Adjudicating an Ill-defined Problem from a System Development/Project Management Perspective: Utilizing a Knowledge Management Overlay Model David G. McKenna 2010 RMIT University – Melbourne, Australia 2 Adjudicating an Ill-defined Problem from a System Development/Project Management Perspective: Utilizing a Knowledge Management Overlay Model A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Project Management David G. McKenna Masters of Science Project Management (MSPM) Project Management Professional (PMP®) School of Property, Construction and Project Management RMIT University Australia August 2010 i DECLARATION I certify that except where due acknowledge has been made, the work is that of the author alone; the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award; the content of the thesis is the result of work, which has been carried out since the official commencement date of the approved research program, and, any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out by a third party is acknowledged. Signed: David G McKenna MSc., PMP August 16, 2010 ii Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Derek Walker, for all of his guidance, insights, inspiration, and most importantly, his never ending support.
You have been a driving force behind this work. As well, I want to thank Dr. Ginger Levin for her unending positive motivation, unparalleled experience in this field of management and endless encouragement. She has had a positive influence on both my academic and professional life.
During the last phase of this thesis, it was Dr. Levin that gave me the support and the strength, and most importantly, the clear focus to meet the objective. I sincerely thank you both. I want to thank my mother and father who have instilled in me a sense of drive and significance for finishing what I start.
They have been with me through this entire journey and have been a powerful influence throughout my entire life. I am what you have made me and I thank you and love you both endlessly. Thank you to all of my friends and extended family and specifically my life partner, Helen-Ann Younger, for understanding the time commitment for this body of work. They too encouraged me every step of the way and that is truly appreciated.
Finally I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who took part in the research over the course of this thesis. Without your open and honest reflections this would not have been possible. In memory of my father who lives within me to this day. I miss you, and I love you and this is as much for you as it is for me.
iii Abstract Organizations have long struggled with the successful completion of projects within the time, cost and performance indicators with respect to a customer product or solution that is expected to ultimately meet the customer’s expectations. This thesis demonstrates the link between the successful creation, management and dissemination of project requirements throughout the entire project process using a knowledge management overlay model to ensure the success of the overall project to meet stakeholder needs through the successful creation and transfer of project requirements. The knowledge management overlay model was developed to support the requirements management domain and is the foundation for this research. The knowledge management overlay model is based on the premise that there is a clear need to successfully create, and then transfer the information within a requirement from person to person, team to team, as well as from organization to organization without the loss, distortion or deformation of that content within a project management or system development process.
As well, the original ill-defined problem that evolves into a requirement needs to be resolved correctly and accurately at the beginning of a project and is also considered the very underpinning of the requirement process. The goal of the knowledge management overly model is to ensure a clear and concise creation and transfer of requirements knowledge from inception of the business requirements to the functional product that is presented to the end user and the ability to maintain the fundamental traits and characteristics of the requirements that can get lost during the transfer of knowledge. Once implemented within the project teams and the project management process, the knowledge transfer model will reduce and or eliminate the alteration of content that might otherwise lead to scope creep and substantial re-work as focus is lost on the project vision and objectives. The model will enhance the enablers of successful knowledge transfer and remove the barriers to successful knowledge transfer ultimately increasing project success.
iv v Table of Contents DECLARATION. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS. VI LIST OF FIGURES. XIII LIST OF TABLES.
XIV LIST OF PAPERS PUBLISHED. XV GLOSSARY OF TERMS. XVI Chapter 1 - Introduction .1 The Doctorate of Project Management Program.4 Organization Under Study.5 Research Problem Statement .8 Research Scope and Objectives.12 Structure of the Thesis .13 Summary of Chapter.43 Chapter 2 - Literature Review .2 Project Management Success, Failure and Life Cycle Resourcing Considerations – A Lean Project Design Perspective.1 Project Success Factors and Processes .2 Project Life Cycle Considerations.3 Six Sigma and Agile Project Delivery.3 The Relevance of Lean or Agile Practices within Software (S/W) Projects.1 Agile Software Development.2 Rule Out Waste .4 The Systems Development Process .5 The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Process .1 Tacit Knowledge and Innovation .2 Types of Knowledge .3 Motivation, Trust, Commitment .4 Trust and Partnerships.8 Knowledge Transfer Environments.9 Community of Practice .10 Knowledge Management in the Project Domain .8 Communication and Communications Problems .111 Chapter 3 - Research Method and Design .1 Ontology and Epistemological Overview.4 Data Collection Method .3 Research Questions and Objectives.1 Development of Research Questions and Objectives .5 Structure of the Research .1 Phase 1 of Research.2 Phase 2 of Research.3 Output of Research.4 Data Collection – Phase 3 .141 viii Chapter 4 - Discussion of Factors That Positively Influence Knowledge Transfer Based on Phase 1 Results .1 Leadership to Help People’s Want to Change.1 Illustrative Example 1 – General Electric at Crotonville .2 Illustrative Example 2 – New United Motor Manufacturing Inc .3 Illustrative Example 3 – Program Innovational – Observation and Analysis .2 Leadership Behaviours to Motivate Knowledge Transfer .3 Exploratory Research Results of Senior Management Impact to the Motivation of Employees.1 Exploratory Survey Research Approach .2 Exploratory Survey Research Results of Senior Management Impact to the Motivation of Employees .4 Exploratory Focus Group Research Approach of Problems and Opportunities for Project Success .1 Exploratory Focus Group Research Results.5 Business to Business Exchanges.6 The Impact of Innovation and ICT on Knowledge Transfer.1 The Canadian Telecommunications Landscape and the Innovational Program .8 Knowledge Management Perspective .10 Room for Improvement.182 Chapter 5 - Case Study of Factors Influencing Knowledge Transfer .1 Context and Case Description of the Study Organization.3 Research Approach for this Focus Group.4 Focus Group Data Responses.5 Discussion and Analysis.203 Chapter 6 - Knowledge Management Overlay Model.1 The Knowledge Transfer Model in Practice.2 Destructive Distractions that Inhibit Knowledge Transfer .1 Distractions through Multitasking.2 Confusion Caused by Using Acronyms.3 Distraction from Internet, Intranet and Extranets Page Design .4 Distractions from the Learning Environment Factors .228 Chapter 7 - Knowledge Management Overlay Model Proposition .1 Background and Purpose of the Thesis Outcome.2 Application of the Knowledge Transfer Model Process .1 Requirements Interview and Focus Group Session .2 Requirements Interview and the Successful Knowledge Exchange .3 Follow-up meeting .5 Implementation Group at the Idea Realization Phase.8 End-User Feedback Group at the Idea De-Briefing Phase .3 The Knowledge Management Overlay Model .2 Value Delivered by the Knowledge Management Model.4 Validation of the Model and Results .260 Chapter 8 - Thesis Summary .4 Acknowledged Limitations to this Thesis.5 Further Research Opportunities.270 xi Appendices for Chapter 1 Appendix A: DPM Core Courses Appendices for Chapter 2 Appendix B: Risk Taxonomy Process Flow Appendix C: Risk Taxonomy Appendices for Chapter 3 Appendix D: Ethics Approval Document Appendix E: Sample Debrief Letter Appendices for Chapter 4 Appendix F: Survey Results Appendix G: Survey (1.1) Appendix H: Problem and Opportunities Survey Results Appendices for Chapter 5 Appendix I: Survey (1.2) Appendices for Chapter 6 Appendix J: Business Analysis Search Results Appendix K: Example Agenda: Appendices for Chapter 7 Appendix L: Ambiguous Terms Appendices for Chapter 8 Appendix M: Results of Expert Panel - April 21, 2010 xii List of Figures Figure 1.2 - DPM overview II.3 - DPM dissertation overview.5 - Action learning and action research model (Stringer 2007) .6 - Cognitive mapping in action research (McKay and Marshall, p.7 - Structure of dissertation .1 - Project life cycle.2 - Traditional life cycle .3 - Waste in agile development (Poppendieck and Poppendieck, 2003, p.4 - System development life cycle (Whitten and Bentley, 2008, p.5 - Iterative systems development life cycle (Net Link Group, 2009) .6 - Generic project life cycle II.7 - Software engineering institute – requirements taxonomy.8 - Explicit, tacit and self-transcending knowledge (Scharmer, 2001, p.9 - Strategic knowledge framework (Zack, 1999 p.10 - Learning by doing (Nonaka, 1991 p.11 - Learning by doing (Nonaka, and Takeuchi, 1995, p.12 - The knowledge advantage model (Walker, and Wilson, 2004, p.1 - Qualitative research strategy framework – some options (Source adapted from Nogeste, 2006, p.2 - The Deductive approach typically used in quantitative research (Creswell, 2003, p.3 - Modified qualitative research strategy framework – some options II (Source adapted from Nogeste, 2006, p.4 - Business model research schema (Lambert, 2006, p.5 - Components of research design (Yin, 1994 p.6 - Inter-relationship of the components of research design (Seok-Won, 2003 p.7 - Structure of research .1 - Factors that impact employees’ ability to change .2 - Enablers of motivation .3 - Inadequate requirements development.1 - The sticky knowledge transfer model – what to avoid .2 - Knowledge transfer model in developing a new ICT product initiative.3 - Power point with acronyms.4 - Home page of the New York Posted August 27, 2009 .6 - Whiteboard with unrelated data .7 - Radical co-location.1 - Knowledge transfer model process .3 - Knowledge management overlay model.4 - Knowledge transfer model .5 - Knowledge management model overlay.1 - Knowledge transfer model process .2 - Knowledge transfer model. 266 List of Tables Table 1.1 - Research Propositions Premises .0 (International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009, p.2 - Characteristic of project business framework (Artto and Kujala, 2008, p.4 - Standish group (2001) success factors .6 - Summary of the relevant studies into project success and processes.8 - 4I’s (Crossan, Lane and White, 1999, p.1 - Relevant situations for different research strategies (Yin, 1994, p.2 - Relevant situations for different research strategies.3 - Summary assessment of the quality of the research study (Source adapted from Nogeste, 2006, p.1 - Links between knowledge advantage enablers and case study results.2 - Mandatory and contributing factors to effective knowledge transfer .2 - Learning process analysis.3 - Linkages between sticky knowledge and case study results .1 - World internet usage and population statistics (http://www.htm Internet Usage Statistics - 2009) .2 - Knowledge stickiness factor summary.1 -`Knowledge stickiness factor summary at the idea generation and pre- development phase.2 - Phases of defining details and reducing knowledge stickiness .4 - Ambiguous Terms (Wiergers, 2003, p.5 - Knowledge stickiness factor summary at the initial realization phase.7 - Knowledge stickiness factor summary at the initial de-briefing phase.
250 xiv List of Papers Published • McKenna, D. A study of out-sourcing versus in-sourcing tasks within a project value chain. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business. Improving the Management of Knowledge Through Optimizing ICT Support.
PMOZ - Achieving Excellence, Melbourne, Australia, 8- 11 August, PMI®- Melbourne Chapter: 1-17 CD-ROM paper.