CHAPTER 3 - Organization: Structure and Culture

What are the by-products/outcomes derived by a company's culture?

Justification of managerial actions and initiatives, a sense of identity, and clarification of acceptable business practices.

What is true about companies that are predominately project organizations, such as construction or software firms?

the organization is structured around projects, personnel may work on multiple projects at the same time, and functional departments exist to be support staff for project teams.

What are the key reasons project managers have to be able to "read and speak" the culture in which they are working?

to get buy-in from intern and external stakeholders and to influence team members to complete the project to the client's specifications

A key goal for an organization using a matrix structure for project management is

yo optimize resource allocation

Which organization structure works best for projects?

Depends on the project and the organization

Which type of project management structure is preferred if a primary concern is resource availability and the continuation of business operations while implementing projects?

Matrix

What factors in organizational culture bind people together and create shared meaning?

Normas, beliefs, values, and assumptions

In general, what should be considered when selecting a management style for a project?

Organizational structure and the type of project

What his the main role of functional departments in organizations where projects are the dominant form of funniness, such as construction and software?

Provide support/assistance as needed

As an employee, which best describes how to define corporate culture?

Seeing how people act to achieve career success

Research suggests 10 primary characteristics that can define culture. What can be said about how these organizational characteristics define company culture?

The factors will have varying degrees of influence/utilization

What is a true statement about a balanced matrix?

The functional manager is concerned with how the task defined by the project manager can be accomplished.

Why would a company choose to create a dedicated project team structure if that is not their normal project approach?

The need for a high level of cross functional integration and the need for speed

What is a responsibility of the project manager on a dedicated project team?

The project manager recruits project team members

What project factors should lead an organization toward a dedicated project team structure?

Tight time restrictions, large project size, and high strategic importance

Why do project managers have to be aware of organizational culture to help guide a project to success?

To be able to interact with external stakeholders and to be able to interact with diverse departments.

What is considered a potential negative result of utilizing dedicated project teams, especially in a historically functional organization?

a "we-they" attitude

No single organizational culture can guarantee project success, however it is clear that

an optimal culture would balance success with process

Of the three types of matrix organizations, which is the hardest for an organization to effectively utilize, i.e. which usually falls victim to classic matrix management program

balanced

Of the three types of matrix organizations, which is the hardest for an organization to effectively utilize. i.e., which usually falls victim to classic metrics management.

balanced.

Under adverse cultural conditions, to succeed, a project manager's authority of a project team should

be "significant", such as a strong matrix or a dedicated project team.

What are the project factors that should guide an organization in determining the type of project management structure to utilize?

budget and time restrictions, number of departments and external organizations involved, strategic importance, resource availability, novelty and project size

The advantages of a functional project organization include

continuity of manager-employee structure and easy post-project transition

The lack of horizontal (direct) lines of communication in a functional project organization will generally cause a longer project completion time due to

delayed realization of the impact of the other team members work.

a functional structure is best suited when a single department has a

dominant role and dominant interest

Matrix organizations face their greatest challenge in post-project transition.

false

When deciding on a project management structure, the needs of the paren organization and the project have to be balanced in terms of

how authority will be delegated, resources allocated, and how project outcomes will be used

Matrix management is a _______ organization structure in which a horizontal project management structure is overlaid on the normal functional structure..

hybrid

What best describes the connection between corporate cultures and project management structure for success?

matrix management structures are highly dependent upon company culture

In a functional organization, coordination of projects is maintained through

normal channels

What are the primary benefits of using a matrix type of project management structure?

strong project focus and an efficient use of resources