Project Management in MNC's

Master 2023/2024

Type: Elective course (Master in International Management)

Area of studies: Management

Delivered by: Department of Strategic and International Management

Where: HSE Graduate School of Business

When: 2 year, 1 module

Mode of studies: offline

Open to: students of all HSE University campuses

Instructors: Anna Yuryevna Yakovleva

Master’s programme: Международный менеджмент

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 24

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

The course Project Management in International Companies introduces students to the fundamental principles and contemporary practices of project management in multinational environments. It aims to equip students with both conceptual understanding and practical tools for initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and closing projects that involve multiple countries, partners, and cultures. The course emphasizes the integration of project management methodologies, such as those defined in the PMBOK, ISO 21500, PRINCE2 with the realities of global business and international cooperation. By studying theoretical frameworks and real-life cases, students learn to approach projects as strategic instruments for achieving organizational goals and implementing corporate strategies in dynamic global markets. The course combines lectures and seminars in a logical sequence that follows the life cycle of a project and the PMBOK knowledge areas. Lectures introduce key concepts, frameworks, and standards, while seminars are focused on case studies, group discussions, and practical exercises that simulate the work of international project teams. The first part of the course addresses the global environment of projects, cultural and organizational factors, and the role of stakeholders in international settings. The central part focuses on integration, scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, and communication management, demonstrating how these areas interact in real-world project scenarios. The final part examines advanced topics such as risk management, procurement and tendering under international standards (including FIDIC), and value engineering as a means to maximize project effectiveness. Through the combination of conceptual study and applied exercises, students develop both the analytical and interpersonal skills required for managing global projects. By the end of the course, participants will be able to define project objectives, plan and organize work breakdown structures, allocate resources, coordinate multicultural teams, and apply communication and control mechanisms ensuring effective project delivery. Practical assignments and teamwork serve as continuous assessment tools culminating in the final examination. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to apply structured project management tools, coordinate multicultural project teams, and deliver outcomes that align with corporate strategies of international organizations.

Learning Objectives

The objective of the course is to build students’ ability to manage projects in international environments where complexity arises from cultural diversity, geographic dispersion, and differences in organizational practices. The course aims to develop a systematic understanding of how global projects are initiated, planned, executed, and controlled within multinational companies. It focuses on integrating project management methodologies with the realities of international business, strategic alignment, and cross-cultural collaboration. Students will enhance their competence in applying PMBOK-based tools to the context of global projects, designing project structures adapted to international constraints, and leading distributed teams. The course also contributes to the development of analytical, communicative, and leadership skills essential for coordinating stakeholders and achieving strategic objectives in multinational settings.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Know how to identify international projects and international programs, know the differences between local projects and programs
Know the key characteristics of international projects and programs
Be aware of the project management standards used in international project management
Know core knowledge areas applied in international project management
Know how to apply methods that improve team collaboration and interaction with stakeholders
Be able to organize and manage project communications in an international company
To know how incorporate skills in trust creation and conflict resolution and how they affect the successful work of an international project
To study project planning methods in an international context
To know the specifics of adapting project methodology to international project management
To know the organizational issues of global project interactions
To be able to create project breakdown structures, adapted to international context
Know how members of virtual project teams can be involved in cooperation
Be able to assess the readiness of organization to launch projects in international context
Manage virtual multicultural project team
Learn how to evaluate the cultural intelligence that determines work in an international environment
Be able to create feedback strategies for managing the team of an international multicultural project

Course Contents

International Project Context and Environment
International project management knowledge areas
Communication in international projects
International Project Management integration processes
Cooperation in virtual teams of international projects

Assessment Elements

Activity and assignments
Individual class and homework: Activity and assignments. Activity on lectures and seminars - comments, answering questions, participation in discussions, inclass discussion of the case studies, working on the class assignments etc.
Case study
Case solution and presentation: reading and case analysis, presentaion of case problems revealed and their solution. Presentation should be uploaded ontime in LMS. After deadline the presentation can not be accepted.
Project
Creation of project plan documents and the presentation of the project information
Exam
Exam includes 2 parts: quiz (multiple choise questions) and open questions or case study (the choice of "open part" will be announced by the lecturer before the exam). It' s "closed-book" type of control.

Interim Assessment

2023/2024 1st module
0.1 * Activity and assignments + 0.2 * Case study + 0.3 * Exam + 0.4 * Project

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Binder, J. (2007). Global Project Management : Communication, Collaboration and Management Across Borders. Aldershot, England: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=269279
Effective virtual project teams: a design science approach to building a strategic momentum. (2019). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22228-4
Grit, R. (2019). Project Management : A Practical Approach (Vol. Fifth edition). Groningen: Noordhoff Uitgevers BV. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2281726

Recommended Additional Bibliography

A. O’Connor. (2010). Managing Economies, Trade and International Business. Palgrave Macmillan.
Agarici Corina, Scarlat Cezar, & Iorga Danuţ. (2020). Turning cross-cultural management conflict into collaboration: Indian and Romanian experiences in Global Project Teams. Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence, 14(1), 1024–1034. https://doi.org/10.2478/picbe-2020-0097
Ben Mahmoud-Jouini, S., Midler, C., & Silberzahn, P. (2016). Contributions of Design Thinking to Project Management in an Innovation Context. Project Management Journal, 47(2), 144–156. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.21577
Dumitraşcu-Băldău Iulia, & Dumitraşcu Dănuţ Dumitru. (2019). Intercultural Communication and its Challenges Within the International Virtual Project Team. MATEC Web of Conferences, 07005. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201929007005
Fossum, K. R., Binder, J. C., Madsen, T. K., Aarseth, W., & Andersen, B. (2019). Success factors in global project management:A study of practices in organizational support and the effects on cost and schedule. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMPB-09-2018-0182
Grant, A., Harvard Business Review Press, Groysberg, B., Katzenbach, J. R., & Meyer, E. (2019). HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Building a Great Culture (with Bonus Article “How to Build a Culture of Originality” by Adam Grant). Harvard Business Review Press.
Horine, G. (2017). Project Management Absolute Beginner’s Guide: Vol. Fourth edition. Que Publishing.
Janine Viol Hacker, Michael Johnson, Carol Saunders, & Amanda L. Thayer. (2019). Trust in Virtual Teams: A Multidisciplinary Review and Integration. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v23i0.1757
Khanna, T. (2014). Contextual Intelligence. Harvard Business Review, 92(9), 58–68. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=bsu&AN=97508941
Khanna, T. (2015). A Case for Contextual Intelligence. Management International Review (MIR), 55(2), 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-015-0241-z
Pace, M. (2019). A Correlational Study on Project Management Methodology and Project Success. Journal of Engineering, Project & Production Management, 9(2), 56–65. https://doi.org/10.2478/jeppm-2019-0007
Project Management Institute. (2019). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK(R) Guide-Sixth Edition / Agile Practice Guide Bundle (HINDI). [N.p.]: Project Management Institute. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2240462
Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition and The Standard for Project Management (ENGLISH): Vol. Seventh edition. Project Management Institute.
Shankar S., Muller R., Drouin N. Cambridge Handbook of Organizational Project Management, 2017. Режим доступа: http://library.books24x7.com/bookshelf.asp

Authors

Iakovleva ANNA Iurevna

Course Syllabus