MEMBER ENGAGEMENT1

Enhancing Member Engagement for the Project Management Institute – Canadian West Coast Chapter Members

By

Rableen Nanda

Bachelors of Science

An Organizational Leadership Project Report submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

In

LEADERSHIP

We accept this Report as conforming
to the required standard

Qudsia Ahmed, BBA, Sponsor

Marilynn Kendall, M.A.,Academic Supervisor

Catherine Etmanski, PhD, Committee Chair

ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY

August, 2016

©Rableen Nanda, 2016

Executive Summary

The Project Management Institute – Canadian West Coast Chapter (PMI-CWCC), a chapter of Project Management Institute (PMI), is a non-profit organization based out of Vancouver encompassing the geographic area of British Columbia, excluding Victoria. It is the “leading not for profit professional membership association for the project, program and portfolio management profession” (Project Management Institute, 2016, para 1).Members pay a membership fee to join the global PMI organization and, for an extra fee, they have an option to become a member of the PMI-CWCC, a local chapter. As stated in the annual report, “the chapter has grown from 1,700 to 2,100 members over the past 5 years,” which created an opportunity for the PMI-CWCC to explore ways to keep members engaged (Project Management Canadian West Coast Chapter, 2016, para. 1).

One of the primary goals accompanying the vision of PMI-CWCC is “to provide a community for the project management industry in BC” (Project Management Canadian West Coast Chapter, 2016, para 3). In addition to the organization’s mission and vision, PMI-CWCC’s bylaws play a significant role in its strategic direction and initiatives. According to the bylaws, the Vice President of membership is “responsible for safeguarding the interests of Chapter members” (Project Management Canadian West Coast Chapter, 2016, para. 4). The inquiry project fit well in the membership portfolio as it supported the PMI-CWCC in forming a learning relationship with its members and in reaching out to members to gain their insight on various membership initiatives. Holmes and Slater (2012) pointed out, “engagement in membership associations is affected by a range of factors” (p. 854). This inquiry helped identify key factors that influence and enhance member engagement within the PMI-CWCC. The overarching question explored in the inquiry process was: How can member engagement be enhanced in the Project Management Institute – Canadian West Coast Chapter? The following sub questions contributed to the understanding of member engagement:

1.What are the drivers of PMI-CWCC member engagement?

2.What are the barriers to PMI-CWCC member engagement?

3.What support do the members need to enhance their engagement with PMI-CWCC?

A comprehensive review of the literature on the principles of member engagement helped to support a deeper understanding of the inquiry topic and participant findings. By understanding what member engagement is, including the factors that drive or impede it as well as the board’s role in organizational change, the leadership will be able to support and sustain the change in strategy desired by this inquiry.

Relevant scholarly literature was reviewed to explore definition of member engagement, drivers of engagement and barriers to engagement. In addition, the role of board leadership within an organization and the role of a board in organizational change and innovation were examined. As Seijts and Crim (2006) stated, “engagement can not only make a real difference, it can set the great organizations apart from the merely good ones” (p. 3). Swanson (2013) highlighted that non-profit organizations depended greatly on relationships with their members and defined member engagement as a “social network established between institutions and their stakeholders” (p. 305). Kegler and Swan (2012) went on to state that a “lack of active and involved membership fails to create connectedness with other members and precludes a direct engagement in civic give and take” (p. 410).Mone, Eisinger, Guggenheim, Price and Stine (2011) stated that an organization that was able to show confidence in its members and demonstrate openness facilitated member engagement (p. 210).Seijts and Crim (2006) took an individualistic stand in which they pointed out that “people want to know that their input matters and they are contributing to the organization’s success in a meaningful way” (p. 4).

In addition to the above factors impacting member engagement, the literature review also explored the role of the board leadership in organizational change and innovation. As Jaskyte mentioned, “the board of directors...is a critical component of governance in non-profit organization” (2015, p. 440).Alänge and Steiber (2009) found that the “issue of sustaining change falls back on the governance structure” (p. 280), thereby confirming the integral part a board played in sustaining major organizational change. They went on to state that since the “board is usually closely involved in deciding the vision, goals and strategy of a company” (p. 281), it was even more imperative that the board of directors needed to be involved in the organizational change. Santhidran, Chandran and Borromeo (2013) addressed the idea of change and leadership when they researched the “relationship between leadership, change readiness and commitment to change” (p. 349). The authors concluded that leadership positively influences change readiness, which then enhances the commitment to change in an organization (p. 358). They went on to suggest, “leaders’ attributes that favour and facilitate readiness would consequently encourage employees to commit to change efforts by minimizing the resistance” (p. 359). Jaskyte (2015) suggested that the “board sets the tone of expectations for innovative thinking and creative approaches to challenge it and the organization” (p. 440). Hellströmet al. (2015) also concluded that senior leadership needs to practice “continuous dialogues, reflections and the allowance for an evolutionary adoption process” for the implemented change to be successful (p. 1198).

Action researchwas the methodology of choice for thisinquiry project and is defined as “a procedure in which the participants of a social system are involved in a data collection process about themselves and utilize the data that they have generated to review the facts ...to generate a remedial or developmental action” (Coghlan & Brannick, 2014, p. 47). For the purposes of this inquiry project, a sequential priority design was employed utilizing qualitative methods: specifically, an online survey and a focus group. Firstly, an online survey was conducted thatgave all of the current PMI-CWCC members an opportunity to participate and providetheir insight.The survey was followed by a focus group session to build upon the themes discovered in the online survey results.

The participant selection process included everyone who was a current PMI-CWCC member not belonging to the board. Each member was given the opportunity to provide their feedback via the online survey. Random sampling was used to complete the first data collection cycle of the online survey with all current 2100 members invited to participate. Purposeful sampling was used to select participants for the second data collection cycle, which consisted of a focus group. Since the majority of the membership resided in the Greater Vancouver area, the members living in this region were invited to participate in the focus group session, with the first four members to reply to the invitation being chosen. Palinkas et. al. stated that “purposeful sampling is widely used... for the identification and selection of information-rich cases…[by] selecting individuals that are especially knowledgeable about or experienced with a phenomenon of interest” (2015, p. 534). As the lead researcher in this inquiry project, I enlisted the aid of an inquiry team that consisted of two volunteer members from the PMI-CWCC. They did not have any power over issues as they volunteered their time with the organization on a regular basis.

The first phase of the data collection process utilized an anonymous online survey hosted on FluidSurveys (n.d.).The survey targeted the large membership, giving them an equal chance to participate and provide feedback to their engagement with PMI-CWCC. The use of a survey was helpful for this inquiry project because surveys aim to “evaluate the effectiveness of programs” (Fink, 2009, p. 2) and, in this case, the programs relevant to PMI-CWCC engagement initiatives. The second phase of data collection consisted of a focus group session. Barbour stated that focus groups are “useful when it comes to investigating what participants think, but they excel at uncovering why participants think as they do” (2005, p. 746). The inquiry team members supported me with pilot testing the survey and focus group questions, and helped me conduct, observe and scribe the focus group session. There were three participants in the focus group session.

Qualitative data analysis requires a number of steps, including focusing the analysis, categorizing information, identifying patterns and connections within and between categories, and, finally, interpretation (Taylor-Powell Renner, 2003). Thematic analysis was utilized to analyze data in this inquiry “to arrive at a more nuanced understanding of some social phenomenon through understanding the processes that tend to involve that phenomenon as well as the perceptions, values and beliefs of people toward it” (Glesne, 2016, p. 184). The data was themed with the coloured post-it notes, with specific colours denoting each theme. The themes were then used to compose the questions for the focus group. In this manner, the themes uncovered from the survey method were further verified in the second data collection cycle. The “strength of thematic analysis is its ability to help reveal underlying complexities …and to explain where and why people differ from a general pattern” (Glesne, 2016, p. 184). In addition to the audio recorded content of the focus group session, the observations noted by the facilitator observer of the focus group session were incorporated into the dataand subsequently analyzed. The inquiry team supported me in the review of the data.

Special attention was paid to manage any ethical issues that might surface in this inquiry project, beginning with the receipt of ethics approval from Royal Roads University prior to conducting the inquiry process. This inquiry ensured to respect participants and “seek their free, informed and ongoing consent” (Panel on Research Ethics, 2014, p. 7). Constructive steps were taken to “protect the welfare of the participants and …promote that welfare in view of any foreseeable risk associated with the research” (Panel on Research Ethics, 2014, p. 8). In this research, the participants could have been at risk of feeling singled out as the questions needed them to reflect on their personal experience with PMI-CWCC. The final element of the Tri-Council Policy Statement applied in this inquiry project was that of justice, as the participants had the freedom to give or refuse consent to participate in the survey or focus group session. It “refers to the obligation to treat people fairly and equitably… [while] treating people with equal respect and concern” (Panel on Research Ethics, 2014, p. 8).

In this inquiry, participants reflected on various components of the PMI-CWCC member engagement strategy. Their reflections consisted of key PMI-CWCC membership attractions and of components of the PMI-CWCC member engagement strategy that could be enhanced and/or modified. I identified the following five findings that speak to the enhancement of member engagement within PMI-CWCC:

  1. Participants identified the need to enhance components of PMI-CWCC led events.
  2. Participants want more opportunities to build connections with the PMI-CWCC and its members.
  3. Participants want to realize more value from the cost of their membership.
  4. Stakeholders expressed the desire to become acquainted on a deeper level with the PMI-CWCC leadership board.
  5. Stakeholders want to connect with the PMI-CWCC over a shared social cause.

Based on the analysis of the above study findings and a review of the relevant literature, I identified the following five conclusions to enhance member engagement among the PMI-CWCC membership:

  1. An agreed upon definition of an engaging event that is meaningful and purposeful to stakeholders is required.
  2. Providing innovative networking opportunities has the potential to support stakeholder engagement with the PMI-CWCC.
  3. Stakeholders need to be made aware of the benefits associated with the PMI-CWCC membership.
  4. The provision of leadership education to the board members may be required to further enhance their abilities to engage meaningfully with PMI-CWCC members.
  5. The incorporation of a societal cause in the engagement initiatives has the potential to facilitate stakeholder engagement with the PMI-CWCC.

I used the study findings and conclusions to develop four recommendationsthat, if implemented, will support the enhancement of member engagement within PMI-CWCC:

  1. Create a shared definition of an engaging event that is meaningful and purposeful to stakeholders.
  2. Hold a board leadership brainstorming session to identify innovative networking opportunities for incorporation in the PMI-CWCC events.
  3. Educate stakeholders about the benefits associated with their PMI-CWCC membership.
  4. Undertake further research to understand stakeholder desire to engage with the PMI-CWCC board and other members over a social cause.

The PMI-CWCC strives to foster a community of members from various industries through a number of member engagement initiatives. Seijts and Crim (2006) concluded that “people want to know that their input matters and that they are contributing to the organization’s success in a meaningful way” (p.5). This inquiry project has provided the PMI-CWCC with an opportunity to create the capacity to meet the evolving needs of its stakeholders so they continue to engage and reap benefits from this organization. Final approval of these recommendations and their subsequent implementation will be the responsibility of the president and the PMI-CWCC board members. By adopting this inquiry’s recommendations, the organization will be able to meet its stakeholder needs and help enhance PMI-CWCC member engagement.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

Chapter One: Focus and Framing

Significance of the Inquiry

Organizational Context

Systems Analysis of the Inquiry

Chapter Summary

Chapter Two: Literature Review

Member Engagement

The Role of a Board in an Organization

Chapter Summary

Chapter Three: Inquiry Project Approach

Inquiry Project Methodology

Project Participants

Inquiry Project Methods

Ethical Issues

Chapter Summary

Chapter Four: Action Inquiry Project Findings and Conclusions

Study Findings

Study Conclusions

Scope and Limitations of the Inquiry

Chapter Summary

Chapter Five: Inquiry Project Recommendations and Implications

Study Recommendations

Organizational Implications

Implications for Future Inquiry

Report Summary

References

Appendix A: Member Survey Results

Appendix B: OAR Action Research Engagement

Appendix C: Letter of Invitation for Survey

Appendix D: Survey Additional Information Letter

Appendix E: Survey Informed Consent

Appendix F: Survey Questions

Appendix G: Letter of Invitation for Focus Group

Appendix H: Focus Group Additional Information Letter

Appendix I: Informed Consent for Focus Group

Appendix J: Focus Group Questions

Appendix K: Inquiry Team Member Letter of Agreement

List of Figures

Figure 1: Internal and External System Influences

List of Tables

Table 1: Members’ preference and satisfaction levels with PMI-CWCC events

Table 2: Preference of methods for members to engage with other PMI-CWCC members

Table 3: Preference of methods for members to engage with PMI-CWCC

Chapter One: Focus and Framing

The Project Management Institute is the “leading not for profit professional membership association for the project, program and portfolio management profession” (Project Management Institute, 2016, para. 1). It is a global organization and caters to “2.9 million professionals working in nearly every country in the world through global advocacy, collaboration, education and research” (Project Management Institute, 2016, para. 1).The Project Management Institute – Canadian West Coast Chapter (PMI-CWCC), a chapter of Project Management Institute (PMI), is a non-profit organization based out of Vancouver encompassing the geographic area of British Columbia, excluding Victoria.

Members pay a membership fee to join the global PMI group and, for an additional $30 fee, they have an option to become a member of the PMI-CWCC, a local chapter. At present, there are 2,108 members affiliated with both the global PMI and the PMI-CWCC (Q. Ahmed, personal communication, August 5, 2015). As stated in the annual report, “the chapter has grown from 1,700 to 2,100 members over the past 5 years,” which created an opportunity for the PMI-CWCC to explore ways to keep members engaged (Project Management Canadian West Coast Chapter, 2016-a, para. 1). Despite thisoverall increase in membership, “thirty percent of the members fail to renew their membership every year” (Project Management Canadian West Coast Chapter, 2016-a, para. 1), which prompted the PMI-CWCC to invest in exploring ways to enhance member engagement.

I aminterested in understanding the various dynamics that play a role in member engagement.The PMI-CWCC’s VP,Membership was looking to learning more about member engagement and approached me for help.As the inquiry project moved along, my sponsor went on to become the President of the PMI-CWCC. I participated as an external consultant for the PMI-CWCC in the conduct of this inquiry. I was the lead inquirer and facilitator, fostering an environment wherein the inquiry team collaborated to develop a further understanding of member engagement through the cycles of action and reflection (Stringer, 2007). Moreover, my inquiry team consisted of multiple stakeholders to support the inquiry. As the lead inquirer, I ensured that the inquiry procedures were relevant to the organization’s values and enabled the inquiry team members to be “active agents in the process of inquiry” (p. 42).

The focus of this inquiry was the PMI-CWCC affiliated members. Since the PMI-CWCC encompasses a large area within British Columbia and a wide variety of professionals, the PMI-CWCC wanted me to evaluate member engagement. This inquiry provided an opportunity for the organization to identify popular engagement initiativesas well as new initiatives required to foster and maintain member engagement. As Phillips and Leahy (2012) stated, “strength of a professional association can largely be measured by its membership” (p. 208) and this inquiry aimedto address the needs of the members by answering the following primary research question: How can member engagement be enhanced in the Project Management Institute – Canadian West Coast Chapter? Sub questions included: