Iqra Altaf

01-120141-011
MBA-6A
Project Management Assignment
Top management support
Top management support is crucial for the successful completion of a project. Top management's
interest and enthusiasm for a project boosts the morale of the project manager and team
members, which in turn, creates better results. many projects. Projects require different types of
support during different phases of a project management including financial , emotional,
psychological, human resources, power, communication etc. Top management support is
required for providing the elements necessary for the successfull completion of a project. Top
management support is the degree to which top management understands the importance of
project success and the extent to which top management is involved in implementation of the
project (Ahmed, Bin Muhammad 2014).
Initiation phase:Initiation processes consist of a projects set up and start up. This phase is very significant as it
include processes such as, motivating staff, communicating the plan, arranging staff , Team
composition and resources into a work routine, setting up communications strategies, allocating
rooms and work areas, assigning work to resources and starting the project with a kick-off
meeting or launch workshop. these processes play an important role in developing the
motivation, condence and understanding of a projects team members. when an organization
fails to motivate staff and ineffective communication of project's goal leads to unclear view of
project's goal to the staff that will lead to the poor outcomes and performance. The initial support
provided by top management includes financial and mental support, support by human resources,
establishing project structures, communicating the project to the organization, and regular
communication with the project group, support by expressing a true interest and being
sufficiently knowledgeable as they are the expertise, and support by dealing with unsupportive
stakeholders. Top management has the power to resolve conflicts and protect the project team to

further advance the project. Availability of financial resources ensures the availability of
technical equipment and the necssary external expertise to be acquired. frequent formal and
informal communication between the top management, project team and organizational members
is very important for the successfull execution of a project. adequate knowledge of the project
includes a sufficient understanding of both the content and the implications of the system
proposed. This knowledge of, and interest, in the project is also an important support by the top
management. Top management develops adapted structures, processes and control systems to
adapt the organization to the system. (Boonstra, 2013).
Planning:The processes in Planning includes preparing workable plans and identifying the way by which
the project will reach its desired outcomes and fulfill its needs. Project planning involves
identifying the job and tasks that needs to be done to complete the project successfully, deciding
on how to approach this work, estimating and scheduling work and resources, budgeting and
planning cash ows for the duration of the project and dening standards that need to be
maintained. This stage also involves preliminary risk management work involving the
identication and quantication of risks and contingency planning. Planning processes also
involve scope planning and denition, activity planning and sequencing. It is during these
processes that project management tools and techniques are applied with enthusiasm. These
include techniques such as Gantt charts and activity networks, work breakdown structures,
organization structure charts, responsibility matrices and so on. (Dawson, 2007)
The high level planning and support from top management is crucial for the success of the
project (Young and Poon 2013). Top management provides its support by strategy development,
who must have clear knowledge and expertise about the prevailing situations of the organization.
Top management serves as a major link across the organizational functions who should support
the teams decision and involve in resolving the conicts that may arise during the project
implementation. It is very significant that top management controls the resources necessary to
support any project (Bai and Sarkis 2013).Top management support is important in both the
implementation and operation stage, where top management involves in setting up the projects,
determining the goals, establishing goals, deciding budget, and providing human, material and
technical resources (Dai et al. 2013). Top management introduces new workow patterns,

provide resources to change the organization, use formal power to enforce new structures for
making the organization more adaptive to the information system (Boonstra 2013; Orlikowski et
al. 1995; Sharma and Yetton 2003). Top management provides the resources to adapt the
technology, make changes in the technology and encourage use of a new system for helping the
developers and implementers to establish the necessary organizational structures (Boonstra 2013;
Markus and Tanis 2000; Orlikowskietal.1995). Top management persuade the powerful people to
cooperate with the implementer and influence the stakeholders through resource provisions,
negotiations and persuasion (Boonstra 2006, 2013). Top management support is essential for
setting up the vision, mission, goals and strategies for the integration of departments and units in
the organization (Singh 2013). Top management provides its support by providing financial
resources that are necessary in budgeting and planning cashflows. Top management provides
guidance to the project manager utilizing his/her knowledge and expertise regarding the project.
Top management can provide its support by communicating leadership initiatives, visions
,strategic direction , and business goals with the project team (Chen and Popovich 2003). Top
management supports by regularly communicationg to support the project, which in turn
motivates the team, sell the project to the rest of the organization , discuss organizational
implications and organizational changes, explain potential system changes, and collaborate with
various group of stakeholders (Boonstra 2013).
Execution :This stage involves actually getting the work done. the tasks approved in the plan are actually
performed in this phase. This phase probably takes 90 percent or more of the projects effort. The
execution phase is complete when the goal of the project is reached. (Verzuh , 2005)
Top management facilitates the implementation process by providing support in different ways.
Top management can sell the project with visible enthusiasm and championship, provide the
necessary human and material resources to the project, and exhibit political power to support the
project (Young and Jordan, 2008). Top management establishes and enforces a project structure,
and an adapted organizational structure that is receptive to the new system. Top management
communicates and explains the organizational implications and organizational changes
associated with the implementation. Top management frequently communicates with the project
team , which motivates them and lead to better performance. Top management understands the

necessary system adaptations and organizational implications and changes related to the system
implementation. Top management uses power to facilitate and enforce necessary system changes
and influence roles and positions of stakeholders.(boonstra 2013). Top management commitment
is a key enabler for effective implementation of strategies through the projects (Ahmed, Bin
Muhammad, 2014). Effective roles of top management support include actively inuencing the
stakeholders through resource provision, negotiation, persuasion, and motivating powerful
parties to support the implementers (Boonstra 2006). The project managers should be able to
directly meet the top management where senior management must support the project leaders to
provide resources, gives authority, support in crises and develop their competencies through
training and development programs (Kuesten 2013). The project leader is not dependent on top
management only for the support, direction, and authority, but also to implement the plans or
goals of top management for the organization. (Beck 1983).
Monitoring and Control:Control processes concentrates on the four elements: time, cost, quality and scope as the project
moves forward. Control processes are those concerned with monitoring these elements with
respect to project plans, trading them off against one another, identifying variances and taking
corrective action where necessary. Any changes introduced through a projects control processes
must be communicated and coordinated across the project as a whole.
Top management provides support in this phase by providing adequate and necessary resources
for the monitoring and control processes. It includes human, material and financial resources.
Top management establishes and enforces a project structure, and an adapted organizational
structure that is receptive to the new system. Top management develops effective communication
channels across the organization and project team to facilitate the process. senior management
gives authority to project leader to monitor and control the project. They can also use their power
in resolving the conflicts between stakeholders. Top management insti- tute and enforces
appropriate processes, procedures, and project structures for achieving project objectives, system
adaptation, improving organizational efcacy, effective controlling mechanism, implementing
organizational change, and strengthening the stakeholders support (Boonstra 2013).
Close Out or Project Termination :-

The nal set of processes relates to closure activities. These processes consists of winding down
the project, completing any nal documentation, disbanding and reassigning resources,
completing any budget requirements, closing the books etc
Top management motivates and encourages project team by frequently communicating with
them and showing support by communicating the project to the organization members. Top
management utilizes their power by protecting the project team. Top management has the
relevant expertise and understands the power and interests of the stake holders around the
project. Top management provides the necessary financial, human and material resources to
facilitate the process. Effective roles of top management support include actively inuencing the
stakeholders through resource provision, negotiation, persuasion, and motivating powerful
parties to support the implementers (Boonstra 2006).

Table:-

Phases

Initiation

Planning

Execution

Monitoring

Termination

Resources

Allocation of

Support by

Provided

Resource

Disbanding and

resources

strategy

resources are

allocation is

reassigning

development

put to use

audited

resources

Authority

Power

Dealing with

Dealing with the Uses position to Discrepancies

The delegation of

administrative

external pressures bring about

are eliminated

rewards and

hiccups

and the onboard

necessary

by prompt

punishments is

stake holders

changes

action

done

Every action

The power of the

Provision of

Deciding budget, Enforces a

guidance and

and provision of project structure taken by all is

material support all tangible

reviewed for

resources
Communication Setting

Communicating

holders is taken

transgression
Infuse project

The

Frequently

performance

communicating

communication

initiatives, visions with visible

strategies

,strategic direction enthusiasm and appraisal is

, and business

previous position

championship

with the teams on

communicated the achieved

goals

downstream

results

Quantication of Practical

Corrective

Plans for

Structural

Establishing

Planning

project structures risks and

manifestation is action and

maintenance are

contingency

reconciled with extensions in

made and

planning.

the planned

manifested

timelines are
made

References:Turner, R. (2016). Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.

Boonstra, A. (2013). How do top managers support strategic information system projects and

why do they sometimes withhold this support?. International Journal of Project Management,
31(4), 498-512.
Ahmed, R., Mohamad, N. A. B., & Ahmad, M. S. (2016). Effect of multidimensional top
management support on project success: an empirical investigation. Quality & Quantity, 50(1),
151-176.
Verzuh, E. (Ed.). (2003). The portable MBA in project management. John Wiley & Sons.