Complexity Theory and Project Management

An insightful view on how to use the power of complexity theory to manage projects more successfullyCurrent management practices require adherence to rigid, global responses unsuitable for addressing the changing needs of most projects. Complexity Theory and Project Managementshifts this paradigm to...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors Curlee, Wanda, Gordon, Robert L
Format eBook Book
LanguageEnglish
Published Hoboken, N.J Wiley 2010
WILEY
John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Wiley-Blackwell
Edition1. Aufl.
SeriesCoursesmart
Subjects
Complexity (Philosophy)
Engineering
Industrial
Komplexitätsmanagement
Project management
Projektmanagement
Technology
Wissen Bautechnik
Technik
Online AccessGet full text

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Table of Contents:
  • Complexity theory and project management -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part I: Complexity theory -- Chapter 1: Introduction to complexity theory -- Chapter 2: Going beyond the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK®) guide -- Chapter 3: Virtual leadership and complexity -- Chapter 4: Successful virtual projects -- Part II: How to deploy complexity theory -- Chapter 5: Successful project management strategies of complexity -- Chapter 6: Virtual leadership through complexity -- Chapter 7: How organizational culture is the key to applying complexity -- Chapter 8: Cultural conflict through the lens of complexity -- Chapter 9: Cultural conflict resolution strategies -- Chapter 10: Risk management through the lens of complexity -- Part III: Case studies of applied complexity -- Chapter 11: SEMCO (organizational complexity) -- Chapter 12: Web-based universities (multilevel complexity) -- Chapter 13: Small team complexity -- Part IV: Create successful project communities -- Chapter 14: Leadership of complexity-driven organizations -- Chapter 15: Communities -- Chapter 16: Teams and complexity -- Chapter 17: Micro-teams (tribes) -- Chapter 18: Dealing appropriately with change -- Part V: Advanced tools for managing complexity -- Chapter 19: Complexity tools for organizations with virtual teams -- Chapter 20: Virtual projects and complexity theory -- Chapter 21: Using complexity to address a troubled project -- Chapter 22: The future of complexity -- Index.
  • Chapter 11: SEMCO (Organizational Complexity) -- COMPLEXITY AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL MANTRA -- HOW SEMCO IS SUCCESSFUL WITH FEWER RULES -- WHY RULE-BASED ORGANIZATIONS MAY BE ON THE WAY OUT -- ANALYSIS OF SEMCO AND KEY COMPLEXITY LEARNING -- SUCCESS ANALYSIS -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 12: Web-based Universities (Multilevel Complexity) -- COMPLEXITY AS APPLIED TO A WEB-BASED UNIVERSITY -- HOW A WEB-BASED UNIVERSITY CAN THRIVE APPLYING COMPLEXITY -- WHY COMPLEXITY IS SO IMPORTANT IN A VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY -- ANALYSIS OF A WEB-BASED UNIVERSITY AND KEY COMPLEXITY LEARNING -- SUCCESS ANALYSIS -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 13: Small Team Complexity -- WHOLE FOODSTM: A DIFFERENT KIND OF MARKET -- HOW SMALL TEAMS APPLYING COMPLEXITY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE -- HOW COMPLEXITY ALLOWS ENTREPRENEURIAL TEAMS TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN RULE-BASED TEAMS -- ANALYSIS OF WHOLE FOODS MARKETTM AND KEY COMPLEXITY LEARNING -- SUCCESS ANALYSIS -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Part IV: Create Successful Project Communities -- Chapter 14: Leadership of Complexity-Driven Organizations -- WHAT DEFINES AN ORGANIZATION RULED BY COMPLEXITY -- WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT LEADERS IN COMPLEXITY-DRIVEN ORGANIZATIONS -- LEADERSHIP ELEMENTS NECESSARY FOR COMPLEXITY -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 15: Communities -- COMPLEXITY APPLIED TO GROUPS -- COMPLEXITY APPLIED TO CREATE SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 16: Teams and Complexity -- TEAMS AND COMPLEXITY -- HOW TO ESTABLISH TEAMS WITH COMPLEXITY -- ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL TEAMS THAT LEVERAGE COMPLEXITY -- TOOLS TO MAKE COMPLEXITY PART OF ALL TEAMS -- CASE STUDY: ADDING COMPLEXITY TO A MATURING COMPANY -- CASE STUDY REVIEW -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 17: Micro-Teams (Tribes) -- THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL TEAMS -- HOW SMALL TEAMS SUPPORT COMPLEXITY
  • LEVERAGING MICRO-TEAMS WITHIN ORGANIZATIONS -- HOW TO BUILD TRIBES WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION -- SUCCESSFUL TRIBES -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 18: Dealing Appropriately with Change -- CHANGE MANAGEMENT -- HOW COMPLEXITY CAN IMPROVE CHANGE MANAGEMENT -- INSTANCES OF CHANGE THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR COMPLEXITY -- INSTANCES OF CHANGE THAT ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR COMPLEXITY -- CHECKLISTS FOR COPING WITH CHANGE -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Part V: Advanced Tools for Managing Complexity -- Chapter 19: Complexity Tools for Organizations with Virtual Teams -- COMPLEXITY LEADERSHIP TOOLS -- VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP COMPLEXITY CHECKLIST -- COMPLEXITY TOOLS FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY -- COMPLEXITY TOOLS FOR BUILDING TEAMS -- COMPLEXITY TOOLS FOR BUILDING MICRO-TEAMS (TRIBES) -- COMPLEXITY TOOLS FOR DEALING WITH CHANGE -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 20: Virtual Projects and Complexity Theory -- COMPLEXITY THEORY AS APPLIED TO SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL LEADERS -- APPLICATION OF COMPLEXITY THEORY TO SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL TEAMS -- CREATING CONTINGENCIES THAT APPLY COMPLEXITY THEORY -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 21: Using Complexity to Address a Troubled Project -- TROUBLED PROJECTS -- HOW COMPLEXITY CAN BE APPLIED TO A TROUBLED PROJECT -- CELEBRATIONS OF SUCCESSES TO NURTURE FUTURE COMPLEXITY BEHAVIOR -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 22: The Future of Complexity -- WHERE WILL COMPLEXITY BE IN THE FUTURE? -- WHY CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY ARE HERE TO STAY -- THE NEXT EVOLUTION OF CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Index
  • Complexity Theory and Project Management -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part I: Complexity Theory -- Chapter 1: Introduction to Complexity Theory -- INTRODUCTION TO COMPLEXITY THEORY -- HISTORY OF CHAOS THEORY -- HISTORY OF COMPLEXITY THEORY -- COMPLEXITY THEORY IN USE TODAY -- CASE STUDY: LOOKING FOR COMPLEXITY WITHIN A PROJECT TEAM -- CASE STUDY REVIEW -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 2: Going beyond the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide -- WHAT IS LACKING IN CURRENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE REGARDING COMPLEXITY -- WHAT THE PMBOK GUIDE SHOULD INCLUDE ABOUT COMPLEXITY -- COMPLEXITY BEYOND WHAT THE PMBOK GUIDE SHOULD INCLUDE -- HOW OTHER PROJECT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONS ADDRESS COMPLEXITY -- INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH NETWORK ON ORGANIZING BY PROJECTS -- INTERNATIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION -- PRACTICAL APPLICATION IS MISSING AND WHERE CAN IT BE FOUND? -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 3: Virtual Leadership and Complexity -- WHAT ARE VIRTUAL PROJECTS AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? -- WHY COMPLEXITY IS A NECESSARY TOOL OF VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP -- WHAT MAKES VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP WORK? -- TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN VIRTUAL TEAMS -- HOW LEADERS CAN IMPLEMENT COMPLEXITY TO HELP MAKE A VIRTUAL TEAM SUCCESSFUL -- WINNING STRATEGIES FOR VIRTUAL PROJECT MANAGERS -- CREATING METRICS TO TRACK THE SUCCESS OF COMPLEXITY -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 4: Successful Virtual Projects -- INTRODUCTION TO SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL PROJECTS -- TRUST IN THE VIRTUAL PROJECT -- COMPLEXITY IN THE VIRTUAL PROJECT -- THE CHAMPIONS OF COMPLEXITY -- THE MUTTS OF COMPLEXITY -- CHAMPIONS VERSUS MUTTS: KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE -- PROJECT SUCCESS OR FAILURE: COMPLEXITY- LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT -- SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL TEAM INTERACTION: ASSESSMENT, CONSEQUENCES, AND MANAGEMENT -- HOW COMPLEXITY CAN ACHIEVE GREATER SUCCESS
  • CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Part II: How to Deploy Complexity Theory -- Chapter 5: Successful Project Management Strategies of Complexity -- PLANNING FOR COMPLEXITY IN A PROJECT -- LEADERSHIP AND POWER: A PLANNED RELATIONSHIP -- CREATE A PLAN TO ADDRESS COMPLEXITY IN A VIRTUAL PROJECT -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 6: Virtual Leadership through Complexity -- TEACHING LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO TEAMS FOR HANDLING CONFLICT IN A VIRTUAL TEAM -- COSTS OF NEGATIVE CONFLICT -- TIME AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FOR VIRTUAL TEAMS -- CASE STUDIES OF COMPLEXITY THEORY APPLIED TO SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 7: How Organizational Culture is the Key to Applying Complexity -- INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE -- LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE -- SPENDING TIME DEVELOPING THE CULTURE OF COMPLEXITY -- GLOBAL CULTURE -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 8: Cultural Conflict through the Lens of Complexity -- TRADITIONAL CONFLICT -- VIRTUAL CONFLICT -- POSITIVE CONFLICT: THE ART OF NEGOTIATION -- NEGATIVE CONFLICT -- ADDRESSING SUBVERSIVE CONFLICT WITH COMPLEXITY -- IDENTIFYING AND CORRECTING LACK OF COMMITMENT BY TEAM MEMBERS -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- CASE STUDY -- CASE STUDY REVIEW -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 9: Cultural Conflict Resolution Strategies -- INTRODUCTION TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES THAT DEPLOY COMPLEXITY -- USING COMPLEXITY TO PREVENT CONTINUOUS LEADERSHIP INTERVENTION -- PREDICT CONFLICT EFFECTIVELY -- CONFRONT CONFLICT QUICKLY -- CREATE A CULTURE TO ADDRESS CONFLICT QUICKLY -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- CASE STUDY: CONFLICT AT PROJECT MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY, INC. -- CASE STUDY REVIEW -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 10: Risk Management through the Lens of Complexity -- THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT -- BEEHIVE/ANT COLONY DISTURBANCE -- CHAPTER SUMMARY -- REFERENCES -- Part III: Case Studies of Applied Complexity