1.

Conflict due to Cultural Differences

- Different Workplace practices.
- Different Cultures of team members.
- No common Language.

2. Over-Dependence on Virtual Teams

- Most Teams are Virtual.
- Reason being - multiple sites around the world.

3. Unplanned allocation of Team Members

- Random allocation of members and their duties.
- Line managers with no experience transferred to Project Managers.
- Key positions held by underqualified professionals.(Right to exercise Power)

4. Absence of Motivational Factors & Reluctance towards new members

- The high motivation & energy levels fades as the project progress.
- There is reluctance towards acceptance of new members, forcing them to leave.
TACKLING CULTURAL CONFLICTS – Setup Guidelines
Using Tuckman & Jensen’s Norming Stage to agree up on procedures,
process and communication .
• Everyone will have a set of guideline and task they need to
perform.

• Steps for how the communication would take place, for e.g. face
to face communication should be followed up emails.

• Mandatory training of employees to learn language used for

communication.

Myatt (2012, para. 10) suggests ‘Having clearly defined job descriptions so that
people know what’s expected of them, and a well articulated chain of command
to allow for effective communication will also help avoid conflicts.’

(Scott-Young, 2018)
MANAGING VIRTUAL TEAMS- Division of Teams
Subdivision of teams according to nearest time zones with a leader from
central management of the project.

• Central Leader would guide all teams

towards central goal.

• Central leader could easily manage

conflict being the central point of
contact.

• Teams in similar time zones would

coordinate better and communication
will become easier.

(Mitlacher 2012)
ALLOCATING TEAM MEMBERS – Work Breakdown Structure
Work Breakdown System (WBS) should be developed and analysed to
monitor the responsibilities provided.

• Team members with similar work background

should be placed together, this can be done
through evaluating the job profile and allocating
the members.

• Training and necessary knowledge about the

workplace should be made mandatory, before
allocating the member to a new location.

• This will decrease the conflict evolved due to the

less experienced member being allocated to the
site with already experienced members.
(Verma 1998)
MOTIVATION AND ACCEPTANCE- Develop Team Cohesion
Encouraging interactions outside workplace, identify team goals and
strengthen the bonding between team members.(Copeland & Wida
1996)

• Regular social gatherings would help team

member develop similar attitudes, agreeableness
and carefulness preventing conflict. (Tekleab &.
Quingley 2013)

• Adding these interactions in norming phase itself

will help in solving other identified conflicts as well.

• Will help team members identify to common

workplace culture practices.
(TUCKMAN, 1965)
• FORMING STAGE
• Informal Team meetings

• Interactions outside workplace.

• Technical training to new team members.

• Identify Tasks.

• Identify similar Goals.

• Identify Strengths.
• STORMING STAGE
• Assign Tasks.

• Finalize Goals.

• Giving Feedbacks.

• Resolving Conflicts.

• Setup Guidelines

• Tools used DeBono’s -The Six Thinking Hats

technique

(De Bono, 2017)

• NORMING AND PERFORMING STAGE
• Providing Appraisals

• New Rules and guidelines

• Increasing power of thinking

• Change Teams Perspective (if required)

• Produce Outcomes

• Tool- Using example of Organizational Zoo.

(Scott-Young, 2018), (Furst et al. 2004, p.6)

Copeland, B & Wida, K, 1996, ‘Resolving Team Conflict Coaching Strategies to Prevent Negative Behavior’, Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 52-
54.

De Bono, E. 2017, Six thinking hats, Penguin, UK.

Furst, S, Reeves, M, Rosen, B & Blackburn, R 2004, ‘Managing the Life Cycle of Virtual Teams’, The Academy of Management Executive, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 6-20.

Myatt, M February 2012, ‘5 Keys of Dealing with Workplace Conflict’, Forbes, viewed 9th September 2018, <https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/02/22/5-keys-to-
dealing-with-workplace-conflict/#192145aa1e95>

Mitlacher, L.W. 2012, ‘Appraisal and rewards systems for virtual project management teams and the challenges for human resource management’, Int. J. Networking and Virtual
Organisations, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp.153–168, viewed 3 September 2018, <https://www-inderscienceonline-com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1504/IJNVO.2012.045732>

Scott-Young, C. 2018, ‘Groups and Teams’, PowerPoint slides, BUSM1271, Rmit University, viewed 6 September 2018,
<https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/44948/pages/teaching-team?module_item_id=1116572>

Scott-young, C.2018, ‘Managing project teams’,powerpoint slides, BUSM1271, RMIT University, viewed 10 September 2018,
<https://rmit.instructure.com/courses/44948/pages/week-six-individual-differences-and-matching-people-to-roles?module_item_id=1116584 >

Tekleab, A & Quingley, N, 2014, ‘Teamdeep-level diversity, relationship conflict, and team members'
affective reactions: A cross-level investigation’, Journal of Business Research, vol.67, no. 3, viewed 15 September 2018,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296312003761>

Tuckman, B, 1965, ‘Developmental Sequence in Small Groups’, Psychological Development, vol. 63, no. 6, pp. 384-399.

Verma, V. K. 1998, Conflict Management. In J. Pinto (Ed.), The Project Management Institute: Project Management Handbook, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Reference type Number
Peer-reviewed journal article 6
Academic book 1
Lecture Slides 2
Magazine Article 1
Other: state what they are n/a
Total 10