PROGRAMME: MSC IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

COURSE: PROJECT IDENTIFICATION AND APPRAISAL

INDIVISUAL ASSIGNMENT
SUBMITTED TO KUMELA GUDETA (PHD)
SUNMITTED BY: BECKHAM BERHANU
ID NO: GSR/0623/12

March 2020

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Abstract
Considering the issue of project management in Africa, most of the management styles adopted and
practiced in the aforementioned concept of management are merely not suitable and conducive for the
management styles of African. Years after political independence African countries are still in the
shadow of their former colonial masters, intellectually, culturally, and economically as the school of
project management is designed for the contemporary cultural, economic, and behavioural situation of
the westerns. Contrary to the common belief that the Western-oriented techniques of project
management are just straight forward procedures that anyone can learn and implement, there are
considerable cross-cultural problems in using the approach in non-Western Countries especially in
Africa.

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1. Introduction
In short Project management is the process of planning, executing, controlling and monitoring of
projects.
1.1. Conceptual relationships
The conceptual relationship of culture and project management is to have clear boundaries
between countries. Therefore project management is affected due of the cultures, norms and the
quality of life the society. Therefore the fundamental project management concept needs to be
customized in the favorable frame work of the society.
Cultures vary from country to country, and within countries. As a result, values at work and in social
settings will vary accordingly. Personal choices and work values are culturally dependent. Central to
validity of cross-cultural management concepts therefore, is the supposition that these variations can
be measured, or at the very least represented

Hypothesis crucial for valid cross-cultural management concepts is that by studying cultural
differences, one can determine appropriate modifications to current management theories, in order to
apply them successfully in different countries and cultures.
1.2Project Management
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques in order to meet or
exceed stakeholder requirements from a project.
According to Turner and project management concept project management is an endeavor in which
human, material and financial resources are organized in a novel way, to undertake a unique scope of
work, of given specification, within constraints of cost and time, so as to achieve beneficial change
defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives.
1.3 Life Cycle of projects
Project management involves five processes: initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing
Though there are several versions of the life cycle, the most common in literature generally propose
four distinct phases: initiation and concept, design and development, implementation, and
commissioning and hand-over.
1.4 Project management functions
The Australian National Competency Standards for Project Management identify nine broad project
management functions or knowledge areas. These are the management of scope, time, cost, risk,
quality, human resources, communications and procurement.

The facts on which Like classical management concepts on which they are premised, these five
processes are ‘ideal typologies’ and not based on empirical observation of project managerial
behaviour. Many of the concepts, tools and techniques of project management are based on economic
rationality and analysis of means end chains. When used in cultures whose values are not based on
economic rationality such as those in many African countries the techniques may be inappropriate and
result in project failure. The techniques are not faulty. The assumptions inherent in them about people
what motivates them, how they view or value work, how they relate to authority, what values or
virtues they hold most dear are not applicable in African cultures.
There for the managers are expected to study and customize the technics of project management in
which they can satisfy the cultural and norms of the society and of course the project objectives.
Accordingly the following scenarios are important dimensions of project management in Africa.

2. Understanding culture and its impact

Cross-cultural validity of management concepts most widely dispersed management theories and
techniques have their origin in the industrialized countries of the West. Many organizations in these
industrialized countries have benefited from their prescriptions. The uncritical transfer of management
theories and techniques based on western ideologies and value systems has in many ways contributed
to organizational inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the developing countries.Those social-cultural

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factors play a potent role in determining the shared norms, values, attitudes and beliefs about work
and organizations, among both managers and employees. Thus, what works in one context many not
necessarily work in another.
2.1 Representing culture
The validated concepts for understanding cultural differences using four dimensions: power distance,
uncertainty avoidance, masculinity/ femininity and individualism/collectivism. Open criticism is not
common and employees rarely disagree with supervisors. In work situations, high power distance is
reflected in the positive evaluation of close supervision by both employees and managers..
Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which ambiguity is perceived as threatening and risk-taking
behaviour is avoided. Within organizations, uncertainty avoidance is manifested in low risk taking,
emotional resistance to change, more ritual behaviour, a preference for clearly laid out rules, and
managers who are heavily involved in detail. Moreover, the demographic situation and performance
perception among gender and clan adaptability enumerates for the project management success and of
project objectives.
3. African countries

African countries are by no means homogeneous. They have different religion, social and economic
conditions. Modern African states were constituted with no reference to ancient kingdoms, so that
each new state includes rival ‘nations’ with nothing other than colonial institutions holding them
together. Despite these differences, African countries are characterized by some or all of the following
conditions

Social conditions: - The overwhelming patterns of commitment are to families, clans and ethnic
groups. Within organizations therefore, the western assumption of purposive rationality, leading to
commitment to organizations goals’ does not exit. Individuals are committed to organizations only to
the extent that their primary allegiances are recognized. In Africa, society has a moralist orientation.
Individuals are judged and ‘feel’ successful not only by having wealth, but by fulfilling their moral
obligations to family, clan and ultimately ethnic group.
Economic conditions: -The combination of a perverse pattern of consumption geared at imports,
declining real incomes and collectivist cultures, leaves the populace frustrated and bewildered. On the
one hand, unemployment is high, on the other, organizations, particularly governments, are barely
functional as everyone from civil servants to private sector employees struggle to supplement formal
earnings by running informal businesses.
Political conditions: -The political institutions are weak and unstable. Political power is more
concentrated on smaller elite than in industrial countries. And the system is prone to instability
dominated by small groups. The hustle and bustle in the political system induces un-trust worthy
relationships between the citizens and governments.

3.1 Project management in Africa: -It is important to recognize that the cultures of the
people in the developing countries have not yet reached the degree of sophistication existing in
the West. As a result not everybody is ready for the modern system of project management.
Therefore, the list of prescriptions on how to introduce project management includes; starting
with a pilot, choosing a safe project to begin with, keeping it simple, seeking local commitment
and avoiding drastic change. None of the foregoing addresses how the fundamental cultural and
economic factors influence the choice of methods, tools and techniques.

Country fitness for project management:- During initiation, power distance should be high
because the project manager must give priority to top management and or client as they must
take a leading role in scope definition. Individualism should also be high and uncertainty
avoidance low, because there is need for creativity and independent thinking in the search for
project solutions. The design and implementation phases need low power distance. This
enables the project team to have more control over the project. A balance is necessary
between masculinity and femininity, and in uncertainty avoidance. This is because projects
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 demand teamwork, which is enhanced if individuals work together rather than openly
compete. Generally whereas top management may perform the ceremonial role of accepting
the facility, and have responsibility in ensuring benefits are obtained from the project, it is
middle and lower management who run it. They must therefore be willing to quickly and
efficiently come to terms with the new technology, without close supervision from top
management to learn how to operate the facility. Therefore high risk avoidance is undesirable,
yet appropriate regard for operating manuals is necessary. Thus the healthy dose of
individualism and masculinity is tempered by moderate uncertainty avoidance.

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

In short Project management is the process of planning, executing, controlling and monitoring of
projects.
4.1Conceptual relationships
The conceptual relationship of culture and project management is to have clear boundaries
between countries. Therefore project management is affected due of the cultures, norms and the
quality of life the society. Therefore the fundamental project management concept needs to be
customized in the favourable frame work of the society.
Cultures vary from country to country, and within countries. As a result, values at work and in social
settings will vary accordingly. Personal choices and work values are culturally dependent. Central to
validity of cross-cultural management concepts therefore, is the supposition that these variations can
be measured, or at the very least represented
Hypothesis crucial for valid cross-cultural management concepts is that by studying cultural
differences, one can determine appropriate modifications to current management theories, in order to
apply them successfully in different countries and cultures.
4.2 Project Management
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques in order to meet or
exceed stakeholder requirements from a project.
According to Turner and project management concept project management is an endeavor in which
human, material and financial resources are organized in a novel way, to undertake a unique scope of
work, of given specification, within constraints of cost and time, so as to achieve beneficial change
defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives.
4.3 Life Cycle of projects
Project management involves five processes: initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing
Though there are several versions of the life cycle, the most common in literature generally propose
four distinct phases: initiation and concept, design and development, implementation, and
commissioning and hand-over.
4.4 Project management functions
The Australian National Competency Standards for Project Management identify nine broad project
management functions or knowledge areas. These are the management of scope, time, cost, risk,
quality, human resources, communications and procurement.

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