Successful Project Sponsor Behaviors During Project Initiation: An Empirical Investigation
2009; Pittsburg State University; Volume: 21; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1045-3695
AutoresTimothy J. Kloppenborg, Chris Manolis, Debbie Tesch,
Tópico(s)Team Dynamics and Performance
ResumoIn two leading management bodies of knowledge, A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK[R] Guide) and Syllabus for APMP Examination, executive sponsor has long been recognized as critical to success. Yet research to substantiate this role is limited. The term sponsor, by definition, suggests a financial responsibility. In fact, most recent publication of A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge describes sponsor as the person or group that provides financial resources, in cash or in kind, for project (Project Management Institute, 2004: 376). In Syllabus for APMP Examination (Association for Project Management, 2000), a publication of Association for Project Management (APM), sponsor is considered to be, in addition to provider of finds, individual or group for whom is undertaken, primary risk-taker, and person(s) to whom manager reports (APM). This senior executive or executive sponsor is thought to own and is considered responsible for ensuring its success. He/she is also typically one who proposes in first place, whose business unit reaps its benefits, and whose effectiveness is used to predict success. Involved and committed executive sponsors must have enough clout to dictate appropriate processes and/or make organizational changes necessary to bring about success (Perkins, 2005). Englund and Bucero (2006) recognize sponsorship as a commitment by management to define, defend, and support major activities from start to finish. As a link between manager and senior manager, sponsors' roles vary during life cycle to include: seller, coach, mentor, filter, business judge, motivator, negotiator, and protector. For purposes of this research, we define sponsor as normally a senior executive who has an interest in results of a project. This executive may also have monetary control over project. Often executive has organizational clout, but does not often have significant time to personally manage project (Kloppenborg, 2009: 60-61). Interestingly, very little research exists specifying exactly what tasks or behaviors constitute role of executive sponsor and how these behaviors contribute to success. Furthermore, little research has tested intuitively appealing notion that sponsor behavior during initiation (from first idea concerning to a signed charter or other form of commitment) contributes to success. The purpose of current research is to identify and empirically validate sponsor behavior during initiating stage of a project. After describing mechanisms employed to identify specific sponsor behaviors, we then discuss how these behaviors are validated and extent to which they affect outcomes. BACKGROUND AND STUDY OBJECTIVES While most management bodies of knowledge recognize sponsor as a key stakeholder on every project, very little research has examined empirically role and behavior of executive sponsor in achieving success. Highlighting need for such research, recent studies have stressed role of sponsor with respect to success, often quoting advice from senior managers on how to deal with inadequate sponsors (Englund and Bucero, 2006; Kloppenborg et al., 2006; Melymuka, 2004; Perkins, 2005). Although there is a dearth of empirical research from which to base current study, two studies standout out as particularly relevant. First, Helm and Remington (2005) undertook a combined analysis of, one, roles and responsibilities of sponsor in relation to organizational structure and, two, behavior and practices of key identified agents. Couched in Grounded Theory, methodology in this research involved gathering of data (prior to interviews) via assisted self-analysis. …
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