A Conflict Resolution Tool for Project Managers: Evaporating Cloud

Authors

Mahesh C. Gupta, University of Louisville
Sharon A. Kerrick, University of Louisville

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Today’s ever changing business environment requires managers to interact globally with people across functional areas with conflicting points of view. A preliminary literature review suggests that a generic tool to understand and resolve conflicts is desirable. This paper demonstrates how a theory of constraints-based logical tool, an evaporating cloud, can enable IT managers to better understand conflicts underlying most problems. Using a commonly encountered conflict as an example, we show how this tool verbalizes a problem through the logic of cause and effect, surfaces the assumptions causing the conflicting actions and decisions, and presents injections – potential solutions – that can cause the conflict to evaporate (i.e., disappear or be resolved). Using a real-world IT project management case study, we also explain the usefulness and versatility of this intuitive tool via a web app for novice users. We conclude this paper acknowledging its limitations and providing some future research directions.

Recommended Citation

Gupta, Mahesh C. and Kerrick, Sharon A. (2014) "A Conflict Resolution Tool for Project Managers: Evaporating Cloud," Journal of International Technology and Information Management: Vol. 23: Iss. 3, Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58729/1941-6679.1076
Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/jitim/vol23/iss3/4