12/03/2015

UNIT 7
Politics, Power and Influence: Project
team

Dr. Bilge Erdogan &

Dr. Jurbe Joseph Molwus

PM Power Politics & Influence

• Further reading for this subject:

• Peter Morris: The management of projects, Thomas Telford.

Chapter 8.

• Peter Fewings: Construction Project Management- An

integrated approach, Taylor and Francis:
Chapter 6

• Hans THAMHAIN et al: Influence styles of Project Managers: Some

project performance correlates. (available at:
http://www.jstor.org/view/00014273/ap010008/01a
00020/0

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PM Politics, Power and Influence

• Politics in Project Management

• Stakeholder Management

• Good PM depends on Excellent Leadership.

Politics in PM
• When we think of politics in PM, we are concerned with the
techniques and skills that the PM must draw upon to:-
• Influence
• Motivate
• Persuade
• Manipulate
• Drive; and
• LEAD……..
…….. all project participants (and others who can interfere with
the project) towards the successful realisation of project outcomes.
In a very real sense, an effective project manager must be a skilled
politician in terms of influence and relational skills with others.

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Project success and stakeholder management

According to the project management body of knowledge

(PMBOK) guide, project success criteria include the golden
triangle and stakeholders’ satisfaction of the project

GOLDEN
TRIANGLE
+
STAKEHOLDER
SATISFACTION
Current perception of project
success

Who then, are the likely stakeholders

on a typical construction project?...

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Definition of stakeholders
Project stakeholders can be many...

Broad definitions: They tend to consider anyone at all as a

stakeholder on the project...
Stakeholders are those who can influence the activities/final results of the
project, whose life or environment are positively or negatively affected by
the project, and who receive direct and indirect benefits from it (Takim,
2009).

Narrow definitions: They have the tendencies to exclude some

key stakeholders of the project... Stakeholders are individuals or groups
who have an interest or some aspect of rights or ownership in the project,
and can contribute to or be impacted by, either the work or the outcomes
of the project (Walker et al., 2008).

Way out...

Construction
project
stakeholders

Internal External
Stakeholders Stakeholders

Demand side Private Public

Client Supply side Local residents
Regulatory agencies
Financiers Architects Local landowners
local governments
Client's employees Engineers Environmentalists
Conservationists
regional governments
Client's customers Principal
contractors Archaeologists National government
Client's tenants
Trade contractors Non-governmental International
Clients suppliers government agencies
Material suppliers organisations(NGOs)
Media

Categorisation of stakeholders (Winch, 2010).

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Why do stakeholder management?

Dynamic stakeholder
Reduce conflicts Smooth running of projects, interests
cooperation

The lengthy process Current perception Fragmented nature

of project success of construction

Stakeholder attributes
Power; the capacity of a stakeholder (or group of) to
influence the action of other stakeholders and the
decision making process of the project.

Legitimacy; the perceived validity of stakeholders’ claim.

This relates to stakeholders bearing some risks in relation
to the project which could either be beneficial or
detrimental to the project.

Proximity; refer to the level of association of the

stakeholders with the project.

Urgency; the degree to which stakeholders’ claim

requires immediate attention.

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Stakeholder classifications

Power Legitimacy

Dormant Dominant
Discretionary

Definitive

Dangerous
Dependent

Demanding

Urgency

Stakeholder classifications
According to Categories Remark
Stakeholder Attributes Dormant Power only
Discretionary Legitimacy only
Demanding Urgency only
Dominant Power and legitimacy
Dangerous Power and Urgency
Dependent Legitimacy and Urgency
Definite All three attributes
Attitudes towards the Proponent In support of project
project Neutral Indifferent
Opponent Against the project

Stakeholder Viii Active opposition Pos = -1

Passive opposition Pos = -0.5
Not committed Pos = 0
Passive support Pos = 0.5
Active support Pos = 1
Contractual relationship Internal Having contractual stand
on the project External No contractual stand

Note:Viii = Vested interest-impact index; Pos = Position

value of stakeholders

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Stakeholders’ influence/interests is not static

It could change from stage to stage...

It could change from time to time...

They are capable of forming coalitions...

Supportive stakeholders could become opposing

and vice versa...

So how then, do we manage stakeholders? and

Who does it?

Stakeholder management steps

Identification Analysis categorization

Get feedback Take action Communication

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Think!

-When does stakeholder management start and end,

relating to the project stages?

-Does it matter who does stakeholder management?

-How do you think the relationship among stakeholders is

influenced by the following factors:
*Procurement route
*Location of the project
*cultural differences
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Leadership
• Leadership includes:-

• Giving meaning and purpose to work

• Winning and empowering followers

• Inspiring and infusing organisations with a value and

ideology.

• Motivating people, both within and outside the project

organisation to accept a project’s goals and to work
enthusiastically towards the achievement of these goals.

• Getting others to do what you want!

• Motivating people towards getting things done willingly0

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Think….

Are leaders born…..or can leadership

traits and skills be taught?

Sources of influence
• How can PM’s influence the various project
participants towards the achievement of project
goals.

• What devices/ techniques can PM’s use in order to

control project participants so that objectives can be
realised.

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Sources of Leadership influence

• Formal Authority (Legitimate Power)
• Reward Power
• Punishment Power (Coercive Power)
• Expert Power
• Referent Power
(Collectively, the above 5 sources are sometimes referred to as
the 5 power bases and these are well established in literature)
• (Information Power)
• (Cognitive Power)
• (Emotional Persuasion)
• (Personal Power)

Leadership Style
• Leadership Style I
(formal authority, reward and punishment power)

• Leadership Style II
(expert and referent power)

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Leadership : Who does the PM need to lead?

» The visible team;

» The invisible team; and,
» The stakeholder team.

All need to be convinced of the project aims and

must be led by the PM; If one group is neglected
problems are likely.

• Organisations in the project’s external

environment also require to be led by the project
manager.

Leadership
-It has been said that as a Leader, A PM needs
360 degrees vision.

-Types of project participant that the PM must

pay attention to.
• Allies
• Opponents
• Bedfellows
• Fence Sitters
• Adversaries

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Positively influencing different groups of project

participants.
The PM must adopt a different political approach to each type of
participant and must recognise that participants may change at different
points in the project life cycle.

The aim is always to meet the concerns and needs of the participant
while simultaneously securing the needs of the project. The PM needs
to be highly skilled and very political about doing this and must
recognise that a very high degree of flexibility will be required.

The aim…..
• The aim of the Project Manager as a leader who
draws on authority that is afforded mostly by
informal means, is to build an integrated project
team (IPT).

• Characteristics of an Integrated Project Team

are:-
• An IPT is a single team focused on a common set of goals
and objectives for the benefit of ALL concerned.
• An IPT is so seamless that it appears to operate as if it were
a company in its own right.
• An IPT has no apparent boundaries and provides all
participants the same opportunities to contribute and all
skills can be used to maximum effect.

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Conclusion
• The political management of project contributors is essential for success.
• The aim is always to secure support for the project and for its objectives.
• The PM must identify the range and extent of the sources of influence
available to them so that they can secure an appropriate leadership
position to drive the project and to direct its resources effectively.
• The PM must recognise that the project participants need to be politically
managed (or manipulated!) towards achieving the desired outcomes and
that different approaches are needed dependent on how the contributor
sees the project.
• The PM must politically manage the employer (client), the stakeholders
and the external environment of the project, as well as their project
peers if the propensity for success is to be increased.

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