1. I494: Designing and Developing an Information System
Week 8
October 14, 2013

2. Please sit together with your team today

3. Outline
Admin
Midterm
Conflict Management

4. Practice on Wednesday
Room assignments should be set for the rest of the semester!
Practice activities this week:
Continue to specify use cases for your project
Start specifying requirements

5. Upcoming Assignments Midterm Exam Team Full Use Cases
Due Tuesday, October 28th by 5pm
One submission per team
Full Requirements Documentation
Due Thursday, November 14th by 5pm
Full Paper Prototypes/Storyboards
Due December 11th in Practice
Technology Proficiency Exercise
Due January 24th
Tomorrow
Two Weeks

6. Conflict

7. Conflict
Generally, conflict is about differences in perspective and the confusion that results from seeing a situation from different angles with differing motivations.
Conflict is inevitable
Conflict is natural

8. Conflict Management
What causes conflict to occur?

9. Conflict Management
What causes conflict to occur in student teams?

10. General Sources of Conflict
Activity that is incongruent with needs and interests Incompatibility of behavior Differences in attitudes and values Exclusive preferences in joint activities Contention for limited resources Interdependence in the performance of activities

11. Sources of Project Conflict
Different expectations – usually centered around timescales, costs or the range of facilities to be provided.
Interruptions and the inability to keep to the original timescale.
Lack of understanding of each other’s position – this may be for technical, commercial or personal reasons.
Issues that have been left unresolved or avoided come back at a critical point and can no longer be ignored.
Physical distances, proximity and culture.

12. Conflict Factors
The greater the diversity of disciplinary expertise among the participants of a project team, the greater the potential for conflict to develop.
The lower the project manager’s degree of authority, reward, and punishment power over those individuals and organizational units supporting the project, the greater the potential for conflict to develop.
The less the specific objectives of a project (cost, schedule, and technical performance) are understood by the project team members, the more likely it is that conflict will develop.
The greater the role of ambiguity among the participants of a project team, the more likely it is that conflict will develop.

13. Conflict Factors
The greater the agreement on higher-level goals by project team participants, the lower the potential for detrimental conflict.

14. Is Conflict Bad?
Organizational conflict has both functional and dysfunctional outcomes.
Conflict at top levels is inevitable and is generally valuable
"Conflict at senior levels surrounding appropriate paths of action - what may be termed 'substantive,' 'cognitive,' or 'issue-oriented' conflict - is essential for effective strategic choice"

15. Conflict
Precipitating Event

16. Conflict
Precipitating Event
Conflict

17. Conflict Precipitating Event Conflict Destructive Response
Constructive Response
Behaviors that minimize conflict
Destructive Response
Behaviors that escalate or prolong conflict

18. Conflict Precipitating Event Conflict Constructive Response
Behaviors that minimize conflict
Destructive Response
Behaviors that escalate or prolong conflict
Substantive Conflict
Focus on task and problem solving
Tension Decreases
Group function increases
Affective Conflict
Focus on personalities or emotional response
Tension increases
Group function decreases

19. Conflict Precipitating Event Conflict Constructive Response
Behaviors that minimize conflict
Destructive Response
Behaviors that escalate or prolong conflict
Substantive Conflict
Focus on task and problem solving
Tension Decreases
Group function increases
Affective Conflict
Focus on personalities or emotional response
Tension increases
Group function decreases
Conflict Managed
Conflict Escalates

20. Conflict Types Substantive Task, performance, or issue conflict
Related to group processes
Disagreement on the recognition and solution to a problem
Differences in viewpoints, ideas, opinions
Affective
Interpersonal relationship incompatibilities or conflict
Emotions and frustration
“relationship conflict interferes with task-related effort because members focus on reducing threats, increasing power, and attempting to build cohesion rather than working on tasks...The conflict causes members to be negative, irritable, suspicious, and resentful.”

21. Affective Conflicts
Evidence indicates that affective conflict impedes group performance. It affects group performance by limiting information processing ability and cognitive functioning of group members and antagonistic attributions of group members' behavior
(Amason, 1996; Baron, 1997; Jehn, 1995; Jehn et al., 1999; Wall & Nolan, 1986).
Affective conflict diminishes group loyalty, workgroup commitment, intent to stay in the present organization, and job satisfaction. These result from higher levels of stress and anxiety, and conflict escalation.
(Amason, 1996; Jehn, 1995, 1997; Jehn et al., 1999).

22. Substantive Conflict
A moderate level of substantive conflict is beneficial as it stimulates discussion and debate, which help groups to attain higher level of performance.
Groups with an absence of task conflict may miss new ways to enhance their performance, while very high levels of task conflict may interfere with task completion
Groups that report substantive conflict are able to make better decisions than those that do not
(Amason, 1996; Cosier & Rose, 1977; Fiol, 1994; Putnam, 1994; Schweiger, Sandberg, & Ragan, 1986).
Substantive conflict encourages greater understanding of the issues, which leads to better decisions.
Groups that report substantive conflict generally have higher performance. This conflict can improve group performance through better understanding of various viewpoints and alternative solutions
Affects non-routine work only!

23. Conflict Management: Approaches
Collaboration Accommodation Competition Avoidance Compromise
Thomas, 1976

24. Conflict Management: Approaches
Integrating Obliging Dominating Avoiding Compromising
Rahim, 2002

25. Integrating/Collaboration
Problem-solving style. Openness, exchanging information, looking for alternatives, and examining differences to solve the problem in a manner that is acceptable to both parties. Positive intent is assumed.
Appropriate when:
Issues are complex, synthesis of ideas is needed to create a solution, commitment is needed from other parties, time is not a factor, one party alone cannot solve the problem, resources possessed by different parties are needed to solve the problem.
Inappropriate when:
Task or problem is simple, immediate decision is required, other parties are unconcerned about the outcome or do not have problem solving skills.

26. Obliging/Accommodation
Attempting to minimize the differences and highlight the commonalities to satisfy the concern of the other party. Positive effect on relationships.
Appropriate when:
You believe you might be wrong, issue is more important to the other party, you are willing to give up something in exchange for something from the other party in the future, you are dealing from a position of weakness, or preserving the relationship is important.
Inappropriate when:
Issue is important to you, you believe that you are right or the other party is wrong or unethical, there is a worry that you might be perceived as weak

27. Dominating/Competition
One party goes all out to win his or her objective and, as a result, often ignores the needs and expectations of the other party. A win-lose approach.
Appropriate when:
Issue is trivial or routine, speedy decision is needed, action required is unpopular, you need to overcome assertive subordinates, unfavorable decision by the other party may be costly to you, subordinates lack knowledge to make decisions, issue is important to you.
Inappropriate when:
Issue is complex, issue is not important to you, both parties are equally powerful, decision does not have to be made quickly, or subordinates are very competent.

28. Avoiding
Withdrawal or buck-passing. One party fails to satisfy his or her own concern as well as the concern of the other party
Appropriate when:
Issue is trivial, potential dysfunctional effect of confrontation outweighs the benefits of resolution, cooling off period is needed, no pressing need for resolution exists.
Inappropriate when:
Issue is important to you, it is your responsibility to make the decision, parties are unwilling to defer and issue must be resolved, prompt attention is needed.

29. Compromising
Give-and-take whereby both parties give up something to make a mutually acceptable decision. Middle of the road solution
Appropriate when:
Goals of parties are mutually exclusive, parties are equally powerful, consensus cannot be reached, integrating or dominating style is not successful, temporary solution to a complex problem is needed.
Inappropriate when:
One party is more powerful, problem is complex enough to need a problem-solving approach.

30. Conflict
How do you deal with conflict within your team?

31. Conflict How do you deal with conflict within your team?
Remove yourself from your entrenched position and try to see the circumstances from a neutral viewpoint.
CYA

32. Getting to Yes Separate the people from the problem
The purpose of this step is to recognize that emotions and egos can become entangled with a problem, and that this will adversely affect your ability to see the other party's position clearly. This results in adversarial rather than cooperative interactions.
This involves:
Clarifying perceptions
Recognizing and legitimizing emotions
Communicating clearly

33. Classroom Assessment
This is NOT graded! Get out a piece of paper and take a few moments to write down the answer to the following question: What kind of conflict do I want to promote in my team and how do I accomplish it? Make sure you write your name on the paper and turn it in as you leave class.