As a result of globalization, projects are becoming international in nature. In many cases, the project manager is from a different part of the world from the owner/contracting firm, and from the location of the project itself. Managing a project with diversity in team membership, and cultural differences in the country where the project is being conducted require exceptional leadership skills in addition to project management skills that are needed to successfully reach the demands of the triple constraints. While some project management expertise and techniques are similar across situations, international projects have unique considerations.
Explain the challenges and opportunities in developing a project statement of work with a diverse team; what unique challenges in managing time might be experienced, given that some cultures are different than the United States regarding time commitments; and how the international project manager might overcome technical and cultural issues.
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Given the dynamics of working with a diverse team, the project manager faces both opportunities and challenges in developing the statement of work for the project. The diversity presents opportunities in creativity and educational ideas as well as in comprehension of the project. Furthermore, the various categories of diversity may result in a purposeful exploration of a project statement. Additionally, diversity may result in the sharing of ideas and team learning that eventually improves the process of developing a project statement ( Burke, 2013) . The flexibility that comes with diversity motivates individual input that significantly improves performance. Notably, to realize success, the team needs to be united through a shared vision which enhances the process of developing a statement of work. Managers could create a situation that motivates the input of every member. Moreover, the project manager should adjust their project strategies to suit the country’s culture and thus foster acceptance and respect.
However, diversity in project teams may result in conflicts which challenge the progress of the development of the overall project mission. Given that performance serves as the foundation of human resource development, conflicting issues that arise from diverse teams derail the success of a project. More often than not, differences among team members may bar the progress and cause lateness of project delivery. For instance, subgroup alignments may result in limited cooperation among the team members with each subgroup attempting to distinguish themselves. Similarly, cultural differences among team members may lead to a prejudice of opinions thus increasing anxiety. Therefore, managers should create a culturally sensitive atmosphere to prevent or reduce misunderstandings.
Notably, globalization has opened opportunities to different people with varying cultural backgrounds. With this in mind, cultural differences manifest especially regarding time commitments. While setting the project statement, the project manager faces challenges in suiting the timeline to the diverse work team. Time allowance appears as a problem where some individuals may work late while others work on time. Given these variations, it becomes increasingly difficult for the project manager to create a wholesome timeline that serves the needs of everyone in the diverse team. Similarly, task division faces similar challenges with some completing their part early while others complete their tasks late. Therefore, these challenges prompt the project manager to come up with workable solutions that help ameliorate the effects of cultural challenges.
As the international project manager begins his/her project endeavors, they require particular strategies through which they might overcome technical and cultural issues. Before initiating the project, the manager needs to have a clear understanding of the culture of the people in the organization of interest. Conducting a simple research on the culture could provide useful insights on what the manager should expect and thus plan appropriately. The manager could also consult with companies that could have carried out projects in the area of interest and thus obtain the needed cultural information.
With the cultural information, the project manager can outline the possible problems that could arise from diversity in the course of the project. Such problems include varying backgrounds in work culture and societal culture among the members of the project team. Bearing the information in mind, the manager can put in measures to avert the challenges identified in every step of the project. Communication would come in handy while working with a multinational project team. However, if all members of the work team live in different countries, the manager can devise ways of overcoming time challenges. Since the team members may not be in the same time zone, the manager needs to investigate the most effective means of communication that would suit all team members. Communication should be both vertical and horizontal to promote communication among team members. The manager should also put measures of confirming the delivery of the information to all team members. With a well-designed communication plan, the project manager can keep the team members on board throughout the project work.
Other than the team, the manager needs to be psychologically ready to adapt to the environmental changes as well as fit in with the team members. This way, he/she will manage to put a contingency plan in place to cater for all mishaps that go beyond the project’s restrictive confines. While adapting to the new environment, the project manager should create a culture of interactions among the team members. Through interactions, knowledge and skills will easily be transmitted among team members and thus enhance bonding. Open discussions could also be held as a means of encompassing everyone in the team.
What leadership skills may be required more in an international setting than what is expected in the United States? What specifics steps are required to ensure the right project manager with the right skill set is chosen?
Leadership skills are essential to the operations of every organization. However, the needs arising from globalization have complicated the leadership role as different challenges present in the global arena. In fact, individuals from different cultural backgrounds have varied expectations of leadership, and hence the international leader should keep in touch with the expectations and execute his/her role efficiently. Although the United States has numerous cultures represented from all over the world, some leadership skills may be required more in an international setting than in the United States.
For global success in business, the leader needs abilities and skills in handling diversity as well as implement effective business strategies. One of the skills that global leaders need to muster is handling racial conflicts through efficient interpersonal skills. For instance, while working in Japan, a leader needs to understand the different business practices and cultural practices in the Japanese context. Therefore, the leader needs competency in cross-cultural awareness to develop and sustain efficient leadership strategies. Cultural awareness significantly relates to the international experiences of the leader. Thus, the leader should be well acquainted with cultural issues such as sexism, racism, or ageism among others. He/she can also attend leadership development programs to improve their skills. With these factors in mind, the leader can manage to make necessary adjustments to suit their new environment and positively influence the organization.
The second skill that is much needed by the global leader is the understanding of group dynamics. In global leadership practice, the different management approaches apply depending on the circumstances. The manager should understand the influence of the environment on individual behavior and group pattern. As a result, different group members work better with particular members and this aspect promotes cultural innovations. Therefore, the leader should understand the role of group dynamics in shaping the culture and climate in the organization and thus direct the groups effectively.
Thirdly, the global leader needs to understand cultural stereotypes and avoid them at all costs. Notably, cultural stereotypes result in biases that influence the value attached to different individuals in a diverse workplace ( Burke, 2013) . The leader should identify and work on personal biases that they have regarding individuals from different cultural backgrounds. The reason for this awareness is that if left unchecked, it could interfere with the process of recruiting qualified employees and affect the process of building trust. Bias in organizations also affect the commitment to productivity by employees, and thus no assumption should be made. It is, therefore, important that the global leader maintains objectivity and avoids personal bias. Developing a global mindset and enriching one’s cultural intelligence is crucial in maintaining a global business orientation.
As aforementioned, it is crucial to appoint a competent global leader. In the process, there are specific steps that need to be considered as a way of ensuring that the right project manager with the right skill set is chosen ( Burke, 2013) . Firstly, the individual should possess skills in monitoring the project’s progress to ensure that it is within schedule. Secondly, he/she should possess excellent negotiation skills to keep the project running cost effectively. Thirdly, problems solving skills should manifest in the individual as impasses may occur in the course of the project. Fourthly, the project manager should be able to communicate effectively with the team and their seniors. In addition to these skills, the project manager should possess inherent management traits that will enable the individual to achieve the goals set for the project.
Explain the issues in international project management relative to the following: project life cycle (PMBOK Ch. 2), project management processes (PMBOK Ch. 3), project integration management (PMBOK Ch. 4), project scope management (PMBOK Ch. 5), project time management (PMBOK Ch. 6), and project risk management (PMBOK Ch. 11).
Project life cycle
In international project management, the project lifecycle essentially provides a definite beginning and end point of a project. After identification of an opportunity, organizations often conduct feasibility studies to decide if the project should be undertaken as well as determine the project lifecycle. In a project lifecycle, various stages and phases are involved. Also, a project lifecycle defines the technical work to be carried out in each stage/phase as well as the individuals responsible for the implementation of each phase ( Snyder, 2014) . Notably, each of the project phases has its particular set of deliverables that have to be verified at the end of its timeline. Examples of project phases include; designing phase, feasibility study, and work schedule among others. Throughout each phase, monitoring and evaluation take place in assessing the progress and fine-tuning the phase. Majorly, the evaluation at the end of a particular phase of the project serves two purposes. The first purpose entails determining the feasibility of the project in proceeding to the next phase. Secondly, evaluation helps to unveil and rectify possible errors in the project in a cost-effective way. Therefore, an international project manager needs to consider the project lifecycle and work within its dynamics in the international setting.
Project management processes
In the international setting, project management processes deal with organization and description of the project work. They majorly encompass five processes, namely, the initiating processes, the planning processes, the executing processes, the controlling processes and the closing processes. The initiating processes deal with the commitment and the beginning of a project phase. On the other hand, planning processes encompass all activities of devising and maintaining a feasible scheme for accomplishing the business need that the project seeks to address. On their part, executing processes involve the coordination of team members and resources to implement the project plan. Controlling processes ensure that the objectives set at the beginning of the project are met ( Snyder, 2014) . They also include monitoring and evaluation of progress as a way of detecting and implementing any necessary corrections on the project. Eventually, closing processes concern with formalization and approval of the project or project phase as well as invoke an orderly end.
Notably, the project management processes are interlinked with the output of one process being the input of another process. It requires the closing processes of one phase to usher in the initiation processes of the next phase. Additionally, the processes involve overlapping activities that occur in different intensities over the course of each project phase. Therefore, these processes require particular skills on the part of the project manager. He/she has to have some of the most crucial skills in project management such as operational planning, tactical planning, and strategic planning. For each process, delegation, motivation and supervision activities require careful attention, especially in international settings. As a matter of fact, these skills serve as the foundation of building a successful outcome of the project ( Snyder, 2014) . The leadership process entails setting the direction of the project as well as bringing all team members on board. The project manager can also delegate leadership to other team members for different stages as a way of aligning the entire team to the set objectives. Of equal importance is that the project manager heeds to demonstrate leadership at all stages of the project, both technically and team wise.
Project integration management
Project integration management encompasses all the processes in the project that ensure proper coordination of various project elements ( Snyder, 2014) . It includes trade-offs among contending objectives and options with the aim of meeting or exceeding the stakeholders’ expectations and needs. Although all processes in a project are integrative, processes in project integration management are chiefly integrative. Three processes are involved in project integration management. The first process is the project plan development which takes the outcomes of other planning processes and compiles them in a single reliable and coherent document. The second process is referred to as the project plan execution which covers the implementation of the project plan through undertaking the activities detailed in the plan. The third and final process is the overall change control and handles the coordination of changes across the entire project. It is worth noting g that each of the processes must occur in every phase of the project.
Project scope management
Project scope management involves all processes that are required put in place to guarantee that only the work required is included in the project. Its primary concern is in defining and controlling work to be included or not to be included in the project. The major processes in project scope management include; initiation, scope planning, scope definition, scope verification and scope change control ( Snyder, 2014) . Initiation process commits the organization to commence on the ensuing stage of the project while scope planning develops a statement on the scope of the project based on future project decisions. On the other hand, scope definition deals with the subdivision of the main deliverables into smaller and more controllable constituents. The last two processes, namely scope verification and scope change control deal with validating the approval of the project scope and guiding alterations to the project scope respectively. Notably, these processes vary by area of application and therefore, the project manager needs to define the application of the processes.
Project time management
Project time management covers all processes required in ensuring a timely accomplishment of the project ( Snyder, 2014) . It begins with activity definition that details all activities to be done in realizing all project deliverables. Activity sequencing follows, detailing the interactivity dependencies and documenting them. Then activity duration estimating comes in with an outline of the number of work periods needed for the completion of each of the individual activities. Proceeding this is schedule development with all sequences, durations and resource requirements outlined. Finally, schedule control comes in to regulate all modifications in the project schedule. Although project time management covers each element independently, smaller projects have tightly linked activities that merge as one process. Therefore, the international project manager should consider project time management with reference to the project size.
Project risk management
Project risk management concerns with processes of detecting, evaluating and responding to project risks. The goal of project risk management is to diminish the magnitude of adverse events while taking full advantage of the output of positive events. The major processes include; risk identification, risk quantification, risk response development and risk response control( Snyder, 2014) . Sometimes, some of the processes are merged such as risk identification and risk quantification with the combination referred to as risk analysis. Therefore, the project manager should minimize the risk of suffering loss by evaluating the risk quantification outputs.
References
Burke, R. (2013). Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA .
Snyder, C. S. (2014). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK (®) Guide. Project Management Institute.
