Table of Contents

 Very Short Question and Answers

 1. State the human relations

view of the conflict.

 2. State the interactionist
view of the conflict.
 3. What is intra-group
conflict?
 4. Define functional conflict.

 5. What is conflict?

 6. Enumerate the nature of

the conflict.
 Short Questions and Answers

 1. What is conflict? Explain

the conflict process.

 2. Explain the sources of
conflict.
 3. Explain the concept of
inter-group conflict? Enlist
its types. Explain the
dynamics of inter-group
conflict.
 Long Question and Answers

 1. Discuss the approaches to

conflict management.
 2. Examine their negative and

positive outcomes in an
organization.
Very Short Question and Answers
1. State the human relations view of the conflict.
From the late 1940s mid-70s, the human relations view dominated the topic of
organizational conflict. The human relations view does not discard conflict as an
outright negative and destructive thing. Instead, it says that an organizational
conflict may be beneficial for the individuals, groups, and the organization in
general. Moreover, this perspective even suggests that organizational conflicts
within groups may even lead to better group performance and outcome.

2. State the interactionist view of the conflict.

The human relations view argues that conflict is a natural occurrence in all
groups and, as such, it should be managed and not eliminated. The
interactionist view proposes that conflict can be a positive force in a group and
explicitly argues that some conflict is necessary for a group to perform
effectively.

3. What is intra-group conflict?

Intra-group conflict is the conflict between members within a group. It is the
conflict within a group as an outcome of inter-group conflict.

4. Define functional conflict.

The type of conflict that brings in positive consequences and supports the goals
of the group is known as functional conflict. A functional conflict is thus a form of
constructive conflict.

5. What is conflict?
Conflict is a situation in which two or more parties feel themselves in opposition.
In other words, conflict is a process in which an effort is purposefully made by
one person or unit to block another resulting in frustrating the attainment of
other goals or the furthering of his or her interests.

6. Enumerate the nature of the conflict.

The key features that enumerate the nature of conflict are enlisted as follows:

 There remain mutually exclusive goals;

 There exist two types of perception;
 There must be intentional effort;
 Conflict exists either at the latent or overt level.
Short Questions and Answers
1. What is conflict? Explain the conflict process.
Meaning of Conflict
Conflict is a situation in which two or more parties feel themselves in opposition.
In other words, conflict is a process in which an effort is purposefully made by
one person or unit to block another resulting in frustrating the attainment of
other goals or the furthering of his or her interests.

The following is the process of conflict:

 Potential opposition of incompatibility: The development of
the feeling of opposition or incompatibility between the individuals or
groups is the potential source of conflict. They provide opportunities to
generate conflict in the surface. These conditions may be studied
under the three categories such as communications, structure, and
personal variables.
 Cognition and personalization: If one of the factors mentioned in
the potential opposition or incompatibility stage actually appears as a
conflict, then state cognition and personalization are started based on
a conflicting issue. During this stage, the perception of conflict arises
between the parties involved in the opposition issue.
 Intentions: The third stage of the conflicting process is intentions
or decisions to take action in a certain way for handling conflict.
Intentions intervene between individuals’ perceptions and emotions
and their overt behaviour. Managers may have multiple choices for
handling the conflict. However, using the cooperativeness and
assertiveness dimension five conflict-handling intentions are identified.
They are: competing, collaborating, avoiding, accommodating and
compromising.
 Behaviour: This is a stage where conflict becomes visible. The
behaviour stage includes the statements, actions, and reactions made
by the conflicting parties. These conflict behaviours are usually overt
attempts to implement each party’s intentions. The conflicting parties
show their behaviour by presenting their own views, opinions, evidence
and logic. An important part of the management function is to
understand the behaviour presented by conflicting parties for its
solution.
 Outcomes: The action-reaction interplay between the conflicting
parties results in consequences. The consequences may be functional
or dysfunctional. The outcome of the functional conflict is the
improvement in the group’s performance whereas dysfunctional
conflict hinders group performance, Conflict is constructive when it
improves the number of decisions for the encouragement of creativity
and innovations.
2. Explain the sources of conflict.
Sources/Nature of Conflicts
Conflict can arise from a variety of sources. They can be classified into two
broad categories: structural factors, which stem from the nature of the
organization and the way in which work is organized and personal factors, which
arise from differences among individuals. The causes/sources of conflict can be
summarized into two categories.
a) Structural Factors
 Specialization: When jobs are highly specialized, employees
become experts at certain tasks. For example, in case of a software
company, there is one specialist for data bases, another for statistical
packages, and yet another for expert systems. As the highly
specialized people have little awareness of the tasks that others
perform, such a case leads to conflict among the specialists.
 Interdependence: Interdependence occurs when two or more
groups depend on each other to accomplish their tasks. Depending on
other people to work done is good when the process works smoothly.
However, when problem arises, it becomes easy to blame other party,
and as such, conflict escalates. The potential of conflict increases as
the degree of interdependence increases.
 Goal differences: Sometimes different work groups having
different goals have incompatible goals. For example, in a cable
television company, the salesperson’s goal is to sell as many new
installations as possible. This can create problem for the service
department, because their goal is to do timely installations.
b) Personal factors
 Skills and abilities: The workforce in an organization/department
is composed of people with varying levels of skills and abilities. Such
diversity in skills and abilities leads to conflict, especially when jobs are
interdependent. Workers may find it difficult to work with a new boss,
fresh from University knowing a lot about managing people but
unfamiliar with the technology they are working with.
 Personalities: Personality also causes individual differences. It is
differences in personality that neither the manager likes all of his co-
managers and subordinates nor all of them like the manager. This
creates conflict among them. Research studies report that usually an
abrasive personality is rejected by others. An abrasive person is one
who ignores the interpersonal aspects of work and the feelings of
colleagues.
 Perception: Differences in perceptions can also lead to conflict.
One area in which perceptions can, for example, differ may be the
perception of what motivates employees. Managers, for example,
usually provide what they think employees want rather than what
employees really want.
 Values and ethics: People also hold different beliefs and adhere to
different value system. Older workers, for example, value company
loyalty and probably do not take a sick day when they are not really
sick/ill. But, the younger workers, valuing mobility, may be taking a
sick day to get away from work.
 Emotion: The moods of the people can also be a source of conflict
in the work place. Problems of home often spill over into the work
arena, and the related moods can be hard for others to deal with.
 Communication barriers: Communication barriers such as
physical separation and language can create distortions in messages,
 and these, in turn, can lead to conflict Value judgment also sometimes
serves as barrier.
3. Explain the concept of inter-group conflict? Enlist its types.
Explain the dynamics of inter-group conflict.
Inter-Group Conflict
When there is a conflict between two different groups of an organization, it is
called an inter-group conflict. The conflict between marketing and finance
groups in an organization is an example of inter-group conflict.

The concepts of intergroup conflict can be explained below given points:

 There are distortions of perception, related to one’s own group and
about the other group. Firstly, perception of one’s own group is highly
selective: people see only the best aspects of their own group and
deny any weakness. Secondly, perception of the other groups is
systematically distorted: groups see only the worst parts of other
groups and deny other groups positive accomplishments. Thus, inter
group conflict leads to increased use of stereotypes. Each group
develops more positive stereotype of itself and a more negative of
other.
 Interaction and communication between groups decreases. As
group members feel hostile toward members of rival groups, there is
less desire for interaction with them. Moreover, decreased interaction.
Makes it easier for each group to maintain its negative stereotype of
the other. Even when groups are forced to interact with each other,
those interactions become fairly rigid and formal. Whatever information
is passed between groups is carefully rationed and sometimes
deliberately distorted. Groups tend to ignore the similarities between
their positions and exaggerate the differences.
 There is a shift from problem-solving orientation toward other
groups to a win-lose orientation. There are various facts to this shift in
orientation. First, there is a much clearer distinction drawn between
the groups, resulting in a “we- they” rather than a “We-versus’ – the
problem” orientation. Second, all exchange with the other groups are
evaluated in terms of victory or defeat. Third, the groups tend to see
the problem only from their own point of view, rather than in terms of
the needs of both groups. Fourth, the parties emphasize the benefits of
winning the conflict in the short run and tend to ignore the long-term
consequences of the conflict for the relationship between the groups.
 As a result of negative stereotyping, decreased communication
between groups, win-lose orientation, etc. hostility inevitably occurs
between rival groups. Members of the other group are seen as the
enemy, and deserving of hostile attacks.
Types of Inter-Group Conflict
The primary types of inter-group conflict are listed as follows:

a) Functional conflict: Conflict that supports the goals of the groups and
improve its performance
b) Dys-functional conflicts: Conflict that hinders group performance
c) Task conflict: Conflict over content and goals of the work
d) Relationship conflict: Conflict based on interpersonal relationships
e) Process conflict: Conflicts over how work gets done
The Dynamics of Inter-Group Conflict
When conflicts take place between groups the following dynamism can be seen.

a) Changes within each group:

Each group now try to make them strong to meet the hurdles created, by
another group. In this regard, one can observe the following scenarios.

 Loyalty to the group becomes more important: In the face of

an external threat, the group demands more loyalty from individual
members. Not only is social interaction with people outside the group
not encouraged; it is expressly discouraged. Such interaction could
lead to an inadvertent betrayal of group strategy and secrets. Deviance
is more closely monitored and punished.
 There is increased concern for task accomplishment: When
there is inter-group conflict, the group member becomes more
concerned about accomplishing the task. There will be fewer informal
relations among group members but high formal relations among
group members.
 Leadership in the group becomes more autocratic: When
intergroup conflict is resent it is especially important for a group to be
able to respond quickly and in a unified manner to the activities of
other groups. A democratic work style can reduce the group’s capacity
to respond quickly. Hence, the leadership usually switches to
autocracy.
 The organization and structure of the group become more
rigid: After the inter-group conflict among the groups, each group, is
concerned with making the group more effective. There will be a rigid
organizational structure with more focus on formal relations. Moreover,
tasks are highly valued.
 Group cohesiveness (degree of unity) is increased: In the face
of an external threat, past differences and difficulties between group
members are forgotten. The group closes ranks to meet the challenge.
Individual group members find both the group as a whole and other
group members more attractive.
b) Changes in Relations between Groups:
 Interaction and communication between groups decreases
 There are distortions of perception, both one’s own group and about
the other group`.
 There is a shift from a problem-solving orientation toward other
groups to a win-lose orientation
 There is increased hostility forward the rival group.
Long Question and Answers
1. Discuss the approaches to conflict management.
Approaches to Conflict Management
Conflict arises from different sources. It is inevitable to avoid conflict in an
organizational setting. So with appropriate techniques, conflict should be
managed. There are different approaches to managing conflict. Some of the
highly adopted approaches to conflict management are explained below.

 Dominance: Dominance is the easiest technique to manage

conflict. . In this technique manager will eliminate the conflicting
parties. By dismissing the conflicting parties, the conflict can be
managed. This is, however, a short-term solution.
 Avoidance: Conflict can be managed by avoiding it. In this
technique, one party avoids the conflict and lets the conflicting parties
win. Moreover, redefining the goals and not making over-lapping goals
helps to manage conflict.
 Smoothing: In this technique, the differences between two parties
are disguised while similarities are highlighted. This make both the
party feel that they are not much apart. This shared viewpoint
enhances the possibility of working together for common goals.
 Compromise: In this technique, the conflicting parties compromise
with each other on certain points. The party provides something else to
other parties in exchange for the desired outcomes. If the desired
outcome is not achieved conflict again rises. Hence, this is also a
temporary solution.
 Hierarchical decision-making: In this technique, a common
superior can be requested to use his authority to resolve conflict.
However, it is a very widely accepted technique that loses its best
when the authority figure fails to understand the issue properly and the
subordinates do not respect them.
 System restructuring: By restructuring the system, one can often
manage the conflict in the organization. It involves clarifying demands
and segregating roles in different positions, and people can resolve role
conflicts.
 Bargaining: In this technique parties in conflict bargain with each
other to solve the conflict. Here the use of bargaining power is highly
used.
2. Examine their negative and positive outcomes in an
organization.
Positive Outcomes of Conflict
More often conflict leads to certain positive outcomes. A few of them are:

 It provides an individual with a chance to think again, undertake

self-introspection and have a second look at the existing things, be
they procedures, policies, equipment, behaviours etc. In this regard,
conflict is a major stimulant for change.
 It leads to innovation and at times, to a new direction. It is,
therefore, even necessary for an organization’s survival and growth.
 It helps seek classification and generate search behaviour.
  At times, conflict is also used as a means to certain ends and to
create confusion or set subordinates against each other in order to
maintain the interested party’s own position. It may not be a positive
outcome in the strict sense of the term from the organizational point of
view, but it is certainly a management strategy to ward off problems
temporarily. It may be viewed as an unavoidable cost of the pursuit of
one’s aspirations.
 When conflict is developed, attention is immediately drawn to the
malfunctioning parts of a system. It is an indication that the situation.
calls for improvement. Conflict is, therefore, an essential portion of a
cyber-native system.
 It energises people and leads to mild stimulation. Moreover, it helps
the employee to test their capacities.
 It serves as a cementing force in a group and incredible unity is
witnessed even in a heterogeneous group in times of tension.
 For some. It is exhilarating and provides endless challenge and
meaning to their lines.
Negative Outcomes of Conflict
Many times conflicts may be detrimental and disastrous. A few of such
circumstances in which it can be termed harmful and undesirable are discussed
below.

 When conflict does not lead to the solution to a problem, it is

unproductive and investment of time and effort goes waste.
 It is undesirable if it creates a climate of distrust and suspicion
among people, if some people feel defeated and if it develops
antagonism instead of a spirit of cooperation.
 When management loses objectivity and treats disagreement as
equivalent to disloyalty and rebellion, an opportunity for creativity
should be deemed to have been lost. It may even pour oil over troubled
waters; exploit differences to strengthen itself and weaken others, and
accept resolutions capable of different interpretations.
 In an attempt to find a solution, management may gloss over
serious differences and suppress certain feelings which may except at
inappropriate moments and hit safe targets.
 In the event of a conflict, there may be an intensification of
internalization of subunit goals which may result in the neglect of
overall organizational goals.