Several factors have combined to draw attention to the importance of sponsoring projects and programs. One factor is that after several decades of attempting to improve success rates of projects by focusing on project-based management and the project management competence of practitioners, convincing evidence demonstrates that success or failure of projects is not entirely within the control of the project manager and project team. Contextual issues are crucial in influencing the progress and outcomes of projects, and a key theme that has emerged is the importance of top management support. Another factor that has drawn attention to the sponsorship role is increased focus on corporate governance resulting from numerous high-profile corporate collapses, which have highlighted the need for accountability, transparency, and the ability to implement strategy. The sponsorship role provides the critical link between corporate and project governance and is important in ensuring that governance requirements are met and that support is provided to projects and programs. This article reports on research designed to address both formal and informal aspects of the sponsorship role and to provide guidance to organizations and professional organizations by defining the role and responsibilities of the sponsor within corporate and project governance frameworks and identifying the characteristics of effective performance of the sponsor role. First, the role of sponsorship in the governance context is introduced; this is followed by a review of the literature relating to the sponsorship role, including its treatment in project and general management literature and in standards. The research methodology was specifically designed to take a holistic view of the sponsorship role, by examining the role in its project/program and organizational context and ensuring inclusion of views and experiences of sponsors as well as those of project managers, team members, and other stakeholders. A qualitative approach was adopted, focusing on a small number of case-study organizations and projects/programs enabling researchers to gain a rich understanding of the environment in which the role of the sponsor is realized. Over 108 interviews relating to 36 projects/programs in nine organizations from five geographic regions (Australia, China, Europe, North America, and South Africa) were recorded, transcribed, and then coded by the five researchers involved in the study. A priori codes derived from five preliminary studies were used for primary coding of the data. As the transcripts were coded, the researchers reviewed the data for emergent themes that might suggest additional codes. Analysis of the literature and the extensive qualitative data led to the development of a conceptual model for making sense of the sponsor's role. This model reflects the differing perspectives that may exist at the interface of the act of governing the project, which requires that the project be looked at from the perspective of the parent organization (governance), a...
PurposeThis article seeks to provide a conceptual model that explains the complexity of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to general and project managers in a non‐technical manner that is easily understood.Design/methodology/approachThe 4Ps business model serves as a starting‐point to derive the ERP model because most managers are familiar with it and can therefore relate to it with ease. An ERP system is divided into four major components, namely, the software, the customer mindset, change management, and the flow of processes within it. A fifth component, methodology, encircles these four components to ensure that they are integrated and implemented in an organised manner.FindingsERP is more than just software. Unless a clear understanding exists of the different components and their integration, ERP projects will continue to be plagued by failure. This model is applicable to any ERP system as it is generic and vendor‐independent and helps in determining the scope of an ERP project.Research limitations/implicationsThe suggested model is conceptual in nature and provides a holistic view of ERP. It does not attempt to provide a detailed, step‐by‐step approach for implementing an ERP system.Originality/valueThe conceptual model enables general and project managers to understand ERP systems better without becoming overwhelmed by product or technical detail. This will facilitate the successful implementation of ERP systems, thus ensuring project success and, ultimately, organisational success.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.