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  • Essay / Problem Solution: Harrison-Keyes Inc. - 2351

    Problem Solution: Harrison-Keyes Inc. Harrison-Keyes (HK) Publishing, Incorporated has decisions to make regarding the future of electronic publishing that could affect the whole of society. future. The new CEO has given the e-publishing project manager 30 days to change his mind about the future of e-publishing in Hong Kong. The remainder of this report details what the project manager must do to gain CEO approval and full support for the project. Describe the Situation Identifying the Problem and Opportunity The organizational mission, project management structure, and organizational culture are the primary issues facing Harrison-Keyes. Organizational culture is a key element of an organization capable of building the appropriate structures to implement projects. Organizational culture refers to a system of shared norms, beliefs, values, and assumptions that binds people together, creating shared meanings. This system maintains customs, norms, and habits that exemplify the values ​​and beliefs of the organization (Gray & Larson, p. 73). Mission statements identify the scope of the organization in terms of product or service. A written mission statement provides direction for decision making when shared by organizational managers and employees (Gray and Larson, p. 24). No mission statement is available in the Harrison-Keyes scenario, suggesting that a strong statement is not in place. Preparing a strong mission statement focused on people and culture is an opportunity for improvement. The Harrison-Keyes project management structure is defined along the lines of the functional organization approach where project management occurs within the existing functional hierarchy. Once the project has been decided, the different functional units are delegated the different segments (Gray & Larson, p. 56). Disadvantages of projects organized along functional lines include lack of focus, poor integration, slowness, and lack of ownership (Gray and Larson, p. 58). These drawbacks are evident in Harrison-Keyes' electronic publishing project. Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas Among those with a major stake in the success of the Harrison-Keyes e-publishing project are the new CEO, project manager, and employees. The new CEO wants to leave his mark on the company. He faces an ethical dilemma in ensuring he keeps an open mind about the e-publishing project, about which he openly states he has doubts. Jan Peters is the project manager. She has an interest in making the project a success so she can get a promotion. An ethical concern for her is to avoid pushing the project so that it can appear successful, but to do what is right for the company as a whole..