Julie Hinker

INFS 724
Assignment 3
1.
Structure Advantages Disadvantages
Functional No change: all projects can Lack of focus: Each
be completed within basic department may have a
structure. different view on what is
considered “important or
Flexibility: Max compliance
priority”. This can cause
with all staff. People can
tension between departments.
switch to other projects if
appropriate. Poor integration: Many
units will only be concerned
In-depth expertise: Experts
about their portion of the
can be brought in to assist if
project, instead of taking
the project is small enough
interest in the entire project.
and the proper crew is in
control. Slow: Very slow response
time because “project
Easy post-project
information and decisions
transition- “Normal career
have to be circulated through
paths within a functional
normal management
division are maintained”
channels” (Larson, 2020, pp.
(Larson, 2020, p. 72).
72-73).
Lack of ownership: Weak
motivation for people
involved because it’s not
directly associated to their
own professional growth or
development.
Matrix Efficient: Resources and Dysfunctional conflict:
individual time can be shared “Legitimate conflict can spill
across multiple projects at over to a more personal level,
once. resulting from conflicting
agendas and accountabilities”
Strong project focus: A
(Larson, 2020, p. 80).
project manager is assigned
to ensure all tasks and Infighting: Shared resources,
deadlines are met across the equipment and personnel can
different units. lead to hidden bitterness and
 Easier post-project rivalry among the group.
transition: “Because the
Stressful: It is very difficult
project organization is
to report to several different
overlaid on the functional
leaders/managers, especially
divisions, specialists maintain
when they all are saying
ties with their functional
different things. It makes us
group, so they have a
feel torn and stressed on what
homeport to return to once
decision is right.
the project is completed”
(Larson, 2020, p. 80). Slow: This process can be
very slow because when it
Flexible: Use of resources
comes to making decisions,
and knowledge can be
many departments have a say
adjusted based on the needs
in the matter and that can set
of the project.
things back.
Dedicated Teams Simple: “Other than taking Expensive: Brining on
away resources in the form of additional personnel and
specialists assigned to the resources can increase costs
project, the functional and decrease profit.
organization remains intact
Internal strife: “Sometimes
with the project team
dedicated project teams
operating independently”
become an entity in their own
(Larson, 2020, p. 74).
right and conflict emerges
Fast: When everyone is between the team and the
focused on one project, things remainder of the
get done a lot quicker without organization” (Larson, 2020,
the additional assignments to p. 75).
distract them.
Limited technological
Cohesive: Everyone shares in expertise: Specialists are
the same end goal and this assigned within the
brings individuals together organization and additional
with a spirit and effort to talent and experience may not
achieve that specific goal. be brought in. The team will
rely on the technological
Cross-functional
knowledge of the specialists
integration: Different
on hand.
specialty crews will be able to
work together to advance the Difficult post-project
project as long as there is transition: Once a project is
proper management and completed, there may not be
guidance. any additional work available
for the assigned full-time
 personnel.

2. The difference between a weak matrix and a strong matrix is that in the weak matrix the
program manager acts as the staff assistant who does scheduling, collects data and work, and
helps facilitate the completion of the project. They have indirect authority. In a strong matrix
form it tries to create the feel of a team. Additionally, the project manager controls almost all
aspects of the project and has the final say on major decisions. The functional manager works
closely with the specialists on when and what they do (Larson, 2020).
3. I would advise the use of a strong matrix over a dedicated project team when many
employees are needed on multiple projects. It can be used when a project doesn’t require an
employee’s work full-time. I would also suggest using this model if your organization can
support a structure with two people in charge (project manager and functional manager).
Depending on your team, it may not work well with certain personalities and dynamics.
4. The biggest problem I face with this situation is time management. When I was working on
my undergrad, not only did I have to manage classes, I also had to manage work AND
basketball. Many professors at my university never communicated with one another, so they had
no clue what assignments others had given out or when things were due. It always seemed like
every big assignment or test was always the same week or day as every other class. This made it
difficult for me to fully dedicate my time to one class, assignment or test. I also had to balance
my basketball schedule too. My studying time was cut down drastically because I had to dedicate
several hours a day to basketball practice and weight training.
This affected my performance because I felt like I was always choosing one thing over the other.
It was either focus on basketball more today or focus more on school today. It was stressful and
sometimes I felt like I couldn’t keep up with everything and I hate being behind and
disorganized.
I think the system could be better managed if teachers, professors and coaches collaborated more
on class times and workload. Specifically, for student athletes, I think it should be a requirement
to block out time from X time to X time in the day that is only for school and studying and the
before and after hours can be used for sports. This would allow us to focus on one thing for a
longer period of time without switching to another activity and then having to come back to it
later.
5. Company A: SD CEO Women’s Business Center (This is my current employer)
a) Our mission “Empowering women and propelling economic development across South
Dakota” (SD CEO, 2021, p. About Us).
Our Vision: “To serve as a key partner in economic and workforce development in South
Dakota providing comprehensive training and business assistance for aspiring
entrepreneurs and forward thinking intrapreneurs” (SD CEO, 2021, p. About Us).
b) Physical Characteristics of web page:
  Many photos of events, workshops and women being served.
 Colors and style are in line with the BHSU style and formatting (BHSU
is our host and we have certain rules to follow).
 Access to mission and vision statements from main page.
Public Documents of web page:
 They have reviews from clients on the “About us” page.
 No articles or press releases on website.
 Helpful links and resources are available on the “Resources” tab.
Behavior on website:
 We offer many services and programs that are continuously changing
on a consistent basis. I think our website reflects that spontaneous and
upbeat feeling.
 Positive reviews from former clients help validate what we do.
 Very inclusive especially for women, Native Americans, socially
disadvantaged, women veterans, and youth entrepreneurs.
Folklore:
 There is a page on the SD CEO website for award winners
o Page includes past winners.
o Page also includes descriptions of each award and how to
nominate someone.
This web page reveals that the SD CEO Women’s Business Center is a very women-
business orientated organization. They are a service driven industry that serves clients
across the state of South Dakota.
This organization would be conducive to project management because they have a very
strong organizational culture. They do more than speak their mission, they live and serve
by it, so it would be easy to integrate a project.
Company B: Ivory Ella (Non-profit retail company that save elephants)
a) Mission “Together, we believe we can make a difference in the world by making
responsible, sustainable design and supporting a mission that’s close to our hearts” (Ivory
Ella, 2021, p. Our Mission).
Our Purpose: “Our love for elephants runs deep. They are compassionate, loving, and
herd oriented. They’re also at the center of thriving and vibrant ecosystems. We want to
do what we can to save them from extinction, and donate 10% of all profits to
organizations like Save the Elephants in order to do our part” (Ivory Ells, 2021, p. Our
purpose).
b) Physical Characteristics of web page:
  Favorite part of the aesthetics is the video content. They have some
brilliant and powerful footage. Makes it that much more difficult not to
buy something because you see exactly where your money is going.
 Consistent branding and messaging across the website.
 Even there clothing items reflect their branding and messaging.
Public Documents of web page:
 They have a page called “Lead and Follow”. This is where they
recognize their customers that support Ivory Ella.
 They have a blog linked to their main page. This has articles and
stories about upcoming programs, stories and more.
 They also have a dedicated page to their mission. It’s located up in the
right-hand corner next to your shopping bag, so you can’t miss it!
Behavior on website:
 The language on the website is powerful. My favorite saying is “Small
steps. Big Footprints” (Ivory Ella, 2021, p. Our Mission).
 They have tons of positive reviews on their products.
Folklore:
 They have many heroic stories on their blog. They highlight cancer
survivors, sustainability projects and giving campaigns.
This webpage reveals that this organization is passionate about saving elephants and
taking care of our wildlife. They really focus on the importance of working together to
achieve their goals. They share how many dollars they have donated to date and how
many employees are on their team to help support their mission.
I also think this organization would respond well to program management. I say this
because they too have a positive and strong organization culture. You can tell that they
work hard to uphold their mission and values.

6. a. I think that member identity, team emphasis, control, risk tolerance and reward criteria are
easier to evaluate as a student because these things are happening right in front of us. For
example, team emphasis can be seen within the classroom and on campus. Another example is
control. We can see rules and policies implemented from day one. On the other hand,
management focus, unit integration, conflict tolerance, means versus ends orientation and open-
systems focus are a little more challenging to evaluate. These are more of the behind-the-scenes
processes that may not reveal themselves to the average student.
b. I think the culture at Black Hills State University is struggling. I don’t think they have a strong
organizational culture. Everyone works hard to serve students, but most of the departments lack
teamwork and vital communication skills to make sure they do their jobs to the best of their
ability.
c. I think our culture lacks function. There really isn’t a defined culture and people struggle to
describe who we are and what we stand for. We try to be too many things, when really, we
should be focusing on a few strengths and work hard to uphold those.
d. I think an easy project to implement at the university would be a rebrand. As I mentioned
earlier, I think the university lacks a defined culture and brand. They should go dark for a bit,
rebrand the university and come out with an entirely new mission, logo and culture.
As far as the Banner project goes, I think it was somewhat smooth. Banner always has its
troubles, but as long as it’s working and assisting students properly, that’s all that matters. I did
not have any problems using the new version of Banner to register for classes.

References

Ivory Ella® Official Site - Elephant Clothing & More for A Cause. (2021).  Ivory Ella.

Retrieved February 4, 2021, from [Link]

Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2021). Project management: The managerial process (8th ed.).

McGraw-Hill Education. 

SD CEO Women’s Business Center (2021) Black Hills State University. Retrieved February 4,

2021, from [Link]/sdceo