Ke zne , H.; Ghyoo , V.
A icle
A c i ical compa ison o sys ems managemen and p ojec
managemen
Sou h A ican Jou nal o Business Managemen
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Uni e si y o S ellenbosch Business School (USB), Bell ille, Sou h A ica
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Ke zne , H.; Ghyoo , V. (1984) : A c i ical compa ison o sys ems managemen
and p ojec managemen , Sou h A ican Jou nal o Business Managemen , ISSN 2078-5976, A ican
Online Scien i ic In o ma ion Sys ems (AOSIS), Cape Town, Vol. 15, Iss. 2, pp. 80-84,
h ps://doi.o g/10.4102/sajbm. 15i2.1107
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h ps://hdl.handle.ne /10419/217854
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A
c i ical
compa ison
o
sys ems
managemen and
p ojec
managemen
H.
Ke zne
Baldwin-Wallace College, Ohio
V.
Ghyoo
Depa men o Business Economics, Uni e si y o Sou h A ica, P e o ia
Bo h sys ems managemen and p ojec managemen a e
discussed in dep h, a e which he simila i ies and di e ences
be ween he wo concep s a e lis ed.
S.
A . J. Bus. Mgm .
1984,
15:
80-84
Beide s elselbes uu
en
p ojekbes uu wo d
In
diep e besp eek,
waa na die oo eenkoms e
en
e skille ussen die wee
beg ippe gelys wo d.
S.-A . Tydsk . Bed y sl. 1984,
15:
80-
84
H.Ke me
Business Adminis a ion, Baldwin-Wallace College, Ohio
V.
Ghyoo *
Depanmen
o
Busines~ Economics, Uni e si y
o
Sou h A ica,
P.O.
Box
392,
P e o ia
0001,
Republic
o
Sou h A ica
*To whom co espondence should be add essed.
Accep ed Janua y 1984
In oduc ion
Du ing he pas se e al yea s, he e ha e
been
nume ous
pape s
published
on
bo h
p ojec managemen
and
sys ems manage-
men , wi h
he
wo ds used in e changeably.
The
sys ems ap-
p oach, iewed by
many
as
a way
o
hinking,
is
much mo e
han
a concep .
I
is a
me hod
o
echnique
o
analysis and
a manage ial s yle which is ope a ionalized.
The
s eng h
o
he sys ems app oach lies in i s iew
o
planning
and
imple-
men ing ac i i ies while eac ing
o
bo h
i s ex e nal and in e -
nal en i onmen s.
The
sys ems
app oach
uses eedback as a
majo
echnique
o
adjus ing p e ious goals
and
objec i es
wi hin
an
e e -changing en i onmen .
The
sys ems manage-
men s yle uses
an
objec i e
da a
base o analysis
o
compli-
men in ui ional
and
subjec i e
judgmen .
I is impo an o
ecognize he in eg a ed na u e
o
speci ic sys ems and o allow
he manage
o
ecognize
he
na u e
o
p oblems
and
ope a-
ions wi hin
he
en i onmen .
The sys ems concep
is
he
ecogni ion
ha
any o ganiza-
ion
in
a sys em
is
made
up
o
segmen s, each
o
which has
i s
own
goals. Managemen ecognizes
ha
o
achie e he
o e all goals
o
he
o ganiza ion,
he
en i e sys em mus
be
conside ed. Manage s mus seek
o
unde s and, quan i y and
measu e
he
in e ela ionships
and
in eg a e
hem
in a man-
ne which allows
he
o ganiza ion
o
pu sue i s o al goals and
objec i es. Some imes, a pa icula unc ional uni will ha e
o
choose a cou se
o
ac ion which
is
no
in i s own bes in-
e es , because i is ecognized
ha
in
some
cases wha
is
no
good o a segmen is e icien
o
bene icial o he whole.
The sys ems concep necessi a es he use
o
objec i e analysis
o
decision p oblems because
he
concep has a subs an ial
im-
pac
on
bo h
he
planning
and
he
execu i e unc ion
o
managemen .
The
o e all e ec i eness
o
he
o ganiza ion
is
he main objec i e.
The
sys ems app oach also allows -encou ages - he
dissec ion
o
a unc ion
o
p oblem
o
o ganism in o sub-
sys ems -essen ially elemen s.
By
so doing, a en ion
is
ocus-
ed
on
aspec s
o
he
si ua ion
(o
en i y)
ha
migh ha e e-
mained obscu ed. Such illumina ion causes be e solu ions
and/o
e alua ions.
Sys ems managemen deals p ima ily wi h execu ing deci-
sions wi hin
he
cons ain s
o
he
sys em's speci ica ions
and
o
ede ining decisions o applica ion
o
sys ems analysis.
Sys ems managemen is speci ically conce ned wi h di ec ing,
mo i a ing
and
con olling.
I
includes coo dina ion
and
in-
eg a ion necessa y
o
pull oge he a ious subsys ems
o
en-
su e o e all goal achie emen .
The
sys ems
iew
concei es
o
any
sys em
as
a complex
o
S.
A .
J. Bus. Mgm . 1984,
15(2)
in e ac ing and in e dependen pa s. One impo an concep
is
ha a chain
o
e ec s
is
p oduced by some ac ion on some
elemen
o
he sys em. These chains
o
e ec s should
be
aken
in o accoun
in
sys ems design, planning and decision making.
P ojec managemen
is
an in eg a o ole.
I
blends he ac-
ions
o
many di e se g oups in o a sys ema ic whole. This
is
why
i
is
he o ganiza ional s uc u e
o
he sys ems manage-
men app oach;
i
c ea es syne gism. In his sense, he p ojec
manage
is
uly a 'gene al sys ems manage ' bu wi h a limi ed
objec i e. In ac , he limi ed objec i e
is
he main cha ac e is ic
dis inguishing p ojec managemen om sys ems managemen .
P ojec objec i es a e ela i ely sho - e m
in
na u e, while
sys em objec i es co e he li e ime
o
he sys em, e en hough
hey may e en ually unde go con inual change.
The elemen s
o
p ojec managemen equi e ha cons ain s
be
ecognized and inco po a e a mul i-s ep p ocess ouching
on he ollowing elemen s:
(a) Clea de ini ion
o
goal
o
objec i e;
(b) ecogni ion
o
en i onmen al ac o s ha ac as cons ain s
o ha objec i e;
(c)
analysis
o
equi emen s
o
a i e a he objec i e;
(d) es ablishmen
o
al e na i e esou ces a ailable
o
sa is y
he equi emen s;
(e)
de ini ion
o
decision cons ain s used in e alua ing he
al e na i es;
( ) s udy
o
ade-o s
o
al e na i e choices agains he deci-
sion cons ain s;
(g) ac ion;
(h) eedback
o
esul s agains he o iginal objec i e;
(i)
adjus men
o
he sys em i he desi ed objec i es a e no
being sa is ied.
The sys ems app oach has been de ined as
'a
logical and
disciplined p ocess
o
p oblem sol ing'. This p ocess can be
applied a a ious le els
o
managemen hie a chy. A he
highes le el, sys ems managemen comes in o play, while a
he lowes le el, p ojec managemen
is
used.
Sys ems managemen add esses he p oblems
o
an o ganiza-
ion looking a he ' o al pic u e' e sus examina ion
o
he
indi idual componen . Sys em managemen a emp s o op-
imize he o ganiza ion's esou ces. This would include such
ac ics as he assignmen
o
he bes pe sonnel
o
he highes
p io i y asks, and he lowe quali y pe sonnel o lowe p io i y
asks. This hough p ocess
is
cen ed on he long- e m goals
and objec i es
o
a con inuing en i y.
Some people conside he sys ems app oach o managemen
as li le mo e han he applica ion
o
common sense, me ely
equi ing ha he o al p oblem be iden i ied and a acked
in
a sys ema ic manne . The solu ion may
lie
in
implemen ing
a p ojec managemen s uc u e. The p ojec manage can use
he sys ems app oach o sol e p oblems wi hin he con ines
o
he p ojec de ini ion. Toge he hese app oaches
o
p oblem-sol ing p o ide a manage wi h he capaci y
o
minimize h ea s and maximize oppo uni ies o he
o ganiza ion.
P ojec managemen deals wi h o ganizing
and
con olling
all ac i i ies in ol ed in achie ing a speci ic objec i e. Accom-
plishmen
o
his objec i e
is
he p ojec manage 's only con-
ce n. The p ojec manage
is
'supe -imposed' upon he unc-
ional o ganiza ion. He/she does no a emp o in e ace he
co po a e goals wi h he p ojec unless hey coincide. He/she
no mally con ols
no
esou ces and has limi ed, i no non-
exis ing, au ho i y.
A b ie compa ison
o
he wo e eals g ea simila i ies wi h
he majo di e ences being he ime du a ion
o
he ask, he
81
le el
wi hin he hie a chy, he p ocess and he use
o
he p o-
cess. The 'mea '
o
he compa ison
is
he p ocess. Sys ems
managemen in ol es s udying he en i onmen , o mula ing
objec i es o sa is y he needs
o
sol e he p oblems
o
he
o ganiza ion, and hen pe o ming he asks ha
will
ac-
complish he objec i es. P ojec managemen ·
is
a ool used
o pe o m he gi en ask. I in ol es he o ganizing and con-
olling
o
all ac i i ies in ol ed
in
he achie emen
o
a ce -
ain objec i e o ask.
All
companies should u ilize sys ems managemen , ye no
all
companies should use p ojec managemen . When he ask
o be accomplished
is
complex and he en i onmen
is
dynamic,
hen p ojec managemen should be used. Indus ies such as
de ence, cons uc ion and high- echnology enginee ing a e such
examples. Companies ha pe o m simple asks, whe he in
a s a ic o dynamic en i onmen , may no need o use p ojec
managemen .
Bo h sys ems managemen and p ojec managemen ac in
a limi ed and es ic ed way. 'Real' sys ems managemen and
p ojec managemen a e mo e in ol ed, mo e complex, and
mo e comp ehensi e han ela i ely simple illus a ions. They
equi e bo h a heo e ical and a p ac ical unde s anding. They
equi e con inuing men al and physical e o o s ay ab eas
o
changes
in
he ield. They a e ela ed concep s and p ac-
ices which o e a p omise
o
inc eased o ganiza ional e ec-
i eness and imp o ed indi idual
and
g oup p oduc i i y.
Compa ison
Mos business i ms oday a e s ill s uc u ed along he same
unc ional lines ha da e back o he
um
o
he cen u y. Un-
o una ely, his classic o ganiza ional s uc u e
is
no longe
adequa e
in
oday's en i onmen . The wo ld
is
expe iencing
change
in
almos e e y a ea. Technology
is
expanding a a apid
a e. The ma ke place
is
mo e compe i i e han e e . Go e n-
men
is
e e ywhe e wi h i s expanding egula ion.
All
o
his
c ea es an en i onmen which makes
i
e y di icul
o
e i-
cien ly and e ec i ely con ol he esou ces
in
a ypical business
i m.
Wha
is
needed
is
an o ganiza ional s uc u e designed o
cope wi h he en i onmen
o
oday and he u u e. Fo una e-
ly,
he ing edien s exis s o mee his challenge. The combina-
ion
o
he concep s
o
sys ems managemen and p ojec
managemen
will
enable a business i m o cope.
Sys ems managemen
is
gene ally conside ed an olde con-
cep han p ojec managemen . The ollowing a e some
highligh s
in
he his o y
o
sys ems managemen :
1951
-Ludwig on Be alan y, a biologis , desc ibed 'open
sys ems.' He iden i ied how specialis s in each sub-
sys em could
be
in eg a ed so as o ge a be e
unde s anding
o
he in e - ela ionships. 1
1956
-Kenne h Boulding iden i ied he communica ion
p oblems ha can occu du ing sys ems in eg a ion.2
1960's
-Johnson, Kas , and Rosenzweig w o e The Theo y
and Managemen
o
Sys ems which compa ed a
business o ganiza ion o a human body as ollows:3
• Skele al sys em,
• Muscle sys em -ope a ing line elemen s,
• Ci cula o y sys em -necessa y s a unc ions,
• Ne ous sys em - he communica ion sys em,
• B ain -senio managemen .
1960's -F anklin Moo e s a ed ha he low
o
esou ces
is
he basic o ce which iden i ied he dynamic na u e
o
he sys em.4
82
When sys ems heo y
is
applied o business, he esul
is
a
managemen echnique
which
can cu
ac OM
he many
unc-
ional
lines
-
such
as
inance, manu ac u ing, enginee ing,
and
ma ke ing -and s ill ca y ou he unc ions
o
managemen .
The
ollowing
a e
some
o
he many de ini ions
o
he
sys ems app oach:
(a)
A whole ha canno
be
aken apa wi hou
loss
o
i s
essen ial cha ac e is ics.
(b) An amalgama ion
o
all he pa s
o
science
in o an
in-
eg a ed whole.
(c)
No a
science
-bu ,
is
science
aken as a whole and ap-
plied
o he s udy
o
wholes.
(d)
Denies
he alue
o
he sepa a ion
o
science
and he
humani ies ( iews hese as wo
sides
o
he same coin).
(e)
Uses
open
sys ems
planning.
( )
Is
lexible.
(g) Encou ages 'wha
i .
(h) S a s
wi h
'wha is' and asks 'wha would I like hings
o be'.
(i) Fo ces he examina ion o :
(i) Cons ain s;
(ii) d i ing o ces;
(ib)
isk
and unce ain y.
P ojec managemen
is
ela i ely modem. While i exis ed
wen y
yea s
ago,
i s
applica ion
was
e y
na ow because
o
he lack
o
compu e echnology o con ol unc ions.
Basical-
ly,
i
was
la gely con ined o he Uni ed S a es Depa men
o
De ence
and con ac o s and cons uc ion companies.
Since
hose days, he concep
has
been
slowly
sp eading in o almos
all indus ies. The
ollowing
a e a
ew
highligh s
in
he his o y
o
p ojec managemen :
1963
-The o ganiza ion cha o TRW showed,
in
addi-
ion o he usual unc ional o ganiza ion, a p o-
g amme o ganiz.a ion consis ing
o
wo p og amme
o ices. The wo p og amme manage s epo ed
di ec ly o he p esiden
o
he company.5
1967
-W.C. Goggin, Boa d Chai man and Chie
Execu i e
O ice
o
Dow
Co ning,
ecognized
signs
o
di icul-
y
in
his
o ganiz.a ion and
began
a
se ies
o
changes
which
led
o a mul i-dimensional p ojec manage-
men o ganiza ional s uc u e.6
1967
-C.J. Middle on conduc ed a su ey
o
co po a ions
o
es ablish
he
ad an ages
and
disad an ages
o
p o-
jec managemen and
how
o se up an o ganiza ion
using p ojec managemen . 7
The ollowing a e some
o
he many de ini ions
o
p ojec
managemen :
(a)
The
di ec ing
and con olling
o
a
ela i ely
sho e m
p o-
jec o sys ems o ien ed o ganiza ion wi h unc ional pe -
sonnel
assigned
as
equi ed o he comple ion
o
speci ic
goals.
{b)
Based
on ' wo-handed' con ol
in
which
he ask espon-
sibili y
is
he p ojec manage 's bu he adminis a i e
esponsibili y belongs o he unc ional manage .
(c)
A
collec ion
o
ools and echniques by
which
ac i i ies
can
be
in eg a ed h oughou an
o ganiz.a ion
- ega dless
o
he o ganiz.a ional
siz.e
o p ojec complexi y.
(d) A empo a y managemen
sys em
which
can espond
apidly o an e e changing si ua ion.
(e)
The planning, scheduling, di ec ing, and con olling
o
company
esou ces
o
a
ela i ely
sho e m p ojec
which
has
been
es ablished o he comple ion
o
speci ic goals
and
objec i es.
S.-A . Tyd~k . Bed yl l. 1984,
15(21
P ojec managemen
is
no wi hou
i s
aul s. One
o
he
causes
o
p oblems
in
a
business
i m
ha
uses
p ojec
manage-
men
is
he di e ence
in
he
success
c i e ia
used
by
unc ional
manage s and
by
p ojec manage s. A p oduc ion manage ,
o example,
is
conce ned wi h p oducing he p oduc
a
minimum cos and maximum e iciency ( iming
is
less
impo -
an han he ac ual cos ). An enginee ing manage
is
conce ned
wi h
scheduling
his
comple e
se
o
ac i i ies while keeping
his
people wo king e icien ly. Mos unc ional manage s ha e a
consis en app oach o any ask. This
is
known
as
hei
'managemen s yle'.
To a p ojec manage , he
success
o
a p ojec
is
he
c i e ion
agains
which
he
will
be
measu ed. His managemen
s yle
is
dic a ed by he p ojec li e
cycle
and
is
di e en om ha
o
he unc ional manage . Fo example,
in
he planning
s ages
he
mus exhibi a suppo i e o coope a i e s yle. La e ,
in
he
p oduc ion s age,
he
mus be mo e di ec i e
i
he
is
o
mee
speci ic ime-cos cons ain s. Du ing p ojec phase-ou ,
he
should e e o a suppo i e s yle.
A p ojec manage mus be a gene alis . He can be com-
pa ed o an independen en ep eneu . He has o:
(a)
Plan wha o do and when o do i .
(b)
Rec ui
his
own
eam.
(c)
P epa e a quo a ion on he job.
(d) Design he p oduc .
(e)
Make
i .
( )
Deli e
i .
(g)
Dissol e
his
o ganiz.a ion.
Du ing p ojec s, con lic s de elop a he p ojec / unc ional
in-
e ace because he bounda y be ween he oles
o
he p ojec
manage and he unc ional manage
is
no always clea ly
de ined. The ollowing de ine he ela ionship. 8
(a) P ojec Manage :
(i)
Wha
is
o
be
done?
(ii) When will he
ask
be
done?
(iii) Why
will
he ask be done?
(i )
How much money
is
a ailable o do he ask?
( )
How
well
has he o al p ojec been done?
(b)
Func ional Manage :
(i)
Who will do he ask?
(ii) Whe e will he ask be done?
(iii) How will he ask
be
done?
(i )
How
well
has he unc ional inpu been in eg a ed in o
he p ojec ?
Slmlla les
and
di e ences
By
now he eade
is
p obably ho oughly con used conce n-
ing he
simila i ies
and di e ences
be ween
p ojec and
sys ems
managemen . Ten yea s ago, p ojec managemen
was
con-
side ed
as
a majo 'subse '
o
sys ems managemen , whe eas
oday he si ua ion appea s o be e e sed. Ye , ega dless
o
which
way
one looks a hese wo app oaches, he e
a e
de ini e
simila i ies:
• Bo h conside he impac
o
he ex e nal and in e nal
o ganiz.a ion.
•
Bo h
equi e o ganiza ional lexibili y.
• Bo h equi e pe o mance measu emen echniques.
• Bo h ecognize li e
cycle
in luences.
• Bo h equi e he use
o
managemen p inciples and
unc ions.
• Bo h ecognize he need o sys ems modelling.
• Bo h a e esponsi e o apidly changing en i onmen s.
• Bo h equi e he need o a ' eam app oach'
o
p oblem-
sol ing, planning and execu ion.
S. A . J. Bus. Mgm . 1984,
15(2)
• Bo h y o ha monize con lic ing objec i es.
• Bo h y o achie e o e all (sys em/p ojec ) e ec i eness.
• Bo h may sac i ice o he goals o ob ain eal goals.
• Bo h u ilize in o ma ion sys ems.
• Bo h in eg a e se e al unc ional componen s.
• Bo h se goals, alloca e esou ces and con ol pe onnance.
• Bo h ha e con ol and eedback mechanisms.
• Bo h ha e inpu , p ocessing, and ou pu .
• Bo h p omo e good wo king ela ionships be ween
pe sonnel.
• Bo h equi e au ho i y, esponsibili y and accoun abili y.
• Bo h ha e in eg a ed planning and con ol sys ems.
• Bo h s ess lexibili y.
• Bo h sol e p oblems by looking
a
he o al pic u e a he
han 'indi idual' componen s.
• Bo h in eg a e and uni y scien i ic in o ma ion
~
se e al
ields
o
knowledge.
• Bo h encou age ac i e coope a ion om employees.
• Bo h keep people in o med and sa is ied by aligning mo i es
wi h objec i es (pe sonal and co po a e).
•
Bo h
help people
o
de elop.
• Bo h help people o sol e pe sonal and p o essional
p oblems.
The abo e lis
o
simila i ies
is
imp essi e
i
we look
a
he
mac o
le els
o
p ojec and sys ems managemen . On he mic o
le el, howe e , he e a e majo di e ences. Fo example, on
he mac o le el, bo h p ojec s and sys ems end o ha e
well-
de ined goals and objec i es.
On
he mic o-le el, sys ems goals
a e aligned o he o al company whe eas p ojec goals and
objec i es a e unique o he p ojec , hus c ea ing con lic . The
ollowing lis iden i ies o he majo di e ences
a
he mic o
le el
o
obse a ion:
-P ojec managemen
is
no mally
o
a ini e ime du a ion
whe eas sys ems a e mo e ongoing. P ojec s die whe eas
sys ems con inue.
-Sys ems ha e di ec con ol o e all esou ces whe eas p o-
jec s mus sha e esou ces, o en h ough con lic , p io i i-
za ion and nego ia ion.
-Sys ems manage s ha e di ec con ol o e employee pe -
o mance measu emen and sala y/me i inc eases whe eas
p ojec manage s ha e an indi ec inpu
a
bes .
-Sys ems manage s ha e di ec con ol o e sys em s a
whe eas p ojec s a e s a ed by line pe sonnel.
Sys ems a e designed
o
pe o m epe i i e asks whe eas
p ojec s accomplish unique
o
on H> -a-kind asks no
easily
handled by he adi ional s uc u e.
Sys ems gene ally unc ion e ically whe eas p ojec s unc-
ion ho izon ally (i.e., mul idi ec ionally).
-P ojec manage s ha e limi ed powe and au ho i y as com-
pa ed o sys em manage s.
The
shi ing
o
pe sonnel in a p ojec en i onmen may
dis up he o ganiza ion mo e han in a sys em.
Sys ems in e ace
well
wi h s a egic planning unc ions
whe eas p ojec s in e ace wi h ope a ional unc ions.
Sys ems seek long- e m alen and esou ces whe eas p o-
jec s seek sho - e m alen .
-P ojec managemen
is
no conduci e
o
he de elopmen
o
clea
job
desc ip ions whe eas sys ems managemen
job
desc ip ions a e p ecise.
Sys ems allow o be e aining
o
new employees han
do
p ojec s.
P ojec s c ea e mo e con lic
a
he unc ional in e ace
posi ions han
do
sys ems.
Sys ems a e conse a i e in na u e whe eas p ojec s en-
83
cou age isk- aking.
-Sys ems p omo e he scala p inciple whe e he chain
o
au ho i y
is
om he supe io
o
he subo dina e h ough
he o ganiza ion. Al hough p ojec s
do
ha e a e ical
chain
o
command, he p ime emphasis
is
on ho izon al and
diagonal wo k low.
Sys ems managemen ad oca es ha line unc ions ha e
di ec esponsibili y o accomplishing he objec i es
whe eas in p ojec managemen line unc ions a e in a
su~
po posi ion.
-Sys ems managemen ad oca es ha impo an business
is
conduc ed h ough a py amidal s uc u e
o
supe io s
and subo dina es whe eas p ojec managemen
uses
a
pee -
o-pee , manage - o-expe , and associa e- o-associa e ela-
ionship o conduc much
o
he salien business.
P ojec objec i es a e mul ila e al
because
managemen
o
he p ojec
is
a join en u e
o
many ela i ely indepen-
den o ganiza ions. Sys ems objec i es a e unila e al and
a e sough by he pa en uni wo king wi hin he
en i onmen .
-Sys ems managemen ad oca es ha he supe io -
subo dina e ela ionship
is
main ained h ough he unc-
ional au ho i y and ad iso y s a se ices. P ojec
manage s ha e la ge esponsibili ies bu i ually no
au ho i y.
The sys ems manage 's au ho i y comes om his ela i e
posi ion in he hie a chy whe eas he p ojec manage 's
au ho i y (and
his
powe ) comes om
his
echnical and
manage ial expe ise, c edibili y wi h employees and abili-
y
as
a sound decision-make .
P ojec o ganiza ional o ms a e less igid and h i e
on
lexibili y in adap ing o an e e -changing en i onmen
whe eas sys ems may
be
in lexible.
The li e cycle phases
o
a sys em o e lap whe eas li e
cy-
cle
phases
o
a p ojec a e no mally well-de ined and
do
no o e lap.
Sys ems employ he i e managemen unc ions
o
plan-
ning, o ganizing, s a ing, con olling and di ec ing whe eas
p ojec managemen does no include he s a ing unc ion.
Con lic s and hei esolu ion ha e a highe equency and
in ensi y in p ojec managemen .
-Sys ems managemen may ha e mo e complex in o ma-
ion sys ems bu p ojec managemen in o ma ion sys ems
ha e a g ea e equency
o
use.
-The eedback
o
in o ma ion/ s a us epo ing
is
mo e
c i ical in p ojec s han sys ems.
Sys ems manage s ha e mo e con ol o e inpu , p ocess-
ing and ou pu ac i i ies han
do
p ojec manage s.
P ojec s may cu ac oss mo e
o
he o ganiza ion han
do
sys ems.
Sys ems manage s gene ally ha e mo e ime
and
mo e
o
an in e es when
i
comes o helping employees sol e pe -
sonal and p o essional p oblems.
Execu i es ge mo e ac i ely in ol ed in p ojec s han in
sys ems.
Summa y
While hese di e ences may
be
mo e heo e ical han ac ual,
hey do exis and can a ec ei he manage 's mode
o
ope a-
ion and philosophy. The compa ison highligh s wo singula
cha ac e is ics:
(a) P ojec s a e managed h ough ex ensi e pa icipa ion
o
o ganiza ions and people no unde he di ec con ol
o
he p ojec manage .

84
(b)
Sys ems
manage s
may
ope a e
as
adi ional
line
manage s
wi h
o mally de ined posi ion, powe and au ho i y.
Whe he
sys ems
managemen
is
an ou g ow h
o
p ojec
managemen o
ice- e sa,
he e
will
con inue o
be
a
con-
o e sy
whose
solu ion
es s
in
he
eyes
o
he beholde . On
he mac o
le el,
p ojec managemen ope a es
in
much
he
same
way
as
sys ems
managemen does, and p obably
as
a
pu e
sys em
a he han
as
adi ional managemen .
As
he complexi y
o
asks
inc ease
and en i onmen s
become
mo e
dynamic,
he
g ow h
o p ojec
managemen
can
expec
o inc ease a a as e a e han
sys ems
managemen .
Tasks
which
canno
be
eadily
handled
by
he adi ional
s uc-
u e o
sys ems
managemen
will
be
placed
unde he
auspices
o
p ojec managemen . F om an au ho i y poin
o
iew,
sys ems
can
be
e ec i e
only
a
hose poin s
whe e
o mal
au ho i y
exis .
Now,
p ojec managemen
can
be
de ined
as
he
sys ems
app oach o managemen o hose ac i i ies ha
do no
all
unde he no mal o ou ine unc ions
o
an o ga-
niza ion.
S.-A .
Tydsk .
Bed y l.
1984, 15(2)
No es
and
Re e ences
I.
See
Benalan y,
L.
Von. 1972. Gene al sys ems heo y; ounda ions,
de elopmen , applica ions. New Yo k: G. B azille , o sou ce
in o ma ion.
2. Boulding, K.E. Ap il, 1956. Gene al Sys ems Theo y:
The
Skele on
o
Science, Manage. Sci., ol. 2, no. 3, p.197.
3.
Johnson,
R.A.,
Kas F.E. & Rosenzweig,
J.A.
1967. The heo y and
managemen
o
sys ems. 2nd edi ion. New Yo k: McG aw-Hill.
4. Moo e,
F.G.,
(ed.), 1964. A managemen sou cebook, New Yo k:
Ha pe
& Row, p.104.
5.
TRW
Sys ems
G oup
ied
o
make
almos
an
ins an aneous
con-
e sion om a adi ional
o
a ma ix
o ganiza ional
o m. Manag-
ing
he
con e sion was accomplished
h ough
T-g oups
and
special
s udy sessions.
The
TRW
Sys ems
G oup
S udies can be
ound
in
cases 9-476-117, 9-413-066
and
9-413-069 dis ibu ed by
he
In e -
collegia e
Case
Clea ing House.
6. Goggin,
W.C.,
Janua y-Feb ua y
1974.
How
he
mul idimensional
s uc u e wo ks a Dow
Co ning,
Ha . Bus. Re . p.54.
7. Middle on,
C.J.
Ma ch-Ap il 1967.
How
o
se
up
a p ojec
o ganiza ion. Ha . Bus. Re . ol. 45, p.73.
8. Cleland,
D.I.,
& King,
W.R.,
1968, 1975. Sys ems analysis
and
p ojec managemen . New Yo k: McG aw-Hill.