Conflict Propagation Within Large Technology and Software Engineering Programmes: A Multi-Partner Enterprise System Implementation as Case Study

Enterprise system implementations are increasingly outsourced to multiple third-party service providers. These multi-partner technology and software engineering programmes are usually organized through project teams that align to the functional areas of the software. Cognitive, occupational and personal differences between members of project teams increases the potential for conflict, which in extreme cases may propagate throughout the entire social network of the programme. Using social network analysis and thematic coding analysis, within a single case study, new insights are provided into the development of conflict within and between individual project teams of large technology and software programmes, such as those seen within enterprise system implementations. A conceptual framework has been developed that builds on existing literature around conflict in groups, to explore how task, process and relationship conflict can develop in large enterprise system implementations. The conceptual framework illustrates how conflict, once developed, can propagate throughout the social network of the wider programme. Finally, we argue that high-conflict organizations, such as the temporary multi-partner implementation team that forms to deliver large technology and software programmes, have a tendency to contain competing networks, which actively promotes conflict. We conclude by setting the agenda for further research on how we may contain the spread of conflict once it has developed within technology and software engineering programme environments.