Robbins & Judge

Organizational Behavior
13th Edition

Conflict
Conflict Management
Management
Bob Stretch
Southwestern College

2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

15-1

Conflict
Conflict Defined
Defined
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
That point in an ongoing activity when an interaction
crosses over to become an interparty conflict

Encompasses a wide range of conflicts that people

experience in organizations
Incompatibility of goals
Differences over interpretations of facts
Disagreements based on behavioral expectations

15-2

Transitions
Transitions in
in Conflict
Conflict Thought
Thought
Traditional View of Conflict
The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided
Prevalent view in the 1930s-1940s

Conflict resulted from:

Poor communication
Lack of openness
Failure to respond to employee needs
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15-3

Continued
Continued Transitions
Transitions in
in Conflict
Conflict
Thought
Thought
Human Relations View of Conflict
The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in
any group
Prevalent from the late 1940s through mid-1970s

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
Current view

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15-4

Forms
Forms of
of Interactionist
Interactionist Conflict
Conflict

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15-5

Types
Types of
of Interactionist
Interactionist Conflict
Conflict
Task Conflict
Conflicts over content and goals of the work
Low-to-moderate levels of this type are
FUNCTIONAL

Relationship Conflict
Conflict based on interpersonal relationships
Almost always DYSFUNCTIONAL

Process Conflict
Conflict over how work gets done
Low levels of this type are FUNCTIONAL
2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

15-6

Sources
Sources of
of Conflict
Conflict
Different
Differentgoals
goals
&
&time
timehorizons
horizons
Overlapping
Overlapping
Authority
Authority

Status
Status
inconsistency
inconsistency

Conflict
Conflict
Scarce
Scarce
Resources
Resources

Incompatible
Incompatible
evaluation
evaluation&
&
Reward
Reward

Task
Task
Interdependency
Interdependency

Sources
Sources of
of Conflict
Conflict
1.

Different goals and time horizons: different

groups have differing goals.

2.

Overlapping authority: two or more managers

claim authority for the same activities.

3.

Production focuses on efficiency; Marketing on sales.

Leads to conflict between the managers and workers.

Task Interdependencies: one member of a

group fails to finish a task that another
depends on.

This makes the worker that is waiting fall behind.

4.

Incompatible Evaluation or reward system:

workers are evaluated for one thing, but are
told to do something different.

5.

Scarce Resources: managers can conflict over

allocation of resources.

6.

Groups rewarded for low cost but firm needs higher

service.

When all resources are scarce, managers can fight over

allocations.

Status inconsistencies: some groups have

higher status than others.

Leads to managers feeling others are favored.

CONDITIONS
CONDITIONS LEADING
LEADING TO
TO
CONFLICT
CONFLICT SITUATIONS
SITUATIONS IN
IN
ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIZATIONS

Ambiguous jurisdictions
Conflict of interest
Communication barriers
Dependence on one party
Differentiation in organization
Association of the parties
Behaviour regulation
Performance expectations
Competition for limited resources
Lack of cooperation
Unresolved prior conflicts

The
The Conflict
Conflict Process
Process
We will focus on each step in a moment

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Stage
Stage I:
I: Potential
Potential Opposition
Opposition or
or
Incompatibility
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
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15-12

Stage
Stage II:
II: Cognition
Cognition and
and
Personalization
Personalization
Important stage for two reasons:
1. Conflict is defined
Perceived Conflict
Awareness by one or more parties of the
existence of conditions that create opportunities
for conflict to arise

2. Emotions are expressed that have a strong

impact on the eventual outcome
Felt Conflict
Emotional involvement in a conflict creating
anxiety, tenseness, frustration, or hostility
15-13

Stage
Stage III:
III: Intentions
Intentions
Intentions
Decisions to act in a given way
Note: behavior does not always accurate reflect intent

Dimensions of conflict-handling intentions:

Cooperativeness
Attempting to satisfy
the other partys
concerns

Assertiveness
Attempting to satisfy
ones own concerns

E X H I B I T 15-2
E X H I B I T 15-2

2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

15-14

CONFLICT
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
It refers to interventions that alter the level and form
of conflict in ways that maximize its benefits and
minimize its dysfunctional consequences.
Depending on peoples intentions in a given
situation, the behaviour of conflicting parties can
range from full cooperation to complete
confrontation.
Two intentions determining the type of conflicthandling behaviour are assertiveness and
cooperation.
Assertiveness refers to an attempt to confront the
other party and Co-operation refers to an attempt to
find an agreeable solution.

High
Assertiveness
(Motivation to
satisfy ones
own interest)

Low
Assertiveness

Concern for Self

Conflict
Conflict Management
Management Styles
Styles

Concern for Others

(motivation to satisfy
High
Low
Other partys
Cooperation
Cooperation
Interest)

Conflict
Conflict Management
Management
Strategies
Strategies

Conflict
Conflict Management
Management
Strategies
Strategies

There is a menu of strategies we can choose from

when in conflict situations:
1. Competing/Forcing Forcing tries to win the
conflict at the others expense. People use formal
authority or other power to satisfy their concerns
without regard to the concerns of the party that they
are in conflict with. (WIN-LOSE)
2. Accommodating It involves giving in completely
to the other sides wishes, or at least cooperating
with little or no attention to their own interest.
(LOSE-WIN)
This style involves making unilateral concessions
and unconditional promises, as well as offering help
with no expectation of reciprocal help.

3. Avoiding - Not paying attention to the conflict and not

taking any action to resolve it. It represents a low
concern for both self and the other party; in other
words, avoiders try to suppress thinking about the
conflict. (LOSE-LOSE)
4. Collaborating Cooperating with the other party to
understand their concerns and expressing their own
concerns in an effort to find a mutually and completely
satisfactory solution.
Information sharing is an important feature of this
style because for both parties collaborate to identify
common ground and potential solutions that satisfy
both (or all) of them. (WIN-WIN).
5. Compromising - Attempting to resolve a conflict by
identifying a solution that is partially satisfactory to
both parties, but completely satisfactory to neither.
(WINSOME-LOSESOME).

Conflict
Conflict Resolution
Resolution Techniques
Techniques

Problem solving
Superordinate goals
Expansion of resources
Avoidance
Smoothing
Compromise
Authoritative command
Altering the human
variable
Altering the structural
variables
Communication

Bringing in outsiders
Restructuring the
organization
Appointing a devils
advocate

E X H I B I T 15-4
E X H I B I T 15-4

2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

15-20

Stage
Stage V:
V: Outcomes
Outcomes
Functional
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

2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Dysfunctional
Development of discontent
Reduced group
effectiveness
Retarded communication
Reduced group
cohesiveness
Infighting among group
members overcomes group
goals

Creating Functional
Conflict
Reward dissent and punish
conflict avoiders
15-21

Global
Global Implications
Implications
Conflict and Culture
Japanese and U.S. managers view conflict differently
U.S. managers more likely to use competing tactics while
Japanese managers are likely to use compromise and
avoidance

2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

15-22