The conflict management

Conflict Management

ByAbhijitAmit

DamanHimanshuParmeet

Conflict

Conflict DefinedIs a process that begins when one party

perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about.

Encompasses a wide range of conflicts that people experience in organizations○ Incompatibility of goals○ Differences over interpretations of facts○ Disagreements based on behavioral expectations

Causes of confl ict

• Misunderstanding• Personality clashes• Competition for resources• Authority issues• Lack of cooperation• Differences over methods or style • Low performance• Value or goal differences

Transitions in Conflict Thought

Causes:

• Poor communication

• Lack of openness

• Failure to respond to employee needs

Causes:

• Poor communication

• Lack of openness

• Failure to respond to employee needs

Traditional View of Conflict

The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided. The traditional view was consistent with the attitudes that prevailed about group behavior in the 1930s and 1940s conflict was seen as a dysfunctional outcome.

Transitions in Conflict Thought (cont’d)

Human Relations View of Conflict

The Human relations position argued that conflict was a natural occurrence in all groups and organizations. Since conflict was inevitable, the human relations school advocated acceptance of conflict. This means that it cannot be eliminated, and there are even times when conflict may benefit a group’s performance. The human relations view dominated conflict theory from the late 1940s through the mid-1970s.

Inter-actionist View of Conflict

While the human relations approach accepted conflict, the inter-actionist approach encourages conflict on the grounds that a harmonious, peaceful, and cooperative group is prone to becoming static, and non-responsive to needs for change and innovation. This encouraged group leaders to maintain an ongoing minimum level of conflict

Transitions in Conflict Thought (cont’d)

The Effect of Conflict on Organization Performance

The Conflict Process

Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility

o A stage where by presence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise

Stage II: Cognition and Personalization

Perceived ConflictAwareness by one or more parties of the existence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise.

Felt ConflictEmotional involvement in a conflict creating anxiety, tenseness, frustration, or hostility.

A stage whereby if a conditions created in stage one has negatively affect something that one party cares

about.

Stage III: Intentions

A stage whereby decision to act in a given way that inferred, intensions

that may cause greater conflict.

Dimensions of Conflict-Handling Intentions

Stage IV: BehavioroThis is where conflicts becomes visible.

Usually overt attempts to implement each party’s

intention.

Stage V: Outcomes

The action–reaction interplay among the conflicting parties results in consequences. It may results as an improvement (functional) or may be

hinder (dysfunctional) to the groups performance.

Functional versus Dysfunctional Conflict

Functional Conflict

Conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its performance.

• All conflicts are not unproductive.

• Conflicts can be useful constructive, and positive

• Conflict can promote innovation, creativity and development of new ideas, which make organizational growth possible.

• If it is handled well, however, conflict can be productive – leading to deeper understanding, mutual respect and closeness.

• And the reality is all the major reforms and changes occur as a consequence of conflict

Dysfunctional Conflict

Conflict that hinders group performance.

Functional versus Dysfunctional Conflict

Conflict is an indication that situation is threatening, devastating or on a point of breaking.

Conflicts are unproductive and dysfunctional.

Conflicts can delay or prevent the attainment of a goal or frustrate an individual. In hospital situation

Conflict is inevitable

Levels and Types of Conflict

Individual

Group

Organization

Type of conflictLevel of conflict

Within and between organizations

Within and between groups

Within and between individuals

Inter-organization conflictBetween two or more organizationExamples: suppliers and distributors, especially with

the close links

• Intra-organization conflict– Conflict that occurs within an organization

– Can occur along the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the organization

• Vertical conflict: between managers and subordinates• Horizontal conflict: between departments and work

groups

Inter group conflict Between two or more groups

Intra group conflictConflict among members of a groupEarly stages of group developmentWays of doing tasks or reaching group's

goals

Interpersonal conflict

Between two or more peopleDifferences in views about what should be doneEfforts to get more resourcesDifferences in orientation to work and time in different parts

of an organization

• Intrapersonal conflict

• Occurs within an individual

• Threat to a person’s values• Feeling of unfair treatment

Conflict Management

Conflict management is defined as “the opportunity to improve situations and strengthen relationships.

Two approaches for managing the organizational conflicts-oPreventive measuresoCurative measures

oCurative measures or resolving behavioral conflict

1. Competing: assertive and uncooperative, such as when you strive to achieve your goal at the expense of the other party achieving his (I win-you lose).

2. Collaborating: assertive and cooperative—intending to find a win–win solution that makes both parties happy.

3. Avoiding: unassertive and uncooperative, such as when you avoid a conflict based on the hope it will just go away.

4. Accommodating: unassertive and cooperative, such as when you give in just to please someone else (I lose-you win).

5. Compromising: mid-range on both assertiveness and cooperativeness, where the pie is sliced down the middle (give and take).

Accommodating Collaborating

Compromising

Avoiding Competing

HIGH (Co operative

behavior)

CONCERN FOR OTHERS

LOW (Uncooperative

Behavior)

LOW(Unassertive

Behavior)CONCERN FOR

SELF

HIGH(Assertive behavior)

Conflict resolution model

Thank You