Web Based Project Coaching: Requirements, Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Online Coaching Services

335 Pages·2013·4.441 MB·English

by  Yuriy Taranovych (auth.)

Informationsmanagement
und Computer Aided Team
Herausgegeben von
H. Krcmar, München, Deutschland
Die Schriftenreihe präsentiert Ergebnisse der betriebswirtschaftlichen Forschung im
Themenfeld der Wirtschaftsinformatik. Das Zusammenwirken von Informations-
und Kommunikationstechnologien mit Wettbewerb, Organisation und Menschen
wird von umfassenden Änderungen gekennzeichnet. Die Schriftenreihe greift diese
Fragen auf und stellt neue Erkenntnisse aus Theorie und Praxis sowie anwendungs-
orientierte Konzepte und Modelle zur Diskussion.
Herausgegeben von
Professor Dr. Helmut Krcmar
Technische Universität München,
Deutschland
Yuriy Taranovych
Web Based Project
Coaching
Requirements, Design, Implemen-
tation and Evaluation of Online
Coaching Services
Foreword by Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar
Yuriy Taranovych
Munich, Germany
TUM School of Management Munich, Germany, 2011
ISBN 978-3-8349-3200-6 ISBN 978-3-8349-7066-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-8349-7066-4
Th e Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografi e;
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Foreword
Online or web based project coaching undoubtedly belongs to one of the developing research
fields for which the theoretical and empirical background is still insufficient. Particularly,
there is a need for theories, models and methods for systematic designing and providing
online coaching services in IT project management. Furthermore, there is minimal empirical
evidence on the effectiveness of web based project coaching in comparison with face-to-face
coaching interventions.
Web based project coaching opens many new opportunities for providing coaching services
as it can occur not only synchronously, but also asynchronously at more convenient times for
coaching participants and independent of their location. Coaching requests can be handled
much faster and coachees attain more transparency in choosing coaching services.
The work of Yuriy Taranovych comprises the design research. The research goal consisted
in finding a design of an artefact (platform) for providing online project coaching services,
implementing it and investigating it in a real environment while coaching a number of IT
projects. The design of the project coaching platform is based, on the one hand, on the solid
theoretical background including coaching, project management and computer-mediated
theories and, on the other hand, on the valuable experience and feedback of the real coaches
and project managers involved in the research process. The design process consisted of the
three iterations. The result of each iteration was a demonstration prototype or a pilot system,
which was investigated in a real environment by applying the designed and developed system
for coaching a number of real IT projects. Based on experiences gained from the practical
application of the platform in the real environment, the design recommendations for
implementing web based project coaching systems have been derived.
The work originated at the Chair for Information Systems of the Technische Universität
München in the frame of the research project WebCo@ch sponsored by BMBF
(Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung). The work makes its contribution to the
theory, research and practice of online project coaching. I hope and wish that this work will
gain a broad awareness among readers.

Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar
Preface
The traditional project coaching mostly takes place in a number of face-to-face coaching
sessions. However, under conditions of time pressure in IT projects, a physical presence of
coaches could form a bottleneck. These facts led to the idea of using Internet technologies to
support the project coaching. The benefits of the web based project coaching reside in the
ubiquitous availability of coaches. To enable the web coaching, a flexible support platform is
required. The elaboration of requirements, design, implementation and evaluation of such a
platform is the goal of this dissertation. The elaborated concept was applied and evaluated in
real IT projects. The numerous findings and implications could be gained on the empirical
basis.
Hereby I would like to thank everyone who supervised, advised and supported me during
my long dissertation way starting from the idea until its implementation and gaining practical
experience.
I am deeply grateful to my dissertation supervisor Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar for his
supervision, helpful advice and scientific insights guiding me to the completion of this thesis.
Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar made numerous suggestions on how to improve this work. Without
his input many issues would not have been considered. All remaining errors are of course my
own. I was lucky to have Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar as my supervisor.
I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Johann Schlichter for his second opinion to the thesis and
Prof. Dr. Florian Matthes for chairing the examination committee.
Special thanks go to my chair colleagues Simone Rudolph, Claudia Foerster, Markus
Junginger and Matthias Baume with whom I had an honor to collaborate, to brainstorm and to
discuss and who motivated me and verified my concepts and ideas.
I would like to thank all project partners, coaches, coachees, colleagues, students and my
friends. Without your help, your support, your beliefs, your inputs, your critical opinions,
your implementations and your verifications this work could not have been realized.
And of course I have received a lot of support from my parents. Their strong appreciation
for science, their fostering of my interests, especially in information systems, at a young age
and their support, not only during these past years, made this thesis possible. And last but not
least, I would like to thank my younger brother who is always by my side in every situation.
Thank you very much!

Yuriy Taranovych
Table of Contents
Foreword ................................................................................................................................... V
Preface ..................................................................................................................................... VII
List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... XVII
List of Tables ......................................................................................................................... XXI
List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... XXV
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1
1.1 Motivation .................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Goal ............................................................................................................................ 1
1.3 Vision ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.4 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 2
1.5 Research Methodology ............................................................................................... 3
1.5.1 Information Systems Research Framework ....................................................... 4
1.5.2 Application of The IS Research Rramework ..................................................... 6
1.6 Work Structure ........................................................................................................... 6
2 Prior Research .................................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Coaching ................................................................................................................... 10
2.1.1 Definition ......................................................................................................... 10
2.1.2 Coaching Stakeholders ..................................................................................... 13
2.1.3 Motivation for Coaching .................................................................................. 14
2.1.4 Assessing The Need for Coaching ................................................................... 15
2.1.5 Coach Profile .................................................................................................... 16
2.1.6 Selecting Coaches ............................................................................................ 19
2.1.7 Matching The Right Coach .............................................................................. 22
2.1.8 Coaching Process ............................................................................................. 23
2.1.9 Coaching Types ................................................................................................ 24
2.1.9.1 Individual Coaching ..................................................................................... 25
2.1.9.2 Team (Group) Coaching ............................................................................... 25
2.1.9.3 Performance Coaching ................................................................................. 25
2.1.9.4 Skills Coaching ............................................................................................ 25
2.1.9.5 Executive Coaching ...................................................................................... 26
2.1.9.6 Life/Personal Coaching ................................................................................ 26
2.1.9.7 Business Coaching ....................................................................................... 26
2.1.9.8 Management Coaching ................................................................................. 26
2.1.9.9 Leadership Coaching .................................................................................... 27
2.1.9.10 Career Coaching ........................................................................................... 27
2.1.9.11 Project Coaching .......................................................................................... 27
2.1.9.12 Conflict Coaching ........................................................................................ 28
2.1.9.13 Telephone Coaching ..................................................................................... 28
2.1.9.14 Online Coaching ........................................................................................... 28
X Table of Contents
2.1.10 Success Factors of Coaching ............................................................................ 28
2.1.11 Coaching Techniques and Tools ...................................................................... 30
2.1.11.1 Time Management Techniques and Tools ................................................... 31
2.1.11.2 Stress Management Techniques and Tools .................................................. 32
2.1.11.3 Information Skills Techniques and Tools .................................................... 33
2.1.11.4 Communication Skills Techniques and Tools .............................................. 33
2.1.11.5 Leadership Skills Techniques and Tools ...................................................... 35
2.1.11.6 Problem Solving Techniques and Tools ....................................................... 36
2.1.11.7 Decision Making Techniques and Tools ...................................................... 38
2.1.11.8 Creativity Techniques and Tools .................................................................. 39
2.2 Project Management ................................................................................................. 40
2.2.1 Definitions ........................................................................................................ 40
2.2.1.1 Project ........................................................................................................... 40
2.2.1.2 Project Management ..................................................................................... 41
2.2.1.3 Project Stakeholders ..................................................................................... 42
2.2.2 Project Development Process ........................................................................... 43
2.2.2.1 Initiation ....................................................................................................... 43
2.2.2.2 Planning ........................................................................................................ 44
2.2.2.3 Executing ...................................................................................................... 44
2.2.2.4 Monitoring and Controlling ......................................................................... 44
2.2.2.5 Closing ......................................................................................................... 45
2.2.3 Project Management Standards and Practices .................................................. 45
2.2.4 Project Management Body of Knowledge ....................................................... 46
2.2.4.1 Project Management Process Groups and Their Processes .......................... 48
2.2.4.2 Process Group “Initiating” ........................................................................... 48
2.2.4.3 Process Group “Planning” ............................................................................ 49
2.2.4.4 Process Group “Executing” .......................................................................... 50
2.2.4.5 Process Group “Controlling and Monitoring” ............................................. 51
2.2.4.6 Project Group “Closing” .............................................................................. 52
2.2.4.7 Project Management Knowledge Areas ....................................................... 52
2.2.4.8 Project Management Process Mapping ........................................................ 55
2.2.5 Six Sigma ......................................................................................................... 55
2.2.5.1 Project Scope ................................................................................................ 57
2.2.5.2 Understand Current Situation ....................................................................... 61
2.2.5.3 Analysis and Solution Generation ................................................................ 64
2.2.5.4 Implement and Control ................................................................................. 69
2.2.6 Project Management Office (PMO) ................................................................. 71
2.3 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Groupware ........................................ 73
2.3.1 Definitions, Goals and Application .................................................................. 74
2.3.2 Classification of CSCW Systems ..................................................................... 74
2.3.2.1 Time Space Taxonomy ................................................................................. 75
Table of Contents XI
2.3.2.2 Application Level Classification .................................................................. 76
2.3.2.3 Classification According to 3C Model ......................................................... 80
2.3.3 Design of CSCW Systems ................................................................................ 80
2.3.3.1 Requirements ................................................................................................ 82
2.3.3.2 Design ........................................................................................................... 84
2.3.3.3 Deployment and Adoption ........................................................................... 88
2.3.4 Architectures of CSCW Systems ..................................................................... 89
2.3.4.1 Application Scheme ..................................................................................... 90
2.3.4.2 Basic Distribution Types .............................................................................. 91
2.4 Theories of Computer-Mediated Communication and Cooperation ........................ 92
2.4.1 Media Choice Theories .................................................................................... 92
2.4.1.1 Rational-Choice Theories ............................................................................. 94
2.4.1.2 Normative Media Choice Theories ............................................................ 103
2.4.1.3 Interpersonal Media Choice Theory ........................................................... 104
2.4.2 Media Characteristics Theories ...................................................................... 105
2.4.2.1 Channel Reduction Theory ......................................................................... 105
2.4.2.2 Cues-Filtered-Out Theory .......................................................................... 106
2.4.2.3 Information Theory .................................................................................... 108
2.4.3 Theories of Computer-Mediated Communication Behaviour ........................ 108
2.4.3.1 Social Information Processing Theory ....................................................... 108
2.4.3.2 Social Identity Model of Deindividuation Effects ..................................... 109
2.5 E-Coaching ............................................................................................................. 110
2.5.1 Definition ....................................................................................................... 110
2.5.2 E-Coaching Research ..................................................................................... 112
2.5.3 E-Coaching Opportunities .............................................................................. 112
2.5.4 E-Coaching Threats ........................................................................................ 113
2.5.5 E-Coaching Model ......................................................................................... 114
2.5.6 E-Coach Profile .............................................................................................. 115
2.5.7 E-Coaching Best Practices ............................................................................. 118
2.5.8 Overview of Existing E-Coaching Services ................................................... 119
2.6 Summary ................................................................................................................ 121
3 Development Process ..................................................................................................... 123
3.1 Selecting Development Process ............................................................................. 123
3.2 Community Platform Engineering Process (CoPEP) ............................................. 124
3.3 Summary ................................................................................................................ 125
4 Requirements .................................................................................................................. 127
4.1 Requirement Analysis Model ................................................................................. 127
4.2 Functional Requirements ........................................................................................ 129
4.2.1 Use Case “Coaching” ..................................................................................... 130
4.2.2 Use Case “Perception” ................................................................................... 131
4.2.2.1 Task Analysis ............................................................................................. 131