Conflict

Conflict: “The process in which one party perceives that its interests
are being opposed or negatively affected by another party.”

Functional (Constructive) conflict serves the

organization’s interests while

dysfunctional conflict threatens

the organization’s
interests.
Brown’s Conflict Continuum
Positive

Appropriate
Outcomes

Conflict
Neutral

Too Little Too Much

Conflict Conflict
Negative
Low Moderate Highe
Intensity
 Traditional

Transitions Human
in Conflict Relations
Thought

Interactionist
 The Conflict Process

Perceived
Conflict
Sources of Manifest Conflict
Conflict Conflict Outcomes
Felt
Conflict
 A Conflict Model (Figure 10-8)
Aftermath of
Preceding Episode

Environmental
Latent Conflict Effects
Organizational
and Extra- Attention-
Felt Conflict Perceived Conflict Focus and
Organizational
Tensions Diversion
Mechanisms
Conflict Manifest Conflict
Resolution Strategic
Mechanisms Considerations

Conflict Aftermath
 A Conflict Model
• Latent Conflict. Latent conflict is essentially conflict
waiting to happen.
• Felt Conflict. Felt conflict is experienced as discomfort
and tension.
• Perceived Conflict. Perceived conflict is the awareness
that we are in a conflict situation.
• Manifest Conflict. After conflict is perceived and felt, it
may or may not become open, or manifest.
• Conflict Aftermath. Conflict is likely to breed more
conflict and, when it does, that conflict is likely to take on
a life of its own.
 Desired Outcomes of Conflict

Agreement: Strive for equitable and fair agreements that

last.

Stronger relationships: Build bridges of goodwill and

trust for the future.

Learning: Greater self-awareness and creative problem

solving.
 Types of Conflict
 Line – Staff Conflict

 Intrapersonal Conflict
Approach-Approach
Approach - Avoidance
Avoidance – Avoidance

 Interpersonal Conflict

 Intergroup Conflict

 Cross – Cultural Conflict

 Task Conflict
 Antecedents of Conflict
1. Incompatible personalities or value systems.
2. Overlapping or unclear job boundaries.
3. Competition for limited resources.
4. Interdepartment /intergroup competition.
5. Inadequate communication.
6. Interdependent tasks.
7. Organizational complexity.
8. Unreasonable or unclear policies, standards, or rules.
9. Unreasonable deadlines or extreme time pressure.
10. Collective decision making.
11. Decision making by consensus.
12. Unmet expectations.
13. Unresolved or suppressed conflict.
 Sources of Conflict
Goal • Goals conflict with goals of others
Incompatibility

Different Values • Different beliefs due to unique

and Beliefs background, experience, training
• Caused by specialized tasks, careers
• Explains misunderstanding in cross-
cultural and merger relations
 Sources of Conflict
Goal Three levels of interdependence
Incompatibility
Pooled Resource
Different Values
and Beliefs
A B C
Task
Interdependence Sequential
A B C

Reciprocal A

B C
 Sources of Conflict
Goal
Incompatibility

Different Values
and Beliefs

Task
Interdependence

Scarce • Increases competition for resources

Resources to fulfill goals
Ambiguity
• Lack of rules guiding relations
• Encourages political tactics
 Sources of Conflict
Goal
Incompatibility

Different Values
and Beliefs

Task Lack of opportunity

Interdependence --reliance on stereotypes
Scarce Lack of ability
Resources -- arrogant communication
heightens conflict perception
Ambiguity
Lack of motivation
-- conflict causes lower motivation
Communication to communicate, increases
Problems stereotyping
 Conflict Management Styles:
Orientations
• Win-win orientation
– You believe parties will find a mutually beneficial
solution to their disagreement

• Win-lose orientation
– You believe that the more one party receives, the
less the other receives
– Tends to escalate conflict, use of power/politics
 Tips for Managers Whose Employees Are
Having a Personality Conflict

1. Follow company policies for diversity, anti-

discrimination, and sexual harassment.
2. Investigate and document conflict.
3. If appropriate, take corrective action (e.g.,
feedback or B Mod).
4. If necessary, attempt informal dispute resolution.
5. Refer difficult conflicts to human resource
specialists or hired counselors for formal
resolution attempts and other interventions.
 Minimizing Inter-group Conflict: An
Updated Contact Model
Level of perceived
Recommended actions:
Inter-group conflict tends
to increase when:
• Work to eliminate specific negative
• Conflict within the interactions between groups (and
group is high members).
• There are negative • Conduct team building to reduce
interactions between intragroup conflict and prepare
groups (or between employees for cross-functional teamwork.
members of those • Encourage personal friendships and
groups) good working relationships across
• Influential third-party groups and departments.
gossip about other group • Foster positive attitudes toward
is negative members of other groups (empathy,
compassion, sympathy).
• Avoid or neutralize negative gossip
across groups or departments.
 Skills and Best Practices: How to Build
Cross-Cultural Relationships
Behavior Rank
Be a good listener 1
Be sensitive to the needs of others 2
Tie
Be cooperative, rather than overly competitive 2
Advocate inclusive (participative) leadership 3
Compromise rather than dominate 4
Build rapport through conversations 5
Be compassionate and understanding 6
Avoid conflict by emphasizing harmony 7
Nurture others (develop and mentor) 8
Stimulating Functional Conflict

Devil,s Advocacy

Dialectic Method
Concern for Others
Conflict Management Styles

High Integrating Obliging

Compromising

Low Dominating Avoiding

High Low
Concern for Self
 Conflict Management Styles
• Competing. Involves trying to win at the other party’s expense.
Generally leads to antagonism and festering resentment.
• Avoiding. Attempts to avoid or smooth over conflict situations.
Generally unproductive.
• Accommodating. Involves acceding completely to the other
party’s wishes or at least cooperating with little or no attention to
one’s own interests.
• Compromising. Involves an attempt to find a satisfactory
middle ground (“split the difference”)
• Collaborating. This problem-solving style is mutually
beneficial. Requires trust, open sharing of information, and
creativity.
 Fitting Conflict Style to the Situation
Conflict Style Appropriate Situation
Competing Time is short and we're sure we're correct.
The other party would take advantage of a
collaborative approach.
Avoiding The conflict is trivial.
We need a temporary, cooling-off tactic.
Accommodating The other party has great power.
The issue isn't important to us.
Compromising There is little chance of agreement, both
parties have equal power, and there are
time constraints.
Collaborating This is the "ideal" style to be sought
unless the parties to conflict have perfectly
opposing interests.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
View of Ethics in Conflict Management
Utilitarian

Golden Rule

Kantian/ Rights

Enlightened Self Interest

Justice Approach
 Conflict Premises
• Conflict and disagreement are normal in human relationships.
• Conflict may be good.
• The way in which conflict is framed may influence its nature and
outcomes.
– Relationship/task
– Emotional/intellectual
– Cooperate/win
• A mutually acceptable solution can often be found.
• Any of the parties to conflict can contribute to its resolution by
taking personal responsibility and initiating communications.
• Trusting behavior can evoke trusting behavior.
• Consensus and synergy are likely only when people choose to
cooperate in a win-win relationship rather than compete.
• Some conflicts may never be resolved because of fear, rigidity,
intolerance, paranoia, or other emotional impairment.
 Approaches to Conflict Resolution

Focus on Improve
Larger Goals Communications

Bring Parties
Clarify Job
Together to Foster Reduced
Responsibilities
Understanding and Conflict
Cooperation
Separate Develop
Conflicting Employees’
Use Third
Parties Negotiating Skills
Parties as
Mediators
 Communication Guidelines to Build More
Productive Relationships
1. Be honest; say what’s on your mind now. Be open.
2. Be specific; provide examples.
3. Don’t use the words never and always.
4. Listen in depth; reflect and paraphrase what you hear.
5. Ask questions to clarify the meaning of what the other person is saying.
6. Focus on behavior that the other person controls.
7. Maintain good eye contact.
8. Focus on only one specific issue or behavior at a time.
9. Don’t interrupt.
10. Stay there. Don’t walk away mentally, emotionally, physically, or
psychologically.
11. Be direct and tactful.
12. Use I statements rather than you statements (e.g., “When this happens, I feel
…” rather than “When you do this, it makes me feel …”).
13. Don’t attack the other person by ridiculing, taunting, or otherwise being rude
and hostile.
14. Don’t defend yourself by blaming others, avoiding, or withdrawing.
 Negotiating

Negotiation: “A give-and-take decision-making process

involving interdependent parties with different preferences.”

Distributive negotiation: Single issue; fixed-pie; win-lose.

Integrative negotiation: More than one issue; win-win.

 The
The Two
Two Types
Types of
of
Bargaining
Bargaining Strategies
Strategies

Bargaining Distributive Integrative

Characteristics Bargaining Bargaining

• Available Resources • Fixed Amount • Variable Amount

• Primary Motivations • I Win, You Lose • I Win, You Win

• Primary Interests • Opposed • Congruent

• Focus of Relationships • Short-Term • Long-Term

 An Integrative Approach:
Added-Value Negotiation
Clarify interests.
Identify options.
Design alternative deal packages.
Select a deal.
Perfect the deal.
 Situational Influences on
Negotiation
• Location

• Physical Setting

• Time Investment and Deadlines

• Audience
.
 Bargaining Zone Model
Your Positions
Initial Target Resistance

Area of
Potential
Agreement

Resistance Target Initial

Opponent’s Positions
 Decision-Making Biases That
Impede Negotiations
• Escalation of commitment
• The mythical fixed pie
• Anchoring and adjustments
• Framing negotiations
• Availability of information
• The winner’s curse
• Overconfidence
 Effective Negotiator Behaviours
• Plan and Set Goals

• Gather Information

• Communicate Effectively

• Make Appropriate Concessions

..
 Improving Negotiation Skills

• Research your opponent

• Begin with a positive overture
• Address problems, not personalities
• Pay little attention to initial offers
• Emphasize win-win solutions
• Create an open, trusting climate
 Third – Party Negotiations

Mediator
Arbitrator
Conciliator
Consultant
 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Techniques
Facilitation: Third party gets disputants to deal directly and constructively
with each other.
Conciliation: Neutral third party acts as communication link between
disputants.
Peer review: Impartial co-workers hear both sides and render decision
that may or may not be binding.
Ombudsman: Respected and trusted member of the organization hears
grievances confidentially.
Mediation: Trained third-party guides disputants toward their own solution.
Arbitration: Neutral third-party hears both sides in a court-like setting and
renders a binding decision.
 Unethical Negotiating Tactics
1. Lies
2. Puffery
3. Deception
4. Weakening The Opponent
5. Strengthening One’s Own Position
6. Information Exploitation
7. Nondisclosure
8. Change of Mind
9. Distraction
10. Maximization