Managing global project

1. Managing global project

2. Global Projects • ”It is virtually impossible for multinational corporations to exploit economies of scale and scope, maximize the transfer of knowledge or cultivate a global mind-set without understanding and mastering the management of global business teams.”

3. Defining a Global project • In corporations with activities in many countries • Cross national borders • Cross hierarchical levels • Cross functional levels • Aims at utilization resources and above all knowledge at the geographically dispersed units AND • Temporary group constellations • Pre-defined frames • Pre-defined goals/quality MNC GBT. SUB SUB SUB SUB SUB HQ SUB SUB SUB

4. Why global projects? • Coordination across geographically dispersed business units • Experiencing participation • Ease the implementation of common corporate solutions at local business units • Creative solutions – reduces the risk standardization • Global use of geographically dispersed knowledge • Knowledge connected both to the task and performance • Give rise to new knowledge • Possibilities on a further learning as knowledge can be shared and used on other projects and in the daily operations

5. Challenges for Global Projects on Business unit and Team member levels • Concerning affected business units • Loss of important competence • Use of resources • ”Knowledge is power” • Unification around common goals/standards • Not-invented-here syndrome • Concerning team members • Geographically dispersed • Cultural differences • Language barriers • Lack of common routines and norms • ”Knowledge is power”

6. Common problem areas • Cultural differences • Language barriers • Standards – different requirements of each market • Different units have their own set of priorities • Time-zone differences • Obtaining buy-in to objectives of remote members • Poor development and communication plans • Clarity in responsibilities • Lack of sharing of problems when they arise • Delays caused by support systems

7. Dealing with problems in global projects • Establish strategies for task and processes • Formal project start-up meeting • Regular face-to-face meetings • Establishing regular video-conferences • Judicious use of e-mail in circulating project information • Intra-net • Working with senior department management • Consider the degree of diversity in relation to the task

8. Strategies for managing global projects – Task strategies • Creating a sense of purpose • What is the mission of the team? • What are the goals of the team? • Who should be a member? • Structuring the task • To what degree needs the task be structured? • What are the rules of the game? • How important is time and how do we manage time? • What work can be divided and then integrated? • What can be done together/apart? • Assigning roles and responsibilities • Who does what and is responsible for what? • From where should the project manager be appointed and on what criteria? • What is his/her role? • Who needs to attend meetings? • Reaching decisions • How should decisions be made? (vote, consensus, compromise) • Who is expected to make decisions? (Team vs leader)

9. Strategies for managing global projects – Process strategies • Team building • What is the mission of the team? • How much time for and what form of social activates? • Choosing how to communicate • What is the working language? • How to address the imbalance in level of fluency? • What kind of communication technology can be used? • What is an effective presentation? • Electing participants • How can one ensure participation of all members? • To what extent and why are some members assigned more credibility? • Is every members input considered? • Who listens/who talks/who interrupts? • Resolving conflicts • How should one manage a conflict? • Is collaboration sought if not how to enforce it? • To what extent should one compromise? How does one view negations? • Evaluating performance • How and when do we evaluate? • Is evaluation a two-way process? • How direct can feedback be?

10. Means supporting team work in global projects • Establish strategies for task and processes • Formal project start-up meeting • Regular face-to-face meetings • Establishing regular video-conferences • Judicious use of ICT for circulating project information • Working with senior department management • Consider the degree of diversity in relation to the task

11. Diversity in global project • Aspects affecting performance • The task • Creative • Computational • Coordination • Dimensions of heterogeneity • Values • Cognitive schema • Demeanor • Language • Curvilinear effects Hambrick et.al., 1998

12. Diversity in global projects • Diversity of values • Positive for creative • Neutral for computational • Negative for coordinative • Diversity of cognitive schema • Positive for creative • Positive then neutral when more than demanded • Positive then negative when more than demanded • Diversity of demeanors • Negative for all three • Language (common working language) • Limited knowledge negative for all three Hambrick et.al., 1998

13. The Global Project Manager

14. Managing differences • Understand business interdependencies • Respond to multiple cultures simultaneously • Recognize the influence of cultures at home • Willing to share power • Demonstrate cognitive complexity • Adopt a “cultural-general” approach • Rapidly learn and unlearn

15. Desired Skills Among Global Project Managers • Professional knowledge • knowledge of work methods and processes • technical skills to perform certain activities • Social competence • knowledge of human behavior • empathy • communication skills • Cultural competencies • individual background • experiences

16. Develop project managers’ competencies • Through experience • Training and education • Feedback from the project team • Mentor-system • Interest organizations

17. What can be done to support the project manager’s position? • Make the project manager role legitimatein the organization • Cultural training • Create career paths for project managers • Develop remuneration/bonus plans • Make it possible for the project manager to develop leadership skills besides necessary skills in how to technically manage projects • Continuous follow-ups of how the departments/lines and the project teams co-operate

18. Barriers to a well-functioning global project • Unclear or ambiguous goals/objectives • Ambiguous expectations concerning roles and responsibilities • Indistinct project structure • Deficient cultural awareness • Differences in commitment • Communication barriers • Poor co-operation and co-ordination across border • Poor leadership • High turnover off members • Suppressed conflicts Lack of trust

19. Global projects- problems and solutions • Lack of trust • Managing lack of trust • Schedule personal meetings • Rotate and diffuse leadership • Team-based rewards/bonus systems • Build social capital • Communication barriers • geographic • language • culture • Managing communication barriers • Language and cultural studies • Agree on common norms of behavior • Decision-making resting upon data • Develop alternative solutions • Rotate the meeting locations (Gupta och Govindarajan, 2001)

20. The role of global projects in knowledge levering • Support the strategic intents of identifying and recognizing knowledge in the MNC • Support the needs of leveraging local knowledge within the MNC • Enable economies of scale in knowledge development and sharing in the MNC

21. Knowledge processes in MNCs • Knowledge as tacit and explicit • Knowledge development • To explore and learn new ways, while concurrently exploiting what they have already learnt • Local knowledge development • Global knowledge development • Knowledge sharing • The provision as well as the reception of knowledge is shaped by the subsidiary sharing and the subsidiary receiving knowledge • Local knowledge sharing • Global knowledge sharing

22. Knowledge development and sharing in practice Common denominators

23. Knowledge development and knowledge sharing – the phases • Initiation and planning • The idea of leveraging knowledge on a global level • Setting up the team • Kick-off meeting • Actual development and progress • Coordination of activities • Communication and interaction mediated through different means, e.g. face-to-face meetings, ICTs • E-mail and telephone the most common ICTs • Managing information and knowledge flows • Final phase • The team member as bearer of knowledge • The success of product launch is contingent upon the ability to incorporate local demands • … at the same time, common product viable at a global market

24. Critical factors Knowledge development Knowledge sharing Motivation The mix of skills Shared knowledge and understanding Socialization ICTs Understanding local demands