Exploring the effects of conflict towards the social dynamics of the self-managed project team (SMPT) in small and medium sized knowledge intensive firms (KIFs)

This study focuses on exploring the effect of conflict towards the social dynamics of the self-managed project team (SMPT) in small and medium sized knowledgeintensive firms (KIFs). Literature suggests that the implementation of SMPTs not only increases productivity in organisations but also contributes towards increasing employees’ involvement as the team is being managed by the team members rather than a formal leader who exists within the team. The team process involves people in different areas of expertise working together resulting in different opinions and views that are likely to cause conflicts. Thus, it is crucial for organisations to create understanding on the role of conflict and how it is managed within the SMPT in order to ensure the successfulness of this particular type of team. This study contributes to the understanding of how the SMPT is being influenced by different types of conflict and their management strategies as well as the extent of external leader involvement in conflict situations. This longitudinal study comprises of evidence collected through semi-structured interviews involving face-to-face interviews and weekly telephone interviews for twelve weeks with the managements and team members from six SMPTs in three small and medium sized KIFs in Malaysia. The in-depth exploration of conflict occurrences in SMPTs reveals the interrelatedness between different types of conflict as well as different approaches of conflict management strategies being adapted by SMPTs. The evidence suggests that over time, the positioning of external leaders in SMPTs change as a result of how conflict is managed. These empirical findings are developed into proposed models of the transformation of SMPTs.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo