ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

CONFLICT AND TYPES OF CONFLICT

Contents... Concept Nature of conflict Sources of conflict Types of conflict Functionality and Dysfunctionality of conflict Effects of conflict Resolution of Conflict

Concept.... Conflict can be defined in many ways and can

be considered as an expression of hostility , negative attitudes , aggression , rivalry and misunderstanding .

Conflict may emerge between different organisations or within organisations , or between organisations and their social and political environments .

Definitions Of Conflict According to Joe Kelly , “ Conflict is defined

as opposition or dispute between persons, groups or ideas ”.

According to Follett, “ Conflict is the appearance of difference , difference of opinions, of interests ” .

A conflict is serious disagreement or argument between two or more persons

Nature of Conflict

Conflicts are Natural

Conflicts are not Big

Conflict is Multidimensional

Conflict is Finding the Balance

Conflict is Universal

Conflict is Disruptive

Conflict Involves Disagreement

Sources of Conflict

Organisational Change Personality Clashes

Different Sets of Values Threats to Status

Contrasting Perceptions Lack of Trust

Interdepartmental Wrangles Job Related Issues

Other Agendas

Types/Classification of Conflict

Individual Level conflict

Group Level Conflict

Organisational Level Conflict

Intra-Individual Conflict

Inter-Individual Conflict

Intra-Group conflict

Inter-Group Conflict Intra-

Organ. Conflict

Inter-Organ. Conflict

Functional Conflict Functional conflict also called Constructive

Conflict, results in benefits to individuals, the team, on the organisation.

Functional conflict works towards the goal of an organisation or a group.

On positive side, conflict can bring important problems to the surface so they can be addressed .

It can increase the amount amount of information used in decision-making .

Cont.... It can offer opportunities for creativity that can

improve performance . An effective manager or team leader is able to

simulate constructive conflict in situations in which satisfaction with the status qua is holding back needed changes and development.

Dysfunctional Conflict

Dysfunctional conflict, or Destructive conflict, works to the disadvantage of an individual or team.

It diverts energies, hurts group cohesion, promotes interpersonal hostilities, and overall creates a negative environment for workers.

Dysfunctional conflict blocks an organisation or a group from reaching its goal.

Cont.... This type of conflict occurs, e.g., when two

members are unable to work together because of interpersonal differences – a destructive emotional conflict – or when the members of a work unit fail to act because they cannot agree on task goals – a destructive substantive conflict.

Destructive conflicts of these types can decrease performance and job satisfaction as well as contribute to absenteeism and job turnover .

Effects of Conflict Conflict has both Positive and Negative effect. It can be positive when it encourages

creativity, new looks at old, the clarification of points of view, and the development of human capabilities to handle interpersonal differences.

Conflict can be negative when it creates resistance to change, establishes turmoil in organisation or interpersonal relations fosters distrust, builds a feeling of defeat, or widens the chasm of misunderstanding.

Positive Effects of Conflict Acts as Motivating Factor : Motivate

individuals to do better and to work harder. One’s talents and abilities come to the forefront in a conflict situation.

Acts as Need Satisfier : Satisfy certain psychological needs like dominance, aggression, esteem and ego and thereby provide an opportunity for the constructive use and release of aggressive urges.

Cont.... Introducing Variety: Add variety to one’s

organisational life, otherwise work life would be dull and boring.

Create Understanding: Facilitate an understanding of the problem, people and interrelationships between people, better coordination among individuals and departments, in addition to strengthening intra-group relationships, etc.

Negative Effects of Conflict Drop in Productivity : Allowing a conflict to

continue means that employee attention becomes more focused on the conflict and not on productivity.

Lack of Direction: Conflict can sometimes arise when management is unable to communicate the direction of the company to employees. Conflict will erupt as employee are allowed to interpret changes within the company in their own way.

Cont.... Lack of New Ideas: Groups in conflict tend not

to collaborate on new ideas. When conflict goes unresolved it can be difficult to create new ideas, the company needs to solve problems it is facing.

Affects Quality of Work: If conflict is allowed to go on long enough, the parties involved may begin to show more interest in the conflict than in doing their jobs properly. Product quality can suffer and in some cases the safety of the employees can be jeopardy as well.

Resolution of Conflict Conflict resolution or management is the

process of planning to avoid conflict where possible and organising to resolve conflict where it does happen, as rapidly and smoothly as possible.

Conflict resolution is the principle that all conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved, but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of non-productive escalation.

Effective conflict resolution skills can make the difference between positive and negative outcomes .

Procedure for Resolution of Conflict Preliminary Steps: This step involves knowing

full details of the conflict and the first thing to note is the stage of conflict. The more advance the stage of conflict, the more efforts are required to resolve it. Moreover strategy used is also dependent upon the stage of conflict.

Diagnosing the Issue: Under this stage, the issues involved should be analysed and understood what the conflict is about

Cont.... Conflict Handling Modes: There may be

numerous modes of conflict handling and the have grouped into:

1) To Avoid Appearance of Conflict and the purpose like- minded people should be appointed .

2) Mediation : It involves sweeping out differences by mediation through persuasion, highlighting the merits and demerits of their cases.

Cont....3)Letting the Parties to Settle their Scores : It is

better when both the parties adopt a rigid stand to their views.

4) Mutual Problem- Solving: This approach is suitable when both parties are interested in resolving the conflict and are not rigid to their stand.

By;Upendra Singh Shekhawat