Conflict

CONFLICT

What is conflict?

Conflict occurs whenever:

Disagreements exist in a social situation over

issues of substance.

Emotional antagonisms cause frictions between

individuals or groups.

What is conflict?

Types of conflict. Substantive conflict.

A fundamental disagreement over ends or goals to be pursued and the means for their accomplishment.

Emotional conflict. Interpersonal difficulties that arise over feelings of

anger, mistrust, dislike, fear, resentment, etc.

What is conflict?

Levels of conflict. Intrapersonal conflicts.

Actual or perceived pressures from incompatible goals or expectations.

Approach-approach conflict.

Avoidance-avoidance conflict.

Approach-avoidance conflict.

What is conflict?

Levels of conflict — cont. Interpersonal conflict.

Occurs between two or more individuals who are in opposition to one another.

Sources: Personal Difference Information Deficiency Role incompatibility Environmental stress

Analyzing Interpersonal conflict- Johari window

Open Self

Undiscovered SelfBlind Self

Hidden Self

Person who knows

About others

Person who knows

About himself

Person who knows does not About himself

Person who does not knows About others

Intergroup conflict. Occurs among members of different teams or groups.

Sources: Competition for resources Task interdependence

Jurisdiction ambiguity Status struggle

What is conflict?

Levels of conflict — cont. Interorganizational conflict.

Occurs in the competition and rivalry that characterize firms operating in the same markets.

Occurs between unions and organizations employing their members.

Occurs between government regulatory agencies and organizations subject to their surveillance.

Occurs between organizations and suppliers of raw materials.

Intraorganizational conflicts Hierarchial conflict Functional conflict Line staff conflict Formal informal conflict

What is conflict?

Functional (or constructive) conflict. Results in positive benefits to individuals, the

group, or the organization. Likely effects.

Surfaces important problems so they can be addressed.

Causes careful consideration of decisions. Causes reconsideration of decisions. Increases information available for decision making. Provides opportunities for creativity.

What is conflict?

Dysfunctional (or destructive) conflict. Works to the disadvantage of individuals, the

group, or the organization. Likely effects:

Diverts energies. Harms group cohesion. Promotes interpersonal hostilities. Creates overall negative environment for workers.

How can conflict bemanaged successfully? Causes of conflict.

Vertical conflict. Occurs between hierarchical levels.

Horizontal conflict. Occurs between persons or groups at the same

hierarchical level. Line-staff conflict.

Involves disagreements over who has authority and control over specific matters.

How can conflict bemanaged successfully?

Causes of conflict — cont. Role conflicts.

Occur when the communication of task expectations proves inadequate or upsetting.

Work-flow interdependencies. Occur when people or units are required to cooperate

to meet challenging goals.


Causes of conflict — cont. Domain ambiguities.

Occur when individuals or groups are placed in ambiguous situations where it is difficult to determine who is responsible for what.

Resource scarcity. When resources are scarce, working relationships are

likely to suffer.


Causes of conflict — cont. Power or value asymmetries.

Occur when interdependent people or groups differ substantially from one another in status and influence or in values.

What is conflict?

Culture and conflict. Conflict is likely to be high when:

Persons from short-term cultures work with persons from long-term cultures.

Persons from individualistic cultures work with persons from collectivistic cultures.

Persons from high power distance cultures work with persons from low power distance cultures.

How can conflict bemanaged successfully? Stages of conflict.

Conflict antecedents .Set the conditions for conflict.

Perceived conflict.Substantive or emotional differences are sensed.

Felt conflict.Tension creates motivation to act.

Conflict handling intentions- competing , collaborating, compromising, voiding, Accomodating

Manifest conflict.Conflict resolution or suppression.Conflict aftermath.


Conflict resolution.

A situation in which the underlying reasons for a

given destructive conflict are eliminated.

Effective resolution begins with a diagnosis of

the stage to which conflict has developed and

recognition of the cause(s) of the conflict.

1. Avoidance

This method indicates absence of any action. This also includes withdrawal and suppression.

Strengths: This is perhaps the easiest method to adopt. At times, avoidance until more information is available or until an analysis of the problem has been made, is the most productive approach.

Weaknesses: This method does not bring about effective resolution. By following this method, one can only temporarily get out of conflict, as conflict is not eliminated.


2. Authoratitive command or Imposing a Solution

This method forces the conflicting parties to accept a solution which is devised by the higher-ups in the hierarchy. This becomes possible by virtue of formal positional hierarchy and authority that exist in organizations.

Strengths: This strategy is very effective in organizations, since members recognize and accept authority of superiors. This approach is good in emergencies when quick decision is needed.

Weaknesses: This method fails to treat the cause of conflict. This strategy does not necessarily bring about agreement. This is highly a short-lived and temporary approach, and the conflict is bound to reappear later, in other forms during other situations.


3. Defusion

This strategy involves postponement of or delaying the decisions with a view to cool down the intensity and thus avoid escalation or open hostility. This approach involves focusing on unnecessary issues, thereby avoiding the main problem for sometime.

Strengths: Helps to avoid the conflict temporarily. Allows the manager to buy sometime to think of a permanent solution at a later time.

Weaknesses: The major cause of the conflict is not confronted and this leaves anxiety about the future among the conflicting parties, thereby leading to dissatisfaction among the involved groups.


4. Accommodation or smoothing.

Unassertive and cooperative.

Letting the other’s wishes rule.

Smoothing over differences to maintain superficial harmony.

Strengths: This method is best suited when preserving harmony and avoiding disruptions are

especially important. This method serves as a stop-gap strategy to let people cool down and

regain perspective. This strategy is most appropriate when the conflict is concerned with non-

work issues. When conflicts arise due to issues like moral values, beliefs, etc.,

Weaknesses: Differences or key points of conflict are not confronted and thus they remain under the

surface. This method, therefore, is a temporary measure.


5. Using Representatives

This approach helps to contain the conflict. In order to decide an issue, it is always better to meet the representatives of the opposing groups rather than dealing with the groups per se. This is mainly because the representatives know the problems well and can argue the points of view of the group more precisely.

Strengths: The major strength of this approach is that one may be able to get a better picture about the problems by involving representatives rather than the groups concerned.

Weaknesses: Representatives are not totally free to engage in compromise. Selection of a proper representative for each group is very important. Personal influence of the representatives could lead to negative consequences.


6. Altering Structural VariablesThis approach changes structural variables. It includes transferring and exchanging group members and expanding the group or organization’s boundaries. Structuring the interaction between the groups can be effective in resolving conflicts. Many a times, decreasing the amount of direct interaction between the groups early in the conflict helps to prevent the conflict form escalating.

Strengths: It can be permanent

Weaknesses: This approach is often expensive. It forces the organization to be designed for specific individuals and thus requires continual adjustment as people join or leave the organization.


7. Negotiation

This approach requires each party to give up something of value. Negotiation is an approach where both sides walk towards each other to reach a mutually acceptable position.

Strengths: There is no clear loser in this approach. This method is effective when there are several acceptable alternatives that both groups are willing to consider.

Weaknesses: There is no clear winner. This method is effective only when both the groups are relatively of equal power. Otherwise, this approach becomes a power-oriented one, and is influenced heavily by the relative strength of the parties.


8. Problem Solving / Confrontation / Collaboration

This method seeks resolution through face-to-face confrontation of the conflicting parties. The conflicting parties seek mutual problem definition, assessment of the problem, and the solution. In this approach, there is an open expression of feelings ad well as exchange of task-related information.

Strengths: This method is effective in dealing with conflicts stemming from semantic misunderstandings. This method brings to surface the doubts and misperceptions.

Weaknesses: This method is time-consuming. This method is not effective for many non-communicative conflicts, especially those based on different value systems.


9. Reducing Task Inter-dependence

Reducing task interdependence between groups and assigning clear work responsibilities to each group is one of the ways of redesigning organizations. This is an effective method to resolve inter-group conflicts.

Strengths: This approach is effective when the work can be clearly divided into distinct segments or projects.

Weaknesses: This strategy could sometimes result in duplication of work and also in wastage of resources. Again, creativity is curtailed, as work areas are restricted and thus the responsibility to create new ideas also gets restricted.


10. Expansion of Resources

One of the ways to manage conflicts, arising out of competition for limited resources, is to expand or increase the availability of scarce resources.

Strengths: This method facilitates each conflicting party to be victorious.

Weaknesses: Resources rarely exist in such quantities that they can be expanded so easily.

11. Altering the Human Variable

This method helps to change the attitudes and behaviour of one or more of the conflicting parties. This includes use of education, sensitivity and awareness training, and human relations training.

Strengths: Results can be substantial and permanent. This method has the potential to alleviate the source of conflict.

Weaknesses: It is most difficult to achieve. This approach is also slow and costly.


12. Establishing Rules and Procedures

This approach calls for establishing, in advance, a set of formalized rules and procedures that will specify how group members are to interact with each other.

Strengths: This approach is most simple and least costly.

Weaknesses: Rules and Procedures minimize the information flow between departments or work groups.

How can conflict bemanaged successfully? The issue of “who wins?”

Lose-lose conflict. Occurs when nobody gets what he or she wants. Avoidance, accommodation or smoothing, and

compromise are forms of lose-lose conflict. Win-lose conflict.

One part achieves its desires at the expense and to the exclusion of the other party’s desires.

Competition and authoritative command are forms of win-lose conflict.


The issue of “who wins?” — cont. Win-win conflict.

Both parties achieve their desires. Collaboration or problem solving are forms of win-

win conflict.

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