Semester Spring 2012
PROJECT MANAGEMENT (MGMT627)
Assignment No. 1
Due Date: April 18, 2012
Marks: 15 (8+7)
Instructions:
Please read the following instructions carefully before preparing the assignment solution:
•
This assignment is a short case study. Read it carefully and answer the questions given at the
end.
• Be very specific and focused on the issue while answering a question
• You should complete the answer within 5-6 lines for each question
• No marks will be given for extra/ irrelevant details
•
As this case is meant to apply your knowledge, so do not give any definition nor do explain
theoretical concepts in answers
Case:
Ahmed Shakil is the CEO of the Star Company, a privately owned, medium-
size computer services
company. The company is 20 years old and, until recently, had experienced rapid growth. Mr. Shakil
believes that the company’s recent problems are closely related to the depressed Asian economy.
Ms. Naila was hired as the director of corporate planning at Star Company
six months ago. After
reviewing the performance and financial statements of the company for the last few years, Ms. Naila
has come to
the conclusion that the economic conditions are not the real problem, but rather
exacerbate the real problems. She believes that in this Internet era, Star
Company’s services are
becoming obsolete but the department heads have not been able to cooperate e
ffectively in reacting
to information technology threats and opportunities. She believes that the strong functional
organization impedes the kinds of actions
required to remedy the situation. Accordingly, she has
recommended that Mr. Shakil should create a
new position, manager of special operations, to
promote and use project management techniques. The new manager would handle several critical
projects in the role of project manager.
Mr. Shakil is cool to the idea. He believes that his functional departments are being
managed by
capable professionals. Why can’t these high-
level managers work together more efficiently? Perhaps
a good approach would be, for him,
to give the group some direction (what to do, when to do it, who
should do it) and then put the functional manager most closely related to the problems in
charge of
the group. He assumes that the little push from him (Shakil
) as just described would be enough to
“get the project rolling.”
Questions:
1. After this explanation Ms. Naila is more convinced t
han ever that a separate, nonfunctional
project manager is required. Discuss whether she is right or not.
2. If a new position is created, what other changes should be made?
docsity.com
