Sources of authority and effectiveness thereof for project managers at a South African automotive manufacturer
Kruger, W. E.(Wessel Edward) (2006-12)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research is a mini-study project that involves a Iiterature study of secondary sources as well as a questionnaire distributed within Nissan South Africa (NSA) to obtain primary data.
A natural outflow from the matrix structure applied at NSA is the lack of positional
authority for project managers to request resources from other functional
departments; resulting in a "responsibility-author~ gap". This research project
attempts to determine which sources of influence, as well as their effectiveness
perceived by project team members, are used to overcome the "responsibility-authority gap" at NSA.
A representative sample of questionnaires was received from respondents within
NSA. According to the questionnaire results, the most important influence methods project managers should use, as preferred by project team members, were determined as project authority, professional integrity, knowledge and work challenge for the members. A positive correlation for all the project manager influence methods used at NSA when the project managers' effectiveness rating in completing projects, indicates that project personnel positively associates the above mentioned influence methods with a project managers' effectiveness.
Project managers' preferred leadership techniques at NSA to overcome their
"responsibility--authority gap" was found to be negotiation, personality and/or
persuasive ability and competence.
Based on the study, the most prominent need at NSA, work challenge, requires
management intervention if employee satisfaction and retention requires
improvement. The writer recommend that assigned tasks should be professionally
challenging to project team members.
The writer feels confident that the research done within this study is a helpful
contribution to the pool of knowledge, regarding project manager influence styles and the relative effectiveness of each.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing is 'n mini studie projek wat 'n literatuur studie bevat vanaf sekondere bronne. Die navorsing projek het ook 'n vraeboog behels wat binne Nissan Suid Afrika (NSA) versprei is om primere data te verkry.
'n Natuurlike uitvloeisel van die matriks struktuur toegepas by NSA is die tekort aan posisionele outoriteit vir projek bestuurders om bronne te verkry van funksionele departemente; die resultaat is 'n "verantwoordelikheid- outoriteit gaping". Hierdie navorsings projek probeer om vas te stel watter bronne van invloed, en ook die effektiwiteit daarvan soos ervaar deur projek spanlede, word gebruik om die "verantwoordelikheid-authoriteits gaping" te oorkom by NSA.
'n Verteenwoordigde monster van vraeboe is ontvang vanaf respondente in NSA.
Volgens die vraeboe se resultate is die belangrikste invloedmetode wat projek
bestuurders moet gebruik, soos verkies deur projek spanlede, vasgestel as projek
outoriteit, professionele integriteit, kennis en werk uitdaging vir die spanlede. 'n
Positiewe korrelasie is gevind vir al die projekbestuur metodes wat gebruik word by NSA, met die projek bestuurder se effektiwitiet ten opsigte van die voltooing van projekte. Hierdie postiewe korrelasie dui aan dat projekspanlede bogenoemde
invloed metodes positief aan 'n projek bestuurder se effektiwiteit koppel.
Projekbestuurders se gekose leierskap metodes om hul verantwoordelikheidoutorite-
gaping" te oorkom is bepaal as onderhandeling, persoonlikheid en/of
oorredings-vermoë en bevoegdheid.
Die studie het bevind dat die mees prominente behoefte, werk uitdaging vir die
spanlede, benodig bestuurs intervensie as werknemer satisfaksie en behoud
verbeter wil word. Die skrywer beveel aan dat take wat aan projekspanlede gegee
word moet profesioneel uitdagend wees.
Die skrywer voel optimisties dat die navorsing in die studie positief kan bydra tot die huidige poel van kennis, in verband met projekbestuurder invloedmetodes en die relatiewe effektiwiteit van elk.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50641