Challenges and Possible solutions 8 th September, 2013

Challenges of project management Project management involves coordinating various aspects of a project in order to bring forth a positive result. This coordination can include elements such as personnel, materials, procedures and facilities In their course of their work, project managers have to face a number of challenges Such challenges includes ethical, cross cultural and international issues

Ethical issues Ethical issues are common problems that project managers have to deal with If such issues are not resolved properly, they may result in decreased efficiency by the team members Revolve around working relationship Vary from one culture or region to another Are based on the norms, values, thoughts and beliefs of the individuals No hard and fast rules for dealing with ethical issues

Most common ethical issues Violation of Basic Rights of Workers Ignoring Health or Safety Standards Backstabbing- Making Shady Deals - Wrong People on Job- Blaming Others- especially for something they are not responsible for

Dealing with ethical issues Should set a code of conduct based on four universal values of responsibility, respect, fairness and honesty(Haukur & Ingerson, 2013) Review if your organization has policies and related codes of ethics Provide a safe mechanism for your project team members to raise issues and arrange avenues of dialogue that address projects’ ethical issues Ensure a sound project governance structure with mindful controls and a project review structure to prevent temptations toward unethical practices.

Cross cultural issues Managers in today’s multicultural global business community frequently encounter cultural differences, which can interfere with the successful completion of projects. working with project teams from different cultures can pose additional risks to a project because of a lack of understanding, from both sides, of the differences in underlying values and attitudes and how these affect working practices(Hofstede, 2001).

Dimensions of cross cultural issues According to Hofstede, cross cultural issues have several dimensions: Relationship between people-individualism and collectivism Motivational orientation-society chooses to cope with inherent uncertainty of things( Hostede, 2001) Attitude towards time –every culture has its own response to time Control- Social cultural dimension- Convergers and divergers- Based on the patterns of thinking within a given community

Solution for dealing with cross cultural issues  Adaptation; realizing and openly accepting issues surrounding cultural gaps and finding ways to work around them.  Structural Intervention; altering the composition of the team(Hostede, 2001)  Managerial Intervention; bringing in a higher-level manager to help set norms and ground rules.  Exit; when all else has failed, removing a team member may be the best option to prevent a total disintegration of the team.

International issues The globalised business and organizational environment is creating a growing need for project managers that can operate in a variety of cultural and socio-economic settings and are capable of handling the complexities that arise while working in an international context.

Most common international issues in project management Managing Cultural Diversity; Standardizing Each Process and Methodology; Managing Virtual Teams ; Deciding and Controlling International Project Cost ; Legal issues; Labor issues ; Political issues :

How to deal with international challenges of a project A proper understanding of the working environment Adequate preparation Adjusting to the time zones Understand the legal provisions of the country you want to execute the project A proper understanding of the labor laws within the country of operation

References Haukur, I. J., & Ingason, H. T. (2013). Project ethics. Farnham, Surrey: Gower Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks, Calif. [u.a.: Sage Publ. Wimmers, J., & Optiz, C. (2010). Challenges and Best Practices in International Projects: Practical and Theoretical Approach. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH.