New Product Development Projects and Project Manager Skill Sets in the Telecommunications Industry

Purpose – This paper summarises a doctoral research study. The purpose is to provide a summary of the scope, literature review, main issues raised in the thesis, the application of case study research methodology, key research findings and potential areas for future research.Design/methodology/approach – Research reported here is based on a case study methodology for a better understanding of new product development (NPD) projects in the Australian Telecommunications service provider (Telco) industry, and what makes their project managers successful. Theoretical conclusions from the literature review were tested using empirical data from one‐on‐one interview with experienced project management professionals and major stakeholders (i.e. unit of data collection). Sample projects (i.e. units of analysis) were analysed to gain a better understanding of Telco NPD projects and the skill sets required for their success.Findings – A theoretical skill set framework of technical, leadership, managerial and administ...

The study evaluated how project managers' various skills contribute to project management success.Incorporating clear definitions grounded in the recent literature on NPD, management and leadership, the research proposed a new organising framework of four groups of skill sets: technical, leadership, managerial and administrative.
Technical skills are the knowledge of technologies on which the project work is based.
Leadership skills involve influencing project stakeholders to deliver a quality product within time and budget.Managerial skills are needed to develop and execute project plans and to get project work done.Administrative skills include understanding an organisation's structure, culture, policies, processes, methods and tools.
Previous classifications for Telco NPD projects have over-emphasised product innovation and undervalued the process aspects.While small projects provide fewer management challenges, this study found that project managers of large and complex projects require all four skill sets.Managerial skills are mandatory.Technical and administrative skills enhance understanding of the technology and business processes.
Leadership skills are limited at an operational level.Managerial and administrative skills are essential for developing and implementing project plans; technical skills are important in the initial project stages; leadership skills are needed from the beginning until delivering a new product.
The research outcomes can be used when hiring and developing NPD project manager professionals in the Telco industry to complement current project manager competency standards, which do not cover all the skill sets.Findings may be applicable to Telco companies in other countries new to such market conditions.Furthermore, other industries may adapt the skill set framework to suit their own particular requirements.

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Figure 2.1.NPD project success measures Figure 2.2.Significant NPD success measures for different project strategies Figure 2.3.Conceptual framework: NPD project management characteristics Figure 2.4.NPD steps and stage-gated NPD process Figure 2.5.Overview of the Stage-Gate Idea-to-Launch Framework Figure 2.6.A hierarchical framework for a technical manager competency model Figure 2.7.Characteristics of political behaviour Figure 2.8.Framework in which a technology project operates Figure 2.9.Telco NPD project success measures versus project strategies Figure 2.10.Analysing project management characteristics with respect to project characteristics Figure 2.11.A framework for product innovation Figure 2.12.Development project types Figure 2.13.The contingency cube for NPD and R&D projects Figure 2.14.A two-dimensional topology of engineering projects Figure 2.15.Project manager skill set framework Figure 3.1.Continuum of core ontological assumptions Figure 3.2.Basic epistemological stance Figure 3.3.Overview of research design for phenomenological and positivist research studies Figure 3.4.Types of designs for case studies Figure 3.5.Overview of the data collection process Figure 3.6.Representation of the casual relations among projects and project manager skills Figure 3.7.Case study database and file structure Figure 3.8.Overall view of the case study research designFigure 4.1.Case 1 − Organisational structure for project management and governance

Table 2 .
1. Skill sets of a successful project manager Table 2.2.A conceptualisation of leadership activities in project teams Table 2.3.Critical success factors for project phases Table 2.4.Project/product technology characteristics Table 2.5.Project/product size and complexity characteristicsTable 3.1.Alternative terms for the main research paradigms Table 3.2.Features of the two main paradigms Table 3.3.Types of case studies and their purposes Table 3.4.Short description of the companies in the cases Table 3.5.Number of participants contributing to cases Table 3.6.Number of projects in each case study Table 3.7.Distribution of projects with respect to cost Table 3.8.Mapping matrix between skills, skill sets and project phases and characteristics Table 3.9.Number of participants contributing to more than one case Table 3.10.Number of triangulated projects in Case 1 Table 3.11.Case study tactics for four design tests Table 4.1.Detailed project types and variables used for definitions Table 4.2.Comparison of large and complex versus small projects Table 4.3.CIFTER evaluation for small and large projects Table 6.1.Classification of projects: large and complex versus small projectsIt has been an overwhelming and stretching experience to complete this dissertation, but also more rewarding and enlightening than I expected when I started the DBA journey.I am very fortunate to have received strong support and have had the opportunity to work with many valued professionals along the way.Without my wife's remarkable support at home, especially with our children, during the long hours of intense research work that seemed never-ending, I could not finish this journey.I am grateful and in love with you.My beautiful kids, you are amazing, smart and joyful.You are a source of inspiration to me, and spending time with you always refreshes me.It is my joy to watch you grow and become teenagers.I am now happy we will have more time together.Many thanks to friends and colleagues who have helped, encouraged, brainstormed, discussed, critiqued and challenged my work; your contributions and feedback were valuable to shape this work.MGSM Research Office, thank you; you were always there to help me.My supervisor, Bob Hunt, thank you so much for the direction, inspiration and freedom you have provided in this research.I learned a lot from your wisdom, experience, knowledge and supervision.You have been a patient and supportive friend, with whom I can share my up and down times openly; you welcomed all of them.Without your support, encouragement and comments, I would not have created so much during this research process.Ernest Jordan, my associate supervisor, thank you for the guidance with your deep knowledge and experience in qualitative research.