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CHAPTER 6: CASE STUDIES OF
INTERNATIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Unit Name: International Project Management
Phạm Thị Mai Khanh (Ph.D.)
phamthimaikhanh.cs2@ftu.edu.vn
International Project - Concepts
A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product
or service. (PMBOK 2016)
An interna7onal project is a temporary endeavour, delivered by a project
team located in more than one country and from more than one
organiza7on, undertaken to create a unique product or service. (adapted from
PMBOK 2016)
An interna7onal or regional project is a project that involves mul4ple
loca4ons, en44es, organiza4ons, and business units. (Lientz and Rea 2003, p. 3)
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Cri7cal Success Factors for Interna7onal
Projects
• Everyone must win with the project
• Collabora7ve effort
• Measurement, measurement and more measurement
• Gather lessons learned as you go
• Cultural sensi7vity and awareness throughout the
project
• Proac7ve resource alloca7on
• Project organiza7on and manager and team member
selec7on
Advantages
of interna4onal projects
• Access to technical experts
• Environmental benefits
• Global workdays
• Improved disaster recovery abili7es
• Increased innova7on
• Larger pool of poten7al job candidates
• More accurate picture of interna7onal customers' needs
• Proximity to customers
• Reduc7on in travel 7me and expenses when star7ng a local office
instead of having team members travel there regularly
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Types of Interna7onal Projects
• Mul7na7onal SoQware Deployment
• M&A
• Marke7ng a New Product
Lientz & Rea (2003), Chapter 11-13 (p. 195-225)
Types of Interna7onal Projects
Mul7na7onal SoQware Deployment (Issues)
• Background: the implementa7on of enterprise resource planning
systems (ERP systems).
• Objec7ves and scope:
– Technical purpose
– Business Purpose
– Poli7cal Purpose
• End products:
– The major end product is the soQware installed, working, and being used effec7vely
as part of improved business processes.
– Improved informa7on at headquarters, regions, and countries on a more 7mely and
predictable basis
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Types of Interna7onal Projects
Mergers and Acquisi7ons (Overview)
• Background: Cross-border M&A is a form of FDI which involve buying existing
foreign businesses.
• Objec7ves and scope:
– Technical purpose
– Business Purpose
– Poli7cal Purpose
• End products:
– Results of inves7ga7on of the companies.
– Business plan for the merger and acquisi7on; migra7on plan for the businesses.
– Financial analysis and proposals.
– Before-combina7on measurement.
– Project plan for implementa7on
– AQer-combina7on measurement.
– Detailed changes, organiza7on charts, etc.
Types of Interna7onal Projects
Mergers and Acquisi7ons (Issues)
• The Two Companies Are Not Compa7ble in Terms of Culture
• There Was a Lack of Analysis of Processes and Systems; Too Much
ATen7on Was Placed on Organiza7on
• The Acquiring or Dominant Firm Does Not Pay ATen7on to Issues at the
Local Level
• Organiza7on Change is Pushed Through without Thought or Planning
• Costs Are Not Reduced as Planned
• Current Work in Many Loca7ons is Nega7vely Impacted
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Types of Interna7onal Projects
Mergers and Acquisi7ons (Remedies)
• Iden7fy Merger and Acquisi7on Candidates
• Carry Out Due Diligence and Inves7ga7ons
• Undertake Detailed Planning
• Perform the Consolida7on
• Measure Results
Types of Interna7onal Projects
Marke7ng a New Product (Overview)
• Background: a new product has to be customized to the specific market
segment.
• Objec7ves and scope:
– Technical purpose
– Business Purpose
– Poli7cal Purpose
• End products:
– Planning completed for the product for each country.
– Culture and poli7cal check and evalua7on for the planning.
– Pre-rollout promo7on and adver7sing for the product.
– Rollout of the product in the countries along with the promo7on.
– Gathering of lessons learned and experience to fine tune future marke7ng campaigns
– Use of lessons learned to improve the product planning process for the future.
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Types of Interna7onal Projects
Marke7ng a New Product (Issues)
• There is a Failure to Learn from Other Product Launches
• There is a Lack of Culture Sensi7vity
• Too Much of the Adver7sing Is Geared to an Upscale, Western Audience
• How the Product Marke7ng Is Handled Is Inconsistent between Countries
• There Is a Lack of Coordina7on during the Marke7ng in Different Areas
• There Is Insufficient Follow-up AQer the Product is Launched
Types of Interna7onal Projects
Marke7ng a New Product (Remedies)
• Review Market Research and Other Informa7on
• Review Track Record for Successful and Failed Compe77ve Products
• Develop Culture Profiles of the Product for Each Market
• Prepare the Launch of the New Product
• Coordinate Product Marke7ng and Sales
• Gather Experience and Lessons Learned
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Issues of Interna7onal Projects
• Project Issues
• Business Issues
• Management Issues
• External Issues
Lientz & Rea (2003), Chapter 14-17 (p. 229-266)
Issues of Interna7onal Projects
• Project Issues (1)
Project Issues are those that occur aQer the project is started.
– Individuals in a Country Are Pulled away from Work on the
Project Due to Local Needs
– There Are Different Languages Employed among Team Members.
There Is No Provision for Interpreters
– People in Some Loca7ons Lack Experience and Knowledge about
Methods and Tools
– Communica7ons across the Loca7ons Is Poor
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Issues of Interna7onal Projects
• Project Issues (2)
– Technology Employed in Different Loca7ons Is Not Compa7ble
– The Project Leaders Do Not Have Prior Experience in
Interna7onal Projects
– Project Team Members Lack Experience and Knowledge about
Condi7ons in Other Countries
– It Is Difficult to Determine Status of the Work in Various
Loca7ons
– There Is Too Much ATen7on on Project Details That Many Issues
Are Not Iden7fied
Note: Issue-Impact-Preven'on-Ac'on
Issues of Interna7onal Projects
• Business Issues (1)
Business issues are those that impact the project and are based
in business units.
– The Interna7onal Project Requires Cri7cal People in a Country
– The Infrastructure in a Country Is Very Poor
– The Business Needs Are Diverse in Each Country for the Project
– The Project Depends upon Vendors Who Do Not Have a Strong
Presence in Some Loca7ons
– There Is No Provision to Address Problems and Issues in
Countries as They Arise
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Issues of Interna7onal Projects
• Business Issues (2)
– There Is a Wide Variety of Business Processes in Different
Countries
– Problems in One Country Are Not Seen as Sufficiently Important
in Headquarters
– It Is Taking Too Long to Have Decision Made
– There Is Substan7al Turnover of Staff in One Loca7on
Note: Issue-Impact-Preven'on-Ac'on
Issues of Interna7onal Projects
• Management Issues (1)
Management issues tend to be of larger scale than business
issues. Many management issues are oQen accepted as
constraints.
– Work Is Performed in One Country and Then Sent to Another
Country for Finishing
– Management Expecta7ons Are Centered upon Headquarters
with a Lack of ATen7on to Local Needs
– The Project Is Approved without Recognizing Other Projects and
Efforts
– There Is a Lack of Control Since the Project Is a Joint Venture
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Issues of Interna7onal Projects
• Management Issues (2)
– The Company in One Country Is Jointly Owned with a Local Firm
– Management Approval Was Only Obtained at Headquarters
without Involvement of Local Management
– The Method for Managing the Project Overall Is Too Bureaucra7c
– The Manager Who Was behind the Project Moves to a New
Posi7on
– Management Appears to Lose Interest in the Project Due to
Other Commitments
Note: Issue-Impact-Preven'on-Ac'on
Issues of Interna7onal Projects
• External Issues (1)
External issues are those that arise from government,
compe77on, and other factors that are not within the
organiza7on.
– Local Laws Are Impac7ng the Project
– Compe77on Is Much More Intense in a Specific Country
– Savings from a Project Are Not ATainable Because of Local Laws
– Economic Condi7ons in One Country Worsen