Project Management Ch 3 Smartbook

In a functional organization, coordination of projects is maintained through Blank______.

Normal Management Channels

Which of the following are means to determine an organization's culture?

Observe how people interact within an organization. Interpret stories and folklore surrounding an organization. Study the physical characteristics of an organization.

Why is the dedicated project management approach faster?

Participants are not distracted by other obligations.

Which of the following are true about companies that are predominantly project organizations, such as construction or software firms?

Personnel may work on multiple projects at the same time. Functional departments exist to be support staff for project teams. The organization is structured around projects.

______ projects are medium-risk projects involving system upgrades that yield new products and processes.

Platform

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

Provide support/assistance as needed.

What does a project management system provide?

Provides a framework for launching and implementing project activities

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

Seeing how people act to achieve career success.

As identified by Hobbs and Ménard (1993), which of the following factors influence the choice of project management structure?

Stability of resource requirement Environmental complexity Budget and time constraints

Which factors positively affect project success?

The balance of the needs of the parent organization and those of the project. The authority project managers have over the project.

Which is the most important factor in the success of a project?

The correct management structure for the organizational culture

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.

Identify a true statement about a balanced matrix.

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

Which of the following is a characteristic responsibility of the project manager on a dedicated project team?

The project manager recruits project team members.

Which factors help define what is meant by an "organizational culture"?

The system of shared norms and values The customs and habits of management and staff

What differentiates a weak matrix project management structure from a functional project management structure?

The weak matrix has a formally designated project manager.

There is empirical evidence that project success is directly linked to the amount of ______ and _______project managers have over their projects.

autonomy, authority

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

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

A potential weakness of a matrix organizational structure is that it is more _____ than other project structures.

complicated

The metaphor the textbook choose to describe the relationship between organizational culture and project management is that of a riverboat trip. ___ is the river and the ___ is the boat.

culture, project

If an organization has very few projects, then a less formal arrangement is probably all that is required. could be created on an as-needed basis and the organization could outsource project work.

dedicated teams

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 other team members work.

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

dominant role. dominant interest.

As noted by Hobbs and Ménard (1993), one of the factors that should influence the choice of project management structure is _______ complexity, or the number of external interfaces.

environmental

One of the approaches to organizing projects is to manage them within the existing ____ hierarchy of the organization, which involves delegating different segments of the project to respective functional units. (Enter only one word per blank.)

functional

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

how authority will be delegated. how resources will be allocated. how project outcomes will be used.

On _____ projects, project managers have to interact with the culture of the parent organization as well as the subculture of various departments. On _____ projects, they have to interact with the project's customer organizations.

internal, external

When projects are completed using a functional project management organization, it typically takes _____ to complete projects through this functional arrangement.

longer

For organizations that cannot afford to tie up critical personnel on individual projects, a system _____ would appear to be appropriate.

matrix

If a dedicated project team is not possible under adverse cultural conditions, then at least a project _____ should be used, giving the project manager dominant control over the project.

matrix

The dedicated ____, structure evolved out of the necessity to share resources across multiple projects and functional domains while creating legitimate project leadership.

matrix

The advantages of a functional project organization include:

maximum flexibility in the use of staff. easy post-project transition.

In the case of firms where projects are the dominant form of business the entire organization is designed to support project teams. This type of organization is referred to in the literature as a ________ organization

projectized

As set forth by Casey and Peck (2001), the goal of a Blank______ PMO is to provide the organization with a cadre of trained project managers and professionals.

resource pool

When the dominant organizational culture inhibits collaboration and innovation, it is advisable to insulate the project team from the dominant culture. Here it becomes necessary to create a ____-_____ project team.

self-sufficient

Which of the following factors, identified by Hobbs and Ménard (1993), influence the choice of project management structure?

size of project, strategic importance, novelty and need for innovation, need for integration, environmental complexity, budget and time constraints, stability of resource requirements, number of departments involved

When using dedicated project teams, technical expertise is limited to the talents of the team members because often the _____ syndrome prevents the team from consulting with others.

we-they

In a matrix system, there are usually how many chains of command?

2

How long, according to experts, does it take for a matrix system to fully mature?

3-5 years

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

A "we-they" attitude.

Which of the following are strengths of the dedicated project team approach?

A high level of motivation and cohesiveness often emerges within the project team. Specialists from different areas work closely together and become committed to optimizing the project.

Which type of project management structure is effective in cases where the organizational culture supports the behaviors necessary to complete the project?

A more flexible structure

Which organizational structure works best for projects?

A system that balances the needs of the project with those of the parent organization

Which aspects of organizational culture bind people together and create shared meaning?

Assumptions Beliefs Norms Values

This type of PMO has direct authority over projects.

Command and control center

_____ helps clarify authority relationships. It provides reasons why people are in a position of authority and why their authority should be respected.

Culture

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

Culture influences project structure.

_____ project teams operate as units separate from the rest of the parent organization.

Dedicated project team

List the primary benefits of using a matrix type of project management structure.

Efficient use of resources Strong project focus

Using the functional organization, the transfer of equipment and personnel to a new office would be managed by a top-ranking manager in which department?

Facilities Department

Evaluation of individual factors will clearly define company culture.

False

One of the major advantages of using the existing functional organization to administer and complete projects is the _____ in the use of staff. (Fill in the blank with one word.)

Flexibility

Which of the following project factors should lead an organization toward a dedicated project team structure?

High strategic importance Tight time restrictions Large project size

Organizations that have a mix of standard products and projects are good candidates for which type of project management structure?

Matrix

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

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

In the matrix organizational structure, project team members report simultaneously to both functional and project managers.

True

What should be observed during a meeting to determine the culture of an organization?

What is the focus of the meeting How much time is spent on various issues How candid the conversation is