bhu ls 600 chapter 10


• Understand conflict and importance of communication in the process of handling conflict.

• Explain different kinds of conflict.• Understand Fisher and Ury’s approach

to conflict negotiation.• Discuss communication strategies for

conflict resolution.• Discuss the five conflict handling

styles.


• Are conflicts inevitable?

• What kinds of conflicts make you the most uncomfortable?

• When have you managed a conflict to produce positive change?


Myatt, M. (2012, February 22). 5 keys of dealing with workplace conflict. Forbes.com. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/02/22/5-keys-to-dealing-with-workplace-conflict/

5 Keys of Dealing with Workplace Conflict


5 Keys• 1. Define Acceptable Behavior• 2. Hit Conflict Head-on• 3. Understanding the WIIFM Factor• 4. The Importance Factor• 5. View Conflict as Opportunity


• Conflict is inevitable in groups and organizations.• Mutual agreement is possible in any conflict

situation if people are willing to negotiate in authentic ways.

• Conflict can be uncomfortable, but is not necessarily unhealthy or bad.

• The question is, How can we manage conflict and produce positive change?

• Communication plays a central role in handling conflict.


• Intrapersonal o Discord that occurs within an individualo Involves dynamics of personality

• Interpersonal o Disputes that arise between individualso This is the conflict type addressed in Chapter 9

• Societalo Clashes between societies and nationso Ex.: Israeli-Palestinian conflict


Conflict is a felt struggle between two or more interdependent individuals over perceived incompatible differences in beliefs, values, and goals, or over differences in desires for control, status, and connectedness.


• Struggleo Opposing forces coming together

• Interdependenceo Leaders and followers need each other.o How much influence do I want? How much am I willing to

accept?

• Feelingso Emotional arousal within both partieso Array of emotions including anger, sadness, or disconnection

• Differenceso Differences in beliefs, values, goals, or in desire for control,

status, and connectedness


Content and Relationship Dimension of Messages

• Contento Objective, observable aspectso What the message is abouto Ex.: “Please stop texting at work”

• Relationshipo Indicates how the two parties are affiliatedo Determines how the content dimension should be

interpreted


Content Conflicts • Center on differences in beliefs and values, or

goals • Belief conflicts occur when others’ viewpoints

are incompatible with our own.o Ex.: PETA

• Value conflicts occur when others’ values are incompatible with our own. Ex.: Should a first-year college student own a car?

• Goal conflicts occur where individuals have different goals.


• Procedural Conflicto When individuals differ on how to reach a

goal• Substantive Conflict

o When individuals differ on what the goal should be


• Also known as “personality clashes”• Center on issues of esteem, control, or affiliation • Esteem is one of the major human needs:

o We desire to have an effect on our surroundings and to be seen as worthy of respect.

o When our esteem needs aren’t met, we experience relational conflict.

o At the same time, others want their own esteem needs satisfied.

o If either party feels they are receiving insufficient validation, a clash develops.


• Control issues are common in interpersonal conflict.o Each of us desires to have an impact on others.o Having control increases our feeling of potency and

minimizes feelings of helplessness.o When we see others hindering us or limiting our control,

conflict often results.o Each of us seeks different levels of control.o Control needs may vary from one time to another.o Ex.: conflict over what a college sophomore is going to do

over Spring Break


• Affiliation is the need to feel included in our relationships, to be liked and to receive affection (Schutz, 1966).o If our needs for closeness are not satisfied in our relationships,

we experience feelings of conflict.

o We each vary in our need for affiliation.

o When others behave in ways that are incompatible with our own desires for warmth and affection, feelings of conflict emerge.

o Ex.: football coach and one of his players

• Relational issues are often bound to content issues during conflict.


• Principled negotiation emphasizes deciding issues on their merits rather than through competitive haggling or excessive accommodation.

• Four principles focus on basic elements of negotiation: people, interests, options, and criteria.


• Conflicts have a people factor and a problem factor that need to be separated.

• This is not easy, because they are entangled.• By separating them we are able to recognize

the other’s uniqueness and needs.• It enables us to be attentive to our relationships

and work together to mutually confront the problem.


• Positions represent our stand or perspective in a particular conflict.

• Interests represent what is behind our positions. • Interests often relate to basic human concerns

such as belonging, recognition, control, economic well-being, etc.

• Concentrating on interests helps opposing parties address the “real” conflict.

• Ex.: class attendance policy


• Humans naturally see conflict as an either-or proposition; we either win or lose.

• This principle frames conflict as a win-win.

• Parties need to brainstorm and search hard for creative solutions to conflict.

• Where do parties’ interests overlap?

• By being sensitive to others’ interests we can make it easier for them to be satisfied.


• Objective criteria help parties view conflict with an unbiased lens.

• Objective criteria can take many forms:o Precedento Professional standardso What a court would decideo Moral standardso Traditiono Scientific judgment

• Ex.: salary negotiation


Managing Conflict: DifferentiationDifferentiation defines the conflict & requires individuals to explain their positions.•Focuses on individuals’ differences rather than on similarities•Occurs in the early phases of conflict•Differentiation is useful because it:

o Focuses the conflicto Gives credence to both parties’ interesto Depersonalizes the conflict


Fractionation is a technique of breaking down large conflicts into smaller, more manageable pieces.Helpful because:•It reduces the conflict by paring it down to a smaller, less-complex conflict.•It gives focus to the conflict.•It facilitates a better working relationship between participants in the conflict.


Managing Conflict: Face Saving• Consists of messages that individuals

express to each other to maintain their positive self-images during a conflict.

• Allows a person to acknowledge the other’s point of view without offending them.

• Makes conflicts less threatening and helps participants feel they have handled themselves appropriately.


Kilmann & Thomas Conflict Styles• A conflict style is a patterned response that people use

when approaching conflict.• Conflict styles vary along two dimensions: assertiveness

and cooperativeness.o Assertiveness refers to attempts to satisfy one’s own

concernso Cooperativeness represents attempts to satisfy the

concerns of others • The Thomas-Kilmann model identifies five conflict styles.• A person’s individual style is usually a combination of

these five different styles.


Avoidance Style• This style is low on both cooperativeness and

assertiveness.• Advantages of the style:

o When an issue is trivialo When potential damage from the conflict would be too

greato Can provide a cooling-off period

• Disadvantages of the style:o Usually counterproductive, leads to stress and further

conflicto Static approach, does nothing to solve problems


Competition Style • This style is high on assertiveness but low on

cooperativeness.• Essentially a win-lose approach• Advantages of the style:

o Useful when quick, decisive action is neededo Can generate creativityo Challenges participants to make their best efforts

• Disadvantages of the style:o Results in a winner and a losero May create an unstable situation and hostile communicationo Is essentially disconfirming, failing to recognize the needs of others


Accommodation Style• This style is high on cooperativeness and low on

assertiveness.• Individuals confront problems by deferring to others.• Advantages of the style:

o Allows people to move away from uncomfortable feelings aroused by conflict

o Can work when the issue is more important to one party than another or if harmony in the relationship is the most important goal

• Disadvantages of the style:o In effect it is a lose-win strategyo The accommodator sacrifices his or her own values and goals to

maintain smooth relationshipso Need for harmony may override the need to find an optimal solution


Compromise Style• This style is moderate on both cooperativeness

and assertiveness.• Advantages of the style:

o Requires attending to one’s goals as well as others’o Works best when other styles have failed or aren’t suitableo Can force an equal power balance between parties

• Disadvantages of the style:o Doesn’t go far enough in resolving conflicto Can become as easy way outo Neither side may be completely satisfied


Collaboration Style• This style is high in both assertiveness and cooperativeness.• Ideal style because it confronts conflict and then uses it to

produce positive outcomes• Advantages of the style:

o Both sides wino Communication is satisfyingo Relationships are strengthenedo Negotiated solutions are more cost-effective in the long run

• Disadvantages of the style:o Demands energy, hard work, and shared controlo Takes time to identify areas of agreement and select

mutually satisfying solutions


Case Study: Office Space

• How would you describe the conflict that has arisen between the members of the web programming department?

• Is the conflict a relational conflict? If so, what type of relational conflict? Is there a content dimension to this conflict?

• Using Fisher and Ury’s Method of Principled Negotiation, how would you separate the people from the problem? What do you think is really, really going on in this conflict?

• Using the Kilmann and Thomas conflict styles, how would you characterize Sanjay’s conflict style? What about Bradley? Do Rosa and Kris have a style as well?

• How could Martin use “fractionation” and “face saving” in attempting to resolve this conflict?


Summary• Interpersonal conflict is inevitable.

• If managed in appropriate ways, conflict can be constructive.

• Conflict occurs on two levels: content and relationship.

• One approach to resolving conflict is the Method of Principled Negotiation, which focuses on people, interests, options, and criteria.

• Three practical communication approaches to resolving conflict are differentiation, fractionation, and face-saving.

• Finally, researchers have found that people approach conflict using five styles: avoidance, competition, accommodation, compromise, and collaboration.

• Managing conflict effectively leads to stronger relationships among participants and more creative solutions to problems.

bhu ls 600 chapter 10

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