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

organizations interests while

dysfunctional conflict threatens

the organizations
interests.

Browns Conflict Continuum

Outcomes

Positive

Appropriate
Conflict

Neutral

Negative

Too Much
Conflict

Too Little
Conflict
Low

Moderate
Intensity

Highe

Traditional

Transitions
in Conflict
Thought

Human
Relations
Interactionist

The Conflict Process

Perceived
Conflict
Sources of
Conflict

Manifest
Conflict
Felt
Conflict

Conflict
Outcomes

A Conflict Model (Figure 10-8)

Aftermath of
Preceding Episode
Latent Conflict
Organizational
and ExtraOrganizational
Tensions
Conflict
Resolution
Mechanisms

Felt Conflict

Environmental
Effects

Perceived Conflict

Manifest Conflict

Conflict Aftermath

AttentionFocus and
Diversion
Mechanisms
Strategic
Considerations

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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Incompatible personalities or value systems.

Overlapping or unclear job boundaries.
Competition for limited resources.
Interdepartment /intergroup competition.
Inadequate communication.
Interdependent tasks.
Organizational complexity.
Unreasonable or unclear policies, standards, or
rules.
Unreasonable deadlines or extreme time pressure.
Collective decision making.
Decision making by consensus.
Unmet expectations.
Unresolved or suppressed conflict.

Sources of Conflict
Goal
Incompatibility

Goals conflict with goals of others

Different Values
and Beliefs

Different beliefs due to unique

background, experience, training
Caused by specialized tasks, careers
Explains misunderstanding in crosscultural and merger relations

Sources of Conflict
Goal
Incompatibility
Different Values
and Beliefs
Task
Interdependence

Three levels of interdependence

Resource

Pooled
A

Sequential
A

Reciprocal

A
B

Sources of Conflict
Goal
Incompatibility
Different Values
and Beliefs
Task
Interdependence
Scarce
Resources
Ambiguity

Increases competition for resources

to fulfill goals
Lack of rules guiding relations
Encourages political tactics

Sources of Conflict
Goal
Incompatibility
Different Values
and Beliefs
Task
Interdependence

Lack of opportunity

--reliance on stereotypes

Scarce
Resources

Lack of ability

Ambiguity

Lack of motivation

Communication
Problems

-- arrogant communication
heightens conflict perception
-- conflict causes lower motivation to
communicate, increases
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, antidiscrimination, 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
Inter-group conflict tends
to increase when:
Conflict within the
group is high
There are negative
interactions between
groups (or between
members of those
groups)
Influential third-party
gossip about other group
is negative

Recommended actions:

Work to eliminate specific negative

interactions between groups (and
members).
Conduct team building to reduce
intragroup conflict and prepare
employees for cross-functional teamwork
Encourage personal friendships and
good working relationships across
groups and departments.
Foster positive attitudes toward
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
Be sensitive to the needs of others
2
Be cooperative, rather than overly competitive
Advocate inclusive (participative) leadership
Compromise rather than dominate
4
Build rapport through conversations
Be compassionate and understanding
Avoid conflict by emphasizing harmony
Nurture others (develop and mentor)

Tie
2
3
5
6
7
8

Stimulating Functional Conflict

Devil,s Advocacy

Dialectic Method

Concern for Others

Conflict Management Styles

High

Integrating

Obliging

Compromising

Low

Dominating

High

Avoiding

Low
Concern for Self

Conflict Management Styles

Competing. Involves trying to win at the other partys 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
partys wishes or at least cooperating with little or no attention to
ones 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
Competing

Appropriate Situation
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
Larger Goals
Bring Parties
Together to Foster
Understanding and
Cooperation
Separate
Conflicting
Parties

Improve
Communications

Reduced
Conflict

Use Third
Parties as
Mediators

Clarify Job
Responsibilities
Develop
Employees
Negotiating Skills

Communication Guidelines to Build More

Productive Relationships
1. Be honest; say whats on your mind now. Be open.
2. Be specific; provide examples.
3. Dont 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. Dont interrupt.
10. Stay there. Dont 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. Dont attack the other person by ridiculing, taunting, or otherwise being rude
and hostile.
14. Dont 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; winlose.

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

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

Distributive
Bargaining

Integrative
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

Opponents Positions

Initial

Decision-Making Biases That

Impede Negotiations

Escalation of commitment
The mythical fixed pie

Anchoring and adjustments

Framing negotiations
Availability of information
The winners 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 Ones Own Position
6. Information Exploitation
7. Nondisclosure
8. Change of Mind
9. Distraction
10.Maximization