The management of project teams is a critical competency
in today’s hi-tech organizations. Though the nature of
projects varies greatly, one thing they all have in
common is the importance of effective decision making.
Researchers have found that central to a project team’s
ability to make effective decisions and achieve its
goals is its ability to manage conflict. The problem is,
however, that conflict is difficult to manage because it
comes in two forms – constructive and destructive. In
some instances, conflict enables teams to generate
higher quality decisions, and a deeper understanding and
commitment to the decisions reached. In other instances,
conflict confers few of these benefits, and has been
shown to degrade decision making and thwart the
attainment of project goals. This article examines the
paradoxical nature of conflict on team decision making
and project team performance and provides guidance on
how project teams can manage conflict to enhance
decision outcomes and project performance.
pdf 2004
