Franklin Equipment, Ltd. (FEL), a company specializing in producing machines for the sphere of construction, focused on expanding internationally. Project Abu Dhabi was planned to be the first project associated with entering the international market (Larson & Gray, 2014, p. 413). However, before starting the project, Carl Jobe, a facilitator hired to improve the project team’s work, noticed problems in team members’ interactions. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the criteria used by FEL to assign members of the project team, the importance of international projects, possible ethical dilemmas, and recommendations that can address the issues.
Evaluation of FEL Criteria
Charles Gatenby was chosen as a project manager because he worked to sign the contract with Abu Dhabi partners. To assign other members, the criteria of employees’ availability and skills or expertise were used. The effectiveness of using these criteria is based on the fact that only high-class specialists work on the project, managers always have the work, their skills are constantly developing, and it is possible to expect positive outcomes because managers with the high experience can concentrate only on one project. Still, there are problems associated with the lack of the managers’ commitment and interest in the task because they cannot choose the project to work on (Kerzner, 2013). They also can demonstrate the inability to cooperate because of previous bad experiences and conflicts. These aspects are not taken into account while forming the team, and the focus is only on the fact that these people worked together previously. As a result, the team members are not ready to interact effectively.
Importance of Working Effectively on International Projects
Such companies as FEL discuss international projects as strategically important, and there are high risks associated with them. As a result, the team working on the project should be professional and cooperative. If the project goals are not reached, a failure can result in further obstacles for the company’s international development. Moreover, the necessity of working in diverse cultural environments requires the project team to be motivated to accept the conditions, and it makes the team pay attention to the group dynamics and interact effectively (Kerzner, 2013). The mutual understanding among team members is required. In this case, the team is not interested in overcoming obstacles associated with working in new cultural environments.
The Dilemma to Discuss
Jobe faced a problem of regulating the relationship between Rankins and Perry. These managers cannot cooperate, and if there is no understanding between them, Rankins will be fired (Larson & Gray, 2014). This fact is known to Perry, and the situation creates the dilemma for Jobe because of risks that Perry can do all possible to make the management fire Rankins. In this situation, Rankins does not know about risks, and Jobe faces a dilemma of informing him regarding the case.
Recommendations
Jobe’s recommendations to Gatenby should include the following points:
- The focus should be on improving Rankins and Perry’s relations. Both managers should be informed of risks associated with the absence of the effective communication between them.
- The strategy to focus on sharing the vision should be implemented.
- All managers should be informed of rewards for them that are associated with the completion of different project stages. It is important to motivate the team.
- The project manager and facilitator should monitor the team dynamics and predict conflicts.
- The team members should be informed not only of rewards but also of penalties associated with their dysfunctional behavior and conflicts.
Conclusion
To complete the project successfully, the project manager and facilitator should focus on improving the cooperation of the team accentuating benefits for them and the company. Recommendations are oriented to developing conditions for the effective interaction and collaboration.
References
Kerzner, H. R. (2013). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2014). Project management: The managerial process. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.