MANAGING
ORGANIZATIONAL
CONFLICT
ABDUL-WAHAB HARUNA
Why study this?
Conflict is essential!
Without conflict, an
organization will stagnate
and die.
Conflict Definition
A conflict is an expressed struggle
between at least two interdependent
parties
who perceive incompatible goals, scarce
resources, and interference from others
in achieving their goals.
Conflict may be defined as a struggle or
contest between people with opposing
needs, ideas, beliefs, values or goals.
Conflict management is the principle
that all conflicts cannot necessarily be
resolved, but learning how to manage
conflicts can decrease the odds of
nonproductive escalation.
The ingredients of conflict
He think he’s
smart I will
deal with you
Needs
Perceptions
Power
Values
Feelings and emotions
The Nature of Conflict
1. Conflict is the essence of human life
2. Internal personal conflict
3. Intra personal conflict (Inner self)
4. Inter group conflict
5. Intra group conflict
Source of Conflict
1. Competition for limited resources
2. Differences in values and beliefs
3. Task interdependence
4. Jurisdictional ambiguity
5. Status struggles
6. Communication barriers
Organizational Conflict
The struggle that arises
when the goal-directed
Behavior of one person
or group blocks the
goal-directed
behavior of another
person or group within an organization
TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CONFLICT
INTER- GROUP CONFLICT
INTERPERSONAL
CONFLICT
Types of Conflict in the
Organization
1. Leader and worker
2. Among leaders
3. Among workers
4. Between worker and client / customer
5. Between organization and customer
6. The third party
7. Between law and process
8. Between process and objectives
What will happen to the organization
if conflicts happen…
The Effect
1. Weaknesses
2. Scattered
3. Loose of greatness
4. Take over by enemy
Is Conflict always negative
In fact, it can be healthy when effectively
managed. Healthy conflict can lead to...
Growth and innovation
New ways of thinking
Additional management options
Sources of Organizational Conflict
Differentiation
◦ Differences in functional orientation
◦ Status inconsistencies
Task relationships
◦ Overlapping authority
◦ Task interdependence
◦ Incompatible evaluation systems
Scarcity of resources
COMPETITION FOR SCARCE RESOURCES PRODUCES
CONFLICT.
--ALLOCATION OF CAPITAL
--MANPOWER
--EQUIPMENT
--BUDGETS
How do people respond to
conflict? Fight or flight?
Physiologically we respond to conflict in one of two
ways—we want to “get away from the conflict” or
we are ready to “take on anyone who comes our
way.” Think for a moment about when you are in
conflict. Do you want to leave or do you want to
fight when a conflict presents itself? Neither
physiological response is good or bad—it’s personal
response. What is important to learn, regardless of
our initial physiological response to conflict, is that
we should intentionally choose our response to
conflict.
Strategies for Managing Conflict
Compromising
Collaborating
Competing
Avoiding
Accommodating
Conflict style: Avoidance
You don’t think conflict is a positive
solution to problems
Conflict makes you uncomfortable or
fearful
Only suitable if conflict concerns
something trivial
Avoiding Skills
Ability to withdraw
Ability to sidestep issues
Ability to leave things unresolved
Sense of timing
Conflict style: Forcing/Domination
(Competition)
You put “ME FIRST” and conflicts are “win-lose”
situations
This style can be abusive, or exactly what is needed when
a group is deadlocked.
A competitor is willing to make a decision and be held
responsible for it
Good for the organization only if the competitor is right
and has the best information. Bad if the other side was
right!
Competing Skills
Arguing or debating
Using rank or influence
Asserting your opinions and feelings
Standing your ground
Stating your position clearly
Conflict style: Compromise
You balance people concerns and task
concerns
You have a “give and take” attitude
You want all parties to minimize losses while
establishing some gains (both win some/lose
some)
NOT APPROPRIATE if used as convenient
and comfortable way out of conflict
Compromising Skills
Negotiating
Finding a middle ground
Assessing value
Making concessions
Conflict style: Accommodation
You will sacrifice your personal goals in
order to maintain relationships (I lose, you
win)
What are you contributing to the group?
Support of others?
You are abandoning the important role of
providing input!
OK if issue is not important to you.
Accommodating Skills
Forgetting your desires
Selflessness
Ability to yield
Obeying orders
Conflict style: Collaboration
The “Ideal” approach? You are trying to
maximize both task and relationship
concerns but you can’t do it alone! (I win,
you win!)
Difficult to use as a strategic objective in
conflict because all the other parties must
also be collaborative and you must all have
access to enough information .
Collaboration Skills
Active listening
Nonthreatening confrontation
Identifying concerns
Analyzing input
How might you select your conflict
management style?
How invested in the relationship are you?
How important is the issue to you?
Do you have the energy for the conflict?
Are you aware of the potential consequences
Are you ready for the consequences?
What are the consequences if you do not engage in
the conflict?
What factors can affect our
conflict modes
Gender
Self-concept
Expectations
Situation
Position (Power)
Practice
Determining the best mode
Communication skills
Life experiences
Barriers to the Solution
1. Personal interest
2. Ego
3. Status
4. Influenced by the previous mistakes
5. Insufficient knowledge
What to Do When Conflict Happens
C - CLARIFY the issue
A - ADDRESS the problem
L - LISTEN to the other side
M - MANAGE your way to resolution
Pondy’s Stages
Latent conflict: There is no actual conflict;
however, the potential for conflict to arise is
present because of the sources of conflict
previously identified.
Perceived conflict: Each party searches for
the origins of the conflict, defines why the
conflict is emerging, analyzes the events that
led to its occurrence, and constructs a
scenario that accounts for the problems it is
experiencing with other parties.
Felt conflict: The parties in conflict develop
negative feelings about each other.
Pondy’s Stages Cont.
Manifest conflict: One party decides how
to react to or deal with the party that it sees
as the source of the conflict, and both
parties try to hurt each other and thwart
each other’s goals.
Conflict aftermath: Every conflict episode
leaves a conflict aftermath that affects the
way both parties perceive and respond to a
future conflict episode.
Conflict Management Techniques
Individual-leveltechniques
Individual-level techniques
Bringingininoutside
Bringing outsidehelp
helptotogive
giveadvice
adviceand
andcounsel
counsel
Providingeducation
Providing educationand
andsensitivity
sensitivitytraining
training
Movingpeople
Moving peoplearound
around
Group-leveltechniques
Group-level techniques
Physicallyseparating
Physically separatingwork
workgroups
groups
Revisingrules
Revising rulesand
andstandard
standardoperating
operatingprocedures
procedures
Providingcommon
Providing commongoals
goals
Employingnegotiation
Employing negotiation
Organizational-leveltechniques
Organizational-level techniques
Modifyingdifferentiation
Modifying differentiationand
andintegration
integration
Employingintegrating
Employing integratingmechanisms
mechanisms
Creatingaacommon
Creating commonvision
vision
Productively Engaging in Conflict
Ethical:
Stays with issue,
reasonable,
logical arguments,
open-minded
Not Ethical:
has hidden agendas, arguments that discount
and devalue others, “win at all costs”
Win/Win Guidelines for any conflicts
that may arise
Cool off
Take a step back, breathe deep, and gain some
emotional distance before trying to talk things out.
Take a moment to brainstorm ten things that make
you feel better when you’re hot under the collar.
breathing deeply while making a calming statement,
looking at the sky,
Win/Win Guidelines for any conflicts that
may arise cont.
clearing your desk or straightening up,
splashing cold water on the face,
writing in a journal, or taking a quick walk and then
coming back to talk about the problem.
Some people need physical release, while others
need something quiet and cerebral. Determine what
works for you, then use it next time you get angry.
Then you’ll be ready to go on to the next step.
Win/Win Guidelines for any conflicts
that may arise cont.
Tell what’s bothering you using “I
messages.
Each person restates what they heard
the other person say.
Take responsibility.
Brainstorm solutions and come up with
one that satisfies both people.
Affirm, forgive, or thank
CONCLUSION
Conflict management is the principle that
all conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved,
but learning how to manage conflicts can
decrease the odds of nonproductive
escalation. Conflict management involves
acquiring skills related to conflict
resolution, self-awareness about conflict
modes, conflict communication skills, and
establishing a structure for management of
conflict in your environment.
If we manage conflict constructively,
we harness its energy for creativity
and development
---Kenneth Kaye
Questions?
