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SURVEY OF PROJECT RELATIONSHIPS AND PERFORMANCE

Information Concerning Participation in a Research Study

Clemson University

Welcome to the Survey of project relationships and performance. All your responses to these questions are confidential and will remain anonymous.  All of the data will be presented in aggregate form only; there are no known risks associated with participating in this study. 
 
The objectives of this survey are to explore the relationship between individuals’ attitudes towards the specific projects and their performance on those projects. This survey should take about 20 minutes to complete.

Your participation in this research study is voluntary. You may choose not to participate and you may withdraw your consent to participate at any time. You will not be penalized in any way should you decide not to participate or to withdraw from this study.

 

If you have any questions or concerns about this study, wish to see a summary of the results of the study, or if any problems arise, please contact Russell Purvis at Clemson University at (864) 656-3770. If you have any questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, please contact the Clemson University Office of Research Compliance at 864.656.6460.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Survey

More Organizations Requiring PMP Certification for Employees

Don't think that certifications make a difference for your career and organizational success? Not so according to the Wall Street Journal.
Read the latest news on why the PMP® is a leading certification companies are requiring their project managers to have.

By DIANA MIDDLETON

Many companies outside of finance and insurance are encouraging employees to sit for certification exams—and some are flat-out requiring the effort.

Companies say the certifications are proof that their current or prospective employees meet an industry-wide standard. And, some companies say a growing number of their clients insist on dealing only with employees who have earned industry designations.

The Project Management Institute says it has seen a 30% jump in registration for its handful of certifications. The most popular is the Project Management Professional certification for experienced managers, while the fastest-growing is the Certified Associate in Project Management, which prepares nonmanagers to be part of a project-management team, according to the nonprofit professional association.

Gregory Balestrero, president and chief executive of the Project Management Institute, says the uptick comes at a time when executing on initiatives is critical to businesses recovering from the recession. And more than that, the designation helps a manager stand out in a difficult job market. "It's a buyer's market for employees, and a certification can be what sets applicants apart," he says.

That's true at companies including International Business Machines Corp., where hiring managers will only seriously consider project manager applicants with a PMP certification, says Steve DelGrosso, director of IBM Project Management Center of Excellence.

"In order to even take the exams, you have to have a wealth of experience in project management," Mr. DelGrosso says.

To earn the PMP, a manager has to first log 4,500 hours—or almost 113 weeks worth—of project work experience, the Project Management Institute says.

And Mr. DelGrosso says the skills are more relevant to business than they have been in the past. "Our clients are placing bigger demands on us to develop and manage more complex projects," he says.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration also only employs certified project managers, per a recent requirement from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. But even without that directive, Edward Hoffman, Director of the NASA Academy of Programs and Projects, says having the certification boosts the public trust for the space agency.

NASA's deeply technical missions—such as the Mars exploration projects—require leaders who can balance budgets and launch schedules and stay on task, says Mr. Hoffman, because if a project is deemed too costly or late, it can delay a mission for months. Certified project managers are trained in the language of complex efforts like these, he says, making it more likely these efforts will stay on track.

The National Contract Management Association says it has seen an uptick for its most popular certification program, which is geared toward government workers. The federal-government focused certification has proven attractive to career switchers, says Chuck Woodside, director of certification for the association.

Other in-demand certification programs are in the areas of human resources, technology and process efficiency, according to Adrian Marrullier, an executive vice president at Bisk Education Inc., which offers certification programs through partner universities.

Studying for the certification exams can be costly. The contract management certification costs $260 for those who aren't members of the association and requires multiple hours of study time. The PMP certification costs $555 for non-members.

In many cases, companies will reimburse employees for the exam and study material costs. And often there's a bigger payoff. A recent study from the Project Management Institute found managers with a PMI earned more than $100,000, while those who weren't certified earned about $93,000.

Write to Diana Middleton at diana.middleton@wsj.com

Developing Skills for Project Management

Opportunities abound for growth and improvement in project management through education and training. Whatever your present level of project expertise, development can be advanced through increased knowledge and practice (Bouley, 2007; Fong, 2006). According to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, to develop is “to bring out the capabilities or possibilities of; bring to a more advanced or effective state” and skills are “abilities or competencies that can be advanced (developed) by training and exercise”. The two terms taken together spell taking capabilities to a higher level, enhancing effectiveness. Demand is increasing for many and varied project management skills, and to match this need are a variety of education and training means and methods from which to choose (Zerby, Price, Cable and Deguire, 2006; Estabrook, 2005; Hildebrand, 2006).

Learning

Learning activity is linked to individual and organizational performance and project success (Fretty, 2006; Roecker, 2007). Lifelong learners achieve compound growth through knowledge/experience seeking habits, and thus tend to gain competitive advantage over others with similar aptitudes who do not proactively seek out development opportunities (Kotter, 1996). Knowledge obsolescence, exacerbated by ever changing technology and business challenges, calls for constant learning on the part of all stakeholders. The increased need for learning capability within an organization in an era of ultra rapid change calls for life-long learning of current and relevant information (Gadeken, 1997). Adult learners prefer to learn experientially, gaining knowledge through the transformation of experience (Caffarella and Barrett, 2004; Peters and Homer, 1996).

Eagerness and motivation to learn is tied in to needs; a demand for knowledge that can be used and applied (McManus, McManus and Williamson, 1994). Adult Education Specialists (androgogues) stress the necessity of incorporating “real life” lessons into training and development programs, the importance of collaborative learning and of incorporating the adult learner’s needs (Kezsbom, 1992). Flexible training practices are employed by training facilitators who appreciate the distinction of teaching self-directing adults who are seeking knowledge they can put to use (Knowles, 1988; Lambert, 1984).

Development Methods

Project managers tend to develop skills through experiential learning, through observation and mentoring for the most part, learning many necessary skills on the job (Carbone and Gholston, 2004; Happ and Müller-Wenzke, 2005; Thamhain, 1991). A study by Hans Thamhain depicts the following distribution of skill acquisition methods among project managers (Thamhain, 1991):

• Experiential Learning – 65%

• Observation – 20%

• Reading – 8%

• Seminars – 4%

• Schooling – 1.5%
  
  

In addition, a PMI poll featured in the December 2007 issue of PM Network® reports that 24% of project management training provided by firms is "on-the-job", followed by mentoring (18%), in-house meetings and lectures (16%), seminars, conferences and self-study (15%) and professional courses or school (12%) (Training Day, 2007).

Although experiential learning heads the lists above, a combination of methods, selected with the learner’s needs and environment in mind, is likeliest to bring about optimal results (Kezsbom and Donnelly, 1992; Meloni, 2005; Shaw, 2004; Ward, 1999). The plethora of learning opportunities include formal education provided by educational institutions, degree programs, self directed learning, training companies providing workshops, in-house training or self-paced study products, professional conferences and seminars, mentoring, and gaming and simulation (Carbone, 2006; Estabrook, 2005; Ferraro, 2005).

Last year it was found that more than 160 of the world's educational institutions offer advanced degrees in project management, with many others offering classes in project management topics (Whitemyer, 2007). A variety of learning mediums are available as well and may be ‘blended’, that is to say a mixture of mediums such as virtual (e-trainer), e-learning, teleconferencing, DVD, CD, Web, live classroom, chat classroom, or correspondence courses to name a few. Factors that will determine which mediums or modalities to utilize include an analysis of knowledge and skill needs within a given project or institutional framework, selection of available development tools and methods, while personal choices will tend to be made by way of learning preferences such as face to face learning, time factors, geographical and access issues (Martin, 2000; Price, 2004).

• Formal education and training courses provided by training professionals offer guided curriculums, accreditation, degrees and certifications, (Logue, 2005; Turner and Huemann, 2000).

• Gaming/simulation and role playing abstract lessons from real work-a-day issues, situations and scenarios so that participants can make choices and learn from mistakes free from costs of actual mistakes to team or company (Gadeken, 1997; Lush and Blanksma, 1995; Peters and Homer, 1996; Tsuchiya and Yashiro, 2001).

• Mentoring allows for peer to peer transfer of experience, coaching and personal, directed feedback (Gumaer, 1999; Ludwig, 2007; Somani, 2005; Tamarikin, 2008; Whitten, 2008).

• Self-paced courses and training products, in addition to professional and trade literature are available in a variety of mediums, and allow for learning at one’s own pace (Gale, 2003).

• Workshops, Conferences, Seminars as intensive learning programs cover much material in a concentrated space of time, delivering pertinent professional material (Lambert, 1984).

Value, Benefits of Training

The benefits of training can be observed qualitatively and quantitatively (Gekoski, 1999;

Kerzner, 2000; McManus, McManus and Williamson, 1994; Wagenstein, 2006; Warshauer, 2004). Demand and growth for training is increasing (Pappas, 2005; Zerby, Price, Cable and Deguire, 2006) Gaining executive support can be achieved by illustrating that training and education is an investment as opposed to an expense (Young, 2006). When education and training are aligned to business goals and organizational strategic objectives, “learning becomes an ecosystem that touches all other aspects of business” (Wagenstein, 2006).

Practice Makes Perfect

Practicing skills, knowledge and methods gained from training and education on a regular basis will help in transferring the skills developed to the work environment (Diniz, 1997, Dye 2007). Management can facilitate the transfer of learned skills to the workplace by providing appropriate support mechanisms (Diniz, 1997, Dye 2007; Martin, 2008). Sustained transfer of learning requires habitual performance of newly learned skills, putting freshly acquired knowledge to work so that training is retained (Borgianini, 1998; Lambert, 1984).

Keep up the good work!

Web-site links

ITToolbox - A Comparison of Multimedia Courseware and Classroom-Based Instruction By

Craig Borysowich (2005)

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/enterprise-solutions/a-comparison-of-multimedia-courseware-and-classroombasedinstruction-

6381 (accessed 12/30/08)

Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration - CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS IN THE

EDUCATION IN PROJECT MANAGER By J. Rodney Turner and Mag Martina Huemann

http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/pmg_eng/publications/trends.pdf (accessed 12/29/08)

References – Articles

Borgiani, Fred. 1998. Using the learning curve to design effective training. PM Network, 12(7): 50-52.

Bouley, Jeffrey. 2007. Out of the starting gate. PM Network, 21(5): 10-14.

Bourne, Lynda and Alphronzo Moseley, eds. 2007. Learning Curve. PM Network, 21(1): 66-71.

Bourne, Lynda and Alphronzo Moseley, eds. 2007. Training Day. PM Network, 21(1): 14.

Caffarella, Rosemary S. and Barnett, Bruce G. 1994. Characteristics of adult learners and foundations of experiential learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 62: 29-42.

Carbone, Thomas A. 2006. Developing expert project managers: what's available, what's needed, and how to get started. In PMI Global Congress 2006-EMEA. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Carbone, Thomas A. and Sampson Gholston. 2004. Project manager skill development: A survey of programs and practitioners. Engineering Management Journal, 16(3): 10-16.

http://www.tomcarbone.com/papers/Carbone-EMJSept04-PM.pdf (accessed January 7, 2009).

Diniz, Lúcio José. 1997. Training project managers through in-house programs. In Proceedings of the 28th PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Dye, Lowell D. 2007. You've trained your staff in project management, now what. In PMI Global Congress 2007-North America. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Estabrook, Kenneth B., Robert W. Ware, and April J. O'Koren. 2005. Are there better ways to teach project management? In PMI Global Congress 2005-North America. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Ferraro, Jack P. 2005. Self-directed leadership development--moving beyond the PMP. In PMI Global Congress 2005-EMEA. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Fong, Patrick S. W. 2006. Project professionals and workplace learning. In Proceedings PMI Research Conference, 2006. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Fretty, Peter. 2006. Training the troops. PM Network, 20(2): 4-8.

Gadeken, Owen C. 1997. How to get the most from your project management training. In Proceedings of the 28th PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Gale, Sarah Fister. 2005. Practice makes perfect. PM Network, 19(11): 10-13.

Gale, Sarah Fister. 2003. Virtual Classrooms. PM Network, 17(4): 26-28.

Gekoski, Joseph. 1999. The ROI of management training. PM Network, 13(10): 53-55.

Gumaer, Joanne. 1999. Mentoring in the project environment. In Proceedings of the 30th PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Happ, Simone and Astrid Müller-Wenzke. 2005. Project management on-the-job training: challenges for the HR-department. Experiences from a midsized multimedia company. In PMI Global Congress 2005-EMEA. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Hildebrand, Carol. 2006. Learning curve. PM Network, 20(8): 82-86.

Kezsbom, Deborah S. and Richard G. Donnelly 1992. Managing the project organization of the nineties: a survey of practical qualities of effective project leadership. In Proceedings of the 23rd PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium. Upper Darby, PA: Project Management Institute.

Lambert, Lee R. 1984. Project management education becomes knowledge : the migration of academic theory to applied reality. Project Management Journal, 15: 66-72.

Logue, Ann C. 2005. Educating leaders. PM Network, 19(10): 38-44.

Ludwig, Elisa. 2007. Trade secrets. PM Network, 21(7): 34-38.

Lush, W.G.N. and Piet G. Blanksma. 1995. Using simulation games in training project teams. PM Network, 9(1): 11-16.

Martin, Paula K. 2000. The effect of learning styles on project team performance. In Proceedings of the 31st PMI Annual Seminars & Symposium. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Meloni, Giusi. 2005. "Project management in action": an integrated approach to project management training. In PMI Global Congress 2005-EMEA. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Passerini, Katia. 2000. Obtaining a project management education. PM

Network, 14(10): 33-36.

Peters, Lee A. and John Homer. 1996. Learning to lead, to create quality, to influence change in projects. Project Management Journal, 27(1): 5-11.

Wagenstein, Hollis Nan. 2006. A capability maturity model for training & education. Chapter one: background and rationale. In PMI Global Congress 2006-North America. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Ward, LeRoy. 1999. What does the growth in project management training

organizations mean for our profession? Project Management Journal,

30(4): 6-7.

Warshauer, Sarah Beth. 2004. PM Network, 18(8): 34-39.

Whitemyer, David. 2007. Hitting the books. PM Network, 3(1): 4-8.

Whitten, Neal. Leaders are teachers too. PM Network, 22(8): 24-25.

Young, Suzanne. 2006. Power of persuasion. PM Network, 2(1): 30-31.

Zerby, Joseph, Michael Price, John Cable and Manon Deguire. 2006. The state of project management training and education. In PMI Global Congress 2006-North America. Newtown Square, PA: Project

Management Institute.

Books

Kerzner, Harold. Applied Project Management: Best Practices on Implementation. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000.

Knowles, Malcolm Shepard. The Modern Practice of Adult Education : From Pedagogy to Andragogy. New York, NY: Cambridge Book Co., 1988.

Kotter, John P. Leading Change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing, 1996.

McManus, Irene. E., Robert P. McManus and Bobette Hayes Williamson. The Complete Training Course for Managers. New York, NY: AMACOM, American Management Association, 1994.

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