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

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

Within a month Shirah was angry because Jamil was representing himself to others as the leader of the entire project and giving the impression that Shirah was working for him. Now Shirah and Jamil are meeting with the General Manager to see if can resolve the conflict between them.

Shirah says: "Right after the joint leadership arrangement was reached, Jamil 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, Jamil 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."

Jamil says: "Shirah 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$\text{'}$m trying to run everything. Shirah has other things to do$,$ other projects to run, 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$."$

Questions

What are the reasons for Shirah's reluctance to work with Jamil as a joint project leader, and how could this have been addressed beforehand?

How might Jamil's actions be perceived by other team members and affect their motivation and productivity?

What steps could the General Manager take to resolve the conflict between Shirah and Jamil, and prevent similar issues in the future?

How might cultural differences impact the dynamics of this conflict, and what strategies could be used to bridge these differences?

In what ways could Shirah and Jamil's conflict be seen as symptomatic of broader issues within the company's management structure, and how might these be addressed?