The project manager

Chapter overview
This topic gives an understanding of some key concepts related to project management and what
the typical role of the project manager is within an organisation. Project managers face many
challenges both internally (from within the organisation itself) and externally (from various
environmental factors). The current business climate is a rapidly evolving one, where organisations
must continually strive to leverage these factors in order to remain agile, innovative, and
competitive. Projects can transpire both advertently and inadvertently within organisations. They
can occur either as a direct result of an imposed change or the desire for change, and there are
often several projects in progress at the same time.
Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that at some point in your career, you will either be
managing a project or be involved in a project team.
Project managers today need to develop a blend of strategic thinking, business decision-making,
and specific project management skills. They need to be able to work out what needs to be done,
how it is to be done, when it is to be done, and why it is being done. These aspects must also align
with the overall strategy of the organisation, and project managers should have strong awareness
of the structure, culture, and values of the organisation in order to be successful.
This topic is divided into four sub-topics:
• Explanation of what the role of project managers are within organisations
• Explanation of some of the main challenges project managers face both internally and
externally
• Explanation of some of the key skills which project managers need to develop
• Explanation of how management behaviours can affect a project and organisational success
Theoretical knowledge will be enriched using case studies.
By the end of this workbook, you should be able to:
• Understand what project managers do in organisations
• Understand some of the main challenges (in an environmental context) which project
managers face
• Understand some of the key skills that project managers need to develop
• Understand how management behaviours can affect a project and organisational success
1

Learning outcomes
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
• Identify the role project managers perform in organisations
• Discuss the main challenges project managers face in the current business climate
• Recognise the importance of management skills to be effective
• Identify ways in which management behaviours can impact organisational success
1
 Chapter summary
In this topic, we discuss the following questions:
• What is the role of a project manager? What is their role in an organisation?
• What are some of the main challenges which project managers face in the current business
climate?
• What key skills are required for project managers to be successful?
• What management behaviours impact organisational success?
According to Gido et al. (2018, p.326),

“A project is an endeavour to accomplish a specific objective through a unique set of

interrelated activities and the effective utilization of resources”.
Taking this definition into account, it is possible to assume that the concept of a project is nothing
new. Projects in organisations can include a range of different activities, such as systems
implementations, technological upgrades, restructures, and others, that are specifically related to
various products and services. For example, the retail banking industry went through large-scale
changes in the 1990s and beyond when they moved from paper to plastic ie where cheque books,
passbooks, and other paper related documentation were replaced with ATM cards and other
transactional services, first by telephone, and later by the internet. The aim was to avail of new
and emerging technologies in order to provide a range of better products and services to the
customer, whilst simultaneously improving efficiencies within banks. Such initiatives require
project managers to implement them.
The fundamental role of the project manager is to oversee the facilitation of a project. They can
be from within the organisation itself, or they can be appointed externally. In either case, they
need to have the relevant skill set to ensure successful completion of the project.
The difference between project management and management is that projects usually have a
beginning and an end. They do not continue indefinitely, whereas management does.
It can be argued that the current business climate is somewhat volatile. By using the UK as an
example, the global Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit have had significant impacts on organisations
and the way they operate. Both these scenarios bring a high level of uncertainty to businesses,
potentially threatening the viability of significant projects.
Project managers need a wide range of skills to be able to perform their duties effectively. These
include managerial or “soft skills”, technical skills, and the ability to align with the strategy,
culture, and values of the organisation. In addition, specific management behaviours which are
derived from good management skills should also be encouraged and fostered in order to ensure
organisational success.
1

Context section
In this topic, we explore how the role of the project manager fits into organisations, taking into
account the background of uncertainty in the world around us. With the rapid advancement of
digital technologies, increased globalisation, climate change, the reduction in reliance on fossil
fuels, political turbulence around the world, and global pandemics such as Covid-19 to manage,
the project manager’s role is vital in order to enable organisations to adapt quickly to their
constantly changing environments. They must be agile, flexible, and understand the business
climate in which they are operating in.
The successful project manager will need to have a range of management skills which promote
behaviours that are conducive to supporting the successful implementation of various projects. In
this section, students will also be directed to relevant sources such as the APM Glossary of Project
Management Terms so that they can understand common terminology which the project
manager needs to be aware of and understand.
Read the content in this book carefully and go through the learning material which is comprised
of a mix of readings, videos, and case studies. The case studies are important as they help you
understand the theoretical concepts which are applied in real life.

The project manager 2

1 What is the role of the project manager?
According to APM (2020, p.209),

“Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and

experience to achieve specific project objectives for change”.
Change in this context refers to an initiative to improve or enhance an organisation’s capabilities,
and this is introduced and delivered through projects. These changes should be part of an
organisation’s overall strategy, and organisations desire a benefit or perceived benefit from the
successful implementation of various projects. For example, the implementation of a new
technological solution could have benefits such as a reduction of costs, better customer service,
and higher customer retention.
It is the project manager’s responsibility to ensure that such projects are completed within time,
budget, and scope, without compromising quality. This is often referred to as the “project
management triangle”.
Gido et al. (2018, p.329) state that:

“The project manager has primary responsibility for providing leadership in planning,
organizing, monitoring and controlling the work effort to accomplish the project objective. In
other words, the project manager provides leadership to the project team to accomplish the
project objective”.
This is generally a widely accepted understanding of the role of the project manager, and it is
possible to also include time management, communication, and a degree of self-awareness
(which includes ethical decision-making) to the list of skills which project managers require in
order to be successful.
We should also briefly look at what the key difference is between project management and
management. APM (2020) state that:

“A key factor that distinguishes project management from just ‘management’ is that it has this
final deliverable and a finite timespan, unlike management which is an ongoing process.
Because of this a project professional needs a wide range of skills; often technical skills, and
certainly people management skills and good business awareness”.
In other words, management or “soft skills” are very important for project managers, as well as
commercial acumen and a good understanding of the environment they operate in.

2 What are some of the challenges project managers face

in the current business climate?
The project manager faces various challenges and must stay informed of the current business
climate. In an increasingly dynamic and constantly changing environment, it is expected that the
project manager has an overall good understanding of the factors which can, or may, impact
their organisation and their role.
The following diagram gives an overview of the macro, micro, and internal environments.

3 The project manager

 External environment

acro) enviro
eral (m nme
Gen nt

micro) env
itive ( iron
mpet me
Co nt

al

Ec
itic
Business

Bu

on
s
Pol

er

ye
processes

om
pli

rs/
Sup

ic
cus
People Structure

tome
rs
Internal
Stakeholders Finance Objectives Stakeholders
environment
S o ci o-

cal
rs
t ito
Technology Culture

logi
c ul t

Su

pe
bs

hno
ura

Power

om
tit

c
ut
l

C
s

Te
e

P o t e nt ts
ial entran
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vi r al
on
me
ntal Leg

Boddy, D, Management – An Introduction – Figure 3.1, p80

The business climate can be considered as the factors which are impacted by the external
environment, or what is often referred to as the macro environment. These factors are generally
considered to be political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal, and
the acronym is commonly known as “PESTEL”. These factors can and do affect the way
organisations develop or change their strategy, and the project manager should have a good
awareness of these factors and their impacts. The project manager can face many challenges
resulting from changes in PESTEL. For example, a rapid technological advancement can affect a
project concerning a system upgrade or the implementation of a new system. Socio-cultural
change factors, such as lifestyle changes where more people are working from home, could
impact a project to refurbish new offices. The push for more “green” initiatives has led to
numerous projects in many industries. Below is a figure which identifies environmental influences
in a national context:

The project manager 4

 Political Economic
• Taxation policy • Interest and inflation rates
• Privatisation/deregulation policies • Consumer confidence
• Environmental legislation • The business cycle
• Health & safety regulations • Economic growth prospects
• Public expenditure controls • Unemployment rates
• European Union directives • Disposable incomes
• Government stability • Labour costs

Socio-cultural
Technological
• Demographics (population
• Housing stock
and household numbers)
• Scientific discoveries
• Values in society
• Communications
• Lifestyles (e.g. attitudes to PESTEL technology
work and leisure)
• Production technology
• Consumer preferences (e.g.
attitudes to green issues) • Infrastructure (e.g. power,
transport)
• Levels of education

Environmental Legal
• Climate change • Employment law
• Water resources • Company law
• Energy supplies • Business regulation

Boddy, D, Management – An Introduction – Figure 3.5, p92

Projects can often be across different countries and the project manager may face cross-cultural
challenges. For example, a software supplier in the US may be responsible for the implementation
of a new system in the Asia-Pacific region. Whether the organisation is an investment banking
firm (eg London-based firms with Head Offices in New York), a manufacturing firm (eg large
manufacturing operations in China) or a service provider (eg call centres in India), there are many
issues a project manager can face when operating internationally. As such, the project manager
must be aware of environmental factors in an international context as well as in a national
context. The figure below illustrates some common PESTEL factors to consider when project
managing internationally:

5 The project manager

 Economic
Political • Relative growth rates
• Distribution of wealth
• Government attitudes to
• Currency stability
foreign investment
• Exchange rates
• Political stability
• Rules on repatriating
• Patent and intellectual
company income
property policy

Socio-cultural
• Consumer habits and Technological
preferences • Telecommunications
• National cultures • Stability of power supplies
PESTEL
• Education levels and policies • Transport infrastructure - for
• Attitudes towards foreign imports/exports
companies and staff • Competence of suppliers
• Working practices

Environmental Legal
• Natural resources • Tariff policies and trade
• Environmental quality agreements
• Possible long-term effects • Employment protection
of climate change • Company taxation

Boddy, D, Management – An Introduction – Figure 4.2, p113

In reference to the diagram which illustrates the macro, micro, and internal environments, it is also
important to mention that the project manager must have a solid awareness of the competitive or
micro environment. A common theory which underpins this understanding is Porter’s Five Forces
(Porter, 1979) which relate to the industry the organisation is operating in. Porter’s Five Forces can
be used to analyse competition and develop strategy. This can also aid strategic planning by
helping to identify sectors that will be profitable or not, which will also assist with growth or
expansion decisions. From a project manager’s perspective, the use of this model can help with
identifying which factors need to be mitigated. If we analyse one of the elements in Porter’s Five
Forces such as low barriers to entry, which could affect “Threat of New Entrants” (as it will be
easier for them to enter the industry), we need to be aware of how it could directly impact a
project. For example, if a project manager is managing a large project whereby a new call centre
is being established in India for a telecommunications provider, there may be high incentives for
new investment into the region and very low barriers to entry, which could see increased
competition very quickly. As such, the telecommunications company may have to change their
strategy accordingly, which could directly impact the project itself.

Threat of
New Entrants

Power of Competitive Power of

Buyers Rivalry Suppliers

Threat of
Substitutes

Figure derived from Porters Five Forces theory (1979)

The project manager 6

 Porter’s premise is that once an analysis of the industry has been conducted, an organisation can
then develop several competitive strategies (also purported by Porter) such as:
• Cost Leadership
• Differentiation
• Focus
In some cases, hybrid strategies of the above can be adopted. It would be prudent for the project
manager to be aware of what the organisation’s overall strategy is.
In addition to being aware of the micro or competitive environment, the project manager must
also have a good understanding of the organisation’s internal environment. Factors such as
business processes, structure, objectives, culture, power, technology, finance, and importantly
people, must be considered in the overall context of the project.

3 What key skills are required for project managers to be

successful?
Besides having a solid understanding of the macroenvironment, microenvironment, and internal
environment in which the project manager is operating in, project managers also require a set of
key management skills which can be categorised as follows:
Derived from: (Whetten & Cameron, 2016)

Personal Interpersonal Group

Solving problems creatively Managing conflict Building effective teams

Managing stress and well- Motivating employees Leading positive change

being

Developing self-awareness Communicating supportively Empowering and delegating

Gaining power and influence

According to APM (2020, p.136),

“The ability to communicate is a core skill for people working in projects… to ensure that
objectives and requirements are understood, plans and benefits are shared, stakeholders are
aligned, teams are motivated, and knowledge is embedded”.
In the current business environment, much communication is done virtually, and it would therefore
be prudent for the project manager to consider the advantages and disadvantages of
communicating in this manner and mitigate any potential risks accordingly.
In addition to these, a core skill which project managers require is time management. The
prioritising of tasks within a project and balancing both personal and work life is imperative to
ensure the success of a project. Refer to Chapter 3.3.3 in APM.
Whetten and Cameron (2016) suggest that there are five core aspects of self-awareness:
(a) Core self-evaluation, which identifies underlying personality attributes
(b) Values, which identifies personal standards and moral judgement (this includes ethical
decision-making)
(c) Cognitive style, which identifies information, acquisition, and evaluation
(d) Attitudes towards change, which identifies adaptability and responsibility
(e) Emotional intelligence, which identifies emotional awareness and control
All these five aspects are interlinked, and project managers should be familiar with each of these
as key aspects of developing self-awareness in order to maximise effectiveness in project success.
It should also be noted that, in addition to key management skills, project managers should also
understand key project management terminology. Although this is not specifically covered within

7 The project manager

 the scope of this topic, it would be pertinent for you to access key project management terms
provided by APM as follows:

Link
https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/glossary/

Management Management Organisational

Skills Behaviours Success

4 What management behaviours impact organisational

success?
As part of the self-awareness skill set required by project managers, it is important that “ethical
decision-making” is factored into this. There has been an increased push for organisations to act
both ethically and socially responsible, so it is pertinent that the project manager is always aware
that their own ethical decision-making (such as storing and managing data) promotes overall
responsible ethical management behaviour, which can lead to organisational success. Much
research has been conducted which also proves that organisations that have robust Corporate
Socially Responsible (CSR) programmes and/or projects in place are headed towards
organisational success.
We have briefly explored the key management skills which project managers require in order to
ensure projects are successful. From this, it can be concluded that the extent to which these skills
are utilised throughout the management of a project directly affect management behaviours,
which in turn can impact organisational success.
For example, if we look at “interpersonal skills” in the table in the above section - ie managing
conflict, motivating employees, communicating supportively, and gaining power and influence -
the adoption of these key skills, to varying degrees of competence, will lead to management
behaviours that can impact organisational success, either positively or negatively. To utilise a
specific example from this grouping, such as “gaining power and influence”, if a project manager
does not have the adequate management skill set to engage stakeholders and manage them
accordingly, this could lead to undesirable management behaviour, such as undermining of the
project, ultimately placing the project in jeopardy. It is then a possibility that a project will fail and
therefore impact overall organisational success in a negative manner. If, however, the project
manager can use the right mix of managements skills required, this in turn will lead to positive
management behaviours (such as strong support for the project), ultimately leading to overall
organisational success.

The project manager 8

Essential reading

To assist with your learning journey, it is important that you read the following to give you
knowledge of this topic:
APM. 2020. APM Body of Knowledge, Seventh edition, APM
Chapter 1: Setting up for Success
Chapter 3.3.1: Communication
Chapter 3.3.3: Time Management
Pinto, J. 2013. Project Management, Achieving Competitive Advantage, Global Edition: Pearson
Education UK
Chapter 4: Leadership and the Project Manager
Whetten, D. and Cameron, K., 2016. Developing Management Skills, 9th Edition, Pearson UK
Introduction: The Critical Role of Management Skills
Chapter 1: Developing Self Awareness

9 The project manager

References

APM. 2020. APM Body of Knowledge, Seventh edition, APM

APM, 2020. APM glossary of project management terms. [online] Available
at:https://www.apm.org.uk/resources/what-is-project-management/ [Accessed 07 October 2020]
Boddy, D. 2014. Management – An Introduction, Sixth Edition, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow,
UK
Gido, J., Clements, J.P. & Baker, R., 2018. Successful Project Management, 7th edition,
Thomson/South-Western
Porter, M. E., 1979. How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review. [online]
Available at: https://hbr.org/1979/03/how-competitive-forces-shape-strategy [Accessed 07
October 2020]
Whetten, D. & Cameron, K., 2016. Developing Management Skills, 9th Edition, Pearson UK

The project manager 10

Further study guidance

Further reading
See below further readings, case studies, and articles which will help you gain a deeper
knowledge of this topic.
It is highly recommended that you do some of your own research into project success and failures
and reasons why.
List of Additional Resources (also detailed in the Additional Readings and Videos).

Further reading
Sub-topic 1: What is the role of a project manager? What is their role in an organisation?
Gido, J., Clements, J.P., Baker R., 2018. Successful Project Management, Sixth Edition.
Thomson/South-Western. Chapter 10, “The Project Manager”, p.326
Biafore, B., 2022. Project Management Foundations [online] Available at:
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/project-management-foundations-4/what-it-takes-to-be-a-
project-manager-3?u=56741521 [Accessed: 20 June 2023]
Sub-topic 2: What are some of the challenges which project managers face in the current
business climate?
Boddy, D. 2014. Management – An Introduction, Sixth Edition, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow,
UK. Chapter 3 “Organisational Culture and Contexts”
Pickard, J., Sheppard, D. and Inagaki, K., 2020. Hitachi preparing to pull out of nuclear project in
blow to UK climate ambitions. Financial Times. [online] Available at:
https://www.ft.com/content/1a079f1e-6cfe-4d27-ab8f-df3b5b93e198 [Accessed: 20 June 2023]
Pickard, J., 2020. Johnson vows to ‘keep digging’ with HS2 green light. Financial Times.[online]
Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/fbadc502-444a-11ea-abea-0c7a29cd66fe [Accessed: 20
June 2023]
Nauman, B., 2020. JPMorgan Chase promises to shift portfolio away from fossil fuels. Financial
Times. [online] Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/e1be8a23-1c80-43dd-be7b-18636ff61c46
[Accessed: 20 June 2023]
Schlesinger, L. A. et al., 2012. New Project? Don’t Analyze—Act. Harvard Business Review. Mar2012,
Vol. 90, Issue 3, pp154-158.[pdf] Available at:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=9ad8b5f2-e46b-4aaf-9d22-
ef7f5796cd2c%40sdc-v-sessmgr02 [Accessed: 20 June 2023]
Sub-topic 3: What key skills are required for project managers to be successful?
Conine, T. E. and Leskin, B., 2016. Developing Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Management
Skills Through the 360 Assessment. Global Business & Organizational Excellence. Mar/Apr2016,
Vol. 35, Issue 3, pp.18-26
Daft, R. and Marcic, D., 2014. Building Management Skills: An Action-First Approach. Cengage
Learning
Mangelsdorf, M. E., 2009. Debunking Management Myths (Henry Mintzberg). MIT Sloan
Management Review. Fall 2009, Vol 51, Issue 1, p.12-12
Matsudaira, K. 2019.The Evolution of Management. Communications of the ACM. Oct 2019, Vol.
62, Issue 10, pp.42-47
Meinert, D. 2018. Are you an Emotional Genius? HR Magazine. Mar2018, Vol. 63, Issue 2, pp.17-19
Biafore, B., 2022. Project Management Foundations: Communication skills benefit projects [online]
Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/project-management-foundations-
communication-3/communication-skills-benefit-projects?u=56741521 – approx. 1 hour [Accessed:
20 June 2023]
McGannon, B., 2019. Project Management Foundations: Ethics [online] Available at:
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/project-management-foundations-ethics-2/project-ethics-

11 The project manager

your-
integritymeter?contextUrn=urn%3Ali%3AlyndaLearningPath%3A5ea9e398498ed2dea79ae2ce&u=
56741521 [Accessed: 20 June 2023]
McGannon, B., 2019. Project ethics: Your integrity meter [online] Available at:
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/project-management-foundations-ethics-2019/project-ethics-
your-integrity-meter?autoplay=true&trk=learning-course_tocItem&upsellOrderOrigin=default_gu
est_learning [Accessed: 20 June 2023]
Sub-topic 4: What management behaviours impact organisational success?
Ljungblomm, M. and Lennerfors, T., 2018. Virtues and Vices in Project Management Ethics: An
Empirical Investigation of Project Managers and Project Management Students. Project
Management Journal. Vol. 49, Issue 3, pp.5–16
Mullins, L. 2019. Organisational Behaviour in the Workplace, 12th Edition, Pearson
Sprinkle, G. & Maines, L., 2010. The benefits and costs of Corporate Social Responsibility. Business
Horizons. Volume 53, Issue 5, September–October 2010, p.445-45

Case studies
These are case studies which will give you a broad understanding of how some of the concepts
presented in this topic are applied in the real world.
Evans, C. et al., 2020. Pull the Plug on a Project with an Uncertain Future? Harvard Business
Review. Sep/Oct2020, Vol. 98, Issue 5, pp.140-145. Available at:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=e9cf5e6c-4fa2-4f49-b496-
577bc122bb45%40sdc-v-sessmgr03 [Accessed: 20 June 2023]
Omar, M. H., 1991. A DSS approach for implementing an online retail banking system: A case
study. Information & management. Volume 21, Issue 2, September 1991, pp.89-98A

The project manager 12