Differences and Similarities

The impact of conflict and its solution implementation can impact at individual, team, project, business unit and organizational level. The impact on individual will be in terms of job satisfaction and individual performance. The outcomes or impact on project include project success with impacting dimensions such as schedules, costs, quality, specifications and process satisfaction. The impact on team would be increased or decreased innovation, productivity, and performance. The impact on organization would be in terms of organizational efficiency, effectiveness and performance. The organizational and business unit earnings and profitability can also be impacted by the conflict management in projects. Thus the project manager and top management should review the above mentioned dimensions after implementing the solution to the conflict in picture. Task conflicts play major role in innovation, decision quality, creativity and in generating new ideas and thoughts. 

According to Darling et Walker, conflict results into change, change further results into adaption and adaptation further results into growth and survival. It is the ability to get along with people which decides the success or failure for an individual in conflicting situations. This is nothing but the "social intelligence". Emotional intelligence and social intelligence are very much important for a project manager to succeed in conflicting situations. 

According to Johnson and Johnson, constructive conflicts make one understand the problem better, encourages change, motivates, makes life more interesting, reduces irritations on someone, strengthens and deepens the relationships, stimulates creativity, and increases the team cohesiveness. According to Robbins, change is inspired by conflict and conflict is the catalyst for change. If change is not managed properly, it impacts the team member morale, commitment, participation, motivation and further leads to conflicts in the project again. If conflict is not managed properly, it turns out to be litigations, law suits, bad feelings, employee attrition, reduced trust and reduced motivation. Project stakeholders must trust each other and respect each other. 

The negative impacts of conflicts include schedule, cost overruns, increased staff turnover, project sponsorship problems, reduced team reputation, low team morale and reduced cooperation among project stakeholders. Hence, the impact of implementation of solution to the conflict is to be assessed in the project and also in the organization.