Inter-Group Conflict Case Study

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1. Why is this case about team conflict? What conflicts do you see developing? In this case, conflict arose from the breakdown in communication between American team members and French team members. It started with Frank Lanigan’s initial disappointment when he tried to present a communication plan during a meeting in which Didier was distant and afterwards requested that Frank should not present anything at a meeting without his prior knowledge. Communication issues escalated to a point where the US team members felt that any mention about Perspective was not allowed and their input to Vigilance restricted. From the case overview it seems that Didier and Lance made unilateral decisions which doesn’t allow the team to function as a team should. The American members of the core team felt left out of decisions that was made by the French team members. Also, Karine and Merline wanted to be the focal points for passing information rather than following the right channels. Consequently, Inter-Group conflict developed (Feigenbaum, n.d.) 2. How is distance affecting team dynamics and performance? All core and sub-team members were attending a one day only meeting for…show more content…
Team members can reflect on strategic goals and everyday activities to open up suggestion for improvements (Developing a team, n.d.). I would also arrange an information session explaining why communication and team engagement is necessary for the success of the program and also why a hierarchical approach to the team has a negative influence on its success. The Center for the Study of Work Teams (CSWT) at the University of North Texas found five areas important for training virtual teams: understanding technology infrastructure; using technology tools; collaborating effectively in a work group; conducting virtual meetings; planning and managing tasks (Joinson,
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