THE APOLLO PROJECT MANAGER: ANOMOLIES AND AMBIGUITIES – WORKING PAPER NUMBER 18

摘要

This article deals with some of the problems that the Apollo project managers face in the everyday operation and implementation of the manned space effort. The emphasis is on the focal position of the project manager rather than on an overall systems concept of project management. Five areas of ambiguity in terms of problem resolution and management strategies are discussed: (1) maintaining the balance between technical and managerial emphasis;(2) risk acceptance/rejection;(3) surviving organizational systems;(4) the criticalness of project communication;and (5) penetrating the system. Discussion of these areas gives some preliminary insights into the management styles of the effective project manager and opens diverse areas for future research on the management of large-scale, complex undertakings such as Apollo.