Hans J. Thamhain

Managing Innovative R&D Teams

Successful R&D groups not only generate innovative ideas, but also transfers these newly created concepts through the organizational system for economic gain. While innovation is not a random process, managers often argue that R&D performance is hard to measure and even more difficult to manage. An exploratory field study into technology-oriented R&D environments determines the principle factors that influence innovation-based performance of R&D teams. The results identify specific barriers and drivers to innovative team performance and provide insight into the type of an organizational environment and managerial leadership that is conducive to innovative R&D team performance. The data further suggest that many of the performance variables have their locus outside the R&D organization. Yet, managerial leadership style, both at the R&D team level and at senior management, has significant impact on creativity that ultimately affects R&D performance.

Building high performing engineering project teams

This article summarizes four years of research into the drivers and barriers of effective teambuilding in engineering work environments. A simple input-output model is presented for organizing and analyzing the various factors which influence team performance. The field survey results supported by correlation analysis indicate that team performance is primarily associated with six driving forces and six barriers which are related to: leadership, job content, personal needs, and general work environment. Specific recommendations are made.

Team Leadership Effectiveness in Technology-Based Project Environments

Managerial leadership and the organizational environment must be conducive to the professional needs of the project team. I reached this conclusion after conducting a field study of 80 technology-intensive project teams in 27 companies. This paper aims to improve the project management fields understanding of team performance as it is influenced by the organizational environment and managerial leadership. The results of this research suggest that many of the factors that drive project team performance, such as commitment and the ability to deal with conflict and risk, originate in the work environment. While effective management of the technical aspects of the project is critical to success, team leaders must also pay close attention to managing relations across the entire work process, including support functions, suppliers, sponsors, and partners. In this paper, I discuss the implications of — and criteria for — effective team leadership.

Managing Risks in Complex Projects

Dealing effectively with risks in complex projects is difficult and requires management interventions that go beyond simple analytical approaches. This is one finding of a major field study into risk management practices and business processes of 35 major product developments in 17 high-technology companies. Almost one-half of the contingencies that occur are not being detected before they impact project performance. Yet, the risk-impact model presented in this article shows that risk does not affect all projects equally but depends on the effectiveness of collective managerial actions dealing with specific contingencies. The results of this study discuss why some organizations are more successful in detecting risks early in the project life cycle, and in decoupling risk factors from work processes before they impact project performance. The field data suggest that effective project risk management involves an intricately linked set of variables, related to work process, organizational environment, and people. Some of the best success scenarios point to the critical importance of recognizing and dealing with risks early in their development. This requires broad involvement and collaboration across all segments of the project team and its environment, and sophisticated methods for assessing feasibilities and usability early and frequently during the project life cycle. Specific managerial actions, organizational conditions, and work processes are suggested for fostering a project environment most conducive to effective cross-functional communication and collaboration among all stakeholders, a condition important to early risk detection and effective risk management in complex project situations.

Managing technology-based projects in multinational environments

This paper examines the managerial issues involved in executing technology-based projects that span international borders. The results of a bilateral comparative field study, conducted in Brazil and the United States, show that in spite of considerable social and cultural differences between two international operating environments, successful integration of multinational projects may not require fundamentally different management approaches. This, however, does require strong senior management support and efforts in developing effective organizational linkages and alliances. Managers must need to have focus on cross-boundary relationships and fine-tune their people skills to deal effectively with complex forms of negotiations, delegations, and commitments in systems which are often weak on formal command and control.

Toward a NASA-Specific Project Management Framework

Abstract: One of the most common myths in the discipline of project management is the assumption that all projects are the same and can be managed with the same set of processes and techniques. In reality, however, projects differ and “one size does not fit all.” Based on our previous research, we have learned that adapting the right approach to the right project is critical to project success; yet, very few organizations know how to distinguish among their project efforts. Furthermore, we have also learned that there is no universal framework that works effectively for all organizations. NASAs procedures suggest several distinctions among projects based on product lines and priority levels. These distinctions form a base for different approval processes. The next step will be to help managers actually manage different projects in different ways. The purpose of this research was to study several NASA programs and start identifying a framework that would work for project managers and teams in the NASA environment. We used four current projects as case studies to test the validity of potential frameworks, and have suggested an initial NASA-specific framework that could eventually lead to guidelines for tailoring project and program management to project type.

Managing engineers effectively

The professional needs of engineering personnel are investigated. Their degree of satisfaction is positively associated with overall engineering performance. All of the sixteen specific needs analyzed involve three primary issues: (1) people skills, (2) organizational structure, and (3) management style, influenced by the task to be performed and the surrounding environment. To be effective, engineering managers must understand the dynamics of their organizations so they can diagnose potential problems and the need for change. Specific suggestions are made to increase the engineering managers effectiveness and to improve overall engineering productivity.

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM MANAGING TECHNOLOGY-INTENSIVE TEAMS

An ongoing field study of 76 new product development teams in 27 companies identifies specific barriers and drivers to effective team performance. The paper provides insight into the affects of organizational environment and managerial leadership on project team performance in technology-oriented team environments. The results show that team leadership has significant impact on both the project team and its broader organizational environment ultimately affecting team and project performance. Team leaders must manage the work and people relations across diverse organizational and cultural boundaries, including support functions, suppliers, sponsors and partners. The paper provides suggestions for building the organizational environment, work processes and leadership skills necessary for successful implementation of complex development projects.

Leading Technology-Based Project Teams

Abstract: The results of a field study of technology-based projects identify specific barriers and drivers to effective team performance. The article provides insight into the organizational environment and managerial leadership conducive to high project performance in technology-oriented team environments. The results suggest that many of the performance criteria have their locus outside of the project organization; yet managerial leadership, at both the project level and senior management level, has significant impact on the team environment that ultimately affects team and project performance. In addition to managing the technical aspects of the project, team leaders must pay particular attention to the people side, managing relations across the entire work process, including support functions, suppliers, sponsors, and partners. An engineering manager can use this article to gain additional perspective into the processes of teamwork, and to glean ideas for enhancing project team performance in technology-based organizations.

Critical Success Factors for Managing Technology-Intensive Teams in the Global Enterprise

Abstract: The challenges of managing culturally diverse and globally dispersed project teams are examined in a field study of technology-intensive product developments. The article aims to improve the understanding of team performance in multinational project environments with implications for leadership assessment and organizational development. The results suggest that multinational team performance involves a complex set of variables related to the organizational ambience, business process, managerial tools, and most importantly, to the people in the organization. Team leaders must effectively manage relations across the entire work process, including support functions, suppliers, sponsors, and partners. Emphasis on common values and goals helps in bridging cultural and organizational differences, and in unifying the multinational team. Personal interest, pride and satisfaction with the work, professional work challenge, accomplishments, recognition, and the skill sets of the team members were identified as the strongest drivers toward unifying culturally diverse project teams and their work processes, and building a true partnership among all the contributing organizations.