What is the relationship between stakeholders and the extended project management team?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
The relationship between stakeholders and the extended project management team is crucial for project success. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Stakeholders: Who They Are and What They Want
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Definition: Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have an interest in or are affected by the project’s outcome. They can be internal (employees, managers) or external (customers, suppliers, government agencies).
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Their Role: Stakeholders have varying levels of influence and expectations. Their primary role is to provide input, feedback, and approval throughout the project lifecycle.
2. Extended Project Management Team: Beyond the Core Group
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Definition: The extended project management team encompasses not only the core project managers but also those who contribute directly to project activities. This includes:
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Subject Matter Experts: Provide specialized knowledge and expertise.
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Functional Teams: Contribute to the project from various departments (e.g., IT, marketing, finance).
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Project Sponsors: Provide financial and strategic support.
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3. The Interplay: Building a Collaborative Relationship
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Communication is Key: Effective communication is essential to align stakeholder expectations with project goals. This involves:
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Regular Updates: Keeping stakeholders informed about project progress, challenges, and decisions.
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Open Dialogue: Creating channels for feedback, questions, and concerns.
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Building Trust: The project management team needs to build trust with stakeholders by being transparent, honest, and responsive.
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Shared Ownership: Involving stakeholders in key decisions and activities fosters a sense of ownership and commitment to the project’s success.
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Managing Expectations: Setting clear expectations about project scope, timeline, and deliverables helps avoid misunderstandings and conflict.
4. Benefits of Strong Stakeholder Engagement
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Increased Project Success: Stakeholder involvement leads to better-defined requirements, reduced risks, and improved project outcomes.
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Enhanced Communication: Regular communication fosters transparency and builds trust.
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Improved Decision-Making: Stakeholder input enriches project decisions, leading to more effective solutions.
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Greater Buy-in and Support: Stakeholders who feel involved are more likely to support the project and champion its success.
5. Challenges in Stakeholder Management
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Conflicting Interests: Different stakeholders may have competing interests, requiring careful negotiation and prioritization.
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Limited Resources: Time and resources for effective stakeholder engagement may be limited, requiring efficient communication strategies.
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Communication Barriers: Difficulties in communicating with stakeholders due to cultural differences, technical jargon, or limited access to information.
Conclusion
A strong relationship between stakeholders and the extended project management team is a crucial element of project success. Effective communication, trust-building, and shared ownership are essential for aligning expectations, minimizing risks, and achieving desired project outcomes.
