Научная статья на тему 'The use of projects in generating change in organizations'

The use of projects in generating change in organizations Текст научной статьи по специальности «Экономика и бизнес»

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Ключевые слова
проект / зміна / лідер / вплив / співробітників / проект / изменение / лидер / влияние / сотрудников / project / change / leader / influence / employees

Аннотация научной статьи по экономике и бизнесу, автор научной работы — Vacar Anca

The article above is part of a research conducted in order to evidence the role of leaders in generating change in organizationsand to observe the methods and techniques used, knowing that projects and their management are tools for implementing change in organizations. Leaders, by their influence and not by force, can determine their team to initiate new projects, consideredby specialists and practitioners also, real practices of generating change in organizations.

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Текст научной работы на тему «The use of projects in generating change in organizations»

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ВІСНИК Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка ISSN 1728-3817

економічної філософії науковця. У статті зроблено висновок, що особиста свобода, особливо у зв'язку з найманою працею та ринковим прибутком дуже вплинули на самостійну діяльність вченого.

Ключові слов: Йозеф А. Шумпетер, зарплата, інновація, борг, еміграція, економічний розвиток.

Я.-У. Сандал, д-р фил. наук, проф.

Институт Доктора Яна-У.Сандала, Леренског, Норвегия

СЛЕДАМИ РАННЕГО ПЕРИОДА ЙОЗЕФА АЛОИЗА ЮЛИУСА ШУМПЕТЕРА:

БРАК, ТРАГЕДИЯ, ЭММИГРАЦИЯ

В статье анализируются важные события из жизни Й. Шумпетера и его научный вклад в развитие экономической теории. "Теория экономического развития" была впервые опубликована на немецком языке в 1912 г. После эммиграции в Гарвард в 1934 году было переведено на английский язык третье издание и открыто для широкой аудитории читателей по всему миру. Однако седьмая глава была исключена из второго и третьего изданий, которые были использованы для перевода на английский язык. Фактически английская версия 1934 года, в свою очередь, послужила основой для перевода на много других языков. В действительности инновационный и независимый научный вклад Й. Шумпетер сделал и в годы своей молодости. Поэтому проанализирован ранний этап научного наследства Й. Шумпетера. Автор статьи посетил места, где известный экономист жил и работал, пообщался с ключевыми лицами в тех местах, чтобы проанализировать предпосылки исторического развития экономической философии ученого. В статье сделан вывод, что личная свобода, особенно в связи с наемным трудом и рыночной прибылью очень повлияли на самостоятельную деятельность ученого.

Ключевые слова: Йозеф А. Шумпетер, зарплата, инновация, долг, эммиграция, экономическое развитие.

Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Economics, 2015; 9 (174): 72-76

JEL M21

УДК 334.01

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17721/1728-2667.2015/174-9/12

A. Vacar, PhD, Teaching Assistant Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania

THE USE OF PROJECTS IN GENERATING CHANGE IN ORGANIZATIONS

The article above is part of a research conducted in order to evidence the role of leaders in generating change in organizations and to observe the methods and techniques used, knowing that projects and their management are tools for implementing change in organizations. Leaders, by their influence and not by force, can determine their team to initiate new projects, considered by specialists and practitioners also, real practices of generating change in organizations.

Keywords: project, change, leader, influence, employees.

Introduction. Academics and practitioners have noticed that people are daily involved in projects, from small to large ones, at personal level and organizational also, and these are a new way to determine change. No matter of source (from in or from out), specialists are attracted in organizational change process by implicating in different projects and so, step by step through analyzing, planning and organizing is influenced and determined change. Researchers showed that the real challenge when we speak about implementing projects that involves change are actions that are oriented to people because people are the ones that can resist change and even stop it.

According to Ogrean Claudia and Troanca Dumitru a project can be defined as several connected activities, done for a limited period of time and set to generate a unique result but clear defined (Ogrean, C., Troanca, D., 2001). This is why project and it's management can be used as an instrument that can be used to accomplish any outcome which is distinctive, that can be well-defined and must be realized in a precise period of time.

All projects, no matter of their dimension, domain of implementation and complexity, have some common characteristics as: something that has to be changed, objectives to be achieved, a deadline, people that work in achieving objectives, cost determined by involved resources and expected results.

Throughout its existence, a project goes through several phases where volume, intensity and complexity of activities and information are very different, from simple to complex. Also, the need of resources is different during the project, each phase requiring a different volume.

Regardless of number of steps considered to explain the phases of a project, there are three common aspects to be considered as the project is passing from idea and the need of change to its materialization in practice and in the end to measuring the results obtained and comparing with the initial idea of change.

Leaders are responsible for ensuring that the project is well done, the objectives are achieved considering the restrictions about estimated time, estimated cost, results expected and using rational estimated resources.

Considering all these, it is important to determine the use of projects within Romanian organizations, and this is why there was conducted a research at national level. The research below is just a small part of the whole research.

The research objectives and methodology. In order to observe the use of projects in Romania there were interviewed employees from Romanian organizations through an online research to notice their opinion about operationalization and implementation of change in organizations where they work in.

The investigation was accomplished at national level with the aid and assistance of a market research company with national coverage and the inquiry form were filled using the Internet.

The research shows that of the 103 analyzed employees, more than half of those surveyed were female (70%) and in terms of age and it was found that most of them are aged between 20 and 25 years (47%). Most of the respondents are university graduates, faculty level (49%), followed by those with master degrees. Most of the companies to which the respondents belong, are active in service, followed by commerce, the two areas dominating the market with a total share of 55% and most of these companies had in 2011 a turnover of over 10 million lei.

The results of the research. The present research gives the results after interviewing employees from Romanian organizations. To provide complete answers, in the survey was inserted an informative text: "A project is a sequence of connected activities, conducted in an organized manner, undertaken in a defined period of time and designed to generate a single result, well-defined (e.g., construction of a new production hall, the reorganization of a department within a company, a promotional campaign, etc.) ". (Vacar, A., 2013).

© Vacar A., 2015

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It is important to identify the number of projects undertaken by Romanian organizations within one year in order to appreciate the actuality about the practice of projects and their management by managers, because this is one of

the important elements of operationalization and implementation change in organizations. The answers collected from employees are given below in Fig. 1.

What is the average of projects your organization carried per year?

Fig. 1. The average of projects undertaken by organizations where these employees work in, within one year

Source: authorial results

The majority, respective 71% of respondents, did not offer information about the number of projects realized within one year. There are several explanations as, either they don't know precise information on subject or they didn't want to provide this response or they didn't know the relevance of the question within the study. Analyzing the other remaining part, 13% of employees showed that in organizations where they work in are realized an average between 2 and 5 projects per year, 7% of respondents are involved in organizations that realize an average between

6 and 10 projects per year, followed by the 3% employees that are involved in organizations that realize an average 1 project per year (Figure 1).

In order to understand the realism within organizations, the majority of employees show that actions of organizing projects in organizations where they work in are adequate stimulated, with a share of 49%, but also is important not to neglect the share of employees which are not pleased, as 40 % of all (Fig. 2).

Do you consider that your organization encourages enough the activities of organizing projects?

Fig. 2. The encouragement of activities of organizing projects in terms of employees

Source: authorial results

It is important to see the percentage of organization's personnel which are trained in project management and according to employees interviewed there is a major part of people in organizations, a rate of 55% (Fig. 3).

Fig. 3. The share of trained staff in project management in terms of employees

Source: authorial results

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ВІСНИК Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка ISSN 1728-3817

Between the employees of the present research, a share of 42% of them was implicated in at least one project, as a member of a project team in organizations where they work in (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4. Share of employees which were part of a project team

Source: authorial results

Because projects help to implement an idea, a plan or a strategy, the employees of this research showed that the principal motive that determined their rate in organizations is the necessity (46%), as the continuous requirement to adjust the organization to the frequently fluctuating environment in which it operates, not only to persist but to accomplish higher organizational goals with efficiency and effectiveness. Another reason that determined

projects manifestation in organizations is the opportunity (28%), as a positive conjuncture from the external environment of the organization that managers profit to reach certain. Another motive in the hierarchy of causes that produce projects in organizations is the management of the organization (17%) that brings ideas, plans and strategies for generating and realizing change (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. Causes that are generating projects in organizations from the perspective of employees

Source: authorial results

From the specific methods and techniques of project management used in organizations, known as the application stages of a project, the majority of interviewed employ-

ees find indispensable at the start of a project the plan execution, known as the detailed planning of project activities before starting it (81%) (Fig. 7).

Fig. 6. The time needed for the project detailing activities from the perspective of employees

Source: authorial results

Among specific methods and techniques of project management, the frequently used by managers in Romanian organizations are as follows: provisional budget (45%), brainstorming technique (42%), cause-effect diagram (39%), SWOT analysis (25%), problem tree tech-

nique (23%) and Gantt chart (10%) (Fig. 8). This result indicated by employees interviewed proves that methods and techniques used in project management are known and used in Romanian organizations.

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Fig. 7. Methods, techniques and tools used by managers to handle projects from the perspective of employees

Source: authorial results

Several reasons showed by employees that led to low or no use of specific methods of project management are: lack of long-term plans and strategies (43%), lack of interest expressed by employees (38%), lack of financial resources sufficient to encourage projects (33%), lack of

theoretical knowledge about project management (29%), lack of specialists on project management (25%) and lack of time for organizing projects because of few employees (19%) (Fig. 9).

Fig. 8. The causes that led to low or no use of specific methods of project management in organizations from the perspective of employees

Source: authorial results

Conclusion & Discussion

The purpose of the present article was to observe the use of projects in Romania and there were interviewed employees from Romanian organizations through an online research to notice their opinion about operationalization and implementation of change in organizations where they work in.

To this point we can note that the majority of interviewed employees from Romanian organizations showed that in organizations are developed between 2 and 5 projects per year and they said that they feel enough encouraged to involve in them. In organizations there is an important segment of employees that have been skilled and qualified for involving in projects and to manage them and 42% of questioned employees indicate that they were part of a project team as a project participant. In employee's opinion, the main cause that have determined projects in organizations are the necessity, then opportunity and after that, management of the organization through vision, plans and strategies used to generate change.

Although are known and used project management methods and techniques in Romanian organizations that main cause indicated by interviewed employees for low projects conducted are lack of long-term plans and strategies set by the management of the organizations. So, it is very important that managers understand not only their impor-

tance but their role also in organizations, to anticipate future actions in order to survive and have profitable organizations.

References

1. Bourne, M., Change management in a week, Hodder & Stoughton, London,2002.

2. Carnal, C.A., Managing change in organizations, 5th ed., Harlow, Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2007.

3. Leighton, A., On leadership, Random House Business Books, London, 2007.

4. Ogrean, C., Troanca, D., Proiecte economice: managementul proiectelor - note de curs, Editura ULBS, Sibiu, 2001.

5. Pany, K.W., Meindl, J.R., Grounding Leadership Theory and Research: Issues, Perspectives and Methods, Information Age Publishing Inc., Connecticut, 2002.

6. Patching, K., Leadership, Character and Strategy: exploring diversity, Palgrave Macmillan Ltd., 2007.

7. Vacar, A., Dumitrascu, D.D., Leadership - a key factor to a successful organization-part I, Studies in Business and Economics, no.7.3, 2012.

8. Vacar, A., Miricescu, D., Leadership - a key factor to a successful organization - part II, Procedia Economics and Finance, volume 6, 2013, doi: 10.1016/S2212-5671(13)00159-7.

9. Vacar, A., Project management - a tool for implementing change in organizations, Studies in Business and Economics, no.8.2., 2013.

10. Vacar, A., Leadership - a necessity in projects, Studies in Business and Economics, no.9.2., 2014.

11. Yukl, G., Leadership in organizations, fifth edition, Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey, 2002.

Надійшла до редколегії 13.09.15

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ВІСНИК Київського національного університету імені Тараса Шевченка ISSN 1728-3817

А. Вакар, канд. екон. наук, викладач

Сибійский університет "Лучан Блага", Сибіу, Румунія

ВИКОРИСТАННЯ ПРОЕКТІВ ДЛЯ ГЕНЕРУВАННЯ ЗМІН В ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯХ

Ця стаття є частиною досліджень, що проводяться з метою доведення ролі лідерів у створенні зміни в організаціях і спостереженні за дотриманням методів і прийомів, знаючи, що проекти і їх управління є інструментами для реалізації зміни в організаціях. Лідери, завдяки своєму впливу, а не за допомогою сили, можуть стимулювати свою команду до розробки нових проектів, що розглянуті фахівцями і практиками, а також до реальних змін в організаціях.

Ключові слова: проект, зміна, лідер, вплив, співробітників.

А. Вакар, канд. экон. наук, преподователь Сибийский университет "Лучан Блага", Сибиу, Румыния

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ПРОЕКТОВ В ГЕНЕРИРУЮЩАЯ ИЗМЕНЕНИИ В ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯХ

Эта статья является частью исследований, проводимых с целью доведения роли лидеров в создании изменений в организациях и наблюдении за соблюдением методов и приемов, зная, что проекты и их управления являются инструментами для реализации изменения в организациях. Лидеры, благодаря своему влиянию, а не с помощью силы, могут стимулировать свою команду к разработке новых проектов, рассмотренных специалистами и практиками, а также к реальным изменениям в организациях.

Ключевые слова: проект, изменение, лидер, влияние, сотрудников.

Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Economics, 2015; 9 (174): 76-82 JEL M21 УДК 334.01

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17721/1728-2667.2015/174-9/13

A. Sknar, PhD of Economics New Zealand Association of Economists (NZAE), Wellington, New Zealand

INNOVATIVE ERP APPLICATIONS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR:

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NEW ZEALAND EXPERIENCE

Annotation. Contemporary economic science is looking for ways of research actualisation to resolve the challenges under the world financial crisis. Besides existing challenges in private de-regulated sector, one of the efficient innovations can be found in broadening ERP applications in the Public Sector. This paper approaches to the ERP applications mainly from the economical rather than from technical perspective. Comparative analysis of New Zealand public sector is supported by relevant international practical experience (implementations), and by core fundamental analysis of economical nature of business processes used by public entities. The key advantage (based on a historical timeline) comes from a full integration of financial scope and operational activities. Using the example of ERP (as one of the drivers of productivity & performance improvement), the paper is aiming to underline how to bring the best practice and technology (data management and logical architecture) from the private sector into the public sphere.

Keywords: ERP, Public Sector, optimisation, New Zealand, productivity, financial implementation, configuration.

Introduction. ERP BASICS.In 1990 (i.e. 25 years ago) the first commercial usage of ERP (enterprise resource planning) was recorded. ERP systems are now well developed and used in hundreds of integration applications. Despite the puzzling name, the ERP system could be applied to the entities of both the public and private sectors. With that perspective, the word "Enterprise" can be extended to the broader sense of "Entity".

The approaches to the data management and respective logical and physical architecture that are used in the private sector could equally be used in the public

environment (Fig. 1). The advantage of ERP over other data storage / data management systems is based on the fact that approaches for enterprise are:

1) Business driven (result-oriented, rather than process-oriented).

2) Have a solid background and a broader audience.

3) Were rapidly developed in order to fit changing business requirements.

4) Have an impact / reaction from specific customizations, add-ons and localizations.

Governmental depai LmenLs / intitutions / ministries

State

Institutions / educational / health area

Funds/

Investment/

Banking

Social / public Organisations

Fig. 1. Private vs. Public areas: ERP positioning

© Sknar A., 2015

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