Chapter Six

Organizational Conflict and resolution

strategies

By Aman A. (PhD)
Chapter Outlines
•Nature and scope of conflict
•Functional and dysfunctional conflict
•Causes of conflict
•Types of conflict
•Conflict process/stages of conflict
•Conflict management methodologies/Conflict
resolution Model

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Transitions in Conflict Thought

Traditional View of Conflict

The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided

Causes
• Poor communication
• Lack of openness
• Failure to respond to
employee needs

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Transitions in Conflict Thought (cont’d)

Human Relations View of Conflict

The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome
in any group

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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Causes of Conflict
According to both Daft and Terry, several factors may create
organizational conflict. They are as follows:
 Scarce Resources- Resources may include money,
supplies, people, or information. Often, organizational
units are in competition for scarce or declining
resources
 Jurisdictional Ambiguities- Conflicts may also surface
when job boundaries and task responsibilities are
unclear. Individuals may disagree about who has the
responsibility for tasks and resources
 Personality Clashes -A personality conflict emerges
when two people simply do not get along or do not view
things similarly. Personality tensions are caused by
differences in personality, attitudes, values, and beliefs.
By Aman A. (PhD)
 Causes of Conflict

 Power and Status Differences- Power and status

conflict may occur when one individual has questionable
influence over another. People might engage in conflict
to increase their power or status in an organization.
 Goal Differences -Conflict may occur because people
are pursuing different goals. Goal conflicts in individual
work units are a natural part of any organization
 Communication Breakdown- barriers may be derived
from differences in speaking styles, writing styles, and
nonverbal communication styles.

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Types of conflict on the basis of its nature

•Intra-personal Conflict (value and decision

making conflict) –
• is an internal conflict which consists in some form
of goal conflict or cognitive conflict within an
individual.
•Inter-personal Conflict
•any type of conflict involving two or more
people.
•Intra-Group Conflict –
•to a specific kind of conflict that occurs
between members of a group that shares
common goals
By Aman A. (PhD)
 Types of conflict on the basis of its nature

•Inter-Group Conflict
•disagreement or confrontation between two
or more groups and their members
•Intra-Organizational Conflicts
(Horizontal and Vertical Conflict)
- conflict within the organization
•Inter-Organizational Conflict
•disputes between two or more organizations

By Aman A. (PhD)
 The Conflict Process

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Stage II: Cognition and Personalization

Perceived Conflict Felt Conflict

Awareness by one or Emotional involvement in
more parties of the a conflict creating anxiety,
existence of conditions tenseness, frustration, or
that create opportunities hostility
for conflict to arise

Conflict Definition

Negative Emotions Positive Feelings

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Stage III: Intentions/Conflict management
methodologies
Intentions
Decisions to act in a given way

Cooperativeness
• Attempting to satisfy the other party’s concerns
Assertiveness
• Attempting to satisfy one’s own concerns

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Dimensions of Conflict-Handling Intentions
/Conflict management methodologies

Source: K. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in M.D. Dunnette

and L.M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., vol. 3
(Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668. With permission.
By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Stage IV: Behavior
Conflict Management
The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to
achieve the desired level of conflict

By Aman A. (PhD)
 Conflict-Intensity Continuum

Source: Based on S.P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach

(Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 93–97; and F. Glasi, “The Process of Conflict
Escalation and the Roles of Third Parties,” in G.B.J. Bomers and R. Peterson (eds.), Conflict
Management and Industrial Relations (Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff, 1982), pp. 119–40.
By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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
By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)
 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

By Aman A. (PhD)