9 Resources Management Terms

Question 1

Adjourning

Answer 1

Once the project is done, either the team moves
onto other assignments as a unit, or the project
team is disbanded and individual team members
go on to other work.

Question 2

Authority power

Answer 2

Project management team members may have
authority over other project team members, may
have the ability to make decisions, and perhaps
even sign approvals for project work and
purchases.

Question 3

Coercive power

Answer 3

The project manager has the authority to
discipline the project team members. This is also
known as penalty power.

Question 4

Collaborate/Problem solving

Answer 4

This approach confronts the problem head-on
and is the preferred method of conflict
resolution. Multiple viewpoints and perspectives
contribute to the solution.

Question 5

Collective bargaining agreement constraints

Answer 5

Contracts and agreements with unions or other
employee groups may serve as constraints on the
project.

Question 6

Competency

Answer 6

This attribute defines what talents, skills, and
capabilities are needed to complete the project
work.

Question 7

Compromising

Answer 7

This approach requires that both parties give up
something.

Question 8

Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

Answer 8

This theory states that people will behave based
on what they expect as a result of their behavior.
In other words, people will work in relation to
the expected reward.

Question 9

Expert power

Answer 9

The project manager’s authority comes both
from experience with the technology the project focuses on and from expertise in managing projects.

Question 10

Forcing power

Answer 10

The person with the power makes the decision.

Question 11

Formal power

Answer 11

The project manager has been assigned the role
of project manager by senior management and is
in charge of the project.

Question 12

Forming

Answer 12

The project team meets and learns about their
roles and responsibilities on the project. Little
interaction among the project team happens in
this stage as the team is learning about the
project and project manager.

Question 13

Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation

Answer 13

Frederick Herzberg’s theory of the motivating
agents and hygiene agents that affect a person’s
willingness to excel in his career.

Question 14

Hierarchical organizational chart

Answer 14

A chart showing the relationship between
superior and subordinate employees, groups,
disciplines, and even departments.

Question 15

Issue log

Answer 15

A logbook of the issues the project team has
identified and dates as to when the issues must
be resolved by. The issue log may also include
team members or stakeholders who are
responsible for finding a solution to the identified
issues.

Question 16

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Answer 16

Abraham Maslow’s theory of the five needs all
humans have and work toward.

Question 17

McClelland’s Theory of Needs

Answer 17

David McClelland developed this theory, which
states our needs are acquired and developed by
our experiences over time. All people are,
according to this theory, driven by one of three
needs: achievement, affiliation, or power.

Question 18

McGregor’s Theory of X and Y

Answer 18

Douglas McGregor’s theory that states
management views workers in the Y category as
competent and self-led and workers in the X
category as incompetent and needing to be
micromanaged.

Question 19

Multicriteria Decision Analysis

Answer 19

A method to rate potential project team
members based on criteria such as education,
experience, skills, knowledge, and more.

Question 20

Norming

Answer 20

Project team members go about getting the
project work, begin to rely on one another, and
generally complete their project assignments.

Question 21

Organization chart

Answer 21

Traditional chart that depicts how the
organization is broken down by department and
disciplines. This chart is sometimes called the
organizational breakdown structure (OBS) and is
arranged by departments, units, or teams.

Question 22

Ouchi’s Theory Z

Answer 22

William Ouchi’s theory is based on the
participative management style of the Japanese.
This theory states that workers are motivated by
a sense of commitment, opportunity, and
advancement.

Question 23

Performing

Answer 23

If a project team can reach the performing stage
of team development, they trust one another,
work well together, and issues and problems get
resolved quickly and effectively.

Question 24

Political interfaces

Answer 24

The hidden goals, personal agendas, and
alliances among the project team members and
the stakeholders.

Question 25

RACI chart

Answer 25

A RACI chart is a matrix chart that only uses the
activities of responsible, accountable, consult,
and inform.

Question 26

Referent power

Answer 26

The project team personally knows the project
manager. Referent can also mean that the
project manager refers to the person who
assigned him the position.

Question 27

Resource breakdown structure (RBS)

Answer 27

This hierarchical chart can decompose the
project by the type of resources used throughout
it.

Question 28

Responsibility assignment matrix (RAM)

Answer 28

A RAM chart shows the correlation between
project team members and the work they’ve
been assigned to complete.

Question 29

Responsibility

Answer 29

A responsibility is the work that a role performs.

Question 30

Resource management plan

Answer 30

This plan defines staff acquisition, the timetable
for staff acquisition, the staff release plan,
training needs for the project team, any
organizational compliance issues, rewards and recognitions, and safety concerns for the project team doing the project work.

Question 31

Reward

Answer 31

The project manager has the authority to reward
the project team.

Question 32

Role

Answer 32

This denotes what a person is specifically
responsible for in a project. Roles are usually tied
to job titles, such as network engineer,
mechanical engineer, and electrician.

Question 33

Smoothing

Answer 33

This approach smooths out the conflict by
minimizing the perceived size of the problem. It
is a temporary solution, but can calm team
relations and boisterous discussions.

Question 34

Storming

Answer 34

The project team struggles for project positions,
leadership, and project direction. The project
team can become hostile toward the project
leader, challenge ideas, and try to establish and
claim positions about the project work. The
amount of debate and fury can vary depending
on if the project team is willing to work together,
the nature of the project, and the control of the
project manager.

Question 35

Technical interfaces

Answer 35

The project team identifies the disciplines and
specialties that the project will require to
complete the project scope statement. The
technical interfaces are the resources that will be
doing the project work.

Question 36

Withdrawal

Answer 36

This conflict resolution method sees one side of
the argument walking away from the problem,
usually in disgust.