Mod 1 – 8 Discussion Posts. Each post should be 200 words. Please make sure to cite each post and place the references under each post. Support your statements and conclusions using at least one of this week’s required readings and one current, peer-reviewed scholarly article. Current means that the article was published in the most recent five years.
Module 1: Discussion Forum
Risk: Leadership Theories and Project Management
Early in the execution phase of a project to design a new engine in an aerospace company, a key Design Engineer working out of one of the company’s facilities located in Hamburg, Germany, indicates to the Project Manager (PM), who is working out of one of the company’s facilities located in Connecticut, that the Design Engineer is not available to work on project tasks that have been assigned to him by the PM. The Design Engineer states that this is because his functional manager has assigned him higher priority tasks on another project. Discuss how the Path-Goal Leadership Theory and Model applies to the following interactions: (1) PM- Sponsor; (2) PM-Functional Manager; (3) PM- Design Engineer.
This week’s Recommended Reading – Attached.
Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 1.2.3; Chapter 3, Section 3.3 in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge.
Howell, V. (2018). Project management as a tool for leadership development. Ceramic Industry, 168(5), 10-11.
Module 2: Discussion Forum
Leadership Competencies and Project Planning: Risk Analysis, Task Duration Forecasting, Specifications, and Contract Analysis
Select the one of the following (choose the one with which you are least comfortable):
risk identification and contingency planning;
task duration forecasting;
customer specifications analysis; and
contract analysis and compliance planning.
Discuss how technical, interpersonal, and decision-making skills apply to the one you chose, and explain how you can draw upon others in the list to shore up your weaknesses when leading that activity as a PM.
This week’s Recommended Reading – Attached
Burrell, D. N., Aridi, A. S., & Nobles, C. (2018). The critical need for formal leadership development programs for cybersecurity and information technology professionals. (Links to an external site.) International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Society.
Module 3: Discussion Forum
Leadership Competencies and the Execution Phase
Identify one leadership role and one leadership trait, describe each, and discuss their applicability in the Project Execution Phase, using specific project examples.
This week’s Recommended Reading – Attached
Brown, M. (2020). Leading change management for digital change: Managers must take the lead on change, but don’t forget that they need motivation, too. (Links to an external site.) Supply Chain Management Review, 24(2), 8–11. https://www.scmr.com/article/leading_change_management_for_digital_change
Gale, S. F. (2019). Invested in change. (Links to an external site.) PM Network, 33(12), 20–27. https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/epmo-steered-largest-us-mortgage-buyerdigital-transformation-11831
Module 4: Discussion Forum
Project Team Leadership
Think of a situation in which you observed a particularly effective team leader. What actions, behaviors, and attitudes contributed to the effectiveness of this team leader?
Then, think of a situation in which you observed a particularly ineffective team leader. What actions, behaviors, and attitudes contributed to the ineffectiveness of this team leader?
Reflecting upon these two situations, what would you have done differently as the leader in this situation?
This week’s Recommended Reading – Attached
Part 1, Chapter 9 in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ® Guide) (6th ed.)
Asree, S., Cherikh, M., & Baucum, C. (2019). A review of leadership styles that affect project success. International Journal of the Academic Business World, 13(1), 36–46.
Module 5: Discussion Forum
Project Team Leadership Special Topics
Select and briefly describe an organization. Compare and contrast the leadership challenges of a Project Manager and a Functional Manager in that organization, using a Project Management example for the Project Manager and an Operations Management example for the Operations Manager.
This week’s Recommended Reading – Attached
Part 1, Chapter 2, Sections 2.3.1 and Chapter 9 in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Links to an external site.) (PMBOK ® Guide) (6th ed.)
Briard, R., Bhuiyan, N., Sicottel, H., & Keshani, P. (2020). Critical success factors in new product development projects in a weak matrix structure. Journal of Modern Project Management, 08(2), 38–57.
Henkel, T., & Haley, G. (2020). Analyzing the critical factors motivating project managers: Amidst the challenges of an ever-changing modern global marketplace. Journal of Modern Project Management, 08(2), 110–125.
Module 6: Discussion Forum
Organizational Leadership: Strategic Leadership, Project Prioritization and Selection, and Project Integration
Project Managers (PMs) are often not selected and assigned until after a project has already been selected. Why must a PM take the initiative to understand why a project that he or she has been assigned to manage was selected by an organization? What are the potential problems a PM may encounter if he or she does not understand how a project he or she is managing fits into the organization’s overall strategy? Use examples to support your assertions.
This week’s Recommended Reading – Attached
Part 1, Chapter 13 in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ® Guide) (6th ed.)
Iqbal, S. M. J., Zaman, U., Siddiqui, S. H., & Imran, M. K. (2019). Influence of transformational leadership factors on project success. Pakistan Journal of Commerce & Social Sciences, 13(1), 231–256.
Prasher, V. S., & Onu, S. (2020). The internet of things (Iot) upheaval: Overcoming management challenges. Journal of Modern Project Management, 08(2), 24–37.
Module 7: Discussion Forum
Organizational Leadership: Leadership during Project Closure
Discuss the roles and responsibilities of functional managers, the project manager, and the project sponsor relative to re-integrating project team members into the organization when the project to which they have been assigned on a full-time basis ends. In your discussion, identify a specific project and use examples related to that project.
This week’s Recommended Reading – Attached
Part 1, Chapter 3 in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK ® Guide) (6th ed.)
Lavalle, A., & Casale, O. (2020). Project managers are the best candidates to manage innovation. (Links to an external site.) International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning, 13(1), 48–61.
Module 8: Discussion Forum
Merging Organizational Leadership and Individual Leadership
Your employer’s organization does not currently have a PMO. You have been asked to manage a project to establish a PMO. The scope of the project has yet to be defined, and you are to make an initial recommendation. What are some elements you would suggest to be included in the PMO? When formulating your answer, some dimensions to consider include physical space, online resources, an organizational structure, training programs, and a mentorship program.
This week’s Recommended Reading – Attached
Baker, B. (2020). Power, leadership and culture as drivers of project management. American Journal of Management, 20(1), 9-30.
Rehman, S. U. R., Shahzad, M., Farooq, M. S., & Javaid, M. U. (2020). Impact of leadership behavior of a project manager on his/her subordinate’s job attitudes and job-outcomes. Asia Pacific Management Review, 25(1), 38–47
