Project success depends, largely, on the human side.Success in motivating project workers, organizing and leading project teams, communication and sharing information, and conflict resolution, are just a few areas that are critical for project success. However, being primarily technical people, many project managers tend to neglect these "soft" issues, assuming they are less important or that they should be addressed by direct functional managers. The purpose of this course is to increase awareness of project managers to the critical issues of managing people and to present some of the theories and practices of leading project workers and teams.
This course introduces students to the social science techniques and change interventions used to improve organizational effectiveness and enhance the personal development of individuals. Special emphasis is given to the application of systems theory for diagnosing and planning change efforts at the organizational, group, and individual levels. Relationships between organization development and broader issues such as strategic planning and environmental contingencies are also stressed. The efficacy of organization development initiatives is also critically considered, as are the challenges posed in trying to simultaneously improve an organization’s performance while also helping it to be more responsive to the interests and needs of its members.
Organization scientists generally think of organizations as being comprised of three levels of analysis: the individual, the group or department, and the organization itself. Using a systems perspective, this course focuses on the group and interpersonal factors accompanying an organization's operation. Topics covered include understanding organizations as structured systems, individual differences and performance, group dynamics and performance, learning, motivation, leadership, and principles of communication particularly as they relate to decision-making and conflict management.
Organization scientists generally think of organizations as being comprised of three levels of analysis: the individual, the group or department, and the organization itself. This course focuses on the problems and challenges managers face in dealing with the organization as a whole and the interrelationships between organization groups. Specific issues and problems which are covered include: the relationship of the organization with the external environment; the influence of the organization’s strategies, size, and production technology on the organization’s design; and strategies for managing organizational processes such as conflict, culture, and change.
Research & Education
Research
Project and team performance: the role played by personal style and culture. Implications are for identifying levers available to the project leader to alter culture and motivate workers, and how they affect success in project-based work.
Education
Ph.D. (Applied Psychology), Stevens Institute of Technology
B.A. (Behavioral Sciences) Ben-Gurion University, Israel
Experience & Service
Institutional Service
Heath Lecture Series, lead, 2013 - present.
Head, Institute Review Board – committee on ethical standards in research 2007-2012.
Advisor to Lockheed Martin students.
School Committee on Committees, head 2002 – 2004.
General Information
Zvi H. Aronson has developed and taught courses in the human side of project leadership, organizational behavior and change and development. He is the co-coordinator for the project leadership course. Zvi has two areas of research. One area relates to the role of personal style in project leader and team performance. The other area of research is project culture and the role that it plays in project success. His work appears in several journals including, R & D Management, the International Journal of Selection and Assessment, the Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, and in several book chapters. Zvi also serves as a reviewer for R & D Management and the Journal of Engineering and Technology Management. Prior to joining Stevens faculty, he was employed at Bakara Ltd., Israel, where he conducted research in the areas of training and selection, and provided software instruction to clients.
Achievements & Professional Societies
Honors & Awards
Outstanding Research Award, Howe School of Technology Management, 2008-2009
Outstanding Research Award, Howe School of Technology Management, 2006-2007.
Outstanding Research Award, Howe School of Technology Management, 2004-2005.
Professional Societies
Academy of Management
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
American Psychological Society
Grants, Contracts & Funds
Contextual performance. From the Academy of Management. Z. H. Aronson
The human side of project management. From the Project Management Institute. R. R. Reilly, A.J. Shenhar, Z. H. Aronson, P. Dominick. T. Lechler et. al.
Interagency cooperation in port security: Organizational behavior. From the Smith Richardson Foundation. R. R. Reilly, K. Sobel Lojeski, Z. H. Aronson.
Contextual aspects of project performance.Howe School Alliance for Technology Management, Stevens Institute of Technology. Z. H. Aronson.
The effects of project manager leadership behavior on team performance. From the Center for Technology Management Research, Dominick, Lechler, Aronson
Selected Publications
Journals
Aronson, Z.H., Shenhar, A., Patanakul, P.(2013). Managing the intangible aspects of a project: The affect of vision, artifacts and leader values on project spirit and success in technology-driven projects. Project Management Journal, 44, 1, 35 - 58.
Patanakul, P., Aronson, Z.H. (2012). "Managing a group of multiple projects: Do culture and leader’s competencies matter?", Journal of Knowledge Economy 3: 2, 217-232.
Aronson, Z.H., Shenhar, A., Reilly, R. 2010. "Project Spirit: Placing Project Partakers' Emotions, Attitudes and Norms in the Context of Project Vision, Artifacts, Leader Values, Contextual Performance and Success, Journal of High Technology Management, 21,2–13.".
Aronson, ZH, Lechler, T (2009). "Contributing beyond the call of duty: The role of culture infostering citizenship and success in project-based work", R & D Management, 39, 5, 461-480.
Aronson, Z.H. Reilly, R.R., Lynn, G. S.. (2008). "The role of leader personality in new product development success: An examination of teams developing radical and incremental innovations.", International Journal of Technology Management, 1/2, 5-27, (44).
Aronson, Z.H.. Reilly, R. Lynn, G. (2006). "The impact of leader personality on NPD teamwork and performance: The moderating role of uncertainty.", Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 23 221-247.
Aronson, Z.H., Reilly, R.R.. (2006). "Personality Validity: The role of schemas and motivated reasoning.", International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 14 (4).
Holahan, P. Aronson, Z.H., Schoorman, D., Jurkat, P.. (2004). "Implementing computer technology: A multi-organizational test of Klein and Sorra's model", Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, (21), 31-50.
Dominick, P., Sheppard, K. Aronson, Z.H.. (2004). "Preparing engineering students for the new business paradigm of international teamwork and global orientation", The International Journal of Engineering Education, 3 (20), 475 – 483.
Reilly, R.R, Lynn, G.S., Aronson, Z.H.. (2002). "The role of personality in new product development team performance", Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, (19), 39 – 58.
Books
Amazon, C., Aronson, Z.H., Dominick, P. Holahan, P., Lechler, T., Mooney, A., Reilly, R.R., Shenhar, A.J.. (2007). Human Side of Project Leadership., Project Management Institute, INC, Newton Square, PA.
Book Chapters
Reilly, R.R., Aronson, Z.H. (2009). "Managing Contextual Performance", Performance Management: Putting Research into Practice. , James W. Smither and Manuel London.
Aronson, Z.H., Reilly, R.R., Shenhar, A. J (2007). "Project Spirit the building blocks of inspiration", Research Frontiers in: Linking project management to business strategy., Aaron J. Shenhar’s, Project Management Institute. INC, Newton Square, PA.
Shenhar, A. J., Aronson, Z.H. and Reilly, R. R. (2007). "Project spirit and its impact on project success", The Human Side of Project Management., R.R. Reilly, Project Management Institute, INC, Newton Square, PA.
Dominick, P.G, Aronson, Z.H. and Lechler,T.G.. (2007). "Transformational leadership and project success", The Human Side of Project Management, R.R. Reilly, Project Management Institute, INC, Newton Square, PA.
Conference Proceedings
Dominick, P.G., Aronson, Z.H. (2013, Jul). "Exhibiting Leadership and Facilitation Behaviors in Project-Based Work: Does Team Personal Style Composition Matter? Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, San Jose, CA".
Aronson, Z.H., Patanakul, P., Rohmeyer, P. (2012). "Managing the intangible aspects of a project: Qualitative and quantitative evidence on the affect of vision, artifacts and leader values on contextual performance and success in technology projects", Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, Vancouver, Canada.
Gavito, Factor-Lepore, Verma, Pennotti, Robinson, Giffin, Murphy, Guth, Dominick, Wiley, Aronson, et al. (2011). "Developing the next generation of space technical leaders", International Astronautical Congress, Space Education Symposium, South Africa.
Patanakul, P., Aronson, Z.H. (2010). "Does Team Culture Matter? An Empirical Study in Multiple-Project Management Settings.", Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, Bankok, Thailand. .
Aronson, Z.H., Khetani, H., Curtis, A.. (2009). "Project management in a global environment", Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, Portland, OR.
Aronson, Z.H. Reilly, R.R., Shenhar, A.J. (2008). "Placing project partakers' emotions, attitudes and norms in the context of project vision, artifacts, leader values, contextual performance and success.", Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, Cape Town, South Africa.
Aronson, Z.H., Shenhar, A.J. & Reilly, R.R.. (2007). "Project spirit expression-components, building-blocks and impact on success: Managing spirit.", Academy of Management Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Aronson, Z. H. (2006). "Antecedents and consequences of project team potency: An investigation of the role of project team culture in the development of project team potency.", Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, Istanbul, Turkey. .
Aronson, Z.H., Lechler, T.G.. (2006). "Culture validity: The co-existence and role of adaptive and un-adaptive cultures in project success.", Academy of Management Conference, Atlanta, GA. .
Aronson, Z. H., Lechler, T. (2005). "Project Morale: A multi-faceted construct and its link with project success", Academy of Management Conference, Hawaii.
Aronson, Z. H., Reilly, R.R., Lynn, G. (2005). "The impact of leader personality on NPD teamwork and performance: The moderating role of uncertainty.", Academy of Management Conference, Hawaii.
Dominick, P., Lechler T. Aronson, Z.. (2005). "Understanding Project leader effectiveness: Is it the person or the position?", Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, Portland, OR. .
Aronson, Z.H., Reilly, R.R.. (2005). "Personality validity: The role of schemas and motivated reasoning.", Society For Industrial Organizational Psychology Conference, Los Angeles , CA. .
Aronson, Z.H., Reilly, R.R.,Lynn, G.. (2004). "The role of leader personality in new product development team success", Academy of Management Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Holahan, P.J., Mooney, A.C., Aronson, Z.H.. (2004). "Conflict, decision outcomes and project team performance.", Academy of Management Conference, New Orleans, LA. .
Aronson, Z.H., Lechler T., Dominick, P.. (2004). "The influence of project team culture on project success", Society for Industrial Organizational Psychology Conference, Chicago, Il.
Dominick, P. Lechler T., Aronson, Z.H.. (2004). "Project Leadership in Context: Balancing Transactional and Transformational Leadership", IEEE, International Engineering Management Conference: Managing Technologically Driven Organizations: "The Human Side of Innovation and Change" Albany, New York.
K. Sheppard, G. Korfiatis, S. Manoochehri, J. Nastasi, K. Pochiraju, McGrath, E. &. Dominick, P. Aronson, Z.H.. (2004). "Preparing Engineering Students for the International Virtual Workplace", ITHET, 5th International Conference on Information Technology Based Higher Education and Training, Istanbul , Turkey.
Aronson, Z. H., Reilly, R.. (2004). "The validity of situationally framed personality ratings: An examination of self and peer ratings. ", Institute for Behavioral and Applied Management 14th Conference (IBAM) October, Providence, RI. .
Aronson, Z., Lechler, T.. (2003). "Project success: The role of project morale. ", Society For Industrial Organizational Psychology Conference, Orlando Fl.
Reilly, R.R., Lynn, G., Aronson, Z.H.. (2003). "New product development team performance: The role of team member personality", Academy of Management Conference, Seattle, WA.
Dominick, P. Lechler T., Aronson, Z.H.. (2003). "Project leadership in context: Balancing transactional and transformational leadership", Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology, Portland, OR. .
Dominick, P. Sheppard, K., Aronson, Z..H.. (2003). "Preparing engineering students for the new business paradigm of international teamwork and global orientation", “Enhancement of the Global Perspective for Engineering Students by Providing an International Experience”, Tomar, Portugal, April 6-11 2003, Joint Meeting of Engineering Conferences International, E4, Thematic Network, and Socrates II.
Aronson, Z. H., Reilly, R.. (2003). "Personal style and globalization", Institute for Behavioral and Applied Management Conference (IBAM) October, Tampa, Florida. .
Holahan, P., J. Aronson, Z.H., Schoorman, D.. (2002). "Implementing computer technology: A field test and an extension of Klein and Sora’s model", Academy of Management Conference, Denver.
Aronson, Z.H., Lechler, T., Reilly, R.R., Shenhar, A.. (2001). "Project Spirit: A Strategic Concept. Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology", Portland, OR. Proceedings: Technology Management in the Knowledge Era. Kocaoglu, Anderson, 539.
Report
Reilly, R.R., Aronson, Z.H., Sobel Lojeski, K.. (2004). "Interagency Cooperation in Port Security: Organizational Behavior. In, Securing the port of New York and New Jersey: Network-centric operations applied to the campaign against terrorism".
Dominick, P., Lechler T. Aronson, Z. H.. (2004). "Project Characteristics and Project Leadership: Understanding Sources of Uncertainty in Project-Based work", Current Issues in Technology Management. SATM, 8 (3).
Dominick P., Lechler T., Aronson, Z. H.. (2002). "Situational Project Leadership: Balancing Transactional with Transformational Approaches", Stevens Alliance for Technology Management.
