SangeetaChandiMaharaj

CaseStudyAnalysis

TheFISteamfailedduetoconflictsthatarosebetweenteammembersandteamleaders
thatcouldhavebeenpreventedifnecessaryactionshadtakenplacebybothseniorandjunior
teammembers.Thebehaviorsandattitudesofeachteammembercontributedtotheteams
dysfunction.Simpleconflictmanagementandchangesbymanagementcouldincrease
motivation,teamsuccess,andwillhelpbuildindividualandteamperformanceinthefuture.
TeamCharacteristicsandCommunication
Teamcharacteristicsaremadeupoftwolargefactors,teamtypeandinterdependence.
Teamtypesarethewayinwhichwecategorizeateamasawholebasedontheworkandgoals
theteamproduces.Because,theFISteamconsistedofbothjuniorandseniormemberswho
wererequiredtoworktowardthemaingoalofimplementingtheERPprogram,thisclassified
themasaprojectteam.Everyteammemberplayedaroleandtheirdiversityasindividualsmad
themdifferentfromoneanotherwiththepotentialofbeingagoodteam.NirmalSarawasthe
orienter,sheestablisheddirectionforthejuniormembers.ShriShaliniplayedmoreofateam
buildingroleasacompromiser,workingcloselywithSaraandrarelyspeakingoutabouther
ideas.PetePhilly,theprojectmanagerplayedadominatorbeingaggressiveandperformed
manipulationstoacquiremorepoweroverhisteameventhoughhehadalackadaisicalattitude.
SaiRishi,theteamleader,playedtheroleoftheaggressorheputdownmembersoftheteam
consistently.

Duringitslifespan,projectteamsnormallyfollowthefivestagesofdevelopment.The
processisasfollows:forming,storming,norming,performing,andadjourning.Itisnot
uncommontoseeapunctuatedequilibriummidwaythroughthesestages.Intheformingstage,
memberslearntheirboundaries,roles,andwhatisexpectedofthem.WiththeFISteam,the
formingstagebeganwithjuniormembersSaraandShalinigoingtoNewJerseyandcontinuedas
13moreteammembersjoinedtheteam.BecauseSaraandShalinihadalreadyobtained
experienceinonsitetraining,theywereabletoexplaintheprocedurestotherestoftheteam,
indirectlymakingthemoverseethejuniormembers.Afteraweekofmeeting,thegroupbegins
thestageofforming,whereconflictsstarttoarisewithintheteamaftertheyhaveformedtheir
ownsmallgroupsandrefusetogetalongwithothermembers.Afterthisweseethepunctuated
equilibrium,thatis,thepointatwhichtheteambecamestucktoacertainmindsetandbehavior
andcouldnotprogressasateameffectively.TheteamleaderRishi,wastheforemostonewho
causedthispuncturetohappen.WhenhebegantakingoverPhillysworkandstartedgossiping
aboutSarahehadultimatelychangedtheatmosphereofthegroup.BecausePhillyandSara
initiallychosetoignoreRishisbehavior,theteamfailedtoprogressandwesawthirdstageof
norming,wheremembersbegantoworktogether,butnotwell.Thislastedonlyforashort
periodoftime,andthentheteamfollowedwiththefourthstageofperforming.Theywerenot
comfortablewiththerolestheyplayedbutconflictsaside,theyslowlyprogressedtowardtheir
owngoals.FinallyafterthegroupreturnedtoIndia,theyadjournedandseparatefromtheteam.
Interdependenceistheactofteamsindividualsinteractingandrelyingononeanotherin
ordertocompletetheirtasksasagroup.Thishappenswhentheteamsharesimportant
informationandresourceswithoneanothertoworkcohesively.TheFISteamwassupposedto

finishtheirindividualtasksthenaligntheirworkwiththegrouptocompletetheirgoal.Butthe
FISteamlackedinterdependence,seenthroughmultipleconflicts.Thefirstconflictof
interdependenceiswhenPhillyrefusedtohelpSaraandShaliniandlettheirworkgounchecked.
ThesecondconflictwaswhenAbeySidharthrefusedtoshareinformationandresourceswith
SaraandLiaAarti.AndthelastconflictwaswhenPhillybeganpurposelyadvancingSaras
deadlinesonaccountofRishisgossip,makingitdifficultforhertokeepup.
Philly,RishiandSidharthallbeingexecutiveandseniorteamleaders,shouldhave
helpedthejuniormemberswiththeirwork,notonlybecausetheyareresponsiblefortheirwork
butbecauseiftheyhadworkedinterdependentlytheywouldhavebeenabletoobtainpositive
appraisal.RishiwouldnothavebeenreplacedandPhillywouldavoidbeingreprimanded.
Conflictmanagementispertinentwhensituationsarisesuchasthisone.Thereshouldbe
evaluationsperiodicallytomanagementaboutjobsatisfactionandteammembersshouldbeable
tohaveanunbiasedreviewoftheirworkinordertokeepthelevelofmotivationhigh.This
wouldsignifyahighlevelofinterdependence.
ProcessGainandLoss
Withinthisproject,therewasverylittleprocessgain,orteammembersgettingmorethan
theyexpectedbyworkingtogethertocreateatypeofsynergy.SaraandShalini,theonlytwo
whoworkedtogethercohesivelysincethebeginning,hadnoissuesdoingtheirinitialorientation
togetherandworkedtogethertocompleteafirstdraftaftertheirreturntoIndia.Becauseofthe
processgain,SaraandShaliniwouldhavenoproblemworkingtogetherinthefutureandif

moveduptoseniorteammembers,couldprovideastrongteam,learningfromthisexperience
andhelpingjuniormembers.
Howevertherewerealotofcasesofprocessloss,orwheretheteammembersgotless
fromtheteamduetoalackofcoordinationandmotivation.PhillyandRishipredominately
playedroleswheretheyweredemeaning,offensive,andhurtfultotheirteammembers.Thelack
ofmotivationfromPhillycreatedanabundanceofworkforRishi,butbecauseRishiwantedto
pleasePhilly,hedidnotgivePhillyfeedbackandignoredtheproblem.ThenRishichanneled
hisfrustrationfromhisworkloadontoSara,sinceshewasthedominantjuniormemberandwas
inconsistentcontactwithhim.ThepressurebothPhillyandRishiendedupputtingonSarawas
toomuchforhertohandleonherownandmadeheruncomfortableapproachingherleaders,
somethingthatshouldneverhappen.Notonlydidshefeelshewasbeingattackedbutshewas
tryingtodoherworkinterdependentlybuttherewasnoacceptance.Sidharthintroducedmore
processlosswhenherefusedtosharehisresourceswithSaraandAarti.Theteamcouldhave
hadsomeinterdependenceiftheywereallabletousethesameinformation,andperhapsproduce
workmorequicklyandefficiently.
Theconsequencesoftheteamslackofinterdependenceandtheinabilitytocommunicate
effectively,causedonepersonsjobandanotherareprimandandalackofateamfeeling.Inthe
future,itwouldbebesttohaveleadersattendtrainingswheretheyaretaughthowtohandle
conflictsbetter.Teamsshouldbeabletofreelytalktotheirleaders,andifnot,beabletotalkto
anothermanagerabouttheirconflictstohelpfindsolutionsandavoidconflictalltogether.There
shouldbemotivationalactivitiestoencourageateamsbehaviorandencouragethemtoplay

betterroles.Finally,designationoftasksandtherequirementtofollowthemshouldbekeptup
byleaders.Nooneshouldtakeontoomanytasks,ortoolittle.