Consideration of selected personality - job satisfaction constructs relevant to project management in data processing organizations

One of the primary goals of organizational research is to determine which kinds of designs and structures will facilitate the attainment of organizational goals and objectives in those environments in which organizations must function. Some of the research (Burns and Stalker, 1961; Lawrence and Lorsch, 1967) has had a profound impact upon the study of organizations and their environments. Further, contemporary developments in management theory are reflective of the recognition of relevant situational constraints. For example, contingency approaches to management (Hellriegel and Slocum, 1978) are now widely accepted by both academicians and practitioners. Project management reflects an effort by an organization to function effectively within certain environmental and situational constraints. Although project management has been successfully implemented and publicized in the aerospace and electronics industries (Steiner and Ryan, 1968; Sayles and Chandler, 1971), it has been utilized also with success for a number of years in DP organizations (Weinberg, 1971; Gildersleeve, 1974; Brooks, 1975). However, the ever changing character of DP organizations has made it difficult for organizational researchers to come to grips with those problems unique unto DP project management. Additional research is needed to address and clarify some of these problems. One of the major problems confronting organizational researchers has been the identification of major organizational objectives and constraints. What can the DP project manager do to influence project personnel and enhance the effectiveness of the project? A research study reported by Thamhain and Gemmill (1974) offers insight into some of the influence styles of project managers. These researchers conducted a survey of 22 project managers and 66 project personnel employed by a large electronics company. Data was collected by means of questionnaires and interviews for five variables: (1) project personnel perceptions of influence methods used by their project manager; (2) degree of support provided by project personnel; (3) willingness of project personnel to disagree with their project manager; (4) degree of project involvement among project personnel; and (5) management's rating of the project managers. Correlational analyses revealed that the project managers who were rated more effective by their superiors were also the project managers whose personnel reported a higher level of support, a greater willingness to disagree, and greater involvement in the project. Work challenge, over which a project manager frequently can exercise a great deal of control, emerged as an important influence method. In order to influence the project members, the DP project manager must know and understand the project members; that is, their needs, values, expectations, attitudes, etc. The manner and extent to which a DP project manager is able to influence his project members will be reflected in the behaviors and attitudes of the project members. Project performance will be determined to a great extent by these behaviors and attitudes.