Question

Sarah and John are both working for a software development company. The manager of the new product division was originally the leader of the project team for which she interviewed and hired John. Sarah, another project team member, also interviewed John, but strongly opposed hiring him for the project because she thought he was not competent to do the job.

Seven months after John was hired, the manager left the project to start her own company and recommended that John and Sarah serve as joint project leaders. Sarah agreed reluctantly and with the stipulation that it be made clear she was not working for John. The General Manager consented; Sarah and John were to share the project leadership.

Within a month Sarah was angry because John was representing himself to others as the leader of the entire project and giving the impression that Sarah was working for him. Sarah and John have the following grievances.

Sarah says: "Right after the joint leadership arrangement was reached with the General Manager, John called a meeting of the project team without even consulting me about the time or content. He just told me when it was being held and said I should be there. At the meeting, John reviewed everyone's duties line by line, including mine, treating me as just another team member working for him. He sends out letters and signs himself as project director, which obviously implies to others that I am working for him."

John says: "Sarah is all hung up with feelings of power and titles. Just because I sign myself as project director doesn't mean she is working for me. I don't see anything to get excited about. What difference does it make? She is too sensitive about everything. I call a meeting and right away she thinks I'm trying to run everything. Sarah has other things to do and other projects to run and so she doesn't pay too much attention to this one. She mostly lets things slide. But when I take the initiative to set up a meeting, she starts jumping up and down about how I am trying to make her work for me."

Based on the case, you are required to critically assess this conflict, its impact on the organizational and personal levels and propose ways how it can be solved.