Diagnosing Underlying Causes
Why is this case about conflict? What conflicts do you see developing?
• Where do you see conflicts in the case (p.9)?
> Conflicts about how to run the project.
> Conflicts based in group identity. To what extent are the core team members in the case establishing a team identity?
• How would you describe interdependence among the members of this project team? Include in your response the core team and overall project team (p.9).
> Do you think all team members share the same views on the ways in which they are interdependent? o Pooled o Reciprocal o Sequential
• How do you think the people in this case are feeling? Should emotions matter (p.10)?
> What are some positive ways emotions can affect conflict?
> What are some negative ways emotions can affect conflict?
• Emotional concerns framework (pp.10-11).
> Appreciation concerns (pp.11). o Were there some opportunities for Didier to express more appreciation? [Note to instructor: consider having students role play the phone call between Didier and Frank Lanigan.] o What might the American team members have done to help their counterparts find more merit in their views?
Affiliation concerns (p.12). o What are some things that the project leader could have done to address concerns over affiliation? o Could the American team members have done more to promote affiliation?
> Autonomy concerns (p.13). o How can team leaders minimize concerns over autonomy?
> Status concerns (p.13). o How might status concerns have gone unaddressed in the core team? o What can we do as team members to acknowledge others’ status? o What can we do to ensure that our own status is recognized by others?
> Role concerns (p.14). o Might things have gone differently had Frank not become withdrawn after the phone call from Didier? o Does the case offer any examples of extra-role behaviors that affected team dynamics? s Could the American team members have done more? s What about the French team members?
• In what ways does the case demonstrate the relationships between task conflict and affective conflict (pp. 14-15)?
How is distance affecting team dynamics and performance?
• Are there other ways to think about distance besides physical separation (p.15)?
> What are some other issues that come from having team members located on two continents?
> Do you think the team would have the same problems if its members were located on the East and West coasts of the United States, or in different parts of France?
> What about people located in the same building? Could they encounter some of the same problems?
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The case was written to help students explore emotional aspects of conflict and the varying ways in which distance affects team dynamics. You may decide to present some basic ideas about these concepts before assigning the case. Alternatively, you can use the case as the basis to introduce and explain these concepts. The two perspectives overlap, and you may decide to focus on one of them instead of both.