The Mythical Lines of Code Metric

Using the lines of code (LOC) metric in software project management can be a financial moral hazard to an organization. This is especially true for upper management who handles an organizational budget and strategic plan. Software project managers have their own budgets. However, if they fail to meet the budget, the organization's cash flow, rather than the project manager's personal cash flow, will suffer. This chapter will discuss the practice of software project management, the field of software metrics, game theory, and the game theory issue of moral hazard. It will demonstrate why using LOC as a metric can present a moral hazard to senior management and an organization.

Online Learning

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an integrative essay of collaborative learning variables that enhance as well as detract from an e-learning and information technology (IT)-mediated environment. It is common knowledge that a group is only as strong as the individuals who make up the group. Yet in online education there is the assumption that individuals have the skills they need to work within the group successfully. Although there are multiple opportunities for individuals to learn how to interact in a one-on-one setting, there is little formal training on how to work within a group. How to identify, address, and accommodate cultural differences, motivation levels, conflict resolution, expectations, critical thinking, self-organization, and group construction of knowledge are some of the areas that are not typically addressed formally in an academic setting. Successful group projects require that everyone be skilled in these and additional areas to have the potential for an equal and meaningful learning experience as a member of the group. Learning online is a social process involving collaborative efforts which can be mediated by the applications being used.

The Value of Simulation for Learning Project Management

This chapter will explore the value of using computerized simulation case studies to enhance learning in project management education at the undergraduate and graduate college levels. Traditional teaching methods of textbook reading and lectures provide students with a vast number of concepts, processes, tools, and procedures for managing projects. However, it is difficult for students to translate that learning into use in real-life project management situations. Simulations are filling that gap by offering a low-risk environment with lifelike scenarios where students must determine the appropriate project management concept to employ and how to execute it. Simulations allow students to use their newly learned concepts and critical thinking for decision making while receiving immediate feedback which allows the student to make adjustments. This chapter will also discuss the value of these simulations based on the timing of when to introduce them to students during the semester.

Supporting Creative Learning by Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Project Teams

The recent studies have focused on the significance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in developing creativity. This chapter regards creativity as a way of shaping new knowledge and it provides learners as many opportunities in exploring possible satisfying solutions of solving varies problems in project teams. Based on the foundation of social-cultural theory, this chapter firstly provides a knowledge conversation model where creativity can be regarded a driver stimulating conversations between tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge, individual knowledge, and collective knowledge. Secondly, ICT will be viewed as a useful tool in facilitating the continuous dynamic of those knowledge conversations in the process of project-based learning. Finally, strategies on how to design creative learning environments among project team members will be discussed. Briefly, this chapter contributes to bring theories on creativity, ICT, learning, and project management together in one framework and meanwhile has practical significance in better developing creative project teams and organization innovation.

Virtual Organizations and IT Project Management

The rise of the internet has instilled a new dimension into project management. This chapter explores literature that evaluates virtual organization management and determines the extent new technologies contributed to task completion in dispersed locations. New channels of communication offer opportunities for participation, but there are still more challenges that project managers face in a virtual team setting than on-site teams. With global organization, talent spread across time zones and dispersed through various nations can be easily tapped by organizations. With advanced technology, companies are now effectively completing tasks and are growing new revenue in expanding markets in different parts of the world that were often merely islands with little interaction as they were limited to phone, fax, mail, or personal visits. However, the introduction of the virtual world of organizations demands that the leader and players be well trained and put forth the extra effort to overcome communication barriers.

The Importance of Process Improvement in Web-Based Projects

Process improvement in web-based projects is of growing concern for many reasons including successful delivery of projects. Web application development companies are reluctant to adapt process improvement models and methods because of their complex structure and difficult implementation methods. It has been observed that improvement efforts in web application development companies based on process improvement frameworks which are designed for large organizations fail most of the time. This study attempts to evaluate the suitability of different software process improvement models to meet the special characteristics and requirements for the web-based projects.

Drivers and Barriers Related to Project Management Software Implementation in Romanian Organizations

It is unclear how the Romanian organizations from both private and public sector are addressing the strategic changes that occur after implementation of PM software. In order to achieve the best results in the context of integrating PM software, their management teams must design tailored strategic maps, outlining the organizational drivers and barriers towards the PM software strategy implementation. This research aims at highlighting the drivers and barriers towards the PM software implementation in the case of privately owned companies and public administration institutions from Romania. For this study, primary quantitative data was collected by means of an online questionnaire, submitted to the managers from both private and public organizations from Romania. Based on the outcomes of this study, the managers from both Romanian private and public organizations should have a better understanding on the pillars able to improve the performances of project management by means of appropriate software solutions.

Does an Open Source Development Environment Facilitate Conventional Project Management Approaches and Collaborative Work?

Open source software (OSS) is very well known for allowing free access to the source code of the application. The idea is to allow for the creation of a better product. The more people working to make each aspect of an application better, more minds create more ideas, create a better project. OSS runs the internet since all of the protocols—network time protocol (NTP), HTTP, amongst many others—are OSS projects with many years of use. These projects are run by volunteers worldwide. But, none of these projects are run using the traditional methodologies of project management: Waterfall and Agile. This chapter asks: How does an open source development environment facilitate conventional Waterfall project management approaches? and How does an open source development environment facilitate Agile project collaborative work? The method used to determine the answers used surveys and questionnaires involving actual participants in a variety of OSS projects from across the United States (US). The questions asked concerned the organization OSS projects, did they use a particular traditional methodology or some other non-defined method of organization? The answers received by this study centered on non-defined methods of organization; traditional methodologies were considered too restrictive and not agile enough to allow for the freedom cherished by their volunteers.