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CONFLICT
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Meaning

 Conflict is the incompatibility of goals and differences or

disagreements over a certain issue.

Conflict arises when an interpersonal relationships which is

expected to be productive, cooperative, and satisfying does not
fulfill the expectations.

 conflict is a processes that begin when one party perceives that

another party has negatively affected or is about to negatively
affect something that the first party cares about.

Conflict must be perceived by the parties; whether or not a

conflict exists is a perception issue. If no one is aware of a
conflict, then it is generally agreed as no conflict exists.
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Approaches of Conflict
 Regarding the dealings of conflict in the organization, the
following 3 major approaches were the most important:

a) Traditional Approach: believes that conflicts are violent and

destructive which result in poor communication, lack of trust,
failure of the management to meet the aspirations of employees and
so on. So, the causes of conflict must be revealed to avoid it,
because conflict avoidance increases performance.
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Approaches of Conflict
 Regarding the dealings of conflict in the organization, the
following 3 major approaches were the most important:

b) Human relations Approach: The human relations approach

argued that conflict was a natural and inevitable occurrence in all
groups and organizations. It cannot be eliminated. So, Conflict has
to be used by management for its positive results.

c) Interactionist Approach: This approach believes that minimum

level of conflict is essential for performance, as some conflicts are
helpful for performance. These are called functional conflicts
because they are constructive and are essential part of an
organization. On the other hand, there are dysfunctional conflicts
which hinder the performance of an organization.
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Levels of Conflict

There are five levels of conflict in organizations. These are intrapersonal

(within an individual), interpersonal (between individuals), intragroup
(within a group), intergroup (between groups), and intra-organizational
(within organizations).

 Intra-personal Conflict: It occurs within an individual’s mind. It is

psychological in its nature involving the individual’s thoughts, values,
principles and emotions.
Intrapersonal Conflict often involves some form of goal conflict. Goal
conflict exists for individuals when their behavior/action will result in
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Levels of Conflict

The positive and negative conflict out comes might be expressed in

the following conditions:
 Approach-approach conflict: it is a situation in which a person

has a choice between two or more alternatives with positive

outcomes. For example, a person can choose between two jobs
that appear to be equally attractive.
 Avoidance - avoidance conflict: it is a situation in which a person

must choose between two or more alternatives having negative

outcomes. For example, conflict if he or she has to decide
between accepting a salary cut or quitting his or her job.
 Approach-avoidance conflict: a situation in which a person must

decide whether to do something that had both positive and

negative outcomes. For example, being offered a good job in a
bad location.
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Levels of Conflict

 Inter-personal Conflict: It is a conflict between two or more

individuals. It occurs as employees have to act and react with
other employees (their interdependence). Reasons for
interpersonal conflict include:

Personality differences

Perceptions

Clashes of values and interests

Scarce resource AND

Power and status differences.

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Levels of Conflict

 Intra-group Conflict: It is a type of conflict that happens among

individuals within a group/team. The incompatibilities and
misunderstandings among these individuals lead to an intragroup
conflict.
Within a team/group, conflict can be helpful in coming up with decisions
which will eventually allow them to reach their objectives as a team.

However, if the degree of conflict disrupts harmony among the

members, then some serious guidance from a different party will be
needed for it to be settled.
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Levels of Conflict

 Inter-group Conflict: As the situation demands, individuals form

various groups. The success of the organization as a whole
depends upon the harmonial relations among all interdependent
groups. This leads to a feeling of we and they; “We are always
right and they are always wrong”.
Factors for this type of conflict may include a rivalry in resources or the
boundaries set by a group to others which establishes their own identity
as a team. For instance, the HRM department of an organization can
come in conflict with the production department.
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Levels of Conflict

 Intra-organizational Conflict: it is a type of conflict in which

incompatibilities and disagreement exists due to several factors
within the organization it self. The 4 types of intra-organizational
conflict were the followings:
Vertical Conflict: A conflict between levels in an
organization. E.g. superior-subordinate conflict .
Horizontal Conflict: conflict between employees or
departments as the same hierarchical level in an
organization. e.g. conflict between mgt& hotel mgt dept’s.
Line-Staff Conflict: Most organizations have staff
departments to assist the line departments. E.g. HRM & mgt.
Role Conflict: A role is the cluster of activities that others
expect individuals to perform in their position.
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Levels of Conflict

 Inter-organizational Conflict: it involves disputes between two

or more organizations. For example, different energy suppliers
may engage in inter-organizational conflict when they are
competing for a larger market share.

The more interesting inter-organizational conflicts, however, may

be those among organizations that are working together. perhaps
in joint operating agreements or community consortiums.

Other common examples include disagreements between unions

and the organizations employing their members, between
government regulatory agencies and the organizations subject to
their surveillance, between organizations and their suppliers, and
between organizations and outside activist groups.
.

Sources of conflict

Conflicts in the organizations may arise due to several reasons and

the followings were the major ones:

 Competition for limited resources: The greater the scarcity of

resources, the greater the potential for conflict.

 Work flow relationship: it is When group’s performance is

dependent on another group .

 Communication problems: conflict may arise because all

groups may not have the same information or may not have
adequate information.
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Sources of conflict

 Overlapping or unclear boundaries: If activities or

resources are allocated to whom is not clearly delineated, it can
lead to conflict between the parties involved.

 Unclear authority structure: people may not know how far

their authority extends.

 Unreasonable or unclear procedures or rules: it occurs

when rules and regulations are stipulated in ambiguous manner.

 Collective decision making: The greater the number of people

participating in a decision, the greater the potential for conflict as
group members may have different background, level of
information, experience and the like.
 .

Conflict outcomes

Conflict outcomes may be either functional (in that the conflict

results in an improvement in the group’s performance) or
dysfunctional (in that it hinders group performance).

1) Functional outcomes: Generally, conflict is constructive when

it stimulates creativity and innovation, improves the quality of
decisions and encourages interest among group members, provides
the medium through which problems can aired and tensions released,
and fosters environment of self evaluation and change.

Evidences shows that when groups analyzed decisions that had

been made by the individual members of that group, the average
improvement among the high conflict groups was 73% greater
than that of those groups characterized by low conflict conditions.
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Conflict outcomes

Basic positive outcomes of conflict include:

 strengthen friendship.
The energy level of individuals or groups increases with conflict.
 Group cohesion increases-external threats make a group to pull
together as a unit.
 Blind faith is replaced by logical understanding.
 Minorities views are given due attention and
 Inactive decisions are revealed due to conflict.

Generally, groups composed of members with different interests

tend to produce higher quality solutions to a variety of problems
than do homogeneous groups.
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Conflict outcomes

2) Dysfunctional outcomes: The destructive consequences

of conflict on a group/team or organization’s performance are
generally well known. Uncontrolled opposition breeds discontent
which acts to dissolve commonalities, and eventually leads to the
destruction of the group/team.

The two extremes of conflict are dysfunctional whereas the

optimum level of conflict is functional. Therefore, managers
should strive to maintain optimum level of conflict in their
organizations.

Evidence indicates that the type of group activity is a significant

factor for determining functionality. The more non routine the
tasks of a group are, the greater the probability that internal
conflict will be constructive.
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Conflict outcomes

The more undesirable consequences of conflict are:

 Decline in communication between conflicting parties.

 Reduction in group cohesiveness .

 Relationships may be damaged.

 Subordination of group goals to fighting members.

 Delay in decision making which need to be done urgently.

 Hostility and aggression disrupts harmony and peace.

 At the extreme, conflict can bring group functioning to halt and

threaten the group’s survival.
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Conflict outcomes

 Conflicts increase employee turnover, decrease employee

satisfaction and increases inefficiencies of work units.

 Conflict may cause job stress, burnout and dissatisfaction.

 A climate of distrust and suspicion may be developed.

 Job performance may be reduced.

 Resistance to change will increase.

 Organizational commitment and loyalty may be affected.

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Conflict Management

Conflict management is the process of limiting the negative aspects of

conflict while increasing the positive aspects of conflict.

In this sub section, three important issues, that is, analysis of the
conflict situation, conflict stimulation and conflict resolution are
discussed as tools of conflict management.
 Conflict management vs conflict resolution

Conflict management Conflict resolution, generally,

involves taking action to seeks to resolve the
keep a conflict from incompatibilities of interests
escalating. further it and behaviours that
implies the ability to constitute the conflict by
control the intensity of a recognizing and addressing
conflict and its effects the underlying issues and
through negotiation, establishing relatively
intervention, institutional harmonious relationships
mechanisms and other and outcomes.
traditional methods.
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Conflict Management

A) Analysis of the conflict situation: A viable strategy for conflict

management begins with an analysis of the conflict situations and
then moving to the development of strategy. Management can
analyze a conflict situation by identifying:

 The conflicting parties– the conflict may be between individuals,

between individuals and groups, or between departments.

 The source of conflict– competition, resource, personal

difference, inadequate communication and the like.

 The level of conflict– the situation may be at a stage where the

manager must deal with it immediately or the conflict may be at a
moderate level of intensity.
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Conflict Management

B) Conflict stimulation: Conflict can be stimulated by employing the

following mechanisms:

 Competition: Encouraging competition by offering bonuses, incentive pay

and citation of outstanding performance may lead to productive conflicts
as groups struggle to outdo each other.
 Bringing outsiders: adding employees to a group whose back grounds,
values, attitudes or managerial styles differ from those of present members
can be adopted as means of stimulating conflict to its functional level.
 Appointing devil’s advocate: These types of person solve the problems
differently of the members of organization. He works as conflict motivator.
If he has good skill, knowledge and mind, can be good advocator of
organization.

 Restructuring the organization: realigning work groups, altering rules and

regulations, increasing interdependence and making structural changes to
disrupt the status quo will stimulate conflict.
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Conflict Management

C) Conflict Resolution: Managers as well as other individuals

who are in charge of resolving conflicts that arise in their
organizations or units must resolve the conflict between parties
by five using different modes as of the followings.
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Conflict Management

 Avoidance: this is when there is low concern for you and

others.
One or both parties could avoid facing the conflict. The situation
pertains to un-cooperative and unassertive behavior on the part of
parties involved.

e.g. A Party may avoid, postpone or even withdraw facing B Party.

This strategy is useful when issues involved in conflict is very

minor or when more important issues deserve attention.

Avoidance strategy should be applied when one feels that people

in the organization should cool down so that the issue can be
handled at a later date in a better psychological environment.
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Conflict Management

 Competing: This is when there is high concern for your self but
low for others.

It will be adopted when other strategies of conflict resolution are

not working.

Competing is also useful in emergencies where quick decisions

are required. In this strategy power must be used unilaterally as a
weapon when unpopular decisions like termination, pay cuts,
layoffs, cost cutting and enforcing discipline are required to be taken.

This strategy is based on win-lose principle of managing conflicts.

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Conflict Management

 Collaborating: this is when you give high concern for you and
others. It involves attempt of one party to work with the other
party in cooperative manner and find solutions to the problem for
mutual benefits.

The strategy involves identification of areas of disagreement,

examining the issue in greater detail and a workable solution
arrived at, which is for mutual benefit.

This strategy signifies joint efforts, gain for both parties and
integrated solutions arrived at by consensual decisions.
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Conflict Management

 Accommodating: this is when you give low concern for your

self and high concern for others.

In accommodating mode, a person scarifies his own interest for

accommodating other person’s interest.

It is form of selfless generosity, obeying other person’s point of view.

This mode is usually adopted when other person’s view is

stronger, you want to achieve goodwill and indicate that you are
reasonable.

This strategy of conflict resolution is also important when you

want other person to give at a later date when it favors you.
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Conflict Management

 Compromising: It is when you have medium concern for you

and others.

It is when both parties try to find out some expedient, mutually

acceptable solution that sacrifices both the parties partially.

In compromising, there is no clear winner or loser. None of the

party is fully satisfied as they ration the object of conflict and
accept the solution which is not complete to either of the parties.

Values, ethics, principles and long term objectives of the

organization must be protected while adopting compromising.
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Use Competition

 When quick, decisive action is vital (in emergencies);

on important issues
 Where unpopular actions need implementing (in cost
cutting, enforcing unpopular rules, discipline)
 On issues vital to the organization’s welfare
 When you know you’re right
 Against people who take advantage of
noncompetitive behavior
 Use Collaboration

 To find an integrative solution when both sets of

concerns are too important to be compromised
 When your objective is to learn
 To merge insights from people with different
perspectives
 To gain commitment by incorporating concerns into a
consensus
 To work through feelings that have interfered with a
relationship
 Use Accommodation

 When you find you’re wrong and to allow a better

position to be heard
 To learn, and to show your reasonableness
 When issues are more important to others than to
yourself and to satisfy others and maintain cooperation
 To build social credits for later issues
 To minimize loss when outmatched and losing
 When harmony and stability are especially important
 To allow employees to develop by learning from
mistakes
 Use Avoidance

 When an issue is trivial, or more important issues are

pressing
 When you perceive no chance of satisfying your concerns
 When potential disruption outweighs the benefits of
resolution
 To let people cool down and regain perspective
 When gathering information supersedes immediate decision
 When others can resolve the conflict effectively
 When issues seem tangential or symptomatic of other issues
 Use Compromise

 When goals are important but not worth the effort of

potential disruption of more assertive approaches
 When opponents with equal power are committed to
mutually exclusive goals
 To achieve temporary settlements to complex issues
 To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure
 As a backup when collaboration or competition is
unsuccessful
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Inter-Personal Relation Management

 Performance of members of any organization depends on their

ability to effectively interact with their superiors, subordinates
and co-workers within the organization and consumers, suppliers
and general public outside.

 Most organizations have people problems rather than business

problems. People problems are due to faulty interpersonal
relations which hinder the attainment of organizational goal.

 IPR is the association of individual working in one organization.

 It indicates the degree to which members of an organization are

associated each other.
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Tips to improve inter-personal relationships @ workplace

 Do not treat office as your home: Never misbehave with any of your
colleagues.

 An individual should not interfere in his colleague’s work:

Overlapping of job responsibility leads to employees interfering in each
other’s tasks and eventually fighting over small issues. One should be
concerned only with his work rather than trying to find out what the other
employee is up to.

 Give space to your fellow workers: Overhearing anyone else’s personal

conversation is strictly unprofessional. An employee must not open
envelopes, couriers or letters not meant for him. Such practices lead to severe
displeasure among employees and eventually spoil relationships.

 Do not spread baseless rumors at workplace: Even if you know

something about someone, learn to keep things to yourself. Organizations are
not private…
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Tips to improve inter-personal relationships @ workplace

 Pass on correct information to others: If your superior has asked you to

share some information with any of your colleagues, make sure it is shared
in its desired form unless it will lead to confusions at the workplace.

 Do not share all your secrets with your co workers: You never know
when they might misuse them. Even if you do, make sure you are doing it
with someone you trust blindly.

 Leave your ego behind: Do not bring your personal tensions to work.
Think before you speak. Making fun of colleagues is something better @
work.

 A team leader should not scold any of his team members in front of
others: Avoid comparisons among team members.

 Stay away from nasty politics at workplace: Do not try to harm anyone
around you because it may harm you tomorrow.
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