Article Review: Conflict Management

According to Verma (1998) in the Project Management Handbook edited by Jeffery Pinto
conflict is inevitable but can be healthy if managed effectively. He explores several sources
of conflict and how to deal with them. The writer offers an extensive research on conflict
management and provides some convincing ways of dealing with conflict.
Verma gives three conflict views namely; the traditional view, contemporary view and
interactionist view. These views have progressed through time from the former to the later.
The interactionist view is the most modern view of conflict and follows the the line of
thought that there is a desired level of conflict at which conflict should be stimulated if it is
below this desired level and resolved if it is above the desired level. This view is the most
effective way of dealing with conflict in a positive way. However, it is difficult to define the
level of desired conflict. When do you decide as project manager that conflict has gone above
normal or when do you notice that the conflict is about to reach tipping point and nothing
good can be extracted from it? There is surely a fine line to note here.
Verma and Pinto give several conflict management styles for project managers. The fact that
conflict differs with situational variables means ways of dealing with conflict are different.
Verma and Pinto gives us six conflict management styles: withdrawing, soothing,
compromising, forcing, collaborating and confronting. All these management styles work in
one form or another but according to Verma forcing, smoothing and withdrawing were found
to be ineffective. Collaborating and confronting are the two management styles that were
found to have a lasting resolution.
The collaborating form of conflict management acts best as a form of negotiation where all
parties involved in the conflict are consulted and multiple viewpoints are taken heed too. This
brings about a resolution technique that is reached from commitment and consensus from all
parties concerned hence forming a lasting resolution. It also works well with the view that
conflict is healthy and results in personnel challenging themselves to be better at tasks. It
works perfectly with the interactionist view. However, the confronting management style
treats conflict as a problem to be solved by examining alternatives. Verma opts for this kind
of management style and says it offers a permanent solution. But this kind of management
style requires a lot of maturity from the parties concerned and that is not regularly available.
This kind of management style sees conflict as a problem hence conflicts from the
interactionist view which sees conflict as something that can do good. Confronting does not
promote future conflict as it treats conflict as unhealthy and is therefore ineffective in relation
to the interactionist view which Verma and Pinto see as the best view of conflict management
in their introduction.
Resolving conflict conflict is best when there is a win win situation of which from the article
written by Verma and Pinto collaborating seems to be the best form of conflict management
style.

References
Pinto, J.K., 1998. The Project Management Institute Project Management Handbook
(Jossey-Bass Business & Management Series). Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers.