2. Question 1
• 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?
3. Answer 1
• Similar to working in a matrix system
• A dual chain of command
• Can decrease overall performance
• It can create a lot of stress
• Can also be very time consuming
• May create confusion
4. Question 2
• You work for LL Company, which manufactures
high-end optical scopes for hunting rifles. LL
Company has been the market leader for the past
20 years and has decided to diversify by applying its
technology to develop a top-quality binocular. What
kind of project management structure would you
recommend they use for this project? What
information would you like to have to make this
recommendation, and why?
5. Answer 2
• Information required:
Previous management structure being used
Available financial and other resources
Time frame required to finish the project
6. Contd…
• However, considering the information in hand I would
recommend that the company adopt a strong matrix
system. The company is already a market leader in
optical scopes and entering in the binocular Market is
not the highest priority activity for them. Moreover,
the development of a new product should not hamper
the company's current functional activities. Hence,
adopting a strong matrix, wherein the project manager
controls most aspects of the project and functional
managers are used as consultant from time to time,
would be the best strategy for the firm.
7. Question 3
• 3. You work for Barbata Electronics. Your R&D
people believe they have come t up with an
affordable technology that will double the capacity
of existing MP3 players and uses 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?
8. Answer 3
• We will opt for a functional structure
• it is better to divide the work among
functional groups of the organization to
complete the task effectively and efficiently.
• The information we will require is the number
of departments that are to be involved in this
project, time required to complete this project
and financial constraints.
9. Question 4
• This chapter discussed the role of values and beliefs in forming an
organization's culture. The topic of organization culture is big
business on the Internet. Many companies use their Web pages to
describe their mission, vision, and corporate values and beliefs.
There also are many consulting firms that advertise how they help
organizations to change their culture. The purpose of this exercise
is for you to obtain information pertaining to the organizational
culture for two different companies. You can go about this task by
very simply searching on the key words "organizational culture" or
"corporate vision and values." This search will identify numerous
companies for you to use to Answerwer the following questions.
You may want to select companies that you would like to work for
in the future.
• a. What are the espoused values and beliefs of the companies?
• b. Use the worksheet in Figure 3.6 to assess the Web page. What
does the Webpage reveal about the culture of this organization?
Would this culture be conducive to effective project management?
11. BMW
• BMW:
• BMW's core values comprise “responsibility,
appreciation, transparency, trust, and openness.”
• The BMW Group culture is having the passion in
order to build new paths, thinking ahead and
breaking new ground. They look for employees
who have the team spirit, initiative and the desire
in wanting to learn new things every day; hiring
those who want to do and experience something
extraordinary
12. VIVO SMD
• Vivo Smart Medical Devices core value is
about bringing innovation to lives.
• Mission is to deliver top-tier financial
performance over the long term by integrating
sustainability into our business strategy, leaving a
positive imprint on society and the environment.
• Vivo is a warm and welcoming big family with
young and aspirating employees. We focus on
actions, not hierarchy. All employees are allowed
full freedom and space to develop themselves.
13. Question 5
• Use the cultural dimensions listed in Figure 3.5 to assess the
culture of your school. Instead of employees, consider students,
and instead of management, use faculty For example, member
identity refers to the degree to which students identify with the
school as a whole rather than their major or option. Either as
individuals or in small groups rate the culture of your school on the
10 dimensions.
• a. What dimensions were easy to evaluate and which ones were
not?
• b. How strong is the culture of your school?
• c. What functions does the culture serve for your school?
• d. Do you think the culture of your school is best suited to
maximizing your learning? Why or why not?
• e. What kind of projects would be easy to implement in your
school and what kind of projects would be difficult given the
structure and culture of your school? Explain your Answerwer.
15. Contd…
• Apart from risk tolerance and reward criteria
other dimensions were hard to evaluate.
• The culture in Comsats is strong.
• This strong culture lays the foundation for
effective and efficient working and also enables
employees and students to perform all the tasks
according to guidelines. Due to such a culture
students are more focused and tend to study
with more interest and apart from the students
the teachers also teach whole heartedly
16. Contd…
• Projects which actively involves co-working
(Working between both the genders). Due to
backwardness students tend to avoid such
projects.
17. QUESTION 6
• 6. You work as an analyst in the marketing department for Springfield
International (SI). SI uses a weak matrix to develop new services.
Management has created an extremely competitive organizational
culture that places emphasis upon achieving results above everything
else. One of the project managers that you have been assigned to
help has been pressuring you to make his project your number one
priority. He also wants you to expand the scope of your work on his
project beyond what your marketing manager believes is necessary
or appropriate. The project manager is widely perceived as a rising
star within Sl. Up to now you have been resisting the project
manager's pressure and complying with your marketing manager's
directives. However, your most recent inter change with the project
manager ended by his saying, "I'm not happy with the level of help I
am getting from you and I will remember this when I become VP of
Marketing." How would you respond and why?
18. Answer 6
• As the firm has awake matrix structure the
functional manager has more power in
comparison to the project manager. In this
structure performing functional duties are more
important than working on projects so as an
analyst I have to listen to the functional manager.
• As projects are equally important in a firm I will
respond to the project manager in a nice manner.
I will inform him that project will be worked on as
soon as possible.