PROCESSES OF ORGANIZATIONAL

CONFLICT

Conflict Defined

– Is 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

Transitions in Conflict Thought

Causes:• Poor communication• Lack of openness• Failure to respond to

employee needs

Traditional View of ConflictThe belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided.

Transitions in Conflict Thought (cont’d)

Interactionist View of Conflict

• The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively.

Human Relations View of ConflictThe belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group.

Functional Conflict

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

Dysfunctional Conflict

Conflict that hinders group performance.

Functional versus Dysfunctional Conflict

TYPES OF CONFLICT

• Organizational Conflict– The discord that arises when goals, interests or values of

different individuals or groups are incompatible and those people block or thwart each other’s efforts to achieve their objectives.

Conflict is inevitable given the wide range of goals for the different stakeholder in the organization.

• Interpersonal Conflict

Conflict between individuals due to differences in their goals or values.

• Intragroup Conflict

Conflict within a group or team.

• Intergroup Conflict

– Conflict between two or more teams, groups or departments.

– Managers play a key role in resolution of this conflict

• Interorganizational Conflict– Conflict that arises across organizations.

• Deutsch has suggested 5 types of conflicts involving issues underlying conflicts such as control over resources, values, beliefs, and the nature of relationship between parties-

• VERIDICAL CONFLICT: this type of conflict exists objectively and is perceived accurately.

• CONTINGENT CONFLICT- here, the existence of the conflict is dependent upon readily rearranged circumstances, but this is not recognized by the conflicting parties.

3. MISATTRIBUTED CONFLICT- in this type, the conflict is between the wrong parties, and as a consequence, over the wrong issues.

4. LATENT CONFLICT- this is, in effect, a conflict that should be occurring but is not.

5. FALSE CONFLICT- this is the occurrence of conflict when there is no objective basis for it.

Sources of Conflict

• Different Goals and Time Horizons– Different groups have differing

goals and focus.

• Overlapping Authority

– Two or more managers claim authority for the same activities which leads to conflict between the managers and workers.

• Task Interdependencies– One member of a group or a group

fails to finish a task that another member or group depends on, causing the waiting worker or group to fall behind.

• Different Evaluation or Reward Systems– A group is rewarded for achieving

a goal, but another interdependent group is rewarded for achieving a goal that conflicts with the first group.

• Scarce Resources– Managers can come into conflict over

the allocation of scare resources.– When resources are scarce,

managers can fight over its allocations.

• Status Inconsistencies– Some individuals and groups have a

higher organizational status than others, leading to conflict with lower status groups.

POTENTIAL SOURCE OF CONFLICT

CONFLICT-ESCALATION MODE CONFLICT- PREVENTION/ RESOLUTION MODE

PERCEPTION RESULTANT ORIENTATION

PERCEPTION RESULTANT ORIENTATION

CONCERN WITH SELF

DIFFERENT GOALS

RESOURCES

POWER

IDEOLOGIES

VARIED NORMS

RELATIONSHIP

Narrow

Conflicting

Limited

Limited

Conflicting

Undesirable

Dependent

Short-term perspective

Individualistic

Fighting

Lack of trust

Stereotyping

Intolerance

Dominance/ submission

Broader

Complementary

Expandable

Shareable

Varied

Useful

Interdependent

Long term perspective

Super ordination

Sharing

Trust

Understanding

Tolerance

Empathy & cooperation

To summarize, if people in a group perceive their own concern to be of higher priority, want their own goals met at all costs, fight over available resources, distrust those in power, stereotype those with conflicting ideologies, refuse to tolerate varied norms, and attempt to dominate the group, conflict will surely escalate.

On the other hand, conflict will not arise if group members attempt to see differences as opportunities to prevent or resolve conflicts, consider the broader group concerns, realize that goals can be complementary, subordinate their own goals with team goals, share resources, trust those in power, share the functions of leaderships, attempt to understand separate ideologies, tolerate varied norms , and cooperate with and have empathy for others. Conflicts cannot be resolved unless people are willing to take a position that involves some risk.

STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CONFLICT

• There are 4 major types of strategies to reduce conflict

• AVOIDANCE: simply ignoring the conflict or imposing the solution.

This may be appropriate if the conflict is trivial or if quick action is needed.

2.DEFFUSION: here, the attempt is made to deactivate the conflict and cool off the emotions and hostilities of the group involved.

3. CONTAINMENT: in this strategy, some conflict is allowed to surface, but it is carefully contained by spelling out which issues are to discussed and how they have to be resolved.

4. CONFRONTATION: under this strategy, which is at the other end of the continuum from avoidance, all the issues are brought into the open, and the conflicting groups directly confront the issues in an attempt to reach a mutually satisfactory solution.

The Conflict Process

Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility

• Communication– Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and

“noise”• Structure

– Size and specialization of jobs

– Jurisdictional clarity/ambiguity– Member/goal incompatibility– Leadership styles (close or participative)– Reward systems (win-lose)– Dependence/interdependence of groups

• Personal Variables

– Differing individual value systems– Personality types

Stage II: Cognition and Personalization

Positive FeelingsPositive FeelingsNegative EmotionsNegative Emotions

Conflict DefinitionConflict Definition

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.

Stage III: Intentions

Cooperativeness:

• Attempting to satisfy the other party’s concerns.

Assertiveness:

• Attempting to satisfy one’s own concerns.

Intentions

Decisions to act in a given way.

Stage III: Intentions (cont’d)

Competing

A desire to satisfy one’s interests, regardless of the impact on the other party to the conflict.

Collaborating

A situation in which the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties.

Avoiding

The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.

Stage III: Intentions (cont’d)Accommodating

The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponent’s interests above his or her own.

Compromising

A situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something.

Stage IV: Behavior

Conflict Management

The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict.

Conflict-Intensity Continuum

Conflict Management Techniques

Conflict Resolution Techniques

• Problem solving

• Superordinate goals

• Expansion of resources

• Avoidance

• Smoothing

• Compromise

• Authoritative command

• Altering the structural variables

Conflict Management Techniques

Conflict Resolution Techniques

• Communication

• Bringing in outsiders

• Restructuring the organization

• Appointing a devil’s advocate

Stage V: Outcomes• Functional Outcomes from Conflict

– Increased group performance

– Improved quality of decisions

– Stimulation of creativity and innovation

– Encouragement of interest and curiosity

– Provision of a medium for problem-solving

– Creation of an environment for self-evaluation and change

• Creating Functional Conflict

– Reward dissent and punish conflict avoiders.

Stage V: Outcomes

• Dysfunctional Outcomes from Conflict

– Development of discontent

– Reduced group effectiveness

– Retarded communication

– Reduced group cohesiveness

– Infighting among group members overcomes group goals

Conflict and Unit

Performance

CONCLUSION

Conflicts are part of life, in fact, some conflicts are useful( functional), contributing to growth and development. Conflicts occur when the concerns are narrow, different goals are seen as conflicting, resources and power are perceived as limited, differences in values and norms are regarded as undesirable, and some individuals or groups are dependent on others. Conflicts can be presented through the participatory mode of management.

REFERENCES

• Luthans,F(1977).Organizational Behaviour,McGraw Hill, New York

• Robbins,Stephen,P,(1989), Organizational behavior, (4th edn), Prentice Hall, N.Delhi.

• Pareek.U, Understanding Organizational Behavior (2nd edn.) Oxford University