Project Project ManagementManagement8. Managing Project Conflict8. Managing Project Conflict

Week 8

QWhy is learning about conflict management relevant?

ATo help develop and facilitate leadership, team building, performance management, and conflict management skills in an IT environment

Required reading:Darling, J., & Walker, W. (2001).

Effective conflict management. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 22 (5), 230-242. Retrieved February 10, 2006 from: http://faculty.business.utsa.edu/dwalz/Classes/S2003PhD/Articles%5CMISQ%20Barki%202001.pdf

Recommended reading:Cadle & Yeates,

2004, Ch 23.

Nature of ConflictNature of Conflict

Responding to ConflictResponding to Conflict

Handling GrievancesHandling Grievances

Emotional StressEmotional Stress

4

Nature of ConflictNature of ConflictResponding to ConflictResponding to Conflict

Handling GrievancesHandling Grievances

Emotional StressEmotional Stress 4

Conflict is a form of relating or interacting where we find ourselves (either as individuals or groups) under some sort of perceived threat to our personal or collective goals. These goals are usually to do with our interpersonal wants. These perceived threats may be either real or imagined (Condliffe, 1991, p3).(Condliffe, 1991, p3).

Conflict

Sources of Conflict (Bisno)

Project Sources of Conflict(Thamhain & Wilemon)

Sources of Conflict (Bisno)

BiosocialPersonality and interactional

Structural Cultural and ideological

Convergence

Bisno’s Sources of ConflictBisno’s Sources of Conflict((Condliffe, 1991Condliffe, 1991, p6), p6)

Sources of Conflict (Bisno)

BiosocialPersonality and interactional

Structural Cultural and ideological

Convergence

Sources of Conflict (Bisno)

BiosocialPersonality and interactional

Structural Cultural and ideological

Convergence

Project Sources of Conflict(Thamhain & Wilemon)

Project schedulesProject priorities

Workforce

((Nicholas, 2001Nicholas, 2001, p519), p519)

((Nicholas, 2001Nicholas, 2001, p519), p519)

Components of Conflict

Values: ideas and feelings about right and wrong (difficult to resolve)

Components of Conflict

Interests: things that motivate eg. managers and workers have different interests

Components of Conflict

Emotional: feelings that accompany human interactions eg. anger, fear, reject, and loss

Components of Conflict

Emotional: feelings that accompany human interactions eg. anger, fear, reject, and loss Interests: things that motivate eg. managers and workers have different interests Values: ideas and feelings about right and wrong (difficult to resolve)

Components of Conflict

When you have to deal with conflict tackle the emotional issues first

then address values and interests

Consequences of conflict

Good Consequences of

Conflict

increased creativity

It forces people to clarify their views

It can produce constructive social change

It gives people the opportunity to test their capacities

development of group and organization cohesion

Bad Consequences of Conflict

Violence

breakdown of relationships

polarization of views into static positions

A breakdown of collaborative ventures

destruction of communication

Groupthink

Groupthink is a tendency for strong conformity pressures within groups to lead to the breakdown of critical thinking and encourage premature acceptance of questionable decisions

Groupthink

Lack of conflict is a sign of over conformity.

It is unhealthy when there is no conflict

You need diversity of

opinion

Consequences of conflict

33

Nature of ConflictNature of Conflict

Responding to ConflictResponding to ConflictHandling GrievancesHandling Grievances

Emotional StressEmotional Stress

Conflict Handling Styles

AvoidingCompromiseCompetitionAccommodationCollaboration

Which conflict handling style will you use?

Which conflict handling style will you use?

Project Managers may have a preferred style for managing conflict

Which conflict handling style will you use?

Project Managers may have a preferred style for managing conflict

You should use different styles depending on the problem – and get there by using your ability to read situation

avoiding

accommodation

competition

compromise

collaboration

Characteristics• ignoring conflicts and hoping

they’ll go away• putting problems under

consideration or on hold• use of secrecy to avoid

confrontation• appeal to bureaucratic rules

Avoiding

When to use• Trivial, small/unimportant

issue• no perceived chance of

resolution• To allow a cool down period• To allow others to resolve

the situation

Characteristics• negotiation• looking for deals

and trade-offs• finding satisfactory

or acceptable solutions

When to use• goals are important, but not worth effort• opponents with equal power are

committed to mutually exclusive goals• achieve temporary settlements to issues• arrive at solutions under time pressure• back-up to collaboration or competition

Compromise

Characteristics• create win-lose

situations• use of power plays • forcing submission

When to use• quick, decisive action is vital, very

important• unpopular actions eg. cost cutting• issues are vital to company welfare• against people who take advantage of

non-competitive behavior

Competition

Characteristics• giving way • submission and

fulfillment

When to use• find you are wrong• issues more important to others than yourself• maintain cooperation• build social credits for later on• minimize loss• harmony and stability are important• allow team members to learn from their mistakes

Accommodation

Characteristics• problem-solving carriage• tackle differences • sharing ideas and information• seeing problems and conflicts

as challenges

When to use• find an integrative solution

when both sets of concerns are important

• objective is to learn

Collaboration

2 Methods for Resolving Conflict in a team• Role Clarification Technique (RAT)• Intergroup Conflict Resolution

Role Clarification Technique (RAT)This is a systematic procedure which involves all team members understanding the requirements of their of own and everyone else's position, duties and expectations

You’ll need to clarify roles for team and individuals; for example via questionnaires (or for project teams - RAM matrices!)

Intergroup Conflict Resolution

Each group should prepare list of what they would like the other groups to start doing, stop doing, and continue to do.

This list narrows he scope of the dispute and makes it easier to work on the core problems.

22

Nature of ConflictNature of Conflict

Responding to ConflictResponding to Conflict

Handling GrievancesHandling GrievancesEmotional StressEmotional Stress

What is a Grievance?

A grievance is any behaviour or action of another member or members of a team, which has or is likely to have an unreasonable negative impact on the ability of a team member to undertake their duties

Most grievances are never raised with management

Why?

Lack of trust

Our complaints

are trivialized

No action gets

taken! They only take

defensive action

What you should do?

Listen

Discuss

Plan

11

Nature of ConflictNature of Conflict

Responding to ConflictResponding to Conflict

Handling GrievancesHandling Grievances

Emotional StressEmotional Stress

Stress

What is Stress?

A pattern of emotional states and physiological reactions occurring in situations where individuals perceive threats to their important goals that they feel unable to meet

(Greenberg & Baron, 1993, p257).

Effects of Stress

Physical illness Lack of sleep

Reduction in task performance

Poor quality decision making

Causes of Stress in Projects

Long hoursTight schedulesTransient work

forceHigh risks

Work overloadRole uncertaintySocial relations

A Stress Survey

How many of these for youin the last year?

((Greenberg & Baron, 1993, p238Greenberg & Baron, 1993, p238))

Stress Management

1. Organizational Level

2. Individual Level

Stress Management at

the Organizational Level

setting reasonable work plans and schedules

delegating responsibility and increasing independence

clarifying responsibilities, authority, and

performance criteria

clarifying goals, procedures, and decision criteria

giving consideration and support in leadership

Stress Management for

the Individual

stress management program

relaxation training

diversions from work-related problems

Review1. Conflict is the opposition of people or forces that develops

into an aggressive state or action. 2. Sources of IT project conflict includes; schedules, priorities

and workforce issues.3. Conflict can be good and bad.4. Conflict handling styles include; avoiding, compromise,

competition, accommodation, and collaboration.5. Grievance handling strategies include; listen, discuss, and

plan. Not dealing with grievances can be harmful to projects.

6. Work environment improvements and reducing stress is essential to a team’s health and the success of the project.

ReferencesCondliffe, P. (1991). Conflict management – A practical guide. Collingwood, Vic.: RMIT.Greenberg, J. & Baron, R. (1993). Behavior in organizations (4th ed.). Syd., NSW: Allyn and Bacon. Nicholas, J. (2001). Project management for business technology – Principles and practice (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Photo credits

Helico assbach _uncommon

bootload James Gord

on

orionoir Steve9091 Destinys Agent Karthik Sudhir

bfick kodama BryonRealey

Photos come care of Flickr, CC and generous community members.

Most photo credits are in the notes section of the page itself. Some are

below.

BetterProjects.net

Title page pic care of Helico & CC @ Flickr