Global Projects

WEEK O2

HAND IN ASSIGNMENT

SANDRA GREGOIRE

Global projects are becoming more and more popular and have evolved as a direct result of

glogalization. 1Global projects are a combination of virtual and international projects which includes

people from different organizations involving various countries across the globe, as opposed to

traditional projects where a large percentage of the members are working in the same organization and

in the same location. Global projects require teams to work together from different cultures. Global

Projects are subject to certain constraints related to culture, distance, language and time zones.

Firstly, culture is defined by the free dictionary as: " the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group". In global projects involving multiple cultures, the culture of the organization and the cultural practices of the nation are also brought into the question of how culture affects global projects. Inorder to avoid cultural conflicts the Project Manager must familiarize himself with the cultural practices of the land where team members are operating from. For example, some cultures are more prone to practice political interference, nepotism and corruption. Hence a skillful project manager who has done his homework in advance, would be prepared to avoid these negative influences and put measures in place to completely discourage other team member from falling prey. On the other hand diversity of cultures can add richness to the project. The exchange of culture and knowledge can be a rewarding experience that can motivate team members to high levels of efficiency.

Distance is another factor which has a marked effect on global projects. An emergency meeting or a social gathering of stake holders can be such a costly exercise in a global project, that communication and meetings are reduced to telephone, emails , video conferencing , chatting or internet calls in an attempt to keep cost with the budget. It is essential to keep communication lines open for the sharing of vital information in a timely manner. Expert Project Managers are not intimidated by distance and its accompanying challenges. They make use of the internet and networking software and are able to reliably implement project activities smoothly.

Language has it's own set of considerations and serious ones at that. Information has to be shared between parties for smooth execution of the project and a common language must be agreed upon. The services of a translator may be called upon to avoid misunderstandings. Communication can be considered as the catalyst to project success. Communication between consultant and contractors, client and consultant,