Week 8 Conflict Management 1221402803085422 9
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Project Management Project Management 8. Managing Project Conflict 8. Managing Project Conflict
Transcript of Week 8 Conflict Management 1221402803085422 9
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
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Nature of ConflictNature of Conflict
Responding 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
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Nature of ConflictNature of Conflict
Responding to ConflictResponding to Conflict
Handling 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.
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Nature of ConflictNature of Conflict
Responding to ConflictResponding to Conflict
Handling GrievancesHandling Grievances
Emotional 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
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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 ProjectsCauses 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
Review
1. 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.
References
Condliffe, 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 Gordon
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.
