Outline of My AMP Report/Research Proposal Assessment 1 Business Research Methods BSS017-6 Abeer Manzoor Student Id# 0916691 Module coordinator Dr Qile He (Horace) 2010 7/5/2010 Table of Contents Out line of Research Proposal3 Topic:3 Introduction:3 Research Question:3 Aims and objectives:3 Research Approach:4 Purpose:4 Methodology:4 Literature Review:5 Summary of related journals and articles5 Details of Articles5 Expected Result8 References9 Appendix11 Outline of Research Proposal Topic: Importance and need of ‘Soft Skills’ element and its equation with time and cost in Project Management Introduction:
Project Management is generally considered as the utilization of time, cost and resources to complete the project and project management skills are generally taken as set of technical skills such as creating a Gant chart, work breakdown structure, finding critical path, resource allocation, risk management and splitting up a complex project etc. But In many cases, project managers generally ignore and overlook the importance of ‘soft skills’ or ‘people skills’ e. g. (influencing, communication, team management, delegating and motivating).
As projects are run and delivered by people so people skills can make a huge difference to successful completion of a project. This research is to find out that how any project (large or small) can be a greater success if the project manager is trained in soft skills or micro social skills and how project can be suffered by ignoring these essential skills. Research Question: How vital is the role of soft/people skills in the successfulness of projects within a wide range of sectors, and is it imperative for project managers to acquire these skills?
Aims and objectives: Aims and objective of this report will identify ‘soft skills’/ ‘micro-social skill’ the often overlooked element in project management. This report will answer my above mentioned research question by working on these objectives. * Soft skills are as important as hard skills to make any project a success * Benefits of soft skills for any project’s sustainability * Need and necessity of acquiring soft skills for a project manager * To look at the relationship between the implementation of soft skills within the different sectors (e. g.
IT, Engineering and Hospitality), and identify similarities and differences Research Approach: As my research question demands a vast and comprehensive study on soft skills and their impact in various sectors of project management so I would like to divide my topic into three parts 1. My first part of research would be to analyze soft skills, types of soft skills and their importance in project management. 2. Second area of discussion would be that how these skills can be enhanced and developed in team and why these skills are so essential for project managers to acquire? 3.
Final part of my research would be the implementation of soft skills and their relationship within various sectors to identify similarities and differences that how these skills can leads a project towards success and how ignoring these skills can cause a failure of a project. Purpose: Purpose of this research is to explain that soft skills are essential for a project manager to acquire to deliver the project successfully. Methodology: All the research, analysis and findings in my project will be based on the secondary data gathered from news papers articles, published journals, standard websites and academic books.
The main method of my project will be reviewing all above mentioned literature resources related to ‘importance of Soft Skills in Project Management and how it is not ideal to overlook these skills for the success of project? ” Literature Review: I have outlined below some of the selected articles related to my research question. Summary of related journals and articles (1) Importance of soft skills – often missed (ignored) by project management. (2) Why Soft skills are required for a competent Project Manager? (3) Soft skills are essentials to be learned and practiced by engineers. 4) Why Architects and engineers must posses both hard skills and soft skills? (5) IT Programmer must have soft skills as well as technical skills (6) Why a competent hospitality manager must possess soft skills or social skills? (7) How soft skills or Micro Social skills are basic part of a success for any project in software project management? (8) An effective project manager is a combination of technical expertise and soft skills. (9) What are the most basic and important elements for a project manager to lead and deliver successful IT project? Details of Articles 1) Importance of soft skills The Missing “Soft Skills” for Project Controls by Mr. Rohit Singh, CCE The writer raises soft skills as an ignored part of project management and project controls programs and identifies their need and importance. Writer divides soft skills into three types (basic skills, interpersonal skills, experiential learning). He also states that project manager can achieve greater success if trained in soft skills. (2) Required skills for a competent Project Manager Soft Skills Quantification (SSQ) For Project Manager Competencies by Edward Muzio, Deborah J.
Fisher, Erv R. Thomas, Valerie Peters This article states the importance of non-technical skills in project managers and other stake holders in any project. This research examines multiple approaches to assess soft skills model and allows SSQ (Soft Skills Quantification) and its utility in achieving project goals and objectives (3) Soft skills are essentials to be learned and practiced by engineers Engineers Learn “Soft Skills the Hard Way”: Planting a Seed of Leadership in Engineering Classes by Sanjeev Kumar and J.
Kent Hsiao This articles focus on current global competition’s demands and requirements in engineering oriented projects. The author depicts the need and importance of possessing soft skills by engineers to understand the project goals and to accomplish them with available resources. (4) Architects and engineers must posses both hard skills and soft skills Importance of design consultants’ soft skills in design-build projects by Florence yean – yng Ling, George Ofori & Sui Pheng Low This research is based on a survey conducted by a selection of consultants by DB (Design-Build) contractors in Singapore.
The purpose of this survey was to find out that (AE) architects and engineers need to possess soft skills, as these skills are more important to apply in DB projects because architects and engineers interact in organizational settings instead of working by themselves. (5) IT Programmer must have soft skills as well as technical skills Industry Perceptions of the competencies needed by computer programmers: Technical, Business, and soft skills by Janet Bailey and Robert B. Mitchell With the increasing competition in IT related projects, a multi task oriented performance has become very important for IT employees.
This article is based on the research carried out by two hundred and twenty seven IT professionals. They conducted a web based survey and evaluated the skills and abilities required for an IT professional. Results of this survey showed that technical skills are essential for computer programmer but soft skills are most critical for high performance of IT professionals. (6) A competent hospitality manager must possess soft skills or social skills An exploratory study identifying soft skill competencies in entry – level managers by Melvin R.
Weber, Dori A. Finley, Alleah Crawford, David Rivera, Jr This article is based on a comprehensive study of soft skills needed in entry – level hospitality managers. This article also depicts that how to produce competent hospitality mangers by acquiring soft skills. (7) Soft skills or Micro Social skills are basic part of a success for any project in software project management Accommodating Soft Skills in Software Project Management by Annerav Sukhoo, Andries Barnard, Mariki M. Eloff, John A.
Van der Poll Rate of project failure in software project management is higher than any other project management field. This articles is based on a research carried out at the University of Arkansas, depicts hard skills as science oriented processes, tools and techniques applied to the project and soft skills as an art, often ignored by project mangers. These skills can be acquired by managing people related to the project. Projects can be delivered within budget and within time scale by implementing soft skills. 8) An effective project manager is a combination of technical expertise and soft skills Soft Skills and Technical Expertise of Effective Project Managers by Sharlett Gillard This article focus on the qualities required for a successful project manager as it is becoming more evident with the research related project management continues to grow that a project manager can not deliver a successful project with a technical skill set only. Excellent interpersonal or micro social skills are inevitable for a project’s success. This article further explores the difference between anaging and leading the project. According to writer leadership style of the project manager directly impacts the result and outcome of any project. (9) Most basic and important elements for a project manager to lead and deliver successful IT project The Right Stuff for Leading Successful Projects by Nancy Settle-Murphy 10 years ago required skills for a competent project manager were different from today. The question arises in mind that what skills and competencies really matter most for a project manager to lead and deliver successful Information Technology projects?
This article is based on interviews of four executives of an IT company and gives all the answers to this question about leading a project towards success. Expected Result My APM research project will highlight and identify all those activities which are generally missing from most of the projects in various sectors. This report will also give a guideline to every project manager to implement soft skills/people skills in the best possible way to deliver the project. Finally this report will provide a comprehensive study and analysis on this topic which is missing from the most of PM courses and books.
References Annerav Sukhoo, Andries Barnard, Mariki M. Eloff, John A. Van der Poll, (2000) – Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology – Accommodating Soft Skills in Software Project Management , P: 692 – 701 Edward Muzio, D J. Fisher, Erv R. Thomas, Valerie Peters, (June 2007) – Project Management Journal – Soft Skills Quantification (SSQ) For Project Manager Competencies, P: 30 – 38 Florence Yean – Yng Ling, George, and Ofori & Sui Pheng Low (July 2007) Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management – Importance of design consultants’ soft skills in design-build projects, P: 389 – 398
Janet Bailey and Robert B. Mitchell (2007) – Journal of Computer Information Systems – Industry Perceptions of the competencies needed by computer programmers: Technical, Business, and soft skills, P: 28 – 33 Melvin R. Weber, Dori A. Finley, Alleah Crawford, David Rivera, Jr (June, 2009) – Tourism and Hospitality Research – An exploratory study identifying soft skill competencies in entry – level managers, P: 353 – 361 Nancy Settle-Murphy, (2003) – Information Strategy: The Executive’s Journal – The Right Stuff for Leading Successful Projects, P: 20-25
Rohit Singh, (2005) – The Missing “Soft Skills” for Project Controls – Dev. S01 – 2005 AACE International Transactions Sanjeev Kumar, J. Kent Hsiao, (January 2007) – Leadership and Management in Engineering – Engineers Learn” Soft Skills the Hard Way”: Planting a Seed of Leadership in Engineering Classes, P: 18 – 23 Sharlett Gillard, (June, 2009) – Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology – Soft Skills and Technical Expertise of Effective Project Managers, P: 724 – 728
Appendix Below is possible outline of my report CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background: Significance of study: Aims & Study: Research Question: Methodology: Structure of Report: CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction: Soft Skills Definition: Hard Skills Definition: Soft skills vs. hard skills: Types of Soft skills: Need for Soft skills: CHAPTER 3 SOFT SKILLS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT Introduction Types of Soft skills in Project Management General use of Soft skills in Project Management
Measurement of Soft skills Why Soft skills are essential for Project Manager? CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS OF SOFT SKILLS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT Introduction Soft Skills in different Sectors of Project Management Role of Soft skills in Project Delivery Using Soft skills to improve parameters of Project Management Resources Time Cost Using Soft skills to reduce soft skills CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION Introduction: Results of Findings: Conclusion: Recommendations: BIBLIOGRAPHY Book References: Web References:
