Conflict is inevitable in projects and needs to be managed effectively. The document discusses various sources of conflict in IT projects including schedules, priorities and workforce issues. It outlines different conflict handling styles such as avoiding, compromising, competing, accommodating and collaborating. The document also discusses grievance handling, stress management and the effects of stress on projects. Organizational and individual approaches are suggested to reduce stress in projects.

1. Project Management 8. Managing Project Conflict

2. Week 8

3. Q Why is learning about conflict management relevant? A To help develop and facilitate leadership, team building, performance management, and conflict management skills in an IT environment

4. 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.

5. Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress

6. Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress 4 4

7. 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). Conflict

8. Sources of Conflict (Bisno) Project Sources of Conflict (Thamhain & Wilemon)

9. Sources of Conflict (Bisno) Biosocial Personality and interactional Structural Cultural and ideological Convergence

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

11. Sources of Conflict (Bisno) Biosocial Personality and interactional Structural Cultural and ideological Convergence

12. Sources of Conflict (Bisno) Biosocial Personality and interactional Structural Cultural and ideological Convergence Project Sources of Conflict (Thamhain & Wilemon) Project schedules Project priorities Workforce

13. ( Nicholas, 2001 , p519)

14. ( Nicholas, 2001 , p519)

15. Components of Conflict

16. Values: ideas and feelings about right and wrong (difficult to resolve) Components of Conflict

17. Interests: things that motivate eg. managers and workers have different interests Components of Conflict

18. Emotional: feelings that accompany human interactions eg. anger, fear, reject, and loss Components of Conflict

19. 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

20. Consequences of conflict

21. Good Consequences of Conflict

22. increased creativity

23. It forces people to clarify their views

24. It can produce constructive social change

25. It gives people the opportunity to test their capacities

26. development of group and organization cohesion

27. Bad Consequences of Conflict

28. Violence

29. breakdown of relationships

30. polarization of views into static positions

31. A breakdown of collaborative ventures

32. destruction of communication

33. Groupthink

34. 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

35. Lack of conflict is a sign of over conformity.

36. It is unhealthy when there is no conflict

37. You need diversity of opinion

39. Consequences of conflict

40. Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress 3 3

41. Conflict Handling Styles Avoiding Compromise Competition Accommodation Collaboration

42. Which conflict handling style will you use?

43. Which conflict handling style will you use? Project Managers may have a preferred style for managing conflict

44. 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

45. avoiding accommodation competition compromise collaboration

46. 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

47. 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

48. 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

49. 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

50. 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

51. 2 Methods for Resolving Conflict in a team Role Clarification Technique (RAT) Intergroup Conflict Resolution

52. 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!)

53. 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.

54. Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress 2 2

55. What is a Grievance?

56. 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

57. Most grievances are never raised with management Why?

58. Lack of trust Our complaints are trivialized No action gets taken! They only take defensive action

59. What you should do?

60. Listen Discuss Plan

61. Nature of Conflict Responding to Conflict Handling Grievances Emotional Stress 1 1

62. Stress

63. 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).

65. Effects of Stress Physical illness Lack of sleep Reduction in task performance Poor quality decision making

66. Causes of Stress in Projects Long hours Tight schedules Transient work force High risks Work overload Role uncertainty Social relations

67. A Stress Survey How many of these for you in the last year?

68. ( Greenberg & Baron, 1993, p238 )

69. Stress Management 1. Organizational Level 2. Individual Level

70. 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

71. Stress Management for the Individual stress management program relaxation training diversions from work-related problems

72. Review Conflict is the opposition of people or forces that develops into an aggressive state or action. Sources of IT project conflict includes; schedules, priorities and workforce issues. Conflict can be good and bad. Conflict handling styles include; avoiding, compromise, competition, accommodation, and collaboration. Grievance handling strategies include; listen, discuss, and plan. Not dealing with grievances can be harmful to projects. Work environment improvements and reducing stress is essential to a team’s health and the success of the project.

73. References Condliffe, P. (1991). Conflict management – A practical guide . Collingwood, Vic.: RMIT. Greenberg, J. & Baron, R. (1993). Behavior in organizations (4 th 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.

74. 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.

75. BetterProjects.net Title page pic care of Helico & CC @ Flickr