Conflict

Conflict
• Conflict 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
 Conflict
• Conflict refers to some form of friction,
disagreement, or discord arising within a
group when the beliefs or actions of one or
more members of the group are either
resisted by or unacceptable to one or more
members of another group.
• Conflict Management is the process of limiting
the negative aspects of conflict while increasing
the positive aspects of conflict. 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 the environment. The aim of conflict
management is to enhance learning and group
outcomes, including effectiveness or
performance in organizational setting.
 Transitions in Conflict Thought
Traditional View of Conflict – 1930s and 1940s
The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided
(synonymous with violence, destruction and irrationality to
reinforce its negative connotations)

Causes
• Poor communication
• Lack of openness
• Failure to respond to
employee needs
 Functional versus Dysfunctional
Conflict (Positive)
Functional Conflict
Conflict that supports the goals of the
group and improves its performance

Dysfunctional Conflict
Conflict that hinders group
(Negative) performance
 Types of Conflict
Task Conflict
Conflicts over content and goals of
the work – stimulates discussion of
ideas

Relationship Conflict
Conflict based on interpersonal
relationships (almost always
dysfunctional ) – 18% time spent

Process Conflict
Conflict over how work gets done – who?
 Types of Conflict
Intrapersonal Conflict
Role-related Intrapersonal Conflict, Goal-related Conflicts
Interpersonal Conflict

Intragroup Conflict
Intergroup Conflict

Inter organizational Conflict

Intra organizational Conflict

 Conflict as a Source of Growth and Transformation
Conflict can come from a variety of sources:

 Goals. Conflict can happen as a result of conflicting goals or priorities. It can also happen
when there is a lack of shared goals.
 Personality conflicts. Personality conflicts are a common cause of conflict. Sometimes
there is no chemistry, or you haven’t figured out an effective way to click with somebody.
 Scarce resources. Conflict can happen when you’re competing over scarce resources.
 Styles. People have different styles. Your thinking style or communication style might
conflict with somebody else’s thinking style or their communication style. The good news is
that conflicts in styles are easy to adapt to when you know how.
 Values. Sometimes you will find conflict in values. The challenge here is that values are
core. Adapting with styles is one thing, but dealing with conflicting values is another. That’s
why a particular business, group, or culture may not be a good fit for you. It’s also why
“bird’s of a feather flock together” and why “opposites attract, but similarities bind.”
By embracing conflict as a part of life, you can make the most of each situation and use it
as a learning opportunity or a leadership opportunity.
 By embracing conflict as a part of life, you can make the most of each situation and
use it as a learning opportunity or a leadership opportunity.
Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (As a conflict handling tool)
The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument is a model for handling conflict:

The model organizes 5 conflict management styles based on two dimensions:

Assertiveness and Cooperativeness.

Here are the five conflict management styles according to Thomas, K.W.,
and R.H. Kilmann:

Accommodating – This is when we cooperate to a high-degree, and it

may be at our own expense, and actually work against our own goals,
objectives, and desired outcomes. This approach is effective when the
other party is the expert or has a better solution. It can also be
effective for preserving future relations with the other party.

Accommodating Skills :

• Forgetting your desires • Selflessness

• Ability to yield • Obeying orders

Avoiding – This is when we simply avoid the issue. We aren’t
helping the other party reach their goals, and we aren’t assertively
pursuing our own. This works when the issue is trivial or when
we have no chance of winning. It can also be effective when the
issue would be very costly. It’s also very effective when the
atmosphere is emotionally charged and we need to create some
space. Sometimes issues will resolve themselves, but “hope is not
a strategy”, and, in general, avoiding is not a good long term
strategy.

Avoiding Skills

• Ability to withdraw • Ability to sidestep issues

• Ability to leave things unresolved • Sense of timing

Collaborating – This is where our partner or pair up with the other
party to achieve both of our goals. This is how we break free of the
“win-lose” paradigm and seek the “win-win.” This can be effective
for complex scenarios where we need to find a novel solution. This
can also mean re-framing the challenge to create a bigger space and
room for everybody’s ideas. The downside is that it requires a high-
degree of trust and reaching a consensus can require a lot of time
and effort to get everybody on board and to synthesize all the ideas.

Collaboration Skills

• Active listening • Nonthreatening confrontation

• Identifying concerns • Analyzing input

Competing – This is the “win-lose” approach. We act in a very assertive way to
achieve goals, without seeking to cooperate with the other party, and it may be
at the expense of the other party. This approach may be appropriate for
emergencies when time is of the essence, or when we need quick, decisive
action, and people are aware of and support the approach.

Competing Skills

• Arguing or debating • Using rank or influence • Asserting your opinions and feelings

• Standing your ground • Stating your position clearly

Compromising – This is the “lose-lose” scenario where neither party
really achieves what they want. This requires a moderate level of
assertiveness and cooperation. It may be appropriate for scenarios
where we need a temporary solution, or where both sides have equally
important goals. The trap is to fall into compromising as an easy way
out, when collaborating would produce a better solution.
By knowing our own default patterns we improve our self-
awareness. Once we are aware of our own patterns, we can pay
attention to whether they are working for us and we can explore
alternatives.

• Assertiveness is the quality of being self assured and confident

without being aggressive.
 Compromising Skills

• Negotiating • Finding a middle ground

• Assessing value • Making concessions

Conflict Management Techniques
Conflict Stimulation Techniques
• Communication
• Bringing in outsiders
• Restructuring the organization
• Appointing a devil’s advocate