Global Project Management (Spring 2020)

Abstract

This course considers the nature as well as the challenges associated with ‘global project management and IT’.

Description

Over the last decades, the global distribution of cooperative work tasks has become more and more commonplace and pronounced following the general trend towards an ever more globalized world. Consequently, cooperative actors are increasingly engaged with the coordination of globally distributed work task. At one level, the global distribution of cooperative work tasks creates a number of specific challenges. That is, spatial, temporal and cultural distance has to be negotiated and bridged.

This course will gain and understanding of the nature as well as of the challenges associated with ‘global project management and IT’.

During the course the students will relate to:

• The processes of globalization that makes global projects more and more common
  
• Cases of global project management from industry (e.g. global engineering and global software development).
  
• Challenges that are particular to global interaction and coordination (e.g. culture, distance, time difference)
  
• How IT may facilitate cooperation and coordination of global projects
  
• Various practices of coordination that may be used in global projects
  
• Introduction to Project Management
  

Formal prerequisites

Information about the course of study This course is part of the second semester in the bachelor's degree in Global Business Informatics.

Intended learning outcomes

After the course, the student should be able to:

• Formulate a research question within the area of global project management related to e.g. globalisation, co-operation, organisation, information technology, collaboration, culture, documents and coordinative artefacts
• Identify, select, and analyse relevant material e.g. theoretical concepts, methods, and empirical material for the research question
• Identify and critically discuss challenges and theoretical concepts relevant to global project management in oral and written form according to academic standards

Learning activities

Lectures that focus on reading and discussing issues central to global project management are combined with sessions run by teaching assistants, in which students are actively engaged in exercises relating to themes. The first half of the course includes an individually prepared half-term synopsis and a group-based oral presentation of central concepts from the course. Students will also be assigned to give group based feedback on the presentations. Participation in these activities are mandatory requirements for taking the exam. In the second half of the course, students plan and carry out a study of a relevant topic covered by the syllabus. This project work is conducted individually and involves making a research plan that includes sketching a research question, finding and analyzing relevant materials and writing a final report. ----- See the schedule here: The schedule will be available shortly before the beginning of the term

Course literature

• Steger, Manfred B. (2009). Globalization: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. Oxford. Chapters 1 - 5, and 7.
• Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2TM. Published by TSO (The Stationery Office) and available from:Online www.tsoshop.co.uk
• Carmel & Tjia (2009). Offshoring Information Technology - Sourcing and Outsourcing to a Global Workforce. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.
• Boden, A., Nett, B. & Volker, W. (2009). Trust and Social Capital: Revisiting an Offshoring Failure Story of a Small German Software Company. Proc. European Conference Computer Supported Cooperative Work (ECSCW´09), Vienna, Austria, September 7-11 2009

Student Activity Budget

Estimated distribution of learning activities for the typical student

• Preparation for lectures and exercises: 30%
• Lectures: 15%
• Exercises: 15%
• Project work, supervision included: 30%
• Exam with preparation: 10%

Ordinary exam

Exam type:
C: Submission of written work, internal (7-trinsskala)
Exam variation:
C: Submission of written work

Time and date