ch06ch06 conflict and negotiation

8/13/2019 Ch06ch06 conflict and negotiation

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Project ManagementA Managerial Approach

Chapter 6

Conflict and Negotiation


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Conflict has been defined as the process which begins whenone party perceives that the other has frustrated, or is about tofrustrate, some concern of his

Conflict can play a creative role in the planning process

Debate over the proper technical approach to a problem often

generates a collaborative solution that is superior to anysolution originally proposed

Conflict often educates individuals and groups about the

goals/objectives of other individuals and groups


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The Nature of Negotiation

The favored technique for resolvingconflict is negotiation

Negotiation is the process through whichtwo or more parties seek an acceptablerate of exchange for items they own orcontrol

Firms should view conflicts within theorganization as conflicts between allies,not opponents


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Facilitating the Integration

of Activities

Lateral Relationsallow decisions to be madehorizontally across lines of authority

Because each area has its own goals,integrating activities of two or more units iscertain to produce conflicts

These conflicts may be resolved bynegotiating a solution, if one exists, thatproduces gains (or minimizes losses) for all

parties


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Negotiating a Resolution

Approaching intraproject conflicts with adesire to win a victory over the other partiesis inappropriate.

The project manager should remember thathe will be negotiating with projectstakeholders many times in the future

The proper objective should be to optimizethe outcome in terms of overall organizationalgoals


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Partnering,Chartering, and

Change

Three situations commonly arise duringprojects that require the highest level ofnegotiating skill the project manager can

muster:The use of subcontractors

The use of input from two or more functional

units to design and develop the projects missionThe management of changes ordered in the

projects deliverables and/or priorities after theproject is underway


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Partnering

In recent years there has been a steady growth inthe frequency of outsourcing parts of projects

There are many reasons for this trend:Avoidance of litigation

Diversification of technical risk

Avoidance of capital investment

Reducing political risk on multinational projectsShortening the duration of the project

Pooling of complimentary knowledge


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Partnering

Generally, relations between the organizationcarrying out a project and a subcontractorworking on the project are at best

characterized as adversarialConflicting interests tend to lead both parties

to work in an atmosphere of mutual suspicion

and antagonismTo reduce this conflict, a process for building

partnered projects can be used


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Process for Building

Partnered Projects

1. The parent firm must make a commitment topartnering, select subcontractors who will do thesame, and develop a charter

2. Both parties must implement the partneringprocess with agreement on:Joint evaluation of the projects progressA method for resolving problems or disagreementsAcceptance of a goal for continuous improvementSupport for the process of partnering from senior management of

both parties

3. Both parties commit to a joint review of projectexecution when the project is completed


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Chartering

A project charter is a written agreement between theproject manager, senior management, and the functionalmanagers who are committing resources to the project.

The charter also often includes the client. The charter may take many different forms

Typically it details the project deliverables, oftenincluding the projects schedule and budget

Most projects do not have chartersWhich is one reason for observing that most projects are

not completed on specification, on time, and on budget


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Scope Change

There are three basic causes for change inprojects:

Planners erred in their initial assessment about

how to achieve a given end or erred in theirchoice of the proper goal for the project

The client/user or project team learns more

about the nature of the project deliverable orabout the setting in which it is to be used

A mandate is a change in the environment inwhich the project is being conducted


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Priorities

Most firms actually have only three levels ofpriority:

High priority projects- the set of projectscurrently being supported

Low priority projects- the projects we wouldlike to do when we have the time and money

Urgent projects or Mandates- occasionallythere are those projects that must be doneimmediately


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Conflict and the Project

Life Cycle

Certain patterns of conflict are associated with thedifferent periods in the life of a project

Conflict appears to fall into three fundamentally

different categories:1. Groups working on the project may have different

goals and expectations

2. There is considerable uncertainty about who has the

authority to make decisions

3. There are interpersonal conflicts between people who

are parties-at-interest in the project


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Settling Conflicts About

Priorities

There are methods for settling conflicts about

priorities between projects:

The project selection model used to approve

projects for funding often generates a set of

projects ranked by some measure of value

It is common for senior management to

determine interproject priorities

The relative importance of the various tasks in an

individual project is set by the project manager


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Settling Conflicts About

Priorities

These methods are irrelevant if project andfunctional managers attempt to optimize theirindividual interests over the total organization

The conflict-resolution potential of partneringand project charters should be clear

Neither technique will stop conflict from

arising, but can sharply lower the intensity ofthe conflicts as well as provide a frameworkfor resolving conflict


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Conflict During Project

Formation

In the initial stage of the project life cycle,most of the conflict centers around the

inherent confusion of setting up a project inthe environment of matrix management

At this point, almost nothing about the

project or its governance has been decidedMoving from this chaotic environment to the

buildup stage can be difficult


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To make the transition from project formation tobuildup, four fundamental issues must be addressed:

The technical objectives of the project must be specified to a

degree that will allow the detailed planning of the build upstage to be accomplished

Commitment of resources to the project must be forthcomingfrom senior management and functional managers

The priority of the project relative to the priorities of the parentorganizations other projects, must be set and communicated

The organizational structure of the project must be establishedto an extent sufficient for the action plan, WBS and linearresponsibility chart to be prepared


Formation

C fli t D i P j t


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This is the period during which the project movesfrom a general concept to a highly detailed set ofplans

As the plans become detailed, conflicts overtechnical issues build

Conflicts between the project manager and the

functional areas tend to predominateUsually, the functional areas can claim more

technical expertise than the project manager who isa generalist


Formation


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Schedules are still a major source of conflict in the

main program, though the proximate cause of

schedule-related conflict is usually different than in

earlier stagesCatching up requires extra resources that the

functional groups will demand, but which the

project manager may not haveTechnical conflicts are frequent and serious during

the main program stage


Formation


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During this phase of the project the many parts must

be linked properly

These linkages are known as interfaces

The number of interfaces increases rapidly as the

project gets larger, which is to say that the system

gets more complex

The need to manage these interfaces and correct

incompatibilities is the key to the technical conflicts

in the main program phase


Formation

C fli t D i P j t


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Schedule is the major source of conflict during projectphaseout

Technical problems are comparatively rare because most

have been solved or bypassed Personality conflicts are the second ranked source of conflict

during phaseout

These conflicts can be caused by pressure to complete the

project and to the anxiety about leaving the project The primary tool to accomplish conflict resolution and

reduction is negotiation


Formation


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Few of the conflicts arising in projects haveto do with whetheror not a task will be

undertakenInstead, they have to do with

The precise designof the deliverable

Howthe design will be achievedBy whomand at whatcost

The implication is clear: The work of theproject will be done


Formation


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One requirement for conflict reduction/resolution by theproject manager is that they must allow conflict to be settledwithout irreparable harm to the projects objectives

To do this, the project manager must:

Allow (and foster) honesty between the negotiators

Employ only ethical tactics during the negotiation

Understand that any behavior that breeds mistrust will make futurenegotiations difficult, perhaps impossible

Emphasize that the conflicting parties-at-interest are not enemies butrather allies - members of an alliance with strong common interests


Formation


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A technique called principled negotiationtends to maintain these requirements of

negotiation and is defined by four points:1. Separate the people from the problem

2. Focus on interests, not positions

3. Before trying to reach an agreement, inventoptions for mutual gain

4. Insist on using objective criteria


Formation


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Summary

Negotiation within the firm should be directed atobtaining the best outcome for the organization, notwinning

There are three traditional categories of conflict:goal-oriented, authority-based, and interpersonal

There are three traditional sources of conflict:

The project team itselfThe client

Functional and senior management


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Summary

Critical issues to handle in the project formation stages aredelimiting technical objectives, getting managementcommitment, setting the projects relative priority, andselecting the project organizational structure

The total level of conflict is highest during the project buildupstage

Scheduling and technical conflicts are most frequent andserious in the project buildup and main program stages, andscheduling conflicts, in particular, during the phaseout stage


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Summary

Project negotiation requirements

Conflicts must be settled without permanent damage

The methodology must foster honesty

The solution must satisfy both individuals and the

organizations needs

One promising approach to meeting the

requirements of project negotiation is calledprincipled negotiation


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Questions?


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Picture Files


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Figure 6-1


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Table Files


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ch06ch06 conflict and negotiation

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