6 Case Studies
6.1 Columbus Instruments
This case is based on a true story of a once-successful organization that had allowed its project management practices to degenerate to the point where assignment to a project team was often a mark of disfavor and a sign of pending termination. The case involves issues of motivation, structural effects on projects, and project team staffing. It offers students an opportunity to see how, if left unchecked, certain behaviors by department heads and others in the organization could work counter to the desires to use project teams to improve organizational profitability and instead make them a dumping ground for malcontents and poor performers.
1) What are the implications of CIC’s approach to staffing …show more content…
The concept of organizational “differentiation” is fundamental to understanding this malady. It is common for functional “siloing” to create an attitude in which the contributions of other project team members are either not recognized or undervalued. In this case, there are some clear signs of antagonism between Neil, the finance person and Susan, from Marketing. The terms “bean-counter” and “cowboy,” have been, in fact, coined by these people to refer to members of the other functions.
1) Was the argument today between Neil and Susan the true conflict or a symptom? What evidence do you have to suggest it is merely a symptom of a larger problem?
The interaction is evidence of more deep-rooted antagonisms between Neil and Susan and reflects a fundamental lack of appreciation for what each person brings to the project. Not only does each person view their own contributions as important, they get rid of the value added by the other. Neil clearly resents the activities (including trips) that are part of Susan’s job and feels that she is not committed to the project due to frequent absences. Susan is defensive about this, citing the fact that her job does require extended periods where she is likely to miss …show more content…
The instructor must assign one person (or group) to serve as the project manager and two others to adopt the conflicting personalities. Because the issue has flared up, it is likely that tempers will still be high when they meet with the project manager; thus, a script must anticipate more give-and-take between the two individuals and consider at what points it makes sense to intervene, how far to allow them to express their opinions, and exactly what must be said to them to get something positive out of the conflict. As it has come to an open confrontation, a script for conflict resolution has to recognize that there are egos
6.1 Columbus Instruments
This case is based on a true story of a once-successful organization that had allowed its project management practices to degenerate to the point where assignment to a project team was often a mark of disfavor and a sign of pending termination. The case involves issues of motivation, structural effects on projects, and project team staffing. It offers students an opportunity to see how, if left unchecked, certain behaviors by department heads and others in the organization could work counter to the desires to use project teams to improve organizational profitability and instead make them a dumping ground for malcontents and poor performers.
1) What are the implications of CIC’s approach to staffing …show more content…
The concept of organizational “differentiation” is fundamental to understanding this malady. It is common for functional “siloing” to create an attitude in which the contributions of other project team members are either not recognized or undervalued. In this case, there are some clear signs of antagonism between Neil, the finance person and Susan, from Marketing. The terms “bean-counter” and “cowboy,” have been, in fact, coined by these people to refer to members of the other functions.
1) Was the argument today between Neil and Susan the true conflict or a symptom? What evidence do you have to suggest it is merely a symptom of a larger problem?
The interaction is evidence of more deep-rooted antagonisms between Neil and Susan and reflects a fundamental lack of appreciation for what each person brings to the project. Not only does each person view their own contributions as important, they get rid of the value added by the other. Neil clearly resents the activities (including trips) that are part of Susan’s job and feels that she is not committed to the project due to frequent absences. Susan is defensive about this, citing the fact that her job does require extended periods where she is likely to miss …show more content…
The instructor must assign one person (or group) to serve as the project manager and two others to adopt the conflicting personalities. Because the issue has flared up, it is likely that tempers will still be high when they meet with the project manager; thus, a script must anticipate more give-and-take between the two individuals and consider at what points it makes sense to intervene, how far to allow them to express their opinions, and exactly what must be said to them to get something positive out of the conflict. As it has come to an open confrontation, a script for conflict resolution has to recognize that there are egos