Conflict Management Project Management - 3325 Words

Conflict Management Michael Schmalzer Southern New Hampshire University Seminar in Project Management QSO-680-4030 Term 14TW4 Abstract Project managers utilize different resolution styles and recommendations for specific situations to resolve conflict. Conflict inevitably occurs for any project. Everyone on the project is responsible for conflict management. By properly managing conflicts, the workplace and the projects will start to develop and stimulate healthy and positive conflicts which increase business productivity and promote innovation. Proper conflict management creates a competitive atmosphere, helping fuel a business forward for complete customer satisfaction. Introduction Conflict is a â€Å"process that begins when†¦show more content†¦By understanding the types of conflict resolution styles, managers can use appropriate conflict resolution styles to promote and generate healthy conflicts, increase productivity of all team members, increase employee morale and increase overall customer service. History of Conflict Perception Since the late 19th century there have been three main views of conflict and its impact on projects. The traditional view, which was present until about the 1940’s, assumes that there is a positive correlation between the level of conflict and decrease in performance (Verma, 1998). All conflict was seen as a negative impact on a project. Project managers were responsible for removing, suppressing or avoiding conflicts. The project managers often used the authoritarian approach or a suppression approach which was not effective as a resolution for most conflicts. Often times the root cause was hidden by avoiding and suppressing the conflict. This approach also suppressed the positive effects of conflict such as promoting creativity through discussions of problems. The traditional approach often resulted in violent clashes between employees and managers. This led to the development of labor unions to help negotiate and mediate confrontations between managers and employees. The second view which influenced businesses between the 1940’s and