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

Table of contents

1. Cover Page
2. Title Page
3. Copyright Page
4. Table of Contents
5. Acknowledgments
6. 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
7. Chapter 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
8. Chapter 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
   3. Organizational Theory Literature
      1. Strategic Issues
      2. Sense Making Approaches
   4. Translating Literature Review Findings into Action
      1. Study “Independent Variables”
   5. Summary
9. Chapter 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 Analysis
      4. Resulting EFA Models
      5. Generalizability of Results
   5. Summary
10. Chapter 4: Phase I Findings: Why Is It Difficult to Sell Project Management to Senior Executives?
    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
11. Chapter 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
12. Chapter 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)
       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)
       2. Very Successful Project Personnel Model (n = 61)
       3. Very Successful Consultant Model (n = 38)
       4. Unsuccessful Selling Model (n = 19)
    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
13. Chapter 7: Insights and Future Research Directions
    1. Practical Insights
       1. Phase I Insights
       2. Phase II Insights
       3. Suggestions About How to Sell Project Management to Senior Executives
       4. Practical Guidelines
    2. Research Contributions, Improvements, and Future Directions
       1. Contributions of the Research
       2. Areas to Improve
       3. Areas for Future Research
    3. Final Words
14. Appendix A: Phase I Interview Instrument
15. Appendix B: Phase II Survey Instrument
16. Appendix C: Summary Tables of Phase II Survey Data
17. Bibliography
18. Author Contact Information