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400 case 4.1 Ellen Moore

What are the Problems and Why do They Exist?

As an expatriate from North America appointed to oversee project implementation in

South Korea, Ellen Moore was confronted with a variety of issues, including her limited expertise in big

projects, cultural differences between the United States and Korea, and differences in leadership and

management styles. The aforementioned problems led to delayed implementation of the mega project in

South Korea. The problems began when Andrew Kilpatrick, a management consultant based in the

United States, became part of the project team on a full-time basis. His involvement was considered

critical given his experience in implementing similar projects. However, despite being a member of the

project team in Korea, Kilpatrick’s demanding schedule in the United States meant he could only

participate remotely on the Korean project, making oversight, decision-making, and control difficult.

The primary problem facing the Korean project was lack of project experience and knowledge.

Staff members from both Korean Conglomerate Inc. (KCI) and Western Systems Inc. (WSI) had not

handled such mega projects before. As a result, the majority of KCI personnel were unfamiliar with

system implementation. For example, Jack Kim served in the consulting role for the first time in the

Korean project. The lack of project knowledge and experience made the participation of Kilpatrick

important since he had extensive experience in this area. However, he had limited experience consulting

overseas, especially in Asian cultures such as South Korea.

In addition, cultural conflicts between the United States and South Korea worsened the

problems. Despite being highly qualified, Ellen Moore was not able to get the respect she

deserved as a project management representative in Korea. Korean team members did not take
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her seriously. As a result, her co-manager in the project Jack Kim assumed authority over Korean

consultants. The employees could only take instructions from Kim and not from Moore. As a co-manager,

Moore could issue instructions when Kim was away. However, Kim was not happy with Moore’s

leadership role, leading to tensions between the two leaders. The differences between Moore and Kim led

to delays during project implementation.

What Alternatives Exist at This Point?

There are several alternatives the project team can pursue. Firstly, a joint committee

comprising employees from KCI and WSI can be established to address the issues facing the

project. Based on the problems highlighted, the company did not consider cross-cultural

differences and their impact on the project implementation team. Accordingly, having a joint

committee offers a good opportunity for the parties to come to a negotiating table and agree on

the way forward.

Secondly, since the current problems are linked to cultural differences and differences in

leadership styles among the two co-managers, joint training of the project implementation team

can help team members to bond and minimize personality-based conflicts. Through training,

both management and employees can begin to focus on the bigger picture. The team should be

trained on best practices when working with individuals from both Korean and American

cultures to eliminate the intercultural conflicts.

Thirdly, animosity between the two co-managers is the genesis of many problems facing

the project. Accordingly, if need be, the joint committee should restructure the project’s

leadership team. One way to achieve this is by having individuals experienced consulting and in

working across cultures take over the project’s leadership role. One such person is Kilpatrick. He

can relocate to South Korea to oversee the project’s implementation as per the original plan. His
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experience combined with his working knowledge of the client team mean he can easily work with both

teams and address the culture-related and management problems facing the project.

In Andrew’s Position What Would You do?

The first option for Andrew is to arrange a face-to-face meeting with the two co-

managers of the Korean project. The meeting should provide an opportunity for Andrew to

understand the causes of problems in the project and devise a plan on how Moore and Kim can

work together as a team. During the meeting, Andrew should emphasize the importance of each

leader being sensitive to the other’s culture and importance of continuous communication using

established channels. Secondly, if the first alternative fails, Andrew should delegate the project’s

leadership to one person, preferably Moore. It is clear Kim is not a team player and lacks the

knowledge and skills required to implement such a big project. The situation is made worse by

Kim’s inability to work with Moore. As a result, by eliminating the two centers of power in the

project, the project team can forge ahead under one command and deliver on the project.

What Changes Would You Recommend Making for Future Projects?

The company failed to undertake due diligence when recruiting the project team, leading

to the problems currently facing the organization. Accordingly, in the future, recruitment of

project team members (both expatriate and locals) should be done through a competitive process

to ensure only individuals possessing the desired attributes, skills, and knowledge are chosen to

manage such big projects. Although the strategy may be costly to the organization, both in terms

of time and resources, it could lead to significant long-term benefits since it will help the firm

avoid time and cost overruns and improve its reputation in project implementation, leading to

more business. Most importantly, future projects should have mandatory face-to-face meetings

regularly to help project teams iron out any differences before they become major problems.

Furthermore, such meetings help team members to review the progress made, identify where
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improvements are needed, and plan for the subsequent tasks. Through such meetings, the

organization can develop team spirit among project team members and promote intercultural

communication and respect for one another.