Stakeholder Management and Leadership in ICT Project Environment

This report delves into the critical aspects of stakeholder management within the context of project management, specifically focusing on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects. It begins by identifying and categorizing the main types of stakeholders, including primary, secondary, key, internal, and external stakeholders, emphasizing their distinct roles and impacts on project outcomes. The report then outlines the importance of developing appropriate communication plans tailored to each stakeholder category, ensuring effective information exchange and engagement. Furthermore, the report explores the practical application of leadership qualities, drawing on the author's five years of experience in leading ICT projects. It highlights the essential techniques, skills, and methods that ICT managers require to successfully navigate the complexities of IT project management, including consultancy, IT management, contract management, decision-making, and communication. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of maintaining healthy communication with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the smooth execution of projects within deadlines. This report provides valuable insights into the complexities of stakeholder management and leadership in ICT project management.

Running head: STAKEHOLDERS TO A PROJECT
Stakeholders to a Project
Name of the Student
Student ID:
Name of University
Author Note

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STAKEHOLDERS TO A PROJECT
Table of Contents
Part Three:.......................................................................................................................................1
The main types of stakeholders:......................................................................................................1
Primary stakeholders:..................................................................................................................2
Secondary stakeholders:..............................................................................................................2
Key stakeholders:.........................................................................................................................3
Internal stakeholders:...................................................................................................................3
External stakeholders:..................................................................................................................3
Appropriate communication plan for the stakeholder categories:...................................................4
Part Four:.........................................................................................................................................5
Practical experience vs. theoretical understanding of leadership qualities:.....................................5
Techniques, skills and methods ICT managers require in IT profession:.......................................5
References:......................................................................................................................................6
Part Three:
The main types of stakeholders:
The main types of stakeholders who are required to be identified in corporate
communication plans of project management companies are as follows:

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Primary stakeholders:
The primary stakeholders are the stakeholders who engage in direct economic
transactions with the companies. They are the ones who either participate in the operations or
buy products of the companies and thus directly impact their revenue inflow. The primary
stakeholders to a project management companies are the clients for whom the company executes
the projects, shareholders, employees, suppliers of raw materials and the apex management. For
example, the clients buy the projects the project management company executes and impact their
cash inflow and market position(Harrison & Wicks, 2013). The shareholders invest in the shares
of the company and contribute towards its financial strength and ensure continuous inflow of
capital for smooth operations. The apex management makes the strategies while the employees
execute them, thus contributing to organizational excellence.
Secondary stakeholders:
The secondary stakeholders are those stakeholders who do not enter into direct
transactions with the company but are capable of impacting the operations of the company. For
example, the support of the community and the general public are very important for a project
management company to continue its operations. The rival project management groups which
are capable of impacting the company with their strategies and actions are considered a part of
secondary stakeholders(Hörisch, Freeman & Schaltegger, 2014). For example, the rival
companies may introduce a low price project which may compel the other companies to change
their pricing strategies. The protests from the communities make companies change their
strategies to incorporate their demands. Thus, the community, the rival project management
groups and the general public are capable of impacting the business of the project management

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STAKEHOLDERS TO A PROJECT
companies even without entering into transactions or participating in the operations. They are
considered as secondary stakeholders(Bridoux & Stoelhorst, 2014).
Key stakeholders:
The government, financial institutions and the apex institutions like stock exchanges lays
down laws and policies for the project management companies to follow during their course of
operations. These stakeholders do not involve in direct financial transactions like purchasing of
products but have strong impacts on the operations of the project management companies and
their projects. For example, the financial institutions like banks provide the companies with
financial capital to run their projects. Their decision to finance projects directly impact the
operations of the project management companies. Thus, key stakeholders are capable of
impacting the operations of the project management companies by their policies and decisions
which impact the operations of the project management companies(Mansell, 2015).
Internal stakeholders:
The employees and the management are parts of the organizational structures of the
project management companies. They contribute directly towards making and execution of
project strategies of the companies and are regarded as external stakeholders(Moriarty, 2016).
External stakeholders:
The customers, clients, suppliers, shareholders, governments, financial institutions are not
parts of the organizations but are capable of impacting the business output with their decisions.
For example, customers are capable of impacting the cash inflow by consuming products of a
company. These types of customers are called secondary stakeholders(Tantalo & Priem, 2016).

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Appropriate communication plan for the stakeholder categories:
Stakeholders Information
to be shared
Frequency of
information
exchange
Location of
information
exchange
Purpose of
communication
Mechanism of
communication
Who What When Where Why How
Customer New
upcoming
projects
As and when
projects come
up
Main transport
joints,
newspapers
and business
magazines
To get more
projects, to
promote
competitive
position in the
market and to
attract
subcontractors
Enterdering,
Governments New projects,
requirements
of new land
and other
business
facilities, road
permits
Well ahead of
projects like
facilities like
sanctions of
road permits
require a lot of
time and
scrunity
Seminars,
meetings with
important civil
servants
To get road
permits and
other facilities
Seminars,
mails, letters
and brochures
Suppliers and
subcontractors
New projects Advertisement
s in important
transport
Formal
meetings
To get their
involvements in
Meeting at the
project
manager’s

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STAKEHOLDERS TO A PROJECT
joints, projects office
Investors Profits,
dividends
Financial
reports
NA To attract more
investments
Sending them
prospectus,
financial reports
Part Four:
Practical experience vs. theoretical understanding of leadership qualities:
My experience of leading projects compared to my theoretical understanding of
leadership qualities helps me to leading projects as a project manager. I have five years
experiences of leading information and communication technology (ICT) projects of various
types with clients having diverse requirements. My experience has taught that project managers
in order to lead complex projects are required to have leadership qualities. They have to have
qualities like communication skills, analytical skills, focus and decision making skills to lead
project team successfully towards execution of projects(Fleming & Koppelman, 2016).
Techniques, skills and methods ICT managers require in IT profession:
I can state from my opinion that ICT managers require techniques like consultancy
techniques, IT management and contract management to manage ICT projects successfully. A
project manager requires skills like decision making skills, analytical skills, motivational skills,
diversity management skills and communication skills. A project manager should be able to gain
participation of both internal and external stakeholders while conducting projects. He should
have very strong knowledge skills about ICT, knowledge about latest development in technology

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STAKEHOLDERS TO A PROJECT
and ancillary skills in Microsoft excel skills. A project manager uses various methods while
executing his responsibilities of managing projects on regular basis(Bresnen, 2016). He
coordinates between various departments like human resources, legal, accounts and marketing to
execute projects successfully. For example, he communicates the human resource departments
about the human resource requirements for upcoming projects. He communicates with the
marketing department to know about the acquisitions of project orders. I can opine that project
managers by this method of collaborating and coordinating with multiple departments ensure
smooth execution of the projects. Again, by maintain healthy relationship with external and
internal stakeholders, the project managers obtain their support for the projects. For example, the
project managers communicate with the banks about the new requirement of funds which
ensures smooth flow of funds into the projects(Moriarty, 2016). Thus, the project managers
follow the method of maintain healthy chain of communication with the stakeholders to ensure
successful execution of projects within deadlines.
References:
Bresnen, M. (2016). Institutional development, divergence and change in the discipline of project
management. International journal of project management, 34(2), 328-338.
Bridoux, F., & Stoelhorst, J. W. (2014). Microfoundations for stakeholder theory: Managing
stakeholders with heterogeneous motives. Strategic Management Journal, 35(1), 107-
125.
Fleming, Q. W., & Koppelman, J. M. (2016, December). Earned value project management.
Project Management Institute.

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Harrison, J. S., & Wicks, A. C. (2013). Stakeholder theory, value, and firm
performance. Business ethics quarterly, 23(1), 97-124.
Hörisch, J., Freeman, R. E., & Schaltegger, S. (2014). Applying stakeholder theory in
sustainability management: Links, similarities, dissimilarities, and a conceptual
framework. Organization & Environment, 27(4), 328-346.
Mansell, S. (2015). Book Review: Rejoinder to Veldman’s review of Capitalism, Corporations
and the Social Contract: A Critique of Stakeholder Theory (Vol. 22, No. 2, pp. 271-275).
Sage UK: London, England: Sage Publications.
Moriarty, J. (2016). The Demands of Stakeholder Theory for Corporate Governance. Business
Ethics Journal Review, 4(8), 47-52.
Pigé, B. (2017). Stakeholder theory and corporate governance: the nature of the board
information. Management: journal of contemporary management issues, 7(1), 1-17.
Saleem, S., Kumar, A., & Shahid, A. (2016). Arguments against corporate social
responsibility. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, 2(8).
Tantalo, C., & Priem, R. L. (2016). Value creation through stakeholder synergy. Strategic
Management Journal, 37(2), 314-329.