Project Team Effectiveness

This study is to analyse the influence of project leadership on implementation of water projects in Kenya. Transactional theory was applied and literature review was done and a conceptual framework developed to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design adopted. The target population was from the eight water projects being implemented across the country and the accessible population was 1,675 staff members in the eight service boards in the country. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was applied. Questionnaires based on a five-point Likert type scale were distributed through drop and pickup method for collection of primary data. Reliability of the instrument was measured using Cronbach alpha coefficient and the variable returned satisfactory scores above 0.7. Validity of the study constructs was done through factor analysis and results were significant. One hundred and seventy-four (174) questionnaires were distributed out of which one hundred and forty-four (144) were returned. The descriptive results showed a positive bearing on implementation of water projects, and the same applied to the moderating variable. A regression model was fitted to the data and it was found to be statistically significant. Project leadership explained 33.4% variation in implementation of water projects. There was Strong positive correlation between project leadership and implementation of water projects in Kenya. Concluded that Project leadership had a positive and significant influence on implementation of water projects in Kenya. Recommended that Project leaders need to demonstrate clearly what is expected from the project team and make it clear on what deliverables are expected from them.

Exploring the dynamics of high-performance teams in the oil and gas industry, this study emphasizes the role of cultural diversity in shaping team communication and collaboration. Employing qualitative methodologies, the research focuses on the 'forming' and 'storming' stages of Tuckman and Jensen's team development model to assess how cultural differences influence team cohesion and conflict resolution. The paper integrates insights from project management and cross-cultural interactions, underlining the importance of trust and mutual respect in effective team dynamics. It argues that adaptive leadership, attuned to cultural nuances, is pivotal in forming high-performance teams in global contexts. The findings aim to enrich project management practices within culturally diverse settings and provide strategic recommendations for leaders of multinational teams to enhance project outcomes in the global oil and gas sector.

It generally arises when there are clashes of interest, values, thought process and working style among individuals or groups of organizations. In this competitive world, everyone is struggling for their existence at workplace , which lead to stressful as well as conflict situation. Conflict at certain level could be fine or acts as catalyst to motivate individuals or employees to improve their productivity. But if it goes beyond certain level, it starts affecting individuals' mental health as well as organization's productivity and reputation. It needs to be fixed and resolved at an early stage only. It could be possible through awareness regarding conflict resolution. At workplace , no employee will prefer an unpleasant and stressful setting. Everyone wants peaceful and productive environment. This review article is aimed to discuss and understand different perspectives and etiology behind conflict at workplace as well as helpful resolution techniques.

This study was done keeping in view importance of the role of administrators in the success of educational institutions. The prime focus was comparison of the effectiveness of male and female Institutional heads working in different secondary schools of district Dera Ismail Khan, situated in the south of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Major areas of comparison remained percepts, leadership styles and efficiency of the Institutional heads, perceived by the teachers appointed in respective schools. Findings of the study revealed that female Institutional heads prove to be comparatively better administrators showing keen interest in institutional administration, motivating their team for hard work and keeping coordinal relationship with staff and parents.

It is estimated that due to various design errors, half of the design work "ends up in the trash", at the expense of employers, sponsors, stakeholders, clients and the entire project team. The study aimed to analyze the approach to project management in terms of the Competencies of the people participating in them. Based on the study, an attempt was made to create a model of an optimal project team. The article consists of four parts. The first part contains an introduction to the topic discussed. It specifies the subject, object, purpose and main research problem, as well as the research method and tools. The second part was devoted to project management, which detailed the determinants, processes and human resources management. The third part contains the results of my research. The study ends with a discussion and conclusions.

Effective international project team development and management is a crucial aspect of project management that directly influences the performance and satisfaction of team members. As reductions in travel and physical mobility are prioritized for sustainability efforts, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is of paramount importance to identify and share effective innovative remote, online project management practices. The purpose of this study is to address the scarcity of related research and investigate the impact of Microsoft (MS) Teams usability on team management effectiveness as mediated by intergroup relation. The population of this study includes university personnel that have participated in the Erasmus+ project Benefit, with a sample size of 52 respondents. The data was analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. The findings revealed that the usability of MS Teams had a direct, positive, and substantial influence on intergroup interactions and team performance. Further intergroup relations have a direct and significant impact on team effectiveness. The findings of the mediation study indicated that the association between MS Teams usability and team effectiveness is partially mediated by intergroup interactions.

In the field of construction management there has been a small but growing interest in communication research. A problem faced by researchers embarking on this type of study is whether or not the research tools of the social scientist will remain successful when transferred to a new environment. The paper reviews some of the pioneering research projects and the methodologies used to study communication data from the construction process. Informed by the review, three pilot studies were undertaken to determine the suitability of some of the data collection methods for use within a specific environment. A matrix, identifying issues for consideration and the degree of negotiation and cooperation required to gain communication data from a prescribed context, is proposed to guide future research.

Today's design activities are usually conducted in teams of professionals who represent different design domains, eg architects and engineers. . Within these teams clear and accurate communication of design and technical concepts and information is critical. A current trend is for the ...

Purpose: Grounded to social identity and information decision theories, the study develops and empirically verifies a fresh theoretical model on the possible mediating effect of emotional and task conflicts toward the associations between diversity (work, social, and ideology) and project performance.Design/methodology/approach: A survey was performed, and 68 Indonesian start-ups provided positive responses accounting for a 57.6% response rate. In total, 102 Indonesian project teams participated, and since multiple team members were inquired for respective teams, 395 individual respondents were involved. An aggregation protocol was utilized to compute team-level datasets. The partial least square (PLS) method was utilized for the main analysis.Findings: The findings suggest a detrimental effect of heightened ideology polarization towards team performance as mediated by emotional conflict. Moreover, work diversity positively affects task conflict, but it does not positively affect te...

According to the current Biobanking Act in Sweden, processing of patients' biobanking consent must occur immediately without unnecessary time delay. From a patient safety perspective, it’s important to have updated consents in laboratory information systems because correctly updated consents are critical to the delivery of safe care. Previously, biobank organization where study was conducted needed an average of 77 working days to process an incoming biobanking consent, which was overly long.

The aim of improvement work is to make the process for biobanking consent more time-efficient in one biobank organization in the Region of Stockholm. Nolan’s improvement model, Service Blueprint, 5 P's analysis and the PDSA-cycles were used as methods for this improvement work. With the help of five improvement interventions the number of processing days for biobanking consents was reduced from 77 to 42 working days which is a reduction of 35 days. This improvement work resulted in a more time-efficient process and a new recommendation regarding the number of processing days for biobanking consent.

The study of the improvement work aimed to increase the understanding of the staff's experiences regarding improvement work with the process for biobanking consent. The study was conducted as qualitative case study with an inductive approach. Qualitative data collection was carried out in the form of eight interviews. The study showed that the following factors led to increased team effectiveness and time efficiency of the process: systematization of the biobank consent process and motivational factors. Changed work methods, increased personnel resources, and developed communication channels contributed to the creation of the systematic process, which facilitated the implementation of the improvement work and made the process time efficient. Motivational factors that influenced team effectiveness under improvement work were group support, agile working methods and visual evaluation of improvement work.

Effective international project team development and management is a crucial aspect of project management that directly influences the performance and satisfaction of team members. As reductions in travel and physical mobility are prioritized for sustainability efforts, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, it is of paramount importance to identify and share effective innovative remote, online project management practices. The purpose of this study is to address the scarcity of related research and investigate the impact of Microsoft (MS) Teams usability on team management effectiveness as mediated by intergroup relation. The population of this study includes university personnel that have participated in the Erasmus+ project Benefit, with a sample size of 52 respondents. The data was analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. The findings revealed that the usability of MS Teams had a direct, positive, and substantial influence on intergroup interactions and team performance. Further intergroup relations have a direct and significant impact on team effectiveness. The findings of the mediation study indicated that the association between MS Teams usability and team effectiveness is partially mediated by intergroup interactions.

This paper adds to the literature on innovation studies in developing economies by exploring features of the industry environment that drive project-based innovation. Using a conceptual framework of five key innovation determinants and a multiple case study, the study draws on evidence from four construction projects in Ghana by means of interviews. Nine features identified include: active pre-existing relationships among project participants; multinational networks; project actors with the willingness and ability to override contract conditions; presence of innovation lobbyists; manufacturers not owning proprietary products; manufacturers' lack of production capacity; prescriptive-based regulations mandating foreign professionals to form joint ventures with local professionals; high labour turnover; and emergent social media platforms. The results advance knowledge on the operation of the key innovation determinants in developing countries. Some of the findings contrast some key observations in broader literature on the impacts of the general industry environment on innovation.

Claudio Ciborra's improvisation argument provides a realistic dynamic account of how organisational practices address technology. This was developed from the study of malleable open-ended technology, but little research has occurred to investigate the theory's validity within different settings. This paper seeks to address this gap, by examining improvisation in the context of a rigid highly structured technology. It presents findings from the successful implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system within a large international organisation, which was subsequently defined by the ERP vendor as being an 'exemplary site'. Through the theoretical lens of Actor Network Theory, the paper reveals the improvisation, enactments and constant work around the plan that took place in dealing with the high contingencies of ERP implementation. The study extends the discussion on improvisation and contributes to an already illuminating argument. It invites practitioners to reflect on ERP implementation practice and review their evaluation methods.

This paper examines the notion of open innovation and its implication on information systems management. It investigates a project of an enterprise resource planning system implementation in an international organization to unravel the resemblance with the open innovation model. The study shows that the conceptualization of ERP project as an open innovation could reveal the complex architecture of today's organization from which the ERP project cannot be isolated. It argues that the traditional boundaries around IS projects are dissolving and the relationship between what used to be outside and what used to be inside the project is increasingly blurred. The study calls for a different perspective of project management that goes beyond single and multiple project management to scan the open space of innovation and actively look for partners, competitors, and collaborators.

Models of the diffusion of innovation have received wide acceptance in IS research. Such diffusion models are typically based on the assumption that projects are either accepted or rejected by adopters, without recognizing or accounting for the negotiation, adaptation, and drift that take place during the implementation (Rogers 1995). This paper presents an alternative view, based on the actor network theory (ANT) concepts of translation, moving the token, and modality. This lens reveals that softM^are implementation projects, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), have no inertia in themselves. Instead, a project's fate depends on each move it takes and each party involved in handling that move. Every handling of the project by different parties could present either a positive modality (that strengthens it and pushes it forward on its track) or a negative modality (that weaken its initial form and drags it in a different direction). The findings provide an explanation of drift and an alternative view of the diffusion of innovation in the ERP case. This could be extended to other technological projects. The findings also invite practitioners to monitor the various movements of their projects and encourage academics to revise their endorsement of the previously dominant diffusion model. They also contribute to the drift argument by identifying and discussing one of the sources of drift.

Models of the diffusion of innovation have received wide acceptance in IS research. Such diffusion models are typically based on the assumption that projects are either accepted or rejected by adopters, without recognizing or accounting for the negotiation, adaptation, and drift that take place during the implementation (Rogers 1995). This paper presents an alternative view, based on the actor network theory (ANT) concepts of translation, moving the token, and modality. This lens reveals that softM^are implementation projects, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), have no inertia in themselves. Instead, a project's fate depends on each move it takes and each party involved in handling that move. Every handling of the project by different parties could present either a positive modality (that strengthens it and pushes it forward on its track) or a negative modality (that weaken its initial form and drags it in a different direction). The findings provide an explanation of drift and an alternative view of the diffusion of innovation in the ERP case. This could be extended to other technological projects. The findings also invite practitioners to monitor the various movements of their projects and encourage academics to revise their endorsement of the previously dominant diffusion model. They also contribute to the drift argument by identifying and discussing one of the sources of drift.

The paper presents a case study of the configuration and use of a standard e-procurement packaged software. It focuses on reviewing the new business processes that the system introduces. It, then, applies the Actor Network Theory's (ANT) notions of associations and power in order to illustrate that the new business processes introduce a new power circuit effect. In so doing, it aims to provide insight into the performing social and technical network that the newly introduced system constructs. The paper then suggests that the system configuration should not only focus on the technical functionality of the system but it should also consider how the system's new business processes would affect the social, organisational, and political architecture of the organisation and its established performing power networks.

Team is the primary mechanism through which product development projects are executed. Despite regular theoretical discussions on the importance of cross-functional team and concurrent engineering to improve new product development projects, empirical studies on consequence of integrated product and process development (IPPD) effectiveness on teamwork is largely missing in existing product development literature. IPDD projects execute concurrent activities that go through several iterations before the deliverable of each stage are finalised. Based on information processing theory and goal-setting theory for team, this study hypothesise shared project mission, clarity of the project target, and customer and supplier involvement positively influences effectiveness of IPPD project. We further hypothesise that such effective IPPD leads to teamwork which can have a positive impact on project performance in terms of product development cost, product development time, and customer satisfaction. Primary data collected from 191 IPPD projects from U.S. automotive industry were analysed using structural equation modelling technique. All the hypotheses representing antecedents of effective IPPD and the consequence of effective IPPD were found to be supported in the current study.

The thinking process of designers is one of the most important issues in design research. This paper intends to enlarge design thinking theory and research by taking a close theoretical and empirical look at the very basic elements of thinking in design. Based on theoretical assumptions, thinking in design is reduced to the four basic cognitive operations of generation, exploration, comparison and selection, which, in various combinations, are applied to the goal space and the solution space of a given problem as well as to the organisation of the collective process of teamwork. These basic cognitive operations can be mapped onto different stages of the design process, thus establishing a generic model of design team activity. The generic model can be used to describe both, activities directed towards the content of a design problem as well as activities towards the organisation of the group process. Three laboratory teams solving a complex design problem extending over six hours have been studied in order to investigate the collective thinking process. Team communication has been recorded and analysed sentence-by-sentence, with each communicative act being classified according to the generic model. Based on previous results in the psychology of human information-processing and decision-making, a two-process-theory of thinking in design teams is proposed capable of explaining the results from the empirical investigation. The implications of the two-process-theory for training and practice of designers are discussed. k

Program teams can greatly facilitate the successful implementation of client ISD programs. We examined the effects of conflict resolution on ISD program performance. A total of 88 responses from IS program managers from 35 IS offshore outsourcing vendors were solicited, obtained, and analyzed. The results indicated that conflict resolution can enhance the level of communication, mutual support and effort among IS program members. The results further suggested that program performance was improved by increasing communication, promoting mutual supportiveness among program members and augmenting effort towards each other's projects. Directions for management practice and future research are discussed.

Recent studies found that the impact of shared mission has been significant on project success because a shared mission enables the members of the project to exchange significant data and information about the project which mainly influences the success of the project. However, the main objective of this research study is to evaluate the impact of shared project mission (SPM) on the IPPD product success of Thai herbal medicine firms. The mediating role of mutual trust, symmetric communication, and mutual influence has also been evaluated in this research paper to find the impact of SPM on IPPD product success.  Descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling, KMO, and confirmatory analysis also being used in this research paper for data analysis and computation. The results of the tables and findings indicate that all hypotheses accepted. It means that the shared project mission has a significant relationship with the project success of the firms. At the same time, systematic c...

Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional to the organization's performance. This study focused on the relationship between conflict approaches implemented by the project manager based on project team member's perception on the effectiveness of the project manager in managing project's conflict. Questionnaires were modified from Barker et al. (1988) to measure conflict management approaches and outcomes of managing project conflict. Data were gathered from 57 respondents who worked in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors serving the upstream sector of the Oil and Gas industry in Indonesia. By using Pearson correlation, result of this study indicated that project managers were perceived to be effective in managing project conflict when implementing cooperative and confirmative approaches, but ineffective when combining competitive and avoidance approaches. Further research should investigate correlation between cultural dimensions with conflict approaches and outcomes of managing conflict.

Наличието на модерна и качествена инфраструктура е основен стимул за икономически растеж и оттам за повишаване на жизнения стандарт на населението. В процеса на своето икономическо развитие нашата страна се нуждае от модерни и алтернативни решения в областта на публичните услуги и от модернизиране на инфраструктурата и комуналните дейности. Международната практика показва, че публично-частното партньорство (ПЧП) е един от успешните финансови инструменти за осигуряване на инвестиции в публичната инфраструктура, когато държавният и общинските бюджети не разполагат с необходимия финансов ресурс и искат да осигурят по-добра стойност на вложените публични средства. Настоящият проект се базира на теоретично осмисляне на същността и възможностите на публично-частните партньорства, както и емпирично изследване на функциониращи публично-частни партньорства в общините на област Велико Търново. The presence of an up-to-date and sophisticated infrastructure signifies a fundamental stimulus for ...

 This study investigates how to leverage social media to manage workplace conflict in order to achieve workforce agility.  Results manifest the U-shaped link between relationship conflict and workforce agility; the link between task conflict and workforce agility is reversed U-shaped.  Social media usage significantly moderates the reversed U-shaped link between task conflict and workforce agility, so that when social media usage is high, this link becomes flat.

This paper provides the results of an empirical study of empirical research on of the conflict within teams. The ability to face the conflict and to resolve problems efficiently is the most important factor for the success or failure of a group. Conflict is a powerful instrument of organizational change which, if managed in an opportune way, leads to the an evolution of a working group. We conducted an experiment with 147 students in 28 working groups from the Department of Management, University of Molise, Italy. In this study we analyzed the existing correlations between the level of conflict within the group and the characteristics of the team structure in terms of: friendship of the members (1 st dependent variable); level of trust in the group (2 nd dependent variable); diversity (3 rd dependent variable). We examined the links between diversity and conflict and how different kinds of diversity influenced group conflict. We looked at two aspects of demographic diversity, age and gender and at two aspects of background diversity, educational level and work experience.

The contribution of project teamwork is based on project members toward project success has remained unattended in prior literature. This paper highlights the importance of project teamwork for the project success and argues that leader alone cannot successfully complete a project. This study is based upon Higher Education Commission (HEC)'s projects in Pakistan and data has been collected from project leaders regarding performance and contribution of project teamwork toward project success. The study hypothesized the positive and direct relationship between the project teamwork and project success. For the purpose of verification of this relationship the project managers were requested through e-mail to complete questionnaires. Further, this relationship is verified theoretically and empirically by applying Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). It is concluded on the basis of results that project team work has positive and direct relationship with project success. The study findings will be helpful for policy makers and project team leaders to understand the importance and contribution of project teamwork toward achieving project success especially in developing countries.

This paper presents findings from a longitudinal design-based research project examining how to enable reflection and pedagogical innovation in teacher teams. The article identifies and analyses the teachers' learning trajectories and innovative strategies when working together in the IT-pedagogical Think Tank for Teacher Teams (after this: ITP4T) (Weitze, 2014a), a competence development model, which was developed in an earlier phase of the research project. By using theoretical lenses from innovative knowledge development frameworks to examine the teachers' utterances, interactions and new learning designs, the research aims to clarify what kind of knowledge is being developed and shared in the teacher teams, and how this contributes to the organisational learning process. The context is Global Classroom, an innovative synchronous hybrid videoconference concept, where adult students can choose between participating in class on campus or from home via videoconference on a daily basis. The ITP4T model is a response to the needs and challenges the teachers and the organisation at VUC Storstrøms´ Global Classroom have been experiencing in this new teaching environment. The teachers find that they need to be pedagogically innovative when teaching in this learning environment, particularly when aiming to create equal learning conditions for the students in class and at home; in other words, they need to reframe their learning designs. The ITP4T model thus aims at creating a continuous practise for the teachers to be able to create their own competence development in teams in which the manager participates. The use of this new practice inside the school empowered the teachers in the organisation and created a new organisational learning design, which can innovate, help unravel complex questions, create new organisational knowledge and anchor new knowledge and practises. The teachers became both their own and the organisation's continuous competence developers when working in this learning design/innovative model. They experienced this as an efficient way of working which made them feel empowered.

There is a lot of research done about the impact of intragroup conflict on team effectiveness (e.g., Dimas, 2007; Jehn, 1995, 1997; Jehn&Mannix, 2001). However, the results are inconsistent. With our study we intend to contribute for a better understanding of the relationship between intragroup conflict (task conflict and relationship conflict) and team effectiveness (team performance and team satisfaction) by adopting a contingencial approach. The main purpose is to test the role of group emotional intelligence, as we hypothesized that it works as a moderating variable in the relationship between the two variables. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a non-experimental research using a sample of 72 working teams from different functions and organizational contexts. Our results showed that task conflict had a negative impact on both team’s outcomes, while some dimensions of group emotional intelligence had a positive impact on team outcomes. The results also showed an unexpected n...

In this study, the authors explore the impact of the enhanced commissioning process required by LEED certification on the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) professionals through a case study of a (LEED) New Construction in New Cairo, Egypt. While research has consistently shown the positive impact of green-rated buildings on building occupants, little research discusses the impact of green building rating on AEC professionals. Observation, document analysis, and interview of AEC professionals were used throughout the course of design and construction to identify the impact of the enhanced commissioning process on the quality of Project delivery and experience of AEC professionals. All technical and managerial issues of the entire enhanced commissioning process were recorded and thoroughly analyzed. As a result, a comprehensive comparison between mainstream projects and the current LEED-certified building is established. The study introduces a novel insight on green bu...

This paper adds to the literature on innovation studies in developing economies by exploring features of the industry environment that drive project-based innovation. Using a conceptual framework of five key innovation determinants and a multiple case study, the study draws on evidence from four construction projects in Ghana by means of interviews. Nine features identified include: active pre-existing relationships among project participants; multinational networks; project actors with the willingness and ability to override contract conditions; presence of innovation lobbyists; manufacturers not owning proprietary products; manufacturers' lack of production capacity; prescriptive-based regulations mandating foreign professionals to form joint ventures with local professionals; high labour turnover; and emergent social media platforms. The results advance knowledge on the operation of the key innovation determinants in developing countries. Some of the findings contrast some key observations in broader literature on the impacts of the general industry environment on innovation.

Наличието на модерна и качествена инфраструктура е основен стимул за икономически растеж и оттам за повишаване на жизнения стандарт на населението. В процеса на своето икономическо развитие нашата страна се нуждае от модерни и алтернативни решения в областта на публичните услуги и от модернизиране на инфраструктурата и комуналните дейности. Международната практика показва, че публично-частното партньорство (ПЧП) е един от успешните финансови инструменти за осигуряване на инвестиции в публичната инфраструктура, когато държавният и общинските бюджети не разполагат с необходимия финансов ресурс и искат да осигурят по-добра стойност на вложените публични средства. Настоящият проект се базира на теоретично осмисляне на същността и възможностите на публично-частните партньорства, както и емпирично изследване на функциониращи публично-частни партньорства в общините на област Велико Търново. The presence of an up-to-date and sophisticated infrastructure signifies a fundamental stimulus for ...

Наличието на модерна и качествена инфраструктура е основен стимул за икономически растеж и оттам за повишаване на жизнения стандарт на населението. В процеса на своето икономическо развитие нашата страна се нуждае от модерни и алтернативни решения в областта на публичните услуги и от модернизиране на инфраструктурата и комуналните дейности. Международната практика показва, че публично-частното партньорство (ПЧП) е един от успешните финансови инструменти за осигуряване на инвестиции в публичната инфраструктура, когато държавният и общинските бюджети не разполагат с необходимия финансов ресурс и искат да осигурят по-добра стойност на вложените публични средства. Настоящият проект се базира на теоретично осмисляне на същността и възможностите на публично-частните партньорства, както и емпирично изследване на функциониращи публично-частни партньорства в общините на област Велико Търново. The presence of an up-to-date and sophisticated infrastructure signifies a fundamental stimulus for ...

Today’s organizations operate in a world of rapid change, globalization and high competition. Their survival and functioning requires innovation and continuous improvement of the range and quality of the offer. The most commonly used tools for this purpose are the project design. Implementation of projects in each case is unique, embedded in certain conditions and often has a wide range of topics, task and resource. Successful implementation of projects requires creation of appropriate conditions for organizational integration and team coordination. The purpose of this article is to identify the key managerial competencies of project managers and examine their impact on project management effectiveness in the context of other success factors. Analysis of domestic and foreign literature and participating observations were the attitude of inference. As a result, the model of interdependence managerial competencies and effectiveness of project management was developed

Conflict as a part of daily life is also of concern for the organizations that seek harmony and effectiveness. Therefore, it is essential to know and understand the characteristics, definitions and contributions of conflict management in organizations. This study aims to discuss how conflict as a concept developed in the scope of organizational behavior. Conflict management is analyzed in the frame of various approaches and a comprehensive perspective is presented in order to demonstrate the current understanding of conflict management. The analysis begins with drawing the structure of conflict studies and the study further follows a historical perspective beginning from the 1950s coming to contemporary views.

This paper adds to the literature on innovation studies in developing economies by exploring features of the industry environment that drive project-based innovation. Using a conceptual framework of five key innovation determinants and a multiple case study, the study draws on evidence from four construction projects in Ghana by means of interviews. Nine features identified include: active pre-existing relationships among project participants; multinational networks; project actors with the willingness and ability to override contract conditions; presence of innovation lobbyists; manufacturers not owning proprietary products; manufacturers' lack of production capacity; prescriptive-based regulations mandating foreign professionals to form joint ventures with local professionals; high labour turnover; and emergent social media platforms. The results advance knowledge on the operation of the key innovation determinants in developing countries. Some of the findings contrast some key observations in broader literature on the impacts of the general industry environment on innovation.

Aside from my family, especially Liv-Marie, my children Karoline, Markus, and Andreas, my oldest sister Sissel, and a lot of friends and colleagues, I have many people to acknowledged for their contribution to this dissertation. In chronological order, first, the entrepreneurial and inspiring director of former Ernst & Young Consulting, Thorbjørn Overholdt, who gave me this challenge and financed the first two years of my adventure towards a doctoral degree. Then, several prominent scholars should be mentioned. First and foremost, while staying in Berkeley for one year, professor Trond Petersen, University of California at Berkeley, and professor Geir Høgsnes, University of Oslo, who gave me the first insight in academic thinking. Back in Oslo, I could not have continued this project without professor Geir Kaufmann, Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH), who gave me support, encouragement, scientific wisdom, and time to reflect together with him upon what I was doing and how it should be done. Lastly, and may be most importantly, the person who combined the art of holding my hand and coaxing me forward in the process of writing a dissertation, my supervisor, professor Bård Kuvaas, Norwegian School of Management BI. To him I owe most of what I have learned about being a scholar. Among the many leaders who generously have opened all doors in their organizations to let me collect data for this dissertation, I am especially in debt to managing director Stein Øiom and organizational director Else Horge Asplin, in Tine Meieriet Øst (TMØ), and managing director Arne Hegg and HR director Elisabeth Slettvik, in BBL boligsenter, Tønsberg. Without many years of exciting cooperation with people like these open-minded and successful leaders this dissertation would not have been possible.

In concurrent engineering projects driven by short delivery times, team performance rests on the team’s capability to quickly and effectively handle different, emergent issues. We conducted an exploratory study of a large, dynamically complex project in which team members had a record of “good problem-solving abilities.” The study revealed how the team members demonstrated a collective ability to swiftly handle emergent issues, which again decreased the intensity of time and performance pressure. Beyond formal processes combined with lean practices, supporting this ability were situation awareness, task-based subgroups, direct lines of communication, and trust.

The world population is aging rapidly. The United Nations listed aging as one of the main social transformations of the twenty-first century. Aging impacts project managers as well. The most prevalent form of discrimination in workplaces is age discrimination. This study evaluated how project managers’ age influences project success. The population was 108 active or former project managers working in Albania or Kosovo. By using quantitative analysis, it was demonstrated that project managers’ age did not significantly predict project success. Therefore, there is a need to increase awareness among employers, so older project managers are not discriminated based on age.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is a pilot study of e-communications in three Russian firms to assess the culture of conflict resolution and the impact of strategies on employee retention at these firms. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative and quantitative research through a questionnaire and observation method to confirm the results. We use questionnaires by spontaneous sampling with quota elements; employees of the three selected firms have an equal chance of getting into an anonymous sample. Findings – The culture of conflict in any organization should include professional mediation (fulfilled either by professional instructor or by a specially trained HR-specialist). All members of the organizational “family” should be informed that dealing with conflict and solving it is much better and productive than hiding and suppressing it. Research limitations/implications – The paper shows the first results of the conflict study. It shows obvious drawbacks of contemporary empir...

Team is the primary mechanism through which product development projects are executed. Despite regular theoretical discussions on the importance of cross-functional team and concurrent engineering to improve new product development projects, empirical studies on consequence of integrated product and process development (IPPD) effectiveness on teamwork is largely missing in existing product development literature. IPDD projects execute concurrent activities that go through several iterations before the deliverable of each stage are finalised. Based on information processing theory and goal-setting theory for team, this study hypothesise shared project mission, clarity of the project target, and customer and supplier involvement positively influences effectiveness of IPPD project. We further hypothesise that such effective IPPD leads to teamwork which can have a positive impact on project performance in terms of product development cost, product development time, and customer satisfac...

In the field of construction management there has been a small but growing interest in communication research. A problem faced by researchers embarking on this type of study is whether or not the research tools of the social scientist will remain successful when transferred to a new environment. The paper reviews some of the pioneering research projects and the methodologies used to study communication data from the construction process. Informed by the review, three pilot studies were undertaken to determine the suitability of some of the data collection methods for use within a specific environment. A matrix, identifying issues for consideration and the degree of negotiation and cooperation required to gain communication data from a prescribed context, is proposed to guide future research.

Over the last ten years organisational teams have become more distributed and complex. Despite the number of technologies available to assist teams and group-based work, it is still exceedingly difficult to manage teams. And contrary to popular belief the introduction of new real-time conferencing and collaboration technologies can actually make things worse. It may distract team members from their application focus and drive them into ongoing loops of technology experimentation. In these situations, the focus on the work mission is often lost in favour of mastering and attempting to extract ever increasing benefits from technology itself.

Purpose: Grounded to social identity and information decision theories, the study develops and empirically verifies a fresh theoretical model on the possible mediating effect of emotional and task conflicts toward the associations between diversity (work, social, and ideology) and project performance.Design/methodology/approach: A survey was performed, and 68 Indonesian start-ups provided positive responses accounting for a 57.6% response rate. In total, 102 Indonesian project teams participated, and since multiple team members were inquired for respective teams, 395 individual respondents were involved. An aggregation protocol was utilized to compute team-level datasets. The partial least square (PLS) method was utilized for the main analysis.Findings: The findings suggest a detrimental effect of heightened ideology polarization towards team performance as mediated by emotional conflict. Moreover, work diversity positively affects task conflict, but it does not positively affect te...

Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan are consistently witnessing increased level of conflicts among employee. This increase significantly impact culture of the higher education Institutions. Culture is driving force for the organizations behavior. Literature indicated the importance of organization culture for reshaping employee work practices, provide empowerment. Organizations are becoming more culturally diverse, mainly because of their operations diversity. Empowerment may affect the performance of the employee. Current study aims to investigate the relationship of the conflicts and employee performance, mediating role of empowerment and moderating role of organization culture. A Random sample of 100 employees from Higher Education institutions was selected. Study used a likert scale questionnaire for the data collection. Result revealed that there is a negative relationship of the employee conflicts and employee performance and empowerment moderates the relationship while ...