi-solved but the case questions try to explore issues raised during the course of design or implementation of a given solution. The next one deals with the management of change. The fifth one is concerned with looming profitability. The goal of the rest of the cases is management information systems (MIS). Consequently, e-commerce and knowledge management are talked about. Some are discussing generic business issues. Thus, a range of subjects makes the collection useful for a variety of audience.
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Cambridge Core - Management: General Interest - Research Methods in Business Studies - by Pervez Ghauri
Management scholars and professionals continue to struggle with effective processes for measuring highly specialized knowledge. This challenge is becoming more critical as firms attempt to develop and extend core competencies, pursue growth strategies through mergers and acquisitions, and develop technological competencies. Particularly in professional service firms and high-tech firms, knowledge residing in human capital is complex, critical to achieving competitive advantage, and difficult to measure and manage. Based on recent conceptualizations of knowledge and knowing as action, we explore how knowledge is assessed and measured in a discipline that has a long and rich history of measuring complex, specialized knowledge: the medical specialty of thoracic surgery. Our in-depth exploration of the three-pronged approach of the thoracic surgery board certification process reveals important insights into assessing and developing knowledge in organizations. Four key lessons were learned. First, a systematic, institutionalized process of knowledge assessment conducted by an upper echelons team is important to determine the knowledge to be measured, and to diffuse critical knowledge. Second, foundational knowledge must be defined and measured prior to individual or group efforts to obtain or create specialized knowledge within an organization. Third, in attempting to measure knowledge in organizations, multiple measurement tools must be employed to tap into four types of knowledge (individual/explicit; individual/tacit; group/explicit; group/tacit). Finally, an organization must create a generative dance of knowledge and knowing as action to generate new levels of knowledge.
The construction industry is a very complex segment of any economy and is often faced with many challenges. One of the most complex challenges confronted by today's project managers is cost controlling and project schedule overruns. A well organized project planning and cost control system is needed. An effective cost and schedule control system must be established in order to deliver the construction projects on time and within the budget. Such a system should provide the information needed for the whole project team so that the actual performance can be compared to planned performance in a format that will provide a valid, timely picture of the project status, while problem areas that require particular attention can be isolated and looked into individually. To manage a project effectively, you need to communicate and distribute project information. The objective of this article is to look into the effective use of MS-Project's Gantt Chart in the planning and scheduling process of project management. Gantt charts are simple to understand and easy to construct and are a powerful visual tools for managing projects. The project chosen to illustrate the effectiveness of a Gantt chart is a 66kV transmission substation project. This involved the construction of three substations, procurement and installation of switchgear, transformers, associated controls, protection, and cabling works up to the energizing of the substations.
Previous research has helped us under-stand the role of program managers in the matrix organization but little has been done to provide a framework for understanding the senior management role. This research offers a step toward better understanding that role. Grounded theory research methods were used to analyze organizational artifacts and interview transcripts from an aero-space business division of a major Fortune 100 corporation. The findings asserted that five critical behavior constructs, Empowerment, Support, Decision-Making, Flexibility, and Communications, were instrumental in matrix organizational performance and were strongly influenced by senior leadership behavior.
The importance of project management maturity models has taken on greater significance in assessing an organization's current capabilities. These models are used to assess the maturity of an organization and to ensure its efficiency and uniformity in delivering projects. In addition, these models are used to further improve the performance of the organization. The objectives of this study are to determine the degree to which project management knowledge areas have been adopted by one public agency in terms of project integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communication, risk, and procurement and to assess the current maturity level of project management as perceived by project managers. A total of 65 project managers and project team members were selected as respondents for the study. Descriptive analysis was applied to answer the research questions and objectives. The study revealed that almost 90% of the respondents felt that understanding the nine project management knowledge areas was important when managing projects. The overall maturity level of the agency was rated as level 2. To maintain sustainability, the case agency has to shift upward from level 2 to level 3 of the project management maturity level.