A85645 Managing project and multi-cultural organisations

Project management can be defined as a technique which ensures progress toward objectives and proper deployment of human and strategic resources. A project is an extraordinary activity, aiming to introduce innovation inside the organization. An organisation can learn new managerial tools for the business system from the projects. New sectors of the economy are learning the ways to improve their results (from project techniques).
The objective of the course is to introduce advanced methods of project and system management in a realistic context such that they can be taken back to the workplace to improve management of innovative and operative activities.
System and project management can be useful for:
▪ Change management;
▪ Developing integration between functions and business units;
▪ Team building;
▪ Introducing advanced tools for planning and budgeting.
The course aims to deploy system management not only regarding technical instruments, but also the managerial and organizational philosophy of the learning organisation.

At the end of the course the student will be able:

1. to apply the four basic technique of project management: WBS, OBS, GANTT Chart and OBS;
2. to design appropriate organization for a project team;
3. to manage a project team considering the behavioral implication of a team working;
4. to adopt a system thinking model in the decision making processes.

Projects & Project Management: definitions, characteristics, history and current scenario.

WBS - goals settings: division of a project in manageable activities,  structure and graphic representation

OBS - goals settings: organization of people who work on the project, structure and graphic representation

RAM: Assign resources to activities

Exercise – The Prefabricated house: OBS, RAM

Project Management Organization Structure

Project Timing: The Gantt Diagram – How to manage project time

Budgeting and costs analysis

Introduction to Microsoft Project, Software

Lab.: Introduction to Microsoft Project, Project Time
- Team Building & Team Working
- Leadership
- Organizational Culture in International Contest
- The Decision making

The course will run under a workshop format requiring active students’ involvement. Lectures are held throughout the entire semester.

Students will apply the techinique of project management in a real contest choosen by the student (industrial, service or institutions). They are responsible for organizing the research and make a public presentation.

In preparing for lectures students are required to read the slides, but are also invited to extend their reading to related papers selected by the instructors.

Students are responsible for consulting on a regular basis the website of the course on “my.liuc.it” where updates, additional material and slides about the course are posted. No excuse accepted for any failure during the course you may incur into due to a delayed consultation of the website. 

- A multiple choices test

- Team work presentation