Selling Project Management to Senior Executives: Framing the Moves That Matter

Selling Project Management to Senior Executives: Framing the Moves That Matter

by Janice Thomas, PhD, PhD Connie L. Delisle,, PMP, PhD Candidate - With the Assistance of Pamela Buckle, PhD Student Kam Jugdev,
Released January 2002
Publisher(s): Project Management Institute
ISBN: 1880410958

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Book description

Despite tremendous growth in the project management profession and substantial proof that the profession has helped increase productivity and bottom line earnings, some senior-level executives are still fighting progress. Why is it so difficult to sell project management to senior executives? and How do you get them on board? are the main questions being answered in this pertinent book by Thomas, et al. After years of research, the authors report their findings in Phases I and II of this insightful book.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. Executive Summary
    1. Chapter 1: Study Background
    2. Chapter 2: Theoretical Foundation
    3. Chapter 3: Study Methodology
      1. Phase I
      2. Phase II
    4. Chapter 4: Phase I Findings: Why Is It Difficult to Sell Project Management to Senior Executives?
    5. Chapter 5: Phase II Findings: Demographics and Practice
    6. Chapter 6: Phase II Findings: How Do You Sell Project Management to Senior Executives?
      1. What Do Very Successful Sellers Do?
      2. What Do Unsuccessful Sellers Do?
      3. What Are Senior Executives Looking For?
    7. Chapter 7: Insights and Future Research Directions
  4. 1. Study Background
    1. Research Objectives
    2. Key Definitions
    3. Research Questions
    4. Research Approach
    5. Scope Limitations
    6. Team Structure and Management Process
      1. Timing and Deliverables
    7. Report Structure
  5. 2. Theoretical Foundation
    1. Project Management Literature
      1. Practical Literature on Selling Project Management
      2. Project Success
      3. Value of Project Management
      4. Understandings of Project Management
      5. Project Management Practices
    2. Marketing Literature
      1. Services Marketing
      2. Seller Credibility
      3. Branding
      4. Sales Tactics
      5. Aligning Buying and Selling Values
        1. Foundation Values
        2. Innovation Values
    3. Organizational Theory Literature
      1. Strategic Issues
      2. Sense Making Approaches
    4. Translating Literature Review Findings into Action
      1. Study “Independent Variables”
    5. Summary
  6. 3. Study Methodology
    1. Research Design Overview
    2. Phase I Methodology
      1. Sampling Frame
      2. Participants
      3. Data Collection
      4. Data Analysis Strategy
      5. Limitations
    3. Phase II Methodology
      1. Sampling Frame
      2. Response Rates
      3. Survey Logistics
      4. Survey Structure
    4. Phase II Statistical Analysis Strategy
      1. Part I—Data Screening and Instrument Reliability Testing
      2. Part II—Correlational Analysis
      3. Part III—Exploratory Factor Anlaysis
        1. Detailed Description of Data Screening and EFA Analysis[1]
      4. Resulting EFA Models
      5. Generalizability of Results
    5. Summary
      1. Notes
  7. 4. Phase I Findings: Why Is It Difficult to Sell Project Management to Senior Executives?[1]
    1. Understandings of Project Management and Its Value
    2. Barriers to Selling Project Management
    3. How Is Project Management Successfully Sold?
    4. Buying-Selling Process
    5. Phase I Insights
      1. Trigger
      2. Response
      3. Proof
    6. Why Is It Difficult to Sell Project Management to Senior Executives?
    7. Conclusion of Phase I Findings
    8. Summary
      1. Notes
  8. 5. Phase II Findings: Demographics and Practices
    1. Survey Respondents
      1. General Respondent Demographics
      2. Project Management Demographics
      3. Organizational Characteristics
    2. Status of Project Management
    3. Value of Project Management in Today’s Organizations
    4. Key Questions to Highlight
      1. Breakdown by Position
      2. Breakdown by Country
      3. Breakdown by Industry
    5. Conclusions
    6. Summary
      1. Notes
  9. 6. Phase II Findings: How Do You Sell Project Management to Senior Executives?
    1. Descriptive Summary
    2. Summary of Process Steps to Produce Models
    3. How Do We Generally Attempt to Sell Project Management to Senior Executives?
      1. General Selling Base Model (n = 743)
        1. Summary of General Selling Base Model
      2. Project Personnel Selling Model (n = 499)
      3. Consultant Selling Model (n = 244)
      4. Summary Of General Selling Base Model, Project Personnel Selling Model, and Consultant Selling Model
    4. How Do We Successfully Sell Project Management to Senior Executives?
      1. Very Successful Selling Base Model (n = 99)
        1. Demographics
        2. Very Successful Selling Base Model Findings
      2. Very Successful Project Personnel Model (N = 61)
        1. Demographics
        2. Very Successful Project Personnel Model Findings
      3. Very Successful Consultant Model (n = 38)
        1. Demographics
        2. Very Successful Consultant Model Findings
      4. Unsuccessful Selling Model (n = 19)
        1. Demographics
        2. Very Unsuccessful Selling Model Findings
    5. What Convinces Senior Executives to Invest in Project Management?
      1. Demographics
      2. Senior Executive Model Findings (n = 190)
      3. Qualitative Analysis of Senior Executive Responses
    6. Key Considerations in Selling Project Management to Senior Executives
      1. General Selling Base Model Findings
      2. Very Successful Selling Practices
      3. Very Successful Selling Practices—Consultants versus Project Personnel
      4. Unsuccessful Selling Practices
      5. Summary
    7. Best Practices
      1. Most Successful Arguments
      2. Successful Strategies and Processes
    8. Conclusions
  10. 7. Insights and Future Research Directions
    1. Practical Insights
      1. Phase I Insights
      2. Phase II Insights
        1. Very Successful Arguments
        2. Very Successful Processes
      3. Suggestions About How to Sell Project Management to Senior Executives
        1. Planning the Initiative
        2. Reading the Organizational Environment
        3. Framing the Moves That Matter
      4. Practical Guidelines
    2. Research Contributions, Improvements, and Future Directions
      1. Contributions of the Research
      2. Areas to Improve
      3. Areas for Future Research
        1. Future Research on This Dataset
        2. Future Research in Related Areas
    3. Final Words
  11. A. Phase I Interview Instrument
  12. B. Phase II Survey Instrument
    1. Athabasca University Project Management Study
  13. C. Summary Tables of Phase II Survey Data
    1. Levels of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Related to Respondents’ Experiences with Project Management
      1. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Describing Respondents’ Understanding of Senior Management’s View of Project Management
      2. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Describing the Use of Project Management, as It Pertains to Respondents’ Organizations
      3. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Describing the Projects That Respondents’ Organizations Conduct
      4. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Regarding Project Managers in Respondents’ Organizations
      5. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements on the Perceived Value or Benefits That Project Management Provides to Respondents’ Firms
      6. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Related to Selling Project Management to Senior Executives
      7. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements That Complete the Phrase: “In My Experience, Senior Executives Are More Interested in Project Management When ...”
      8. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Describing How Different Approaches Have Helped in Selling Project Management to Senior Executives
      9. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Describing Ways of Framing Project Management in Order to Assist in Selling to Senior Executives
      10. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Ways of Describing Project Management in Order to Assist in Selling to Senior Executives
      11. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Describing Strategies in Selling Project Management to Senior Executives
      12. Perceived Overall Success in Selling Project Management to Senior Executives
    2. Project Management Education
      1. Level of Project Management Education Completed
      2. Anticipated Participation in Project Management Education
      3. Anticipated Start of Project Management Education Program
      4. Types of Project Management Education
      5. Length of Time Willing to Invest in Project Management Education
      6. Anticipated Willingness of Employer to Make Financial Contributions towards the Cost of Employees’ Project Management Education
      7. Anticipated Percentage of the Cost of a Project Management Education That an Employer Would Cover
      8. Form of Course Delivery Most Interested In
      9. Main Criteria Used to Select a Project Management Education Program
      10. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Describing Potential Barriers to Pursuing a Project Management Education
      11. Level of Agreement/Disagreement with Statements Describing a Proposed MBA with a Project Management Degree Option
    3. Project Management Demographics
      1. Belong to a Professional Project Management Organization
      2. Possess a Professional Project Management Designation
      3. Years of Project Management Experience
      4. Current Position or Job Function
      5. Primary Business Activity
      6. Percentage of Time Spent on Project Management
      7. Likelihood of Increasing the Time Spent on Project Management in the Future
      8. Highest Level of Project Responsibility Attained
      9. Area Worked in within Organization
    4. General Respondent Demographics
      1. Role within Organization
      2. Age
      3. Gender
      4. Level of Education
      5. Country in Which Respondent Currently Resides
      6. Overall Gross Sales (USD) in Organization During 2000
      7. Number of Employees in Organization
      8. Years Employed with Organization
  14. Bibliography
  15. Author Contact Information
  16. Upgrade Your Project Management Knowledge with Leading Titles from PMI

Product information

  • Title: Selling Project Management to Senior Executives: Framing the Moves That Matter
  • Author(s): Janice Thomas, PhD, PhD Connie L. Delisle,, PMP, PhD Candidate - With the Assistance of Pamela Buckle, PhD Student Kam Jugdev,
  • Release date: January 2002
  • Publisher(s): Project Management Institute
  • ISBN: 1880410958