Project Management and Organization

Project Management and Organization Course

Course organizers

Michael Bechinie, USECON
Felix Freiling, FAU

 

Goals

In the first part of the course, the students will learn about the destructive nature of conflict within groups or teams as well as approaches to conflict, a situational approach to conflict management and the consequences. Important is to understanding my default position in relation to conflict, sources of project management conflicts, using conflict as a constructive tool, setting Standards for Conduct within Project Teams, and handling conflicts effectively.

In the second part, the students will learn how they can improve their user experience (UX) work, whether they are working in industry or academics. They will take away six success factors, that were identified by conducting “project retrospectives”, analyzing processes, decision-making procedures, “pain- and pleasure points” and anecdotic knowledge of projects with different complexity, in relation to domain and organization. On top of that they will gain insights into a survey we conducted with peers to investigate the relevance of the six factors.

 

Formalities

Credits: 2 ECTS

 

Mandatory Reading

  1. Adedeji B. Badiru, Christina F. Rusnock, Vhance V. Valencia (2016): “Project Management for Research: A Guide for Graduate Students”, CRC Press.
  2. Bechinie, M., Murtinger, M. & Tscheligi, M. (2010): “Social Skills for UX Consultants. Communication on the Job”, In: User Experience, 9(4), 26-28.

Optional Reading

  1. Aritzeta, A., Ayestaran, S. and Swailes, S. (2005): “Team role preference and conflict management styles”, The International Journal of Conflict Management, 16 (2), pp. 157-182
  2. Ann Buysse , Armand De Clercq, Lesley Verhofstadt, Els Heene, Herbert Roeyers and Paulette Van Oost (2000): “Dealing with relational conflict: A picture in milliseconds”, JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. p.574-597
  3. Robert Bolton (1986): “People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts”, Touchstone
  4. Bruce Tuckman (1977): “Stages of small group development revisited”, Group and Organizational Studies, 2, 419- 427.

Exercises

Self-reflection and a short written summary “My 7 take-aways that will help me in managing my project” to be examined by the supervisors

 

Exams

15 minute oral discussion with the supervisor on the written summary

 

Course Schedule

Thu Oct 26, 2017
13:15-14:45 Eamonn McCallion: lecture 1 on project conflict management
15:15-16:45 Eamonn McCallion: lecture 2 on project conflict management

Thu Nov 2, 2017
13:15-14:45 Michael Bechinie: Six Success Factors of Successful (UX) Projects
15:15-16:45 Felix Freiling: Conflict management in research groups – experiences from 5 universities in 15 years