Chapter 5:

Project Human
Resource
Management

Information Technology
Project Management,
Seventh Edition

Note: See the text itself for full citations.

 Learning Objectives
 Explain the importance of good human resource management on
projects, including the current state of the global IT workforce and
future implications for it
 Define project human resource management and understand its
processes
 Summarize key concepts for managing people by understanding the
theories of Abraham Maslow, David McClelland, and Douglas
McGregor on motivation, and D. L. Wilemon on influencing workers,
and Stephen Covey on how people and teams can become more
effective

Information Technology Project Management,

Seventh Edition Copyright 2014
 Learning Objectives
 Discuss human resource management planning and be able to create
a human resource plan, project organizational chart, responsibility
assignment matrix, and resource histogram
 Understand important issues involved in project staff acquisition and
explain the concepts of resource assignments, resource loading, and
resource leveling
 Assist in team development with training, team-building activities, and
reward systems
 Explain and apply several tools and techniques to help manage a
project team and summarize general advice on managing teams

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 The Importance of Human Resource Management
 Many corporate executives have said, “People are our most important
asset”
 People determine the success and failure of organizations and projects

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 Implications for the Future of IT Human Resource
Management
 Proactive organizations are addressing workforce needs by
◦ improving benefits
◦ redefining work hours and incentives
◦ finding future workers

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 What is Project Human Resource Management?
 Making the most effective use of the people involved with a project
 Processes include
◦ Planning human resource management: identifying and documenting project
roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships
◦ Acquiring the project team: getting the needed personnel assigned to and
working on the project
◦ Developing the project team: building individual and group skills to enhance
project performance
◦ Managing the project team: tracking team member performance, motivating
team members, providing timely feedback, resolving issues and conflicts, and
coordinating changes to help enhance project performance

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 Figure 9-1. Project Human Resource Management
Summary

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 Keys to Managing People
 Psychologists and management theorists have devoted much
research and thought to the field of managing people at work
 Important areas related to project management include

◦ motivation theories
◦ influence and power

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 Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation
 Intrinsic motivation causes people to participate in an activity for
their own enjoyment
 Extrinsic motivation causes people to do something for a reward
or to avoid a penalty
 For example, some children take piano lessons for intrinsic
motivation (they enjoy it) while others take them for extrinsic
motivation (to get a reward or avoid punishment)

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 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
 Abraham Maslow argued that humans possess unique qualities that
enable them to make independent choices, thus giving them control
of their destiny
 Maslow developed a hierarchy of needs which states that people’s

behaviors are guided or motivated by a sequence of needs

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 Figure 9-2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

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 Figure 9-2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
1.Physiological needs: These most basic human survival
needs include food and water, sufficient rest, clothing and
shelter, overall health, and reproduction.
2. Safety needs: Safety needs include protection from violence and
theft, emotional stability and well-being, health security, and financial
security.
3.Love needs: Among these needs are friendships and family
bonds—both with biological family (parents, siblings, children) and
chosen family (spouses and partners).

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 Figure 9-2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
4. Esteem needs: The primary elements of esteem are self-respect (the belief
that you are valuable and deserving of dignity) and self-esteem (confidence in
your potential for personal growth and accomplishments).

5. Self-actualization needs: Self-actualization describes the fulfillment of your

full potential as a person. Sometimes called self-fulfillment needs, self-
actualization needs occupy the highest spot on Maslow's pyramid. Self-
actualization needs include education, skill development—the refining of talents
in areas such as music, athletics, design, cooking, and gardening—caring for
others, and broader goals like learning a new language, traveling to new places,
and winning awards.

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 McClelland’s Acquired-Needs Theory
 Specific needs are acquired or learned over time and
shaped by life experiences, including:
◦ Achievement (nAch): Achievers like challenging projects with
achievable goals and lots of feedback
◦ Affiliation (nAff): People with high nAff desire harmonious
relationships and need to feel accepted by others, so managers
should try to create a cooperative work environment for them
◦ Power: (nPow): People with a need for power desire either
personal power (not good) or institutional power (good for the
organization). Provide institutional power seekers with
management opportunities

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 McGregor’s Theory X and Y
Douglas McGregor popularized the human relations approach to
management in the 1960s
 Theory X: assumes workers dislike and avoid work, so managers must
use pressure, threats and various control schemes to get workers to
meet objectives
 Theory Y: assumes individuals consider work as natural as play or rest
and enjoy the satisfaction of esteem and self-actualization needs
 Theory Z: introduced in 1981 by William Ouchi and is based on the
Japanese approach to motivating workers, emphasizing trust, quality,
collective decision making, and cultural values

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 Ways to Influence that Help and Hurt Projects
 Projects are more likely to succeed when project managers
influence with
◦ expertise
◦ work challenge
 Projects are more likely to fail when project managers rely too
heavily on
◦ authority
◦ money
◦ penalty

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 Power
 Power is the potential ability to influence behavior to get people to
do things they would not otherwise do
 Types of power include
◦ Coercive
◦ Legitimate
◦ Expert
◦ Reward
◦ Referent

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 Types of Power
1. Legitimate: here power comes from a person’s formal right to issue
directives or commands because of their position in the organization, for
example, the CEO has the right to dictate the strategy.
2. Reward: here power comes from one’s ability to issue rewards, for
example, through a bonus or allowing time off.
3. Coercive: here power comes from one’s ability to punish someone else for
noncompliance, for example, through fear of losing their job or their annual
bonus.
4. Expert: here power comes from one’s experience or knowledge.
5. Referent: here power comes from being trusted or respected, for
example, the boss who treats everyone fairly and with respect.

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 Developing the Human Resource Plan
 Involvesidentifying and documenting project roles,
responsibilities, and reporting relationships
 Contents include
◦ project organizational charts
◦ staffing management plan
◦ responsibility assignment matrixes
◦ resource histograms

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 Figure 9-3. Sample Organizational Chart for a
Large IT Project

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 Figure 9-4. Work Definition and Assignment
Process

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 Responsibility Assignment Matrices
 A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) is a matrix that maps
the work of the project as described in the WBS to the people
responsible for performing the work as described in the OBS
 Can be created in different ways to meet unique project needs

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 Figure 9-5. Sample Responsibility Assignment
Matrix (RAM)

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 Table 9-2. Sample RACI Chart

R = responsibility
A = accountability, only one A per task
C = consultation
I = informed
Note that some people reverse the definitions of responsible and accountable.

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 Staffing Management Plans and Resource
Histograms
 A staffing management plan describes when and how people will
be added to and taken off the project team
 A resource histogram is a column chart that shows the number of

resources assigned to a project over time

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 Figure 9-6. Sample Resource
Histogram

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 Acquiring the Project Team
 Acquiring qualified people for teams is crucial
 The project manager who is the smartest person on the team has done
a poor job of recruiting!
 It’s important to assign the appropriate type and number of people to
work on projects at the appropriate times

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 Resource Assignment
 Staffing plans and good hiring procedures are important, as are incentives
for recruiting and retention
◦ Some companies give their employees one dollar for every hour a new person they
helped hire works
◦ Some organizations allow people to work from home as an incentive
 Enrollment in U.S. computer science and engineering programs has dropped
almost in half since 2000, and one-third of U.S. workers were over the age
of 50 by 2010
 CIO’s researchers suggest that organizations rethink hiring practices and
incentives to hire and retain IT talent

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 Resource Loading
 Resource loading refers to the amount of individual resources an
existing schedule requires during specific time periods
 Overallocation means more resources than are available are

assigned to perform work at a given time

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 Figure 9-7. Sample Histogram Showing an
Overallocated Individual

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 Resource Leveling
 Resource leveling is a technique for resolving resource conflicts by
delaying tasks
 The main purpose of resource leveling is to create a smoother

distribution of resource usage and reduce overallocation

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 Benefits of Resource Leveling
 When resources are used on a more constant basis, they require
less management
 It may enable project managers to use a just-in-time inventory type

of policy for using subcontractors or other expensive resources

 It results in fewer problems for project personnel and accounting

department
 It often improves morale

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 Developing the Project Team
 The main goal of team development is to help people work
together more effectively to improve project performance
 It takes teamwork to successfully complete most projects

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 Tuckman Model of Team Development
 Forming
 Storming
 Norming
 Performing
 Adjourning

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 Forming to Storming
 To establish clear objectives for the group at this first stage, create a
team charter . And help team members to set personal goals so that
they can see how their work will fit with the bigger picture.

 The forming stage is also about people getting to know one another.
If you're working remotely, try virtual onboarding exercises to forge
a group bond and establish buy-in to your vision.

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 Storming to Norming
 Storming can make or break a team, so it's essential that you
establish processes to track the progress and success of tasks.

 The group must also feel safe putting forward ideas. To build team
trust , try asking for help on tasks. That way you'll encourage people
to reflect on what they can offer and what they need from other team
members.

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 Norming to Performing
 Get your team to bond further with face-to-face or virtual team-
building exercises . These social connections are especially
important right now, as more of us work from home. So, keep them
up through the norming period and beyond.

 Use your regular one-on-ones to encourage individuals to step back,

review their goals, and take responsibility for them.

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 Performing to Adjourning
 When the team has settled into the performing stage, you can focus
on other goals and new areas to benefit the business. Free up more
time for yourself – and boost team engagement – by delegating
tasks and projects.

 You should also make time for the group's personal development.
Discuss with your team what opportunities and resources are
available to them.

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 Adjourning (or Mourning)
 Take the time to celebrate the team's achievements – having
positive shared experiences will make it easier if you work with
some of the same people again in the future.

 If any team members feel uncertain about what's ahead, boost their
confidence and career prospects by praising them at company
meetings. And offer to provide LinkedIn recommendations and
references if they're moving on.

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 Training
 Training can help people understand themselves, each other, and
how to work better in teams
 Team building activities include

◦ physical challenges
◦ psychological preference indicator tools

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 Reward and Recognition Systems
 Team-based reward and recognition systems can promote teamwork
 Focus on rewarding teams for achieving specific goals
 Allow time for team members to mentor and help each other to meet

project goals and develop human resources

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 Managing the Project Team
 Project managers must lead their teams in performing various
project activities
 After assessing team performance and related information, the

project manager must decide

◦ if changes should be requested to the project
◦ if corrective or preventive actions should be recommended
◦ if updates are needed to the project management plan or organizational
process assets.

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 Tools and Techniques for Managing Project Teams
 Observation and conversation
 Project performance appraisals
 Interpersonal skills
 Conflict management

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 Conflict Handling Modes
1. Competing: Is assertive and uncooperative. In this mode, you try to satisfy
your own concerns at the other person’s expense.
2. Collaborating: Is both assertive and cooperative. In this mode, you try to find
a win-win solution that completely satisfies the concerns of both individuals
involved.
3. Compromising: Is intermediate in both assertiveness and cooperativeness.
In this mode, you try to find an acceptable solution that only partially satisfies
both individual’s concerns.
4. Avoiding: Is both unassertive and uncooperative. In this mode, you work to
sidestep the conflict without attempting to satisfy either individual’s concerns.
5. Accommodating: Is unassertive and cooperative. In this mode, you try to
satisfy the other person’s concerns at the expense of your own concerns.

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 Figure 9-11. Conflict Handling Modes

Assertiveness: The degree to which you try to satisfy your own concerns during a conflict.
Cooperativeness: The degree to which you try to satisfy the other individuals’ concerns.

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 Five Dysfunctions of a Team
 Patrick Lencioni, author of several books on teams, says that
“Teamwork remains the one sustainable competitive advantage that
has been large untapped”*
 The five dysfunctions of teams are
1. Absence of trust
2. Fear of conflict
3. Lack of commitment
4. Avoidance of accountability
5. Inattention to results

*Lencioni, Patrick, “Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” Jossey-Bass: San

Francisco, CA (2005), p. 3.

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 General Advice on Teams
 Be patient and kind with your team
 Fix the problem instead of blaming people
 Establish regular, effective meetings
 Allow time for teams to go through the basic team-building stages
 Limit the size of work teams; three to seven members

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 General Advice on Teams (cont’d)
 Plan some social activities to help project team members and other
stakeholders get to know each other better
 Develop team members and encourage them to help each other
 Take additional actions to work with virtual team members

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 Chapter Summary
 Project human resource management includes the processes
required to make the most effective use of the people involved with
a project
 Main processes include
◦ Plan human resource management
◦ Acquire project team
◦ Develop project team
◦ Manage project team

Information Technology Project Management,

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Information Technology Project Management,
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