Team Conflict in the Workplace

The source of the team conflict I experienced has to do with two of the members competing for primacy during the process. Lewis (1997) argues that ôcompetition for primacy in a work groupö is commonplaceö (85). The greatest source of conflict stemmed from the quest for primacy between Jane and Robert. Robert, an experienced wholesaler, and Jane, a former marketing manager, argued during many team meetings. Robert felt JaneÆs ideas of designing a Web site to enhance sales was impractical in light of his knowledge of the way wholesale trade operates. Jane, in contrast, felt RobertÆs resistance to using technology stemmed from an entrenched mindset that was counterproductive to goal achievement. The battle for primacy between Jane and Robert made achieving consensus within the group difficult.

. . .
to share their views. In doing so, the motivation of other group members to share their own ideas and approaches was heightened. Understanding no decisions would be made without the input of all members being considered, helped minimize conflict and undermined the desire for primacy between Jane and Robert. As Dubrin (2000) notes, ôA consensus-style leader encourages group discussion about an issue and then makes a decision that reflects the consensus of the group membersö (380). Many group leaders or managers are remiss to engage in a democratic or participatory style of management, fearing that they might lose control over final decisions. However, one method I found to be quite useful for maintaining leadership authority without diminishing the input of members was the construction of decision-trees to help make final decisions. The decision-tree model of decision making is ideal for groups, because it allows for input from all team members and enables them to make meaningful contributions to any final decisions. However, the model does not obviate the authority or responsibility of the team manager or leader. Vroom (2000) maintains the decision-tree model is valuable because it permits the final decision-maker to acquir
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jane Robert, Conflict Vroom, Lessons Learned, Application Questions, Robert Dubrin, Robert JaneÆs, Team Conflict, Team Overview, James LouiseÆs, According Vroom, jane robert, team conflict, final decisions, vroom 2000, primacy jane, decision-tree model, dubrin 2000, input team, primacy jane robert, lewis 1997, leadership authority diminishing, own ideas, decision-tree model decision, authority diminishing input, conflict jane robert,
Approximate Word count = 1515
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Team Conflict in the Workplace