The Human Aspects of Project Management and its Influence on Project Essay

The Human Aspects of Project Management and its Influence on Project Performance - Essay Example In the book Leading Change, Kotter has used the word urgency to describe the first phase so as to get a head start into the process of project management. This has to do with taking stock of competitive and market realities with a focus on crises and opportunities. (Kotter, 1996; Pp 242 - 340) This has been paralleled in Organizational Behavior and Management through a focus on competitive advantage which can be described as follows: (Ivancevich et al, 2004; Pp 49 - 53) This brings us to a discussion on the technicalities of the model proposed by Porter. Porters Five Forces model provides suggested points under each main heading. When taken into consideration individually, each of these gives rise to the development of a broad and sophisticated analysis of competitive position. (Barney, 2007; Pp 10 - 34) This may further be used during the creation of a strategy, plans, or even where making investment decisions about a business or organization is concerned. These five competitive forces determine industry profitability and attractiveness apart from being responsible for shaping the prices that firms can charge, the costs they have to bear, and the required investments to engage in industry level competition. We are concerned with the fact that Porter’s essentially ahistorical approach cannot provide a full account of either a nation’s competitive advantage and corporate strategies or the growth and development of industrial clusters. (Porter, 1998; Pp 35 - 42) According to Kotter, this phase has to do with teamwork and leadership with a focus on integrating the two so as to bring out the best in each individual employee. (Kotter, 1996; Pp 242 - 340) To begin with, the way Ivancevich et al have described the principles of teamwork closely resembles the principles of scientific management as laid down by F W Taylor. Developed by Frederick W Taylor in the early 20th century, Scientific Management is a science based system of organizing the