MGT 323 SEU Horizon Consulting Modern Project Management Case Study

Project Management (MGT323)
Deadline: 09/04/2022
Instructions – PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY
• Late submission will NOT be accepted.
• Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from
students or other resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO
marks. No exceptions. At least two Scholarly Peer- Reviewed Journals
are required as references.
• All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, doublespaced) font. No pictures containing text will be accepted and will be
considered plagiarism).
Case Study & Discussion questions
Assignment Question:
Please read the Case-3.2 “Horizon Consulting.” from Chapter 3 “Organization:
Structure and Culture” given in your textbook – Project Management: The Managerial
Process 8th edition by Larson and Gray page no: 101-103 also refer to specific concepts
you have learned from the chapter to support your answers. Answer the following
questions for Part-1, Part-2.
Part-1: Case study questions
1. How successful was the post-meeting? Explain in 100 words.
2. What factors contributed to the success or failure of this meeting? Explain in 100
words.
3. What kind of project management structure does Horizon use? Is it the right
structure? Explain in 300 words.
Part-2: Discussion questions
Please read Chapter 3 “Organizaton: Structure and Culture” carefully and then give
your answers on the basis of your understanding.
4. Going to college is analogous to working in a matrix environment in that most
students take more than one class and must distribute their time across multiple
classes. What problems does this situation create for you? How does it affect your
performance? How could the system be better managed to make your life less
difficult and more productive? (150-200 words)
5. You work for Barbata Electronics. Your R&D people believe they have come up
with an affordable technology that will double the capacity of existing MP3
players and use an audio format that is superior to MP3. The project is code
named KYSO (Knock Your Socks Off). What kind of project management
structure would you recommend they use for the KYSO project? What
information would you like to have to make this recommendation and why? (150200 words).
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Because learning changes everything. ®
Chapter Three
Organization: Structure
and Culture
© 2021 McGraw -Hill Education. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom.
No reproduction or further distribution permitted w ithout the prior w ritten consent of McGraw -Hill Education.
Where We Are Now
© McGraw -Hill Education
2
Learning Objectives
03-01 Identify different project management structures and understand
their strengths and weaknesses.
03-02 Distinguish three different types of matrix structures and
understand their strengths and weaknesses.
03-03 Describe how project management offices (PMOs) can support
and improve project execution.
03-04 Understand organizational and project considerations that should
be considered in choosing an appropriate project management
structure.
03-05 Appreciate the significant role that organizational culture plays in
managing projects.
03-06 Interpret the culture of an organization.
03-07 Understand the interaction between project management
structure and the culture of an organization.
© McGraw -Hill Education
3
Chapter Outline
3.1
Project Management Structures
3.2
Project Management Office (PMO)
3.3
What Is the Right Project Management Structure?
3.4
Organizational Culture
3.5
Implications of Organizational Culture for Organizing Projects
© McGraw -Hill Education
4
3.1 Project Management Structures
Three different project management
structures are:
:‫وهناك ثالثة هياكل مختلفة إلدارة المشاريع هي‬
‫التنظيم الوظيفي‬
.1
1. Functional organization
‫ فرق مشاريع مخصصة‬.2
2. Dedicated project teams
‫هيكل المصفوفة‬
3. Matrix structure
• Weak matrix
• Balanced matrix
‫مصفوفة ضعيفة‬
•
‫مصفوفة متوازنة‬
•
‫مصفوفة قوية‬
•
.3
• Strong matrix
© McGraw -Hill Education
5
Organizing Projects within the Functional Organization
• Top management decides to implement the project, and different segments
of the project are distributed to appropriate areas.
• Coordination is maintained through normal management channels.
• It is commonly used when one functional area plays a dominant role in
completing the project or has a dominant interest in the success of the
project.
.‫ وتوزع أجزاء مختلفة من المشروع على المناطق المناسبة‬،‫وتقرر اإلدارة العليا تنفيذ المشروع‬
•
.‫ويجري التنسيق من خالل قنوات اإلدارة العادية‬
•
‫وهو يستخدم عادة عندما يلعب مجال وظيفي واحد دورا مهيمنا في إنجاز المشروع أو يكون له مصلحة الهيمنة في نجاح‬
•
.‫المشروع‬
© McGraw -Hill Education
6
Functional Organizations
© McGraw -Hill Education
FIGURE 3.1
7
Advantages and Disadvantages of using Functional
Organization to Administer and Complete projects
Advantages
Disadvantages
1. No change
1. Lack of focus
2. Flexibility
2. Poor integration
3. In-depth expertise
3. Slow
4. Easy post-project transition
4. Lack of ownership
© McGraw -Hill Education
‫مزايا‬
‫عيوب‬
‫ال تغيير‬
.1
‫ عدم التركيز‬.1
‫المرونه‬
.2
‫ضعف االندماج‬
.2
‫الخبرة المتعمقة‬
.3
‫بطيئة‬
.3
‫انتقال سهل بعد المشروع‬
.4
‫ عدم الملكية‬.4
8
Organizing Projects as Dedicated Teams
•
Dedicated project teams operate as units separate from the rest of the parent organization.
•
A full-time project manager is designated to pull together a core group of specialists who work
full time on the project.
•
The project manager recruits necessary personnel from both within and outside the parent
company.
•
In a projectized organization where projects are the dominant form of business, the entire
organization is designed to support project teams.
•
“Projectitis” is referred to as a negative dimension to dedicated project teams. A we-they
attitude can emerge between project team members and the rest of the organization.
.‫تعمل فرق المشاريع المخصصة كوحدات منفصلة عن باقي المؤسسة األم‬
•
.‫تم تعيين مدير مشروع بدوام كامل لتجميع مجموعة أساسية من المتخصصين الذين يعملون بدوام كامل في المشروع‬
•
.‫يقوم مدير المشروع بتعيين الموظفين الالزمين من داخل وخارج الشركة األم‬
•
.‫ فإن المنظمة بأكملها مصممة لدعم فرق المشاريع‬،‫وفي منظمة ُمخططة حيث المشاريع هي الشكل المهيمن لألعمال التجارية‬
•
‫ بين أعضاء‬we-they ‫ يمكن أن يظهر موقف‬.‫ على أنه بعد سلبي لفرق المشاريع المخصصة‬Projectitis” ‫ويشار إلى “التهاب ال‬
•
.‫فريق المشروع وبقية المنظمة‬
© McGraw -Hill Education
9
Dedicated Project Team
© McGraw -Hill Education
FIGURE 3.2
10
Projectized Organization Structure
© McGraw -Hill Education
FIGURE 3.3
11
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Dedicated Project Team Approach
Strengths
Weaknesses
1. Simple
1. Expensive
2. Fast
2. Internal strife
3. Cohesive
3. Limited technological expertise
4. Cross-functional integration
4. Difficult post-project transition
‫نقاط القوة‬
‫بسيطة‬
.1
‫ سريع‬.2
© McGraw -Hill Education
‫متماسكه‬
.3
‫التكامل عبر الوظيفية‬
.4
‫نقاط الضعف‬
‫ غالية‬.1
‫الصراع الداخلي‬
.2
‫ خبرة تكنولوجية محدودة‬.3
‫مرحلة انتقالية صعبة بعد المشروع‬
.4
12
Organizing Projects within a Matrix Arrangement
•
Matrix management is a hybrid organizational form in which horizontal project management structure is
overlaid on the normal functional hierarchy.
•
•
There are usually two chains of command, one along functional lines and the other along project lines.
•
Project participants report simultaneously to both functional and project managers.
The matrix structure is designed to utilize resources optimally.
•
Individuals work on multiple projects as well as being capable of performing normal functional duties.
•
It attempts to achieve greater integration by creating and legitimizing the authority of a project manager.
•
It provides dual focus between functional/technical expertise and project requirements.
.‫إدارة المصفوفة هي شكل تنظيمي مختلط يتم فيه تراكب هيكل إدارة المشروع األفقي على التسلسل الهرمي الوظيفي العادي‬
.‫ واحدة على طول خطوط وظيفية واآلخر على طول خطوط المشروع‬،‫عادة ما يكون هناك اثنين من سالسل القيادة‬
•
.‫ويقدم المشاركون في المشروع تقاريرهم في آن واحد إلى كل من مديري المشاريع ومدراء المشاريع‬
•
•
.‫تم تصميم هيكل المصفوفة لالستفادة من الموارد على النحو األمثل‬
© McGraw -Hill Education
.‫األفراد يعملون في مشاريع متعددة فضال عن كونها قادرة على أداء الواجبات الوظيفية العادية‬
•
.‫وهي تسعى إلى تحقيق المزيد من التكامل عن طريق إنشاء سلطة مدير المشروع وإضفاء الشرعية عليها‬
•
.‫ التقنية ومتطلبات المشاريع‬/‫وهو يوفر تركيز مزدوج بين الخبرة الفنية‬
•
•
13
Matrix Organization Structure
© McGraw -Hill Education
FIGURE 3.4
14
Division of Project Manager and Functional Manager
Responsibilities in a Matrix Structure
© McGraw -Hill Education
TABLE 3.1
15
Different Matrix Forms
Weak matrix
•
This form is very similar to a functional approach with the exception that there is a
formally designed project manager responsible for coordinating project activities.
•
Functional managers are responsible for managing their segment of the project.
•
The project manager acts as a staff assistant who draws the schedules and
checklists, collects information on the status of the work, and facilitates project
completion.
‫مصفوفة ضعيفة‬
‫وتتشابه هذه االستمارة إلى حد كبير مع النهج الوظيفي باستثناء وجود مدير مشروع مصمم رسميا ً مسؤول عن تنسيق‬
•
.‫أنشطة المشروع‬
.‫المديرون الوظيفيون مسؤولون عن إدارة الجزء الخاص بهم من المشروع‬
•
‫ ويجمع المعلومات عن حالة‬،‫ويعمل مدير المشروع كمساعد للموظفين يقوم برسم الجداول الزمنية والقوائم المرجعية‬
•
.‫ وييسر إنجاز المشروع‬،‫العمل‬
© McGraw -Hill Education
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Different Matrix Forms (Continued)
Balanced matrix
•
The project manager is responsible for defining what needs to be accomplished. The
project manager establishes the overall plan for completing the project, integrates the
contribution of the different disciplines, set schedules, and monitors progress.
•
The functional managers are concerned with how it will be accomplished. The functional
managers are responsible for assigning personnel and executing their segment of the
project according to the standards and schedules set by the project manager.
‫مصفوفة متوازنة‬
‫ ويدمج مساهمة‬، ‫ يضع مدير المشروع الخطة العامة إلكمال المشروع‬.‫• مدير المشروع مسؤول عن تحديد ما يجب تحقيقه‬
.‫ ويراقب التقدم‬، ‫ ويضع الجداول الزمنية‬، ‫التخصصات المختلفة‬
‫ المديرون الوظيفيون مسؤولون عن تعيين الموظفين وتنفيذ الجزء الخاص بهم‬.‫• يهتم المديرون الوظيفيون بكيفية إنجاز ذلك‬
.‫من المشروع وفقًا للمعايير والجداول الزمنية التي يحددها مدير المشروع‬
© McGraw -Hill Education
17
Different Matrix Forms (Continued)
Strong matrix
•
The project manager controls most aspects of the project, including scope tradeoffs and assignment of functional personnel. The project manager controls
when and what specialists do and has final say on major project decisions.
•
The functional managers have title over their people and are consulted on a
need basis. The functional managers serve as subcontractors for the project.
‫مصفوفة قوية‬
.‫ بما في ذلك المفاضالت بين النطاقات وتعيين الموظفين الفنيين‬،‫ويتحكم مدير المشروع في معظم جوانب المشروع‬
•
‫ وله القول الفصل في قرارات المشاريع‬،‫ويتحكم مدير المشروع في وقت ما يقوم به األخصائيون وما يقومون به‬
.‫الرئيسية‬
‫ ويعمل المديرون الفنيون كمتعاقدين من‬.‫ويكون للمديرين الوظيفيين لقب على شعبهم ويستشارون على أساس الحاجة‬
•
.‫الباطن للمشروع‬
© McGraw -Hill Education
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Matrix Management
Advantages
Disadvantages
1. Efficient
1. Dysfunctional conflict
2. Strong project focus
2. Infighting
3. Easier post-project transition
3. Stressful
4. Flexible
4. Slow
‫مزايا‬
© McGraw -Hill Education
‫عيوب‬
‫تتسم بالكفاءة‬
.1
‫الصراع المختل‬
.1
‫تركيز قوي على المشروع‬
.2
‫االقتتال الداخلي‬
.2
‫انتقال أسهل بعد المشروع‬
.3
‫المجهده‬
.3
‫مرنة‬
.4
‫بطيئة‬
.4
19
3.2 Project Management Office (PMO)
•
Is a centralized unit within an organization or a department that oversees and supports the execution
of projects.
•
Plays a critical role in helping matrix systems mature into more effective project delivery platforms.
•
Can be characterized in different kinds:
•
Weather station—tracks and monitors project performance.
•
Control tower—improves project execution.
•
Resource pool—provides the organization with a cadre of trained project managers and
professionals.
•
Command and control center—has direct authority over the project.
© McGraw -Hill Education
.‫هي وحدة مركزية داخل منظمة أو قسم يشرف على تنفيذ المشاريع ويدعمها‬
•
.‫يلعب دورا حاسما في مساعدة نظم المصفوفة تنضج في أكثر فعالية تسليم المشاريع المنصات‬
•
:‫يمكن أن تتميز في أنواع مختلفة‬
•
.‫ تتبع ورصد أداء المشروع‬- ‫محطة الطقس‬
•
.‫برج التحكم —يحسن تنفيذ المشروع‬
•
.‫ يزود المنظمة بكوادر من مديري المشاريع المدربين والمهنيين‬- ‫تجمع الموارد‬
•
.‫مركز القيادة والتحكم – لديه سلطة مباشرة على المشروع‬
•
20
3.3 What Is the Right Project Management Structure?
Organization Considerations
•
How important is the project management to the success
of the firm?
•
•
What percentage of core work involves projects?
What level of resources are available?
Project Considerations
•
Size of project
•
Strategic importance
•
Novelty and need for innovation
•
Need for integration (number of departments involved)
•
Environmental complexity (number of external interfaces)
•
Budget and time constraints
•
Stability of resource requirements
© McGraw -Hill Education
‫اعتبارات المؤسسة‬
‫ما مدى أهمية إدارة المشروع في نجاح الشركة؟‬
‫ما هي النسبة المئوية للعمل األساسي الذي ينطوي‬
•
•
‫على مشاريع؟‬
‫ما هو مستوى الموارد المتاحة؟‬
•
‫اعتبارات المشروع‬
‫حجم المشروع‬
•
‫األهمية االستراتيجية‬
•
‫الجدة والحاجة إلى االبتكار‬
•
)‫الحاجة إلى التكامل ( عدد اإلدارات المعنية‬
•
)‫التعقيد البيئي (عدد الواجهات الخارجية‬
•
‫قيود الميزانية والوقت‬
•
‫استقرار االحتياجات من الموارد‬
•
21
3.4 Organizational Culture
Organizational Culture Defined
•
Is a system of shared norms, beliefs, values,
and assumptions that blinds people together,
thereby creating shared meanings.
•
Reflects the “personality” of the organization.
•
Performs several important functions in
organizations.
•
Provides a sense of identity for its
members
•
Helps legitimize the management system
•
Clarifies and reinforces standards of
behavior
•
‫الثقافة التنظيمية المعرفة‬
‫هو نظام من المعايير المشتركة والمعتقدات والقيم‬
•
‫ وبالتالي خلق‬،‫واالفتراضات التي يعمية الناس معا‬
.‫المعاني المشتركة‬
.‫يعكس “شخصية” المنظمة‬
•
.‫يؤدي العديد من الوظائف الهامة في المنظمات‬
•
‫يوفر إحساسا ً بالهوية ألعضائه‬
•
‫يساعد على إضفاء الشرعية على نظام اإلدارة‬
•
‫يوضح ويعزز معايير السلوك‬
•
‫يساعد على إنشاء النظام االجتماعي‬
•
Helps create social order
© McGraw -Hill Education
22
Key Dimensions Defining an Organization’s Culture
© McGraw -Hill Education
FIGURE 3.5
23
Identifying Cultural Characteristics
• Study the physical characteristics of an organization.
• Read about the organization.
• Observe how people interact within the organization.
• Interpret stories and folklore surrounding the organization.
© McGraw -Hill Education
.‫دراسة الخصائص الفيزيائية للمنظمة‬
•
.‫اقرأ عن المنظمة‬
•
.‫مراقبة كيفية تفاعل األشخاص داخل المؤسسة‬
•
.‫تفسير القصص والفولكلور المحيط بالمنظمة‬
•
24
Organizational Culture Diagnosis Worksheet
© McGraw -Hill Education
FIGURE 3.6
25
3.5 Implications of Organizational Culture for Organizing Projects
•
Project managers interact with:
•
The culture of their parent organizations as well as the subcultures of various
departments.
•
The project’s clients or customer organizations.
•
Other organizations connected to the project such as suppliers and vendors,
subcontractors, consulting firms, government and regulatory agencies, and community
groups.
•
“A riverboat trip” is a metaphor describing the relationship between organizational culture
and project management. Culture is the river and the project is the boat.
:‫يتفاعل مديرو المشاريع مع‬
.‫ثقافة منظماتهم األم وكذلك الثقافات الفرعية لمختلف اإلدارات‬
•
.‫عمالء المشروع أو مؤسسات العمالء‬
•
‫منظمات أخرى مرتبطة بالمشروع مثل الموردين والبائعين والمقاولين من الباطن والشركات االستشارية والوكاالت الحكومية‬
•
•
.‫والتنظيمية والمجموعات المجتمعية‬
.‫ الثقافة هي النهر والمشروع هو القارب‬.‫”رحلة القارب النهري” هو استعارة تصف العالقة بين الثقافة التنظيمية وإدارة المشاريع‬
© McGraw -Hill Education
•
26
Cultural Dimensions of an Organization Supportive of Project Management
© McGraw -Hill Education
FIGURE 3.7
27
pull him from your project and have him work full time on Crosby’s
project. What do you think?”
1. If you were Palmer at the end of the case, how would you respond?
2. What, if anything, could Palmer have done to avoid losing Olds?
3. What advantages and disadvantages of a matrix-type organization are
apparent from this case?
4. What could the management at M&M do to manage situations like this
more effectively?
Case 3.2
Horizon Consulting
Patti Smith looked up at the bright blue Carolina sky before she entered the
offices of Horizon Consulting. It was Friday, which meant she needed to
prepare for the weekly status report meeting. Horizon Consulting is a
custom software development company that offers fully integrated mobile
application services for iPhone™, Android™, Windows Mobile®, and
BlackBerry® platforms. Horizon was founded by James Thrasher, a former
marketing executive, who quickly saw the potential for digital marketing
via smartphones. Horizon enjoyed initial success in sports marketing but
quickly expanded to other industries. A key to their success was the decline
in cost for developing smartphone applications, which expanded the client
base. The decline in cost was primarily due to the learning curve and ability
to build customized solutions on established platforms.
Patti Smith was a late bloomer who went back to college after working
in the restaurant business for nine years. She and her former husband had
tried unsuccessfully to operate a vegetarian restaurant in Golden, Colorado.
After her divorce, she returned to University of Colorado, where she
majored in management information systems (MIS) with a minor in
marketing. While she enjoyed her marketing classes much more than her
MIS classes, she felt the IT know-how she acquired would give her an
advantage in the job market. This turned out to be true, as Horizon hired her
to be an account manager soon after graduation.
Patti Smith was hired to replace Stephen Stills, who had started the
restaurant side of the business at Horizon. Stephen was “let go,” according
to one account manager, for being a prima donna and hoarding resources.
Patti’s clients ranged from high-end restaurants to hole-in the-wall “mom
and pop shops.” She helped develop smartphone apps that let users make
reservations, browse menus, receive alerts on daily specials, provide
customer feedback, order take-out, and in some cases order delivery. As an
account manager she worked with clients to assess their needs, develop a
plan, and create customized smartphone apps.
Horizon appeared to be a good fit for Patti. She had enough technical
training to be able to work with software engineers and help guide them to
page 101
produce client-ready products. At the same time she could
relate to the restaurateurs and enjoyed working with them on
web design and digital marketing.
Horizon was organized into three departments: Sales, Software
Development, and Graphics, with account managers acting as project
managers. Account managers generally came from Sales and divided their
time between projects and sales pitches to potential new clients. Horizon
employed a core group of software engineers and designers, supplemented
by contracted programmers when needed.
The first step in developing a smartphone application involved the
account manager meeting with the client to define the requirements and
vision for the application. The account manager then worked with a
Graphic User Interface (GUI) designer to come up with a preliminary story
board of how the application would function and look. Once the initial
concept and requirements were approved, the account manager was
assigned two pairs of software engineers. The first pair (app engineers)
worked on the smartphone side of the application, while the second pair
worked on the client side. Horizon preferred to have software engineers
work in tandem so that they could check each other’s work. The two app
engineers typically worked full time on the application until it was
completed, while the other engineers worked on multiple projects as
needed. Likewise, GUI designers worked on the project at certain key
stages in the product development cycle when their expertise was needed.
The head of Graphics managed the GUI designers’ schedule, while the
head of Software managed the software engineer assignments. At the end of
each project account managers submitted performance reviews of their
team. The director of sales was responsible for the account managers’
performance reviews based on customer satisfaction, generation of sales,
and project performance.
Horizon believed in iterative development, and every two to three
weeks account managers were expected to demonstrate the latest version of
applications to clients. This led to useful feedback and in many cases
redefinition of the scope of the project. Often clients wanted to add more
functionality to their application once they realized what the software could
do. Depending upon the complexity of the application and changes
introduced once the project was under way, it typically took Horizon two to
four months to deliver a finished product to a client.
Patti was currently working on three projects. One was for Shanghai
Wok, a busy Chinese mom and pop restaurant in downtown Charlotte,
North Carolina. The owners of Shanghai Wok wanted Horizon to create a
smartphone app that would allow customers to order and pay in advance for
meals they would simply pick up at a walk-up window. The second project
was for Taste of India, which operated in Kannapolis, North Carolina. They
wanted Horizon to create a phone app that would allow staff at the nearby
bio-tech firms to order food that would be delivered on-site during lunch
and dinner hours. The last project was for Nearly Normal, a vegetarian
restaurant that wanted to send out e-mail alerts to subscribers that would
describe in detail their daily fresh specials.
James Thrasher was an admirer of Google and encouraged a playful but
focused environment at work. Employees were allowed to decorate their
work spaces, bring pets to work, and play Ping-Pong or pool when they
needed a break. Horizon paid its employees well, but the big payoff was the
annual Christmas bonus. This bonus was based on overall company profits,
which were distributed proportionately based on pay grade and performance
reviews. It was not uncommon for employees to receive a 10–15 percent
boost in pay at the end of the year.
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STATUS REPORT MEETING
As was her habit, Patti entered the status report meeting room early. David
Briggs was in the midst of describing the game-winning catch John Lorsch
had made in last night’s softball game. Horizon sponsored a co-ed city
league softball team, which most of the account managers played on. Patti
had been coaxed to play to ensure that the requisite number of “females”
were on the field. She balked at the idea at first; softball wasn’t really her
sport, but she was glad she did. Not only was it fun but it gave her a chance
to get to know the other managers.
James Thrasher entered the room and everyone settled down to
business. He started off as he always did, by asking if anybody had
important news to bring to everyone’s attention. Jackson Browne slowly
raised his hand and said, “I am afraid I do. I just received notification from
Apple iOS that they have rejected our TAT app.” TAT was a phone app,
which Jackson was the project lead on, that allowed subscribers to reserve
and see in real time what swimming lanes were available at a prestigious
athletic club. This announcement was followed by a collective groan.
Before an Apple app could go operational it had to be submitted to and
approved by Apple. Usually this was not a problem, but lately Apple had
been rejecting apps for a variety of reasons. Jackson went on to circulate the
list of changes that had to be made before Apple would approve the app.
The group studied the list and in some cases ridiculed the new
requirements.
Ultimately James Thrasher asked Jackson how long it would take to
make the necessary changes and resubmit the app for approval. Jackson felt
it would probably take two to three weeks at most. Thrasher asked who the
engineers working on this project were. Patti’s heart fell. One of the app
engineers who had developed the TAT app was working on her Shanghai
Wok project. She knew what was going to happen next. Thrasher
announced, “OK, everyone, it only makes sense that these engineers are the
best ones to finish what they had started, so they are all going to have to be
reassigned back to the TAT project. Those affected are going to have to get
together after this meeting and figure out how to replace them.” The
meeting then proceeded as planned, with all the account managers reporting
the status of their projects and sharing relevant issues with the group.
POST-MEETING
As everyone filed out, Patti looked around to see who else was in her same
boat. There were three other account managers as well as Jackson Browne.
Resource assignments were a recurring issue at Horizon, given the nature of
their work. Horizon had developed a policy where decisions were made
based on project priority. Each project was assigned a Green, Blue, or
Purple designation based on the company priority. Priority status was based
on the extent to which the project contributed to the mission of the firm.
The Shanghai Wok project, given its limited size and scope, was a Purple
project, which was the lowest ranking. The list of available software
engineers was displayed on the big screen. Patti was familiar with only a
few of the names.
Leigh Taylor, who had the only Green project, immediately selected
Jason Wheeler from the list. She had used him before and was confident in
his work. Tom Watson and Samantha Stewart both had Blue Projects and
needed to replace a mobile app engineer. They both immediately jumped on
the name of Prem Mathew, claiming he was the best person for their
project. After some friendly jousting, Tom said, “OK, Sam, you can have
him; I remember when you helped me out on the Argos project; besides, my
project is just beginning. I’ll take Shin Chen.” Everyone looked at Patti; she
page 103
started by saying, “You know, I am familiar with only a few of
these names; I guess I’ll go with Mike Thu.” Jackson
interjected, “Hey, everyone, I am really sorry this happened, and I am sure
Mike is a good programmer, but I recommend you work with Axel
Gerthoff. I have used him before, and he is a very quick study and a joy to
work with.” This was a relief to Patti and she quickly took his advice. They
left to submit a report to Thrasher detailing the decisions they each had
made and the impact on their projects.
1. How successful was the post-meeting?
2. What factors contributed to the success or failure of this meeting?
3. What kind of project management structure does Horizon use? Is it the
right structure? Explain.

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