Chapter 2: Organization Strategy And Project Selectio 631383

60 Chapter 2 Organization Strategy Andproject Selectionlar38865 Ch02

Identify the actual assignment question/prompt and clean it: remove any rubric, grading criteria, point allocations, meta-instructions to the student or writer, due dates, and any lines that are just telling someone how to complete or submit the assignment. Also remove obviously repetitive or duplicated lines or sentences so that the cleaned instructions are concise and non-redundant. Only keep the core assignment question and any truly essential context.

The cleaned instructions are as follows:

Read the case “Hector Gaming Company” from Chapter 2 “Organization Strategy and Project Selection” in your textbook – Project Management: The Managerial Process (8th edition by Larson and Gray, p. 61). Based on your understanding of the chapter concepts, develop a detailed action plan addressing the following questions:

1. What is the major problem facing Hector Gaming Company? (1.5 marks)
2. Identify some symptoms of this problem. (1.5 marks)
3. What is the major cause of the problem? (2 marks)

Support your answers with specific examples related to HGC and relevant concepts from the chapter.

Paper For Above instruction

Hector Gaming Company (HGC), a burgeoning educational gaming firm specializing in young children's educational games, faces critical organizational challenges amidst rapid growth and expansion. As a consultant hired to analyze and propose solutions, it is essential to identify the core problem, symptoms indicating this problem, and its root cause. This comprehensive analysis will guide the development of an effective action plan aligned with project management principles discussed in Chapter 2.

Major Problem

The principal issue confronting HGC is the lack of a cohesive organizational strategy and project management framework that effectively aligns resources, priorities, and strategic objectives. Despite a clear vision driven by innovation and rapid growth, the company struggles with resource conflicts, project prioritization, and strategic implementation. Consequently, projects are facing delays, budgets are being exceeded, and efforts are scattered, undermining overall organizational performance. The absence of a structured, strategic approach hampers HGC's ability to sustain its growth trajectory and competitive advantage.

Symptoms of the Problem

Several observable symptoms reflect the underlying strategic dissonance within HGC. First, there is increasing conflict among project managers, each emphasizing the importance of their projects, leading to resource contention. For instance, projects like the international business game are proceeding without clear alignment to the organization’s core vision, causing resource and personnel allocation conflicts. Second, project deadlines are being missed, and budgets are frequently exceeded, indicating poor project control and prioritization. Third, the organization's rapid expansion—adding fifteen new employees next month—without adequate policies or processes in place, exacerbates coordination issues. Fourth, internal disagreements on how to implement strategic objectives further highlight misalignment at the organizational level.

Major Cause of the Problem

The root cause of these symptoms is the lack of a formalized project selection, prioritization, and strategic alignment process. While top management shares a common vision, there is a significant gap in translating this vision into actionable, prioritized projects that allocate resources effectively. This gap leads to disjointed efforts, conflicting priorities, and failure to focus on strategic initiatives that drive long-term success. According to project management theory, effective project selection and alignment with business strategy are critical for resource optimization and organizational coherence (Milosevic & Srivannaboon, 2006; Morris & Jamieson, 2005). Without such a framework, employees, managers, and project teams operate in silos or based on immediate pressures, rather than cohesive strategic objectives.

Conclusion and Action Plan

Addressing this core issue necessitates implementing a strategic project management framework that incorporates clear project selection criteria aligned with organizational goals. Prioritization matrices, strategic mapping, and stakeholder engagement should be employed to ensure projects support long-term vision. Training and policies must be established to manage resource conflicts effectively, especially during rapid scaling phases. Regular review cycles will institutionalize alignment, reduce conflicts, and improve project delivery performance. This integrated approach will set the foundation for sustainable growth, innovation, and competitive resilience, enabling HGC to achieve its strategic ambitions efficiently.

References

• Larson, E., & Gray, C. (2018). Project Management: The Managerial Process (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
• Milosevic, D. Z., & Srivannaboon, S. (2006). A Theoretical Framework for Aligning Project Management with Business Strategy. Project Management Journal, 37(3), 98–110.
• Morris, P. W., & Jamieson, A. (2005). Moving from Corporate Strategy to Project Strategy. Project Management Journal, 36(4), 5–18.
• Schmidt, R. (2006). Strategic Project Management. Journal of Business Strategy, 27(4), 33–39.
• PMI. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Project Management Institute.
• Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (12th ed.). Wiley.
• Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2014). Project Management: A Managerial Approach (9th ed.). Wiley.
• Englund, R. L., & Graham, R. J. (1999). Building Project Organization Teams. Jossey-Bass.
• Cleland, D. I., & Ireland, L. R. (2007). Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Schwaber, K., & Beedle, M. (2002). Agile Software Development with Scrum. Pearson Education.