Question

Case (question no 1 and 2 are from the case.)

.A research project is being conducted jointly between two universities and a collaborating company. The project is coordinated by a project manager of the company. You are the principal investigator at your institution and have a colleague in the corresponding position in the other institution. The funder has issued each institution a separate contract. You feel the project manager is pursuing his own agenda focused on hitting delivery dates without thinking about the quality of work being produced and has lost sight of expertise your research group brings to the project. Furthermore the post docs in your research group and at the university are battling against each other and the Project Manager.

Q1. Identify and comment on the type of conflict in the case. (Refer to ppts –types of conflicts).

Q2. Being a principal investigator, how will you resolve the conflict? (Refer to article on conflict management on portal)

Answer 1

Q1. Identify and comment on the type of conflict in the case.

Answer:- This seems to be an intra-individual conflict as the other project manager seems to carry forward his own agenda without consulting the others. This kind of conflict mainly occurs when there are conflicting goals, needs, and motives.

Q2. Being a principal investigator, how will you resolve the conflict?

Answer:- Whenever there is an intra-individual conflict, the best strategy is to have the role definition once again. In this situation, both the managers should sit together and discuss the difficulties which are being faced by them. The project manager who is facing the issue may raise the problem faced to the manager and explain his expectations and after negotiation and discussion, both of them can come to a agreement.