PK0-005 Project Management Concepts Practice Question
A project manager is leading a cross-functional team in a matrix organization. The project is experiencing conflicts between team members due to competing priorities from their functional departments. Which THREE techniques should the project manager use to resolve resource conflicts? (Select THREE).
⚠ Common exam trap
PK0-005 often tests the misconception that a project manager in a matrix organization can simply reassign or remove team members without functional manager approval, or that ignoring conflict is a viable harmony-preserving strategy.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Apply resource leveling to smooth resource demand
Resource leveling (B) is correct because it adjusts the project schedule to resolve over-allocation of resources, smoothing demand peaks and reducing the conflicts caused by competing priorities. Negotiating with functional managers (C) is correct because in a matrix organization the project manager must coordinate with functional managers who control resource availability and priorities, aligning project tasks with departmental demands. Escalating unresolved conflicts to the project sponsor (D) is correct because when conflicts cannot be resolved at the project manager's level, the sponsor has the authority to make decisions and remove organizational barriers. Ignoring conflicts (A) is incorrect because it allows issues to escalate and damages team performance rather than resolving them. Immediately reassigning team members (E) is incorrect because it is a reactive action that does not address the root cause of competing priorities and can create new resource problems.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ignore conflicts to maintain team harmony
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring conflict lets competing departmental priorities persist, so matrix resource contention worsens rather than resolving. It is tempting when a manager hopes harmony will emerge, but avoidance suits trivial disagreements only; the correct techniques are escalation, negotiation and resource levelling with functional managers.
- ✓
Apply resource leveling to smooth resource demand
Why this is correct
Resource levelling adjusts start and finish dates within slack to smooth peaks in demand, reducing the day-to-day contention between functional departments and the project. It addresses the matrix constraint where the same specialists are pulled by competing priorities, easing the conflicts described in the stem.
- ✓
Negotiate with functional managers to prioritize project tasks
Why this is correct
In a matrix organisation, functional managers control resource allocation, so the project manager must negotiate directly with them to agree priority sequencing. This resolves the root cause of the conflict — competing departmental priorities — rather than merely smoothing symptoms, satisfying the stem's cross-functional matrix constraint.
- ✓
Escalate unresolved conflicts to the project sponsor
Why this is correct
Escalation to the sponsor is the appropriate route when the project manager lacks authority to override functional priorities and negotiation has stalled. The sponsor can arbitrate competing demands across departments, resolving the matrix conflict that sits beyond the project manager's direct control.
- ✗
Immediately reassign team members to reduce conflict
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning members immediately removes their functional expertise and does not address the competing priorities causing the conflict, so the matrix structure still generates contention. It is tempting as a fast fix, but the correct techniques are negotiation, escalation and compromise with functional managers to rebalance allocations.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 954 original PK0-005 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This PK0-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PK0-005 exam.