Running head: EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 1

An Evaluation of the Efficiency of Project Management Tools and Practices Within SMEs in the

UK

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 2

CHAPTER ONE: ORIENTATION OF THE STUDY

Introduction

Background of the Study

Small and Medium Enterprises varying from innovative, dynamic, growth-oriented to

conventional enterprises contented with their fixed nature are vital to the economy, acting as the

engine for both social and economic development explains Turner and Ledwith (2018). According

to North and Kumta (2018) whereas assessing the growing significance of SMEs in the UK,

stressed this fact by affirming that augmented importance has been given to small and medium

enterprises with regards to the business policy of the UK. The European Competitiveness report

of 2013 further notes that SMEs account for 99% of activity in the UK. Basing on this finding, the

probable threat to SMEs existence leads to the conclusion that there is a need for increasing their

quality and competitiveness to match the competition. Thus, the use of a useful project

management tool would help enhance the chances of progression of SMEs. Project management

tools and techniques are well proven with Rostami, Sommerville and Lee (2015) explaining them

as logical approach used in all phases of a project by ensuring that all steps are not only carefully

planned, but also monitored and well accounted in the budget.

Project management is an entrenched discipline that characterizes in detail the tools and

systems that are required to characterize, plan, and execute any task. Be that as it may, while

numerous researchers have tended to the issues encompassing the administration of functions

inside large firms (Ate et al. 2013; Kumar, Khurshid & Waddell, 2014) there has not been a great

deal distributed to date about project management tools and techniques in SMEs. Albeit at first

intended for use in large organizations with complex frameworks that require such a procedure,

(Ate et al. 2013), present-day techniques for project management can be adjusted and modified to
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 3

suit the necessities of the smaller enterprises. This paper intends to build up a comprehension of

project management attributes and how they are overseen inside SMEs, what variables enhance a

projects success and the view of the capability of project management as a procedure. These

discoveries will add to the advancement of a rearranged way to deal with managing ventures in

SMEs.

Characteristics of SMEs

The definition of an SME has varied over time, and there has been a lack of compromise

about what makes up a small or medium enterprise (Vedanthachari & Owen, 2015). Nonetheless,

Durst and Runar Edvardsson (2012) explains that SMEs display both advantages and

disadvantages when contrasted to larger organisations. Audretsch, Prince et al. 2012 in their

relative paper analyzing large, medium and small firms found that small firms have a more

noteworthy potential adaptability and closeness to the client and an edge towards customization

and advancement. They seek out business sectors where their focal points include, and they are

not in direct challenge with their more prominent partners. Be that as it may, despite these key

focal points, SMEs need economies of scale, learning, and scope.

Ogunbiyi, Goulding, and Oladapo (2014) recommend that SMEs show social highlights that

give them an imaginative bit of leeway over large firms these incorporate the capacity to react

quickly to outside dangers or openings, progressively proficient internal communication and

intelligent administration cycles. In any case, Bhattacharya et al. (2016) found that SMEs were

restricted in their capacity to improve as they, 'come up short on the material and mechanical assets

that empower enormous firms to 'spread hazard over an arrangement of new items' and 'store

longer-term R&D.' An assessment of the abilities of task directors in small and substantial

hardware firms (Ledwith 2014), demonstrated that undertaking supervisors in little firms were
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 4

powerless in the regions of inspiration, advertising, and the board. Little firms showed restricted

utilisation of task the executives procedures and were not profiting by undertaking the board as far

as expanded new item achievement. High innovation SMEs are described by long lead times from

essential research to mechanical application and short lead times in commercialisation. They

endure quickened oldness under worldwide focused weights from new item and procedure

advancements (Coyte, Ricceri & Guthrie, 2012). High innovation SMEs will, in general, have to

pioneer the executive's styles with natural structures and their prosperity is frequently founded on

sound learning of the business, profoundly gifted workers and the capacity to detect a hole in the

commercial centre (Wren, 2018).

Research questions

1. What are the prevailing project management practices and tools used in UK SMEs?

2. Are there any benefits and challenging areas of project management in SMEs?

3. What is the correlation between project management and national development?

4. How has the existing project management tools and practices helped reduce the high rate

of failed small projects?

5. To what extent can project management techniques and approaches be used to manage

changes in SMEs?

6. What is the success rate of project management tools and techniques in managing change

among SMEs in the UK?

7. What are some of the recommendations to dealing improve and solve challenges in tools

and practices used in SMEs?

EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 5

General objectives

The primary objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of project management tools and

practices within SMEs in the UK. Other secondary purposes include:

• To examine the prevailing project management practices and tools used in UK SMEs;

• To investigate the benefits and challenging areas of project management in SMEs;

• To find out the correlation between project management and national development, if any;

• To study if existing project management tools and practices have helped reduce the high

rate of failed small projects;

• To measure to which extent can project management techniques and approaches be used

to manage changes in SMEs;

• To find out the achievement of project management tools and techniques in managing

change among SMEs in the UK;

• To recommend the way forward against identified challenging areas.

Benefits of the study

The findings of the study will be useful to entrepreneurs as well as the policymakers in

various ministries, including the ministry of water, planning, lands, and housing. The goals of the

study are additionally to discover the connection between project management best practices as

well as project performance; from this knowledge, project members accordingly remove

themselves from project management practices that have a negative association with performance

while connecting more with those that show a positive relationship. This would add to

acknowledging improved execution of development extends in the UK. Moreover, the essential

bodies overseeing project management are provoked to pertinent benchmark practices that would
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 6

improve the presentation of the activities it oversees. Over the long haul, business engaged with

project management in UK would have upgraded nature of project management best practices.
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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

This part of the dissertation gives an overview of how different authors have experienced

practical project management tools and techniques to SMEs. Majority of the SME managers have

considered project management as the process by which time is displayed within various parts of

the business with tasks sequenced in a need basis channel (Garengo, 2019). There is an increasing

awareness of useful project management tools and practices that have guided many business

managers in various ways throughout their business operation in the global SME operations (Harris

et al., 2018). Many have experienced positive results, although those who ventured in in the world

of management have been threatened by the complexity of the project management tools and

practices applicable to various categories of SMEs.A substantial literature on the business world

of today have made project management techniques to appear as a very complex activity to most

of the managers. There are several areas that have processed methodologies and techniques that

have been successful in SMEs (Harris et al., 2018). While majority of the SMEs can afford full-

time project managers who are likely to be present all-time for extreme business operation and

others have decided to engage part-time project managers who in most cases extend few project

management expertise to the business. It is unrealistic for project managers to expect two final

results from similar project tools and techniques. Due to the complexity of the methods applied to

SMEs, many managers tend to manage projects using their best experience that was gained from

successful businesses even though they may not work for their company (Wren, 2018).

This study aims at looking at the overview of project managing in different ways that can

address the needs for project managers in SMEs to increase their success. The study views the

definitions of project management tools and techniques with an emphasis on evaluating their
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effectiveness in the operations of projects in SMEs. Additionally, the research has also looked

comprehensively at the uses of project management tools and practices in SMEs with explorations

of history and reasons in the project managing with crucial thinking of the relationship with

specific projects. The literature review has provided ways in which previous SMEs benefited by

implementing project management tools and techniques. It has giving sights into the tools and

methods that are useful while planning for projects to ensure that there is no time or resources

wasted. The literature review has also has given details about how project management arose, and

this creates an excellent platform for the advancement of this research.

Project Management – A Brief Overview of the Field

Many business managers have been taking to account the projects since the early times of

human activity (Turner, & Ledwith, 2018). The hunting parties of the prehistoric people were the

projects that took a temporary direction in managing projects to meet their set goals and objectives

in various ways large projects have been with business managers for quite a long time, and these

have significantly affected the dimensions of success for many SMEs across the world. Harris et

al. (2018) support that projects exist to give a product or a service a better look than before. Many

companies operating with the provision of goods opt to improve their products through the

formulation of projects that are managed by professional managers while excelling in different

magnitudes.

In contrast, many projects are repetitive and compose of continuous processes that traduce

related results in various SMEs. A project is said to be complete at times when all its goals and

objectives have been attained. These are done through proper planning and implementation of the

projected project plan efforts. In a few circumstances, projects are complete when goals and

objectives cannot be met or during times when the products or services are no longer needed by
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the customers. Brewer & Dittman (2018) argues that project management methods have been

build-up from SME practices and international standards to ensure business and industrial sectors

acquire higher rates of success. Thus, project management is an effective way of managing the

implementation of projects across different industries and business sectors. This discipline is not

only useful in large industries projects, but also small and medium-sized projects. The business

competition and the chaotic global economy are good reasons as to why business and industrial

sectors should turn to project management. This can be a useful way of managing the

implementation of the projects. According to Sperry & Jetter (2019) project management is an

effective way of controlling the spending and improving project results of various businesses and

industrial sectors. When it is time for the recession, the practice of project management becomes

more critical. The adherence to project management methods and techniques reduce risks,

improves success rates, and cuts costs that are all vital for the survival of economic crisis.

According to Kerzner (2018), project management is an effective way of managing projects

since it helps businesses and industrial sectors not to invest in projects that may fail. When any

industry is operating on a tighter budget and has fewer resources, it means less money will be used

on innovative projects that help these sectors grow or rather move forward. Last but not least,

implementing project management as a tool for managing projects helps business and industrial

sectors create a strategic value chain (Clark, 2018). The chain then helps them gain a competitive

edge on their competitors, especially on high-risk projects and markets. These sectors can organise

their projects and can deliver them within the stipulated budget and on time, thus working on other

projects. This discussion supports the effectiveness of project management in managing the

implementation of projects across different sectors of businesses and industries, especially in

SMEs.
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Definition of Project Management Tools and Practices

Heldman (2018) asserts that project tools and techniques are the essential components that

form the primary use of the project. They are precisely the drivers of any project in the business

and are supposed to be more comfortable and more effective to attain the goals and objectives of

the project. Managers and project management software have various aspects that they play in

forming the project success. Albors-Garrigos, Igartua, &Peiro, (2018) argues that there exists

many project management tools and techniques that are utilised by project managers in attaining

the success of their projects in different SMEs with opportunities to optimising their efficiency in

their projects. In project management, managers are familiar with the project tools and techniques

that they can use to attain the success of their projects. There are project tools that have been

defined by various scholars on matters relating to critical elements that are useful. For example,

the Project Management Institute of the United States established project management tools and

techniques as the temporary endeavors that are undertaken to form a specific product. The transient

nature of the project indicates the definite starting point of the project and the endpoint (Rendon,

and Snider, 2019)

Management tools and techniques have distinct benefits that are very useful to project

managers. As a corporate landscape to the contemporary changes, many employees work remotely

and are spread over a wide range of geographical regions. Project management tools usually unite

teams of workers of SMEs on a single interface that enables communication to be more easier and

meet deadlines without difficulties. Some of the benefits of management tools and techniques

include:

Improved customer service: The point of contact for managers using project management

tools are challenged through a single manager who passes information to multiple connections in
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an organization. There is software that can quickly respond to questions from clients without

involving many protocols. Customer satisfaction is the main focus in SMEs and therefore

responding to their queries as fast as possible ensures that their concerns are addressed very fast.

Timely Project Completion: Project management tools are the determinants of deadlines

in SMEs, and therefore the tools that are put in place enable the project managers to set overall

completion time for projects. The primary benefit of these techniques is that they allow for delay

tracking and keeps all processes moving smoothly.

Limited Scope Creep: Upfront communication is very vital in SMEs. In this respect, the

listed interface in the organization helps in identifying the scope of such communications. Since

in project management everyone’s role is known, there is no room for widening the project more

than the desired practical design.

SeamlessCcommunication: Sitting in meetings consumes a lot of finances and time in

SMEs. Setting up project management tools that are in line with the type of project helps in

relieving employees with the habit of checking mail threads all the time. These tools integrate

comments and communication messages such that everything is set in one place.

One Platform for Project Documents: Documentation is one of the crucial factors that are

given priorities in the SMEs and therefore people have differentiating interests about the kind of

software that should be used in creating documents and files for businesses. Projects management

tools and techniques give employees the chance to upload all documents in such a way that they

do not require to log in and out to too many application to access their project desired documents.

Clear Deadline and Responsibilities: Deadlines for every task is listed against each

person’s roles in the management tools and techniques applicable in specific projects. Each

individual involved in the project can as well find out the impact other people’s deadline can cause
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 12

the overall project and therefore, time management is made to be very easy with a clear

understanding of each person’s role in the project.

Accessible to Change Project Demands: Changes are inevitable in projects, and therefore,

managers have an easy time in managing changes in every participant’s page without having to

contact each person individually.

Notifications: members of the project can easily access announcements on one platform

without having to follow the bureaucratic processes that delay the project in may SMEs. From the

project management tools and techniques, team members have access to any breaking news

concerning the project.

Keeping pace with the Budget: Budgeting in project management is core to many processes

without which the project would not progress. The allocated budgets are observed by following a

reliable management tool and technique.

Risk Mitigation: Increasing productivity and quality of the outcome without the need to

change budgets is essential in avoiding project failures. Time and resource allocation is made

simple in handling the problems that may occur during project management process in SMEs.

Helps to Increase the Competitive Edge: Productivity, excellent customer service,

efficiency, and budgeting comes with a unique competitive advantage in SMEs. Proper project

management tools aids in standing out of the crowding effect of SMEs and getting ahead at a

distinct advantage in the competitive market.

While experiencing the advantages of the project tools and techniques applied in projects,

their disadvantages relating to training, accessibility due to network challenges and cost describes

the effects of the project management tools and techniques.for example:

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Time Investment: There have been very many invested, and learning plus creativity factors

that must be considered positive in the initial stages of project management that require close

observation as the tool of choice can be detailed (Kumar, Khurshid, & Waddell, 2014). Some

devices are very fast to learn, while others have very complex and technical difficulties in learning.

All parties in the project management must have the necessary computer knowledge since there

must be some responsible for specialised creation of a tool that all persons will be able to learn.

These require massive capital investment and time investment since not all people in an

organization have the same capability of learning.

The Upkeep Cost: Regularly updates of project management tools and techniques requires

that there must be an initial plan that must be valuable before the project begins. New tasks are

very assertive in the maintenance of the document needs, and delays must be avoided in project

management tools and techniques.

Tools used in Project Management in the UK

According to Dildar et al. (2002) organisations are also faced with the problems of what

systems/products to develop, to what extent should the capacity be expanded, or what should be

purchased among much other critical decision. These changes are paramount to a project, and that

is why there is a need for an established tool and practices necessary for the handling of such

requirements and changes. Therefore to complete these challenging tasks, there are some tools

available that are manual while some are software-based (Strucker,2018; Augustine, Bhasi, &

Madhu,2013). Such tools include the Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) and Gantt

Charts (Uluskan, 2016).Research by Vedanthachari& Owen (2015). Shows that there is no project

management tool that can handle all the project management needs; hence it is necessary for a

project manager to utilise a myriad of tools and practices to achieve the intended efficiency.
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PERT: Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) is considered a planning and control

tool necessary for controlling and defining the task that constitutes a project (Choudhary et al.,

2013). Within the PERT are the Critical Path Method (CPM) and the PERT charts that are

commonly used interchangeably with a slight difference in the time of task computation. Both

charts are capable of showing the different schedules and the project total. Whereas, the parallel

tasks are those that can be performed simultaneously. Graphical presentation of the relationship

that various components/tasks have with each other is also present in the form of a "CPM Diagram"

or "Project Network" (Timans, 2012). The PERT planning takes the following steps: first step

involves the identification of specific activities and the various significant events that mark the

beginning and the end of a business. The second step consists in determining the actual sequence

of operations. In this stage, there are those activities whose sequent are known whereas there are

those that need analysis for their order to be determined. The third step leads to the construction

of a network diagram. Based on the sequence of task/activity execution, a network diagram may

exhibit either a parallel or successive series of events. The arrowed lines on the PERT chart

represent the activities while the circle signifies their respective milestones. The fourth step

involves estimating the time anticipated to be spent on each event. This tool recommends the use

of a consistent unit of time such as weeks, months, and years,among other groups. PERT is a very

flexible tool since research shows that it is highly capable of dealing with any eventuality that

might disrupt the projected schedules (Baruah, 2012). Hence, for each of the activities, three

models are usually added; Optimistic, Pessimistic, and Most likely time.

From this, the expected completion time takes the models into consideration by using

predetermined weighted average. The fifth step involves establishing the critical path. This method

compares the completion rate with the longest route. The different project's activities timelines are
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 15

added accordingly and the way that takes the longest time is established. Also, the critical path can

be used to determine the Earliest Start time, Earliest Finish time, Latest Start time and Latest Finish

time. These times are usually calculated based on the expected duration for the relevant activities.

The earliest and the finish times are determined by working forward through the network while

the latest start and finish times are determined by working backward through the network.the last

step involves providing updates to the PERT chart as the project implementation continues. At this

point, the time estimates can be replaced with the actual times while in cases with delays, additional

resources may be factored in to ensure that the project stays on course(Timans, 2012).

According to the Arshed, Finch, &Bunduchi (2012), the following are some of the

advantages of using the Critical Path Method or the PERT chart. They include; their ability to

enhance planning and scheduling of project activities, improved forecasting of the needed

resources, timely identification of repetitive planning patterns hence assisting in the simplification

of the planning process, assists in the identification of issues within the project and rescheduling

where necessary. Lastly, the PERT chart also provides information such as activity start and end

dates, the critical path activities that impact completion time, probability of completion before a

specified period, the events that have slack time and that can lend resources to dangerous path

activities, and the expected project completion time. Gantt chart works as a calendar for the various

tasks at hand. It can be calibrated in days, weeks, or months depending on the expected completion

time of each activity. The tool also relies on the graphical representations to represent the start

time, elapsed time and completion time of each of the tasks at hand. This tool is ideal for progress

tracking, and its preparation takes the following sequence: listing of all the activities planned,

marking the graph paper with duration through to completion, plotting the various tasks onto the

graph paper and lastly, scheduling the activities (Vedanthachari& Owen, 2015).
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Online Tools used by SMEs in Project Management in the Uk: Businesses tend to have

tasks which require automation or aid using tools to manage the business effectively. In the many

activities which are carried out marketing, one of the most integral is communication, be it from

marketing to production departments or board members deciding on the company’s future. Such a

task can be daunting, especially if the people to undertake the conversation are scattered over

different geographical areas and continuously need to communicate with each other. For such

ClickMeetng is one tool which helps businesses effectively manage communication between

employees. The tool has many great benefits some of which include audio and video conferencing

capabilities. For cases whereby people have to deliberate on an issue and come up with a solution

it would be difficult for such to be conducted via email or text. For such a video or voice conference

would be most appropriate as it would ensure every participant gets a chance to ask and put out

points effectively.

According to Wang & Wang (2012), businesses also tend to be plagued with management

issues and oversite mostly stemming from the high number of workers doing small tasks such as

a hotel. Much time is usually spent doing paperwork calculating total hours, payment dues and

calculating expenses. WorkflowMax tries to only all of this task for businesses by providing an all

in one functionality with which gives users the ability to manage projects, employees and even

invoices. At times managing employees and project workflows go outside the scope of a single

individual’s domain. In such cases businesses might be engaged in projects which require the

collaboration between different stakeholders all. Such an example would be a construction

company which has to different groups dealing which various tasks such as electricians and

plumbers and bricklayers. In such situations each group has its own set of functions which heave

to be undertaken once other groups finish with theirs. The owners funding the project would also
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 17

need access to the project progress and to understand set milestones and their timeframes

something which is well catered for using Wrike.

In business operations, there is a need to create spreadsheets and work documents all of

which help to convey ideas as proposals to help people understand the underlying requirements of

a project. Such tasks become daunting when they have to be done manually since some such as

word documents need to follow specific guidelines (Wang, & Wang, 2012). They also tend to have

mistakes which require people making them start over again especially if done using a piece of

paper and pen. Spreadsheets help to display data especially one which is composed of tables and

rows. Such functionalities are quickly taken care off with the aid of google drive. The product

from google is free as long as a user has a Gmail account. Being an online tool, it makes it easy to

open or edit files fast considering no additional software has to be downloaded, installed and

launched. On top of their word and spreadsheet capabilities they also give users the ability to work

on files in a collaborative manner meaning documents do not need to be saved and sent to for

additional processing. Google Drive also has one other bonus feature which helps many small

businesses across the UK which is storage. The tool gives users the ability to back up files in the

cloud hence ensuring essential records are kept safe.

Management Practices Applied in Project Management

In the management of projects in the contemporary world, many methods are put in place to

ensure that all process run smoothly during the process of project management implementation

plan (Wang, & Wang, 2012. There are factors relating to project management practices that are as

follows:

Knowledge-Based Practices: SMEs have advantages over large organizations for several

reasons that go beyond structural formations. According to the study done by Erica Institute of
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Management, most of the dynamic competitive knowledge has become an applicable technique

that have enabled many SMEs to advance in their operational dimensions. The most critical factor

in this consideration is the determination of standards of living of the employee of the particular

SME that aims at achieving its goals and objectives in the long run. Indeed, knowledge has become

the most critical factor determining the standard of living more than land, tools, and labor today.

The economy is being transformed from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based

economy. What we mean with the knowledge-based economy is one in which the generation and

exploitation of knowledge play the predominant part in the creation of wealth. The term

“knowledge-based economy” for new economy results from a fuller recognition of the role of

knowledge and technology in economic growth.

Innovation Management Capabilities Practice: According to Wang & Wang (2012),

innovation is the mother of many contemporary techniques that have been taking place in the world

of business in the global SME operations. There is a continuous progression in development of

matters that relate to development of new project management development of tools and

techniques. Innovation management has recently received much attention from research, industry

and state support. However, much of the research has focused on large enterprises with much

available financial wealth and required planning infrastructure in order to be effective at managing

innovation. Global SMEs have adopted the practice of change according to the theories and reasons

that go beyond reality. For this particular reason so many global SMEs have decided to take the

innovative measures to enable them overcome the effects of competitions in the successful

operation of their SMEs. Practical management functions are very vital in overcoming the

challenges that are associated with time delays, mismanagement of resources, misunderstanding
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 19

of the roles and responsibilities of the employees as well as managing the critical changes that may

be as a result of product not being required by clients in the market.

Perfect Examples of Project Management Practices

The Construction Industry: In the field of engineering and construction, the overall policy

of the owner is to select an appropriate project that would yield minimal expenses while attaining

maximum benefits to the result. The practice dictates that division of the projects life cycles be

among the personnel that is engaged irrespective of their position in the SME. Decisions made by

the management have crucial impact on the organization project, and therefore, the management

must select the viable project technique that results in optimal client satisfaction without

consuming un-budgeted resources.

The Food Industry: Industrial projects are compassionate in all dimensions. There are

different forms of sequential processes that take place in the food industry such as raw material

assessment, food processing, food testing, food preservation and food supply (Gresty, 2013). All

these processes require systematic project management that ensures who is engaged in which

means and where at what time and to who is that persons are responsible for answering if the

system fails. According to studies done Albors-Garrigos, Igartua, &Peiro (2018) there is a

compilation of change management that dictates follow up of project processes with close

monitoring. The progression of project management lacks the capability of change management

since resources are very limited to specific periods of time. Change management tool plays the

role of mitigation to risks that relate to performance evaluation, scheduling and cost planning

management. The need for change is essential in delivering the face of global competition in the

SME operations irrespective of the field.

Performance Evaluation as a Practice

EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 20

According to the study done by Taylor & Taylor, (2013), there is a need to perform

performance evaluation of all practices at the end of each project. The reason as to why

performance evaluation is crucial is because many projects may have succeeded in the first place

while there may be many loopholes that were unidentified in the process of project management

implementation plan. The tools that are responsible for project management performance

evaluation include Online Tools used by SMEs in Project Management in the Uk, the Program

Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) and the Gantt chart that works as a calendar for the various

tasks at hand.

The Impact of Human Resource in Project Management

According to the study done by Turner, Ledwith, & Kelly (2012) Human Resource

Management (HRM) is of vital and strategic importance to the project-oriented organization.

Every time a new project or program is started, the human resource (hr) configuration of the

organization changes. Within this dynamic environment, different and additional practices are

required from the traditionally managed organization. However, in spite of this, the needs of HRM

in the project-oriented organization have not received considerable attention in either the HRM or

project management literature. We are undertaking a research project with the aim of identifying

the needs for HRM in the project-oriented organization and describing the practices adopted.

Turner, Ledwith, & Kelly (2012) also asserts that human resources play an essential role

in orienting the project management plan which uses the project to project the expected outcomes.

Their temporary projects that require clear guidance on how they are supposed to be executed and

this is one of the impacts that HR take into account with great understanding and explanation to

the parties concerned. Secondly, HR impacts project management by classification of the

difference that exists between the SMEs and the designed projects. There are variations that may
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 21

not be avoided by project managers that have intense impact in project implementation if not taken

into account. Thirdly, there is requirement that is similar to different projects and therefore the role

of the human resource id to identify and create a platform for recruitment, development, leadership,

and release of personnel to the project operations. HR has the impact of selecting the rightful staff

that fits the requirement of the project (Michaelides et al., 2013). Specific assignments are

allocated to various by the HR, and if they do not do it in the right manner the result of the project

mat be negatively impacted and therefore, it is responsibility of the HR to ensure they select the

right leadership to achieve the SME’s goals and objectives.

Conclusion

The global crises that exist in SME’s project management are as a result of recessions in

project planning that pose a severe threat to the survival of SMEs. In these turbulence times,

effective project management is essential in strategising the need to provide an assurance to

positive project results. The objective of this article was to evaluate the efficiency of project

management tools and practices within SMEs in the UK. The improvement of project management

has been found to be influenced by the practical application of project tools and techniques that

suit specific projects with SMEs in the UK. Finally, the study has also found that the success of

the SMEs entails an absolute adherence to useful management roles that have high performance

improvement in the context of project management success as business cycles present the recovery

through project management that responds adequately to proper HR management.

EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 22

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the research methodologies, which are the methods and procedures

used to conduct this study. The chapter will examine what can be extracted from the study research

questions that form the fundamental parts of the study. It also provides justification for the research

design used, data collection methods, population and sampling technique, data analysis methods.

3.2 Choosing an Appropriate Methodology

This study is based on the theory of change, which tries to evaluate the effects that a

particular course of action or process has on the overall outcome. In this case the course of action

is the adoption of project management techniques among SMEs while the overall result is the

increased efficiency when managing changes among these SMEs based on the following research

questions:

RQ1: To what extent can project management techniques and approaches be used to manage

change among SMEs?

RQ2: What is the success rate of project management techniques in the management of change

among SMEs?

This study is a quantitative one. The quantitative research design is appropriate since it will

help in ensuring that the identified objectives are measured using statistical analysis of the research

design focuses on gathering of numerical data and the generalization of the obtained results across

all the SMEs so as to explain whether project management techniques/ approaches to aid in

increasing the efficiency of managing changes within them or not. Qualitative research design

would not be appropriate to this study considering that it is based on perceptions rather than the
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 23

real numerical values which are essential in measuring improved efficiency within an SME (Hair

et al., 2015). Purposive sampling will be employed when selecting the sample for this study.

Professional social platforms like LinkedIn will be purposively chosen as study units since they

contain the targeted audience who are the managers of SMEs. Responses from the UK will only

be considered since this is the targeted study area that will represent other SMEs. The data was

collected using a structured questionnaire that every participant was required to fill in detail. The

questionnaire had fixed responses based on the research questions which had the essential

measures and could be readily compared and computed at the end of the study. There were

limitations to this method as it had fixed responses and therefore it limited the feedback received

to a particular format.

Justification for the Questionnaire

Primary data will be collected using structured questionnaires which will be given to the

respondents by the researcher. This will be conducted in a question and answer setting in order to

obtain transparent information. The items will be written clearly and logically in order to allow the

respondents to easily understand them and give necessary feedback which will make statistical

sense.

Limitations of the Questionnaire

The validity is used to measures the extent to which differences found with a measuring

tool reflects actual differences which is variability among the respondents being evaluated. Face

validity was used by the researcher in order to ensure that the questionnaires were not very

elaborate and that the respondents were in a position to understand what was being asked by the

enumerator. The validity was determined by handing out the questionnaire to a few respondents to

assess their ability to read and answer what was being asked of them.
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 24

Reliability involves the consistency in results and is concerned with the margin of error,

confidence allowed in instruments. In order to establish excellent credibility, the researcher

previously carried out a pilot test with a number of respondents to ensure that the results were

consistent and the way in which the questionnaire was being answered had a logical flow. This

allowed the researcher to make the necessary adjustments to the questionnaire before it was issued

to a more significant sample of respondents. The pilot data was included in the actual study.

The research design: Quantitative method

Descriptive statistics model will be used to measure the success of project management

techniques in managing change and, the extent to which the methods and approaches can be used

to manage change among SMEs. The model will be broken down into the measures of central

tendency, which include meaning, mode, and median, and these measures will be used to describe

the results of the study.

Criticism of quantitative research methods

Quantitative research would only focus on the measures of central tendency giving some

numerical findings only without delving deeper into the issues that may have resulted in changing

experienced by SMEs when using project management tools. Therefore, a qualitative approach

will have facilitated the exploration of the phenomenon of project management tools in effecting

growth in SMEs in a natural setting because of the concern for context, and to maintain openness

about what was observed, and collected in order to avoid missing something important.

Ethical Considerations

The researcher ensured ethics remained of great importance throughout the study.

Following the methods as specified in this chapter was crucial in ensuring the validity and

reliability of the study. The informed consent form was read to each participant to ensure
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 25

understanding prior to undertaking the interview. The risks to human subjects that was associated

with this study were very minimal. All respondents were over 18 years of age and did not indicate

any signs of any impairment in their mental state, as determined by their ability to perform the

positions that they hold in the different SMEs picked in the study. Meeting these requirements

qualified them as respondents in this study. Following approval by the research committee,

minimizing any foreseen risks relating to confidentiality was a go-ahead to undertaking the survey.

Chapter Summary

The chapter presents the research methodology that was used for this study. The section

covers research design, population and sampling design, data collection methods, research

procedures, data analysis methods. The next chapter presents the results and findings of the study.
EFFICIENCY PROJECT MANAGEMENT 26

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