A conceptual framework to enhance performance in virtual information technology project teams
- Authors: Dube, Shopee M.
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Information technology , Communication and technology , Virtual work teams , International business enterprises
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/382429 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/124856 , uj:20967
- Description: Abstract: The globalisation of business and markets is growing rapidly and information and communication technologies (ICT) are developing at a very fast pace. This has resulted in the emergence and formation of virtual project teams, also referred to as global project teams. Virtual project teams have increased global competitiveness as well as investments in several types of projects in manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, engineering, financial services and construction, and are used as a means of enhancing team performance. From this globalisation of business and markets, virtual project teams are now operating within the boundaries of the operational requirements of the team members. This allows for flexibility of working from anywhere without restrictions imposed by geographical boundaries, differences in time zones and heavily relying on communication technologies. The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework to improve the performance of virtual project teams, which information technology (IT) project managers can use to better understand how teams can be managed. The quantitative research methodology was employed in this study to collect data using an online questionnaire and the data was analysed using statistical methods. This research methodology allowed the researcher to explore this phenomenon in greater depth. The purposive sampling method (non-probability) was adopted for this study. The key findings of this research are that the following factors improve the performance of virtual IT project teams in South Africa: communication, good leadership, trust, social interaction, team cooperation and commitment. The research further reveals that there is a strong correlation between these factors; hence the factors identified were all essential for the development of the conceptual framework. , Ph.D. (Informatics)
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- Authors: Dube, Shopee M.
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Information technology , Communication and technology , Virtual work teams , International business enterprises
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
- Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/382429 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/124856 , uj:20967
- Description: Abstract: The globalisation of business and markets is growing rapidly and information and communication technologies (ICT) are developing at a very fast pace. This has resulted in the emergence and formation of virtual project teams, also referred to as global project teams. Virtual project teams have increased global competitiveness as well as investments in several types of projects in manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, engineering, financial services and construction, and are used as a means of enhancing team performance. From this globalisation of business and markets, virtual project teams are now operating within the boundaries of the operational requirements of the team members. This allows for flexibility of working from anywhere without restrictions imposed by geographical boundaries, differences in time zones and heavily relying on communication technologies. The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework to improve the performance of virtual project teams, which information technology (IT) project managers can use to better understand how teams can be managed. The quantitative research methodology was employed in this study to collect data using an online questionnaire and the data was analysed using statistical methods. This research methodology allowed the researcher to explore this phenomenon in greater depth. The purposive sampling method (non-probability) was adopted for this study. The key findings of this research are that the following factors improve the performance of virtual IT project teams in South Africa: communication, good leadership, trust, social interaction, team cooperation and commitment. The research further reveals that there is a strong correlation between these factors; hence the factors identified were all essential for the development of the conceptual framework. , Ph.D. (Informatics)
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Promoting project reviews as a best practice in multinational organisations
- Authors: Maluleke, Mmatseleng
- Date: 2011-09-15T08:02:32Z
- Subjects: Information technology , Project management , Multinational organisations , International business enterprises
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7214 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3848
- Description: M.Tech. , Many organisations rely on Information Technology (IT) projects to react to competitive pressure and innovation. IT projects are divers and they may include installing off-the-shelf hardware to developing software to basic technologies that provide information to support the operations, management, decisions-making functions within the organisation. In the past years, there had been an increasing number of Multinational Organisations (MNOs) working on IT projects together to create mergers and grow business in foreign countries. While IT projects are being undertaken, Multinational Project Teams are faced with challenges and among their challenges project reviews is one of them. Project reviews are an essential process of learning new things and capturing what had been learned in the current phase/project in order for future phases/projects to benefit. Moreover it is a stage where project teams assess if they had met their key deliverables and project performance. A related study was conducted on project reviews and the results revealed that 4 out of 5 organisations did not conduct post-project reviews. However, if they did conduct project reviews, there were no guidelines on how to do it. The aim of the study was to ascertain a set of guidelines that are used by MNOs to conduct project reviews and share lessons learned and experiences gathered during and after an IT projects for future usage. The significance of this study was to highlight the importance of guidelines for conducting project reviews in order for project teams to learn from the project. The findings can be utilised in building guidelines that MNOs can use to conduct project reviews and to integrate lessons learned back into the organisation. The scope of the research was limited to an MNO with headquarters in the Netherlands and subsidiaries in China and South Africa. The study was carried out using qualitative research approach through interviews, observation and gathering of documentation. Using Atlas.ti which is a ii CAQDAS, data was analysed to compare and contrast similarities by using categories. The categories constructed offered the integrative interpretation of what was learned. From the individual and focus group interviews 5 main categories were elicited: project review meetings, intervals of conducting project reviews, lessons learned, knowledge sharing, and information extracted from project reviews. Based on the results it was evident that the MNO in question requires a set of guidelines on how to conduct project reviews. Moreover, there was no formal mechanism used to integrate lessons learned back into the organisation. A Generic Model for when project reviews should be conducted was developed using various models and guidelines that are used by other organisations and this model could be utilised by MNOs. For each project phase as illustrated on the Generic Model, there are project review guidelines on what to measure during the phase review. This research contributes to the growing literature on the organisational processes and mechanisms for project reviews and lessons learned.
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- Authors: Maluleke, Mmatseleng
- Date: 2011-09-15T08:02:32Z
- Subjects: Information technology , Project management , Multinational organisations , International business enterprises
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7214 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3848
- Description: M.Tech. , Many organisations rely on Information Technology (IT) projects to react to competitive pressure and innovation. IT projects are divers and they may include installing off-the-shelf hardware to developing software to basic technologies that provide information to support the operations, management, decisions-making functions within the organisation. In the past years, there had been an increasing number of Multinational Organisations (MNOs) working on IT projects together to create mergers and grow business in foreign countries. While IT projects are being undertaken, Multinational Project Teams are faced with challenges and among their challenges project reviews is one of them. Project reviews are an essential process of learning new things and capturing what had been learned in the current phase/project in order for future phases/projects to benefit. Moreover it is a stage where project teams assess if they had met their key deliverables and project performance. A related study was conducted on project reviews and the results revealed that 4 out of 5 organisations did not conduct post-project reviews. However, if they did conduct project reviews, there were no guidelines on how to do it. The aim of the study was to ascertain a set of guidelines that are used by MNOs to conduct project reviews and share lessons learned and experiences gathered during and after an IT projects for future usage. The significance of this study was to highlight the importance of guidelines for conducting project reviews in order for project teams to learn from the project. The findings can be utilised in building guidelines that MNOs can use to conduct project reviews and to integrate lessons learned back into the organisation. The scope of the research was limited to an MNO with headquarters in the Netherlands and subsidiaries in China and South Africa. The study was carried out using qualitative research approach through interviews, observation and gathering of documentation. Using Atlas.ti which is a ii CAQDAS, data was analysed to compare and contrast similarities by using categories. The categories constructed offered the integrative interpretation of what was learned. From the individual and focus group interviews 5 main categories were elicited: project review meetings, intervals of conducting project reviews, lessons learned, knowledge sharing, and information extracted from project reviews. Based on the results it was evident that the MNO in question requires a set of guidelines on how to conduct project reviews. Moreover, there was no formal mechanism used to integrate lessons learned back into the organisation. A Generic Model for when project reviews should be conducted was developed using various models and guidelines that are used by other organisations and this model could be utilised by MNOs. For each project phase as illustrated on the Generic Model, there are project review guidelines on what to measure during the phase review. This research contributes to the growing literature on the organisational processes and mechanisms for project reviews and lessons learned.
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