Business research project planning and management

The following discussion items on Business Research Project Planning and Management are based Keizer and Kempen (2006):

1. Effective consulting criteria
• Problem directed
• External oriented
• Change directed
• Open contracting
• Positioning
• Coherent approach
• State-of-the-art knowledge
2. Main project phases
• Phase 1: Orientation phase
• culture
• the problem in its context
• support
• the scope of the job
• Phase 2: Research and solution phase
• Phase 3: Inplementation phase
• Involvement
• Concreteness
• Feasibility
3. Preliminary steps to acquire a fieldwork project [need to consult project supervisor]
• Write application letters to suitable companies
• Follow up by telephones
• Visit companies that are interested
• Make final choice of client companies

Now, examine the general advices on good consulting practices as explained by Block (2000; Chaper 2):

• Responsibility
• Feelings
• Trust
• Your own needs
• Consultant's assumptions
• Consultant's goals
• Choose consulant's roles
• Develop client commitment

Class exercise:
Use the methodology of Keizer and Kempen (2006) to review the project planning and management practices underlying the reported case of Ho and Jackson (1987).


Related lecture notes:

References

1. Block, P. (2000) Flawless Consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used, Pfeiffer.
2. Ho, J.K.K. and Jackson, M.C. (1987) "Building a 'rich-picture' and assessing a 'quality management' program at Thornton Printing Company", Cybernetics and Systems: An international journal 18: 381-405.
3. Keizer, J.A. and Kempen, P.M. (2006) Business Research Projects: A solution-oriented approach, Elsevier. Mainly chapters 1-3.
4. Project life cycle: http://www.visitask.com/project-life-cycle.asp