Project

Management
(EBTM3103)
MOGHAN PRAKASH (930723-07-5905)
930723075905-001
PENANG LEARNING CENTRE
What is Project Conflict ?
Project Conflict.
We often equate the term “conflict” with a physical battle between armed forces, the
truth is that we encounter conflict in our everyday lives. Collins defines the term as
“serious disagreement and argument about something important.” That means that any
dispute, debate, or contention between you and a spouse, a child, or even a co-
worker can be considered a conflict. 

Based on this definition, conflict in project management can take many different
forms. In-fighting between team members who disagree on a creative vision,
arguments with upper management about expectations and timelines, or even
spats with third-party vendors are all prime examples of project conflict. 
Cause of Conflict

Schedule changes

Much like a scope shift, last-minute schedule changes can throw a

major wrench in pre-planned project timelines and lead to stress,
frustration, and conflict between Project Managers and
stakeholders or the project sponsor.
Solution

Authority

In some circumstances, the best option is to exercise your authority

 as project manager in order to move past the conflict for the sake of
project delivery. Then, post-project, you can revisit the conflict and
seek a more positive and permanent solution. 
Cause of Conflict

Personal differences

Oftentimes, conflict is simply born from clashing personalities. We’ve

all worked with someone who rubbed us the wrong way, which
makes it all too easy to disagree with their point of view or dismiss
their opinions outright.
Solution

Confrontation

While confrontation may conjure negative connotations, in this context it’s

more about face-to-face communication and problem solving. Here, the
parties in conflict sit down to hash out their differences in order to come
to a resolution. Confrontation is a viable strategy when there is sufficient
time and a baseline level of trust between the parties experiencing the
conflict. 
Cause of Conflict

Opposing stakeholder interests

Project conflict can arise at the highest levels of the company before the project
ever gets off the ground when stakeholders have opposing views and interests.
For instance, the production manager may advocate for a simple, easy-to-
manufacture product, while the marketing director pushes for a more complex
product that offers extensive customization by customers. This type of conflict
must be resolved in order to get a unified vision of the project before work can
even commence. 
Solution

Compromise

Compromise, or “give and take,” involves both parties bargaining in

order to reach a mutually acceptable resolution. Compromising is
typically a better option when you don’t have the time needed for
confrontation. 
Conclusion
Of course, avoiding conflict in the first place is easier than dealing with
conflict once it has reached a boiling point. Because it’s built for 
effective collaboration, Project teams should avoid common causes of
conflict by making it easy to communicate with team members,
stakeholders, and sponsors throughout the entire project life cycle. 
At the end of the day, conflict within teams and organizations is bound to
happen. But you can prevent unnecessary conflict with clear
communication, strategic planning, and full transparency along the
entire project chain. 
Thank You