Empirical evidence suggests a project managers authority aut

Empirical evidence suggests a project manager’s authority, autonomy, and conflict-management skills are essential for delivering projects within the approved schedule and budget. Describe the skills listed below in the context of the organizational structure. Are they essential skills for project managers?

Authority

Autonomy

Conflict management

Make sure you apply theory, scholarly resources, and course concepts throughout.

Solution

Authority - It means power. With reference to project management, it means that authority for the project is vested on the project manager. The authority should be given by higher management. Using authority the project manager can gain the confidence of the team (usually referred as referant authority). A project manager can be expert on the topic due to his education and training. This will give him expert authority and will enable him to execute the project efficiently. So, this skill is essential for project managers.

Autonomy - it means independence or freedom. In this the project manager has the freedom to determine the best way to achieve the project objective. The project manager has the right to work more independently. Having this right will allow the project manager focus on the task at hand without getting distracted by unwanted and unrequired interferences. This is also an importnat requirement for a project manager as it allows him to focus his capabilities on the tasks at hand.

Conflict management - This is a very essential skill for a project manager. A project manager may encounter several conflicts while working on the project and he or she has to ensure that such conflicts are handled sensibly, fairly, and efficiently. Conflicts can bring a project to a standstill. So the manager has to fin out efficient solutions. A project manager should be accomodating (showing high degree of cooperation), collaborating (partnering and pairing to resolve complex issues), as well as compromising.

I think that conflict management skill is one of the most important skill required for a project manager. This is due to the fact that conflicts can cause a project to come to a grinding halt if timely and appropriate solutions are not implemented by the project manager.