Read and reflect on the assigned readings for the week. Then post what you thought was the most important concept(s), method(s),
Reflection and Discussion Forum Week 15
Reflection and Discussion Forum Week 15Assigned Readings:Chapter. 15 Agile Project ManagementChapter. 16 International ProjectsInitial Postings: Read and reflect on the assigned readings for the week. Then post what you thought was the most important concept(s), method(s), term(s), and/or any other thing that you felt was worthy of your understanding in each assigned textbook chapter.Your initial post should be based upon the assigned reading for the week, so the textbook should be a source listed in your reference section and cited within the body of the text. Other sources are not required but feel free to use them if they aid in your discussion.Also, provide a graduate-level response to each of the following questions:
- Use an Internet search engine to find the most recent International Corruptions Perceptions Index (CPI) released by the Berlin-based organization Transparency International.
- Check your predictions with the Index.
- How well did you do? What countries surprised you? Why?
[Your post must be substantive and demonstrate insight gained from the course material. Postings must be in the student's own words – do not provide quotes!]
Activity 15
After reviewing/reading Chapters 15 & 16 of the textbook, access UC's online Library and conduct research within the "Business Source Premier (EBSCO Host)" search engine and locate a Project Management Journal article among the thousands of journal articles made available within the many years of publications the Library holds. The Project Management Journal article should tie directly into at least one highlight from the assigned chapters (Chapters 15 & 16) reading/review material for the week. This weekly research paper should include at least 2 pages, but not more than 3 pages, in the narrative and it should be typed in APA formatting (title page, reference page, no abstract page, double-spacing, Times New Roman 12 font, 1 inch margins, in-text citations, etc…). Your paper should contain the following headings:
- Introduction
- Summary of the article
- Relevant points made by the author
- Critique of the article
- Application of the concepts in the article
Chapter Fifteen
International Projects
15–1
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15–2
Where We Are Now
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–2
Learning Objectives
Describe environmental factors that affect project management in different countries
Identify factors that typically are considered in selecting a foreign location for a project
Understand cross-cultural issues that impact working on international projects
Describe culture shock and strategies for coping with it
Understand how organizations select and prepare people to work on international projects
15–3
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter Outline
15-1 Environmental Factors
15-2 Project Site Selection
15-3 Cross-Cultural Considerations: A Closer Look
15-4 Selection and Training for International
Projects
15–4
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
15–5
International Projects
Issues in Managing International Projects
Environmental factors affecting projects
Global expansion considerations
Challenges of working in foreign cultures
Selection and training of overseas managers
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–5
15–6
International Assignments
Positives
Increased income
Increased responsibilities
Career opportunities
Foreign travel
New lifetime friends
Negatives
Absence from home and friends, and family
Personal risks
Missed career opportunities
Difficulties with foreign language, culture, and laws
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–6
15–7
FIGURE 15.1
Environmental Factors Affecting International Projects
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–7
15–8
Environmental Factors
Legal/Political
Political stability
National and local laws and regulations
Federal, state and local bureaucracies
Government interference or support
Government corruption
Security
International terrorism
National and local security
Local crime and kidnapping
Risk management
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Project Management 6e.
15–8
15–9
Environmental Factors (cont’d)
Geography
Climate and seasonal differences
Natural geographical obstacles
Economic
Gross domestic product (GDP)
Protectionist strategies and policies
Balance of payments
Local labor force: supply, educational and skill levels
Currency convertibility and exchange rates
Inflation rates
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–9
15–10
Environmental Factors (cont’d)
Infrastructure
Telecommunication networks
Transportation systems
Power distribution grids
Unique local technologies
Educational systems
Culture
Customs and social standards
Values and philosophies
Language
Multicultural environments
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–10
15–11
Assessment Matrix Project Site Selection
FIGURE 15.2
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Project Management 6e.
15–11
15–12
Evaluation Matrix Breakdown for Infrastructure
FIGURE 15.3
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Project Management 6e.
15–12
15–13
Cross-Cultural Considerations: A Closer Look
Culture
A system of shared norms, beliefs, values, and customs that bind people together, creating shared meaning and a unique identity.
Cultural Differences:
Geographic regions
Ethnic or religious groups
Language
Economic
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–13
15–14
Cross-Cultural Considerations… (cont’d)
Ethnocentric Perspective
The tendency to believe that one’s cultural values and ways of doing things are superior to all others
Wanting to conduct business only on your terms and stereotyping other countries
Ignoring the “people factor” in other cultures by putting work ahead of building relationships
Adjustments Required:
Relativity of time and punctuality
Culture-related ethical differences
Personal and professional relationships
Attitudes toward work and life
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–14
15–15
Cross-Cultural Considerations (cont’d)
Working in Mexico
Working in Saudi Arabia
Working in France
Working in China
Working in the United States
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Project Management 6e.
15–15
15–16
Cross-Cultural Orientations
Relation to Nature
How people relate to the natural world around them and to the supernatural
Time Orientation
The culture focus on the past, present, or future.
Activity Orientation
How to live: “being” or living in the moment, doing, or controlling
Basic Nature of People
Whether people viewed as good, evil, or some mix of these two
Relationships among People
The degree of responsibility one has for others
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–16
15–17
Kluckhohn-Strodtbeck’s Cross-Cultural Framework
FIGURE 15.4
Note: The line indicates where the United States tends to fall along these issues.
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Project Management 6e.
15–17
15–18
The Hofstede Cultural Dimensions Framework
Individualism versus Collectivism
Identifies whether a culture holds individuals or the group responsible for each member’s welfare.
Power Distance
Describes degree to which a culture accepts status and power differences among its members.
Uncertainty Avoidance
Identifies a culture’s willingness to accept uncertainty and ambiguity about the future.
Masculinity-Femininity
Describes the degree to which the culture emphasizes competitive and achievement-oriented behavior or displays concerns for relationships.
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–18
15–19
Sample Country Clusters on Hofstede’s Dimensions of Individualism-Collectivism and Power Distance
FIGURE 15.5
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–19
15–20
Working in Different Cultures
Relying on Local Intermediaries
Translators
Social connections
Expeditors
Cultural advisors and guides
Culture Shock
The natural psychological disorientation that most people suffer when they move into a different culture.
A breakdown in a person’s selective perception and effective interpretation system induced by foreign stimuli and the inability to function effectively in a strange land
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–20
15–21
Culture Shock Cycle
FIGURE 15.6
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Project Management 6e.
15–21
15–22
Working in Different Cultures (cont’d)
Coping with Culture Shock
Engage in regular physical exercise programs, practice meditation and relaxation exercises, and keep a journal
Create “stability zones” that closely re-creates home
Modify expectations and behavior
Redefine priorities and develop realistic expectations
Focus on most important tasks and relish small accomplishments
Use project work as a bridge until adjusted to the new environment
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–22
15–23
Selection and Training for International Projects
Selection Factors
Work experience with cultures other than one’s own
Previous overseas travel
Good physical and emotional health
Knowledge of a host nation’s language
Recent immigration background or heritage
Ability to adapt and function in the new culture
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–23
15–24
Selection and Training for International Projects (cont’d)
Areas for Training to Increase Understanding of a Foreign Culture:
Religion
Dress codes
Education system
Holidays—national and religious
Daily eating patterns
Family life
Business protocols
Social etiquette
Equal opportunity
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–24
15–25
Selection and Training for International Projects (cont’d)
Learning Approaches to Cultural Fluency
The “information-giving” approach—the learning of information or skills from a lecture-type orientation
The “affective approach”—the learning of information/skills that raise the affective responses on the part of the trainee and result in cultural insights
The “behavioral/experiential” approach—a variant of the affective approach technique that provides the trainee with realistic simulations or scenarios
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Project Management 6e.
15–25
15–26
Relationship between Length and Rigor of Training and Cultural Fluency Required
FIGURE 15.7
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Project Management 6e.
15–26
15–27
Key Terms
Cross-cultural orientations
Culture
Culture shock
Infrastructure
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Project Management 6e.
15–27
,
Chapter Sixteen
An Introduction to Agile Project Management
16-1
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16–2
Where We Are Now
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
17–2
Project Management 6e.
Learning Objectives
Recognize the conditions in which traditional project management versus agile project management should be used
Understand the value of incremental, iterative development for creating new products
Identify core Agile principles
Understand the basic methodology used in Scrum
Recognize the limitations of Agile project management
16–3
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Chapter Outline
16-1 Traditional versus Agile Methods
16-2 Agile PM
16-3 Agile PM in Action: Scrum
16-4 Applying Agile PM to Large Projects
16-5 Limitations and Concerns
16–4
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
16–5
Traditional versus Agile Methods
Traditional Project Management Approach
Concentrates on thorough, upfront planning of the entire project.
Requires a high degree of predictability to be effective.
Agile Project Management (Agile PM)
Relies on incremental, iterative development cycles to complete projects.
Is ideal for exploratory projects in which requirements need to be discovered and new technology tested.
Focuses on active collaboration between the project team and customer representatives.
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17–5
Project Management 6e.
16–6
Agile Project Management
Agile PM
Is related to the rolling wave planning and scheduling project methodology.
Uses iterations (“time boxes”) to develop a workable product that satisfies the customer and other key stakeholders.
Allows stakeholders and customers review progress and re-evaluate priorities to ensure alignment with customer needs and company goals.
Is cyclical in that adjustments are made and a different iterative cycle begins that subsumes the work of the previous iterations and adds new capabilities to the evolving product.
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17–6
Project Management 6e.
16–7
Project Uncertainty
FIGURE 16.1
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17–7
Project Management 6e.
16–8
The Waterfall Approach to Software Development
FIGURE 16.2
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17–8
Project Management 6e.
16–9
Traditional Project Management versus Agile Project Management
TABLE 16.1
Traditional | Agile |
Design up front | Continuous design |
Fixed scope | Flexible |
Deliverables | Features/requirements |
Freeze design as early as possible | Freeze design as late as possible |
Low uncertainty | High uncertainty |
Avoid change | Embrace change |
Low customer interaction | High customer interaction |
Conventional project teams | Self-organized project teams |
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17–9
Project Management 6e.
16–10
Iterative, Incremental Product Development
FIGURE 16.3
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17–10
Project Management 6e.
16–11
Agile Project Management (cont’d)
Advantages of Agile PM
Useful in developing critical breakthrough technology or defining essential features
Continuous integration, verification, and validation of the evolving product
Frequent demonstration of progress to increase the likelihood that the end product will satisfy customer needs
Early detection of defects and problems
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17–11
Project Management 6e.
16–12
Agile PM Principles
Focus on customer value
Iterative and incremental delivery
Experimentation and adaptation
Self-organization
Continuous improvement
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
17–12
Project Management 6e.
16–13
Popular Agile PM Methods
Agile PM Methods
Crystal Clear
RUP (Rational Unified Process)
Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM)
Scrum
Extreme Programming
Agile Modeling
Rapid Product Development (PRD)
Lean Development
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
17–13
Project Management 6e.
16–14
Agile PM in Action: Scrum
Scrum Methodology
Is a holistic approach for use by a cross-functional team collaborating to develop a new product.
Defines product features as deliverables and prioritizes them by their perceived highest value to the customer.
Re-evaluates priorities after each iteration (sprint) to produce fully functional features.
Has four phases: analysis, design, build, test.
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17–14
Project Management 6e.
16–15
Scrum Development Process
FIGURE 16.4
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17–15
Project Management 6e.
16–16
Key Roles and Responsibilities in the Scrum Process
Product Owner
Acts on behalf of customers/end users to represent their interests.
Development Team
Is a team of five to nine people with cross-functional skill sets responsible for delivering the product.
Scrum Master (aka Project Manager)
Facilitates scrum process and resolves impediments at the team and organization level by acting as a buffer between the team and outside interference.
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17–16
Project Management 6e.
16–17
Scrum Meetings
FIGURE 16.5
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17–17
Project Management 6e.
16–18
Partial Product Backlog
FIGURE 16.6
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17–18
Project Management 6e.
16–19
Partial Sprint Backlog
FIGURE 16.7
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17–19
Project Management 6e.
16–20
Sprint Burndown Chart
FIGURE 16.8
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17–20
Project Management 6e.
16–21
Release Burndown Chart After Six Sprints
FIGURE 16.9
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17–21
Project Management 6e.
16–22
Applying Agile PM to Large Projects
Scaling
Uses several teams to work on different features of a large scale project at the same time.
Staging
Requires significant up-front planning to manage the interdependences of different features to be developed.
Involves developing protocols and defining roles to coordinate efforts and assure compatibility and harmony.
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17–22
Project Management 6e.
16–23
Hub Project Management Structure
FIGURE 16.10
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17–23
Project Management 6e.
16–24
Limitations and Concerns of Agile PM
It does not satisfy top management’s need for budget, scope, and schedule control.
Its principles of self-organization and close collaboration can be incompatible with corporate cultures.
Its methods appear to work best on small projects that require only five to nine dedicated team members to complete the work.
It requires active customer involvement and cooperation.
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
17–24
Project Management 6e.
16–25
Key Terms
Agile PM
Feature
Iterative incremental development (IID)
Product backlog
Product owner
Release burndown chart
Scaling
Self-organizing team
Sprint backlog
Sprint burndown chart
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17–25
Project Management 6e.
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