GROUP DYNAMICS

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

CONFLICT

• 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.– Is that point in an ongoing activity when an

interaction “crosses over” to become an interparty conflict.

CONFLICT

• Encompasses a wide range of conflicts that people experience in organizations– Incompatibility of goals– Differences over interpretations of facts– Disagreements based on behavioural

expectations

CONFLICT

• A battle, contest or opposing forces existing between primitive desires and moral, religious or ethical ideas (Webster’s Dictionary)

• A state of incompatibility of ideas between two or more parties or individuals

CONFLICT

• Conflict created by perception another is keeping you from reaching a goal, taking away right to act in a certain way, violating expectations of relationship– Depends on perceptions—may be the result

of misperceptions– Substantive versus emotional conflicts

CONFLICT

• Substantive versus emotional conflicts– Substantive—disagreements over ends or

goals and the means to pursue these goals. What the organization should be doing

– Emotional conflict—personality clashes where individual fear, dislike or mistrust one another

TRADITIONAL VIEW

• Conflict is dysfunctional, destructive and irrational

• Usually caused by:– poor communication

– a lack of trust

– a failure to be responsive to the needs of others

STAMP IT OUT!

"HUMAN RELATIONS" VIEW

• Conflict is natural in groups and organizations – It may even be beneficial on occasion.– Learn to live with it.

TOLERATE IT!

INTERACTIONIST VIEW

• Without conflict, we become static and nonresponsive

• Conflict keeps us viable and creative, but there are two kinds of conflict: – . FUNCTIONAL – DYSFUNCTIONAL

• FUNCTIONAL CONFLICT...IMPROVES GROUP PERFORMANCE

ENCOURAGE IT!

Functional Vs Dysfunctional Conflict

• Functional Conflict– Conflict that supports the goals of the group

and improves its performance.

• Dysfunctional Conflict– Conflict that hinders group performance.

Functional or Constructive Conflict

• Moderate level of conflict can be functional and improve group performance, stimulating new ideas, friendly competition

• It can allow important problems to surface and be examined

Dysfunctional/Destructive Conflict

• Interferes with group functioning and increases turnover

• Can create a negative uncomfortable environment or interfere with the functioning of the group, blocking pursuit of group goals while conflict is unresolved

TYPES OF CONFLICT

• Task Conflict– Conflicts over content and goals of the work.

• Relationship Conflict– Conflict based on interpersonal relationships.

• Process Conflict– Conflict over how work gets done.

TYPES OF CONFLICT

• Intrapersonal—internal conflicts

• Interpersonal—between two individuals

• Individual–group—individual goals or needs differs from those of the group

• Group–group—conflict between two groups, common in organizations and can make the coordination between the groups difficult

THE CONFLICT PROCESS

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

SOURCES OF CONFLICT

• COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

– Semantic difficulties

– Misunderstandings

– Noise

• INCOMPATIBLE GOALS

– Departmental Specialization

– Long vs Short-term Objectives

•

SOURCES OF CONFLICT

• SCARCE RESOURCES AND REWARDS

– Money, Information, Supplies– Equipment and Building Space

• PERSONAL VARIABLES

– Personality

– Differing Value Systems

• JURISDICTIONAL AMBIGUITIES

– Task Responsibility and Authority

– Role Ambiguity and Role Conflicts

SOURCES OF CONFLICT

• POWER AND STATUS DIFFERENCES – Power or value asymmetries - if individuals

vary in their status but are interdependent this can create conflicts if higher status feels s/he must answer to lower status, or lower status unable to get response form higher status

• UNRESOLVED PRIOR CONFLICTS

Task Interdependence• Members of a group must depend on the

performance of other group members to achieve goals– Because the performance of one person depends on

the performance of another there are opportunities for friction and conflict

– Interdependent groups with varying goals particularly likely to come into conflict

SOURCES OF CONFLICT

• ROLE AMBIGUITY – UNCLEAR PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES – CONFUSING INFORMATION ABOUT EXPECTED JOB

BEHAVIORS – UNCERTAINTY ABOUT CONSEQUENCES OF JOB

BEHAVIORS

ROLE CONFLICTS

• INTRASENDER– THE MESSAGES FROM A SINGLE SENDER

CONFLICT

• INTERSENDER – DIFFERENT ROLE SENDER MESSAGES

FROM MULTIPLE SENDERS ARE RECEIVED, BUT THE MESSAGES ARE INCOMPATIBLE

ROLE CONFLICTS (Contd)

• INTERROLE – WHEN THE ROLES TO BE PLAYED

CONFLICT

• PERSON-ROLE – WHEN MY PERSONAL NEEDS,

ATTITUDES, OR VALUES CONFLICT WITH MY ROLE EXPECTATIONS

PersonalityType Need Description

Tank Control Pushes, yells, intimidates

Sniper Control Uses sarcasm, criticizes

Know-it-all Control Dominates conversations

Whiner Perfection Constantly complains

No person Perfection Disagrees with everything

Nothing person Perfection Doesn’t do anything

Yes person Approval Agrees to everything

Maybe person Approval Won’t commit or make a decision

Grenade Attention Throws tantrums

Friendly sniper Attention Uses jokes to pick on others

Think-they-know-it-all Attention Exaggerates, lies, gives advice

Personality (Contd)

• High need for control, perfection, approval, attention—difficult personalities

• Control– Tank—gives orders, pushy, yelling,

aggressive– Sniper—sarcasm, embarrassment and

humiliation– Know it all—dominates conversations, doesn’t

listen, rejects counterarguments

Personality (Contd)

• Perfection—not satisfied– Whiners—complains bout situation, but make

no attempt to change it– No person—vetoes all suggestions– Nothing person—does nothing, retreats form

situation

Personality (Contd)

• Approval—more concerned with gaining approval than completing task– Yes person—agrees to everything and may

over commit, fails to provide feedback– Maybe person—avoids conflicts by never

taking stands, delaying decisions, and failing to commit

Personality (Contd)

• Attention—want to be noticed and appreciated

• Grenade throwers—will have a tantrum if not properly appreciated

• Friendly sniper—pokes fun at others

• Think they know it all—exaggerates, lies, and gives unwanted advice to gain attention

Dealing With Difficult People

• Direct Intervention– address behaviour– explain impact of behaviour on others

• Indirect Intervention– positive feedback when appropriate behaviour is used

• Direct Coping– separate difficult employee from others

• Indirect Coping– provide training to others on dealing with difficult

personality

Stage II: Cognition and Personalization

• Perceived Conflict - Awareness by one or more parties of the existence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise

• Felt Conflict - Emotional involvement in a conflict creating anxiety, tenseness, frustration, or hostility.

STAGE III: 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.

Dimensions of Conflict Handling Intentions

Cooperativeness

Avoiding

Competing

Compromising

Accommodating

Collaborating

Avoiding Style• Ignores conflict and withdraws, avoids source of

conflict, may quit, form alliances with others or talk behind other person’s back

• The turtle– Avoidance

– Withdrawal orientation• Quit• Complain to others

– Over-emphasis is on preserving relationship

– Triangling—communicate with a third party in hopes the third party will resolve the conflict without direct contact

AVOIDANCE

• NON-ATTENTION • PHYSICAL SEPARATION

• LIMIT INTERACTION

– Let people cool down and regain perspective – Issue is trivial, more important issues are pressing – Potential disruptions outweigh benefits of resolution – There is no chance for you to satisfy your concerns

– When others can resolve the conflict more effectively

Accommodating Style

• Gives in rather than deal with conflict, cooperate and appear weak

• The philanthropist– Accommodating

• smoothing and conciliation

– High concern for satisfying needs of others

ACCOMMODATE

• APPEASEMENT - "OLIVE BRANCH" • SMOOTH OVER DIFFERENCES

• "CAVING IN"

– When harmony and stability are quite important – When the goals pursued are not critical to us – To build social credits (idiosyncracy) for later issues – When you find you were wrong, or to show you're reasonable

– To satisfy others and maintain their cooperation

Competing Style

• Combative, winning at all costs. Regards other side as enemy and own side as correct.

• Win/Lose orientation– winning at all costs

• Potential problem creator

• Focus on own goals– Often occurs when victory is needed for status

COMPETETIVE

• USE OF FORCE, POWER • AUTHORITATIVE COMMANDS • ALLIES, DOMINANT COALITIONS

– When the goals pursued are incompatible with other's goals – When important, yet unpopular actions must be taken – On issues where there can be no compromise, and time is

critical – When we think we're "right"

– Against those who have taken unfair advantage in the past

Collaborating

• Seeks win–win solution, time consuming

• Problem-solver

• Win/Win orientation

• Cooperative problem solving

• Emphasis on preserving relationship and meeting own goals as well as that of others

COLLABORATIVE• PROBLEM-SOLVING MENTALITY• CONFRONTATION AND HONEST 

COMMUNICATION• SEARCH FOR SUPERORDINATE GOALS • EXPAND SCARCE RESOURCES

– When interaction is very important for goal attainment – When the goals of both parties differ, but are compatible – When both sets of concerns are too important to be

compromised – To work through feelings that have interfered with a relationship

Compromising

• Give and take tactics, negotiation and bargaining to seek final solution

• The Diplomat– Goal-oriented– Compromising orientation

• Provide evidence• Persuasion

– Emphases on relationship and each other’s goals

Compromising (Contd)

• Acceptable compromise—falls within the settlement range of both sides between least acceptable result (LAR) minimum a person will accept and maximum supportable position (MSP) the best a person can get within reason

• MSP offered as opening bid and negotiate to positions between each sides LAR and MSP

• Agreement near when differences between positions are close, number of counterarguments reduced, talking about final arrangements, other side willing to put things in writing

COMPROMISING• BARGAINING • MEDIATION • ARBITRATION

– When opponents with equal power have mutually exclusive goals

– To arrive at expedient solutions under time pressure – To achieve temporary settlements to complex issues – As a backup when competitive and collaborative attempts

fail

– When goals are not worth the disruption of assertive approaches

STAGE IV: BEHAVIOUR

• Behaviour of parties to the conflict

• Conflict Management - The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict.

CONFLICT INTENSITY CONTINUUM

AT WHAT POINT DOES THE CONFLICT BECOME DYSFUNCTIONAL? HOW DO WE "DEFUSE" DYSFUNCTIONAL CONFLICT?

CONFLICT RESOLUTION TECHNIQUES

• PROBLEM-SOLVING

– Face-to-face discussions

• SUPERORDINATE GOALS – A goal that cannot be attained without cooperation

• EXPANSION OF SCARCE RESOURCES – Award larger budgets, more space, etc.

• AVOIDANCE – Withdraw from or suppress conflict

• SMOOTHING – Play down differences; emphasize common interests

CONFLICT RESOLUTION TECHNIQUES

• COMPROMISE

– Each party gives something up

• AUTHORITATIVE COMMAND – Management commands a solution

• TRAINING TO CHANGE ATTITUDES & BEHAVIOURS – Raising sensitivity, learning to negotiate, etc

• ALTERING STRUCTURAL VARIABLES – Job redesign, transfers, coordinating positions

Resolving Conflict

• Preventing workplace conflict– Well-written job descriptions– Unambiguous policies– Clarification of roles and expectations– Training on new policies– Conflict management training– For teams, clarification of levels of authority

Resolving Conflict

• Prior to conflict occurring—formal policy for conflict resolution should be in place.– Employees training

• Usually try a bilateral resolution then bring in third party if needed

• When conflict first occurs—use previously trained conflict resolution skills to reduce tension and increase communication and trust

When Conflict First Occurs…

• Focus on behaviours and perceptions of behaviours, if parties can’t agree there is a dispute.

• Cooperative decision making—input from all affected parties, employees should try to solve conflict

When Conflict First Occurs…Specific Strategies

• Reduced interdependence– Decoupling—reduce the number of contacts between

interdependent groups, for instance give each group its own separate pool of resources.

– Buffering build an inventory or buffer between two groups so slowdown in one area does not affect the other

Both this and decoupling increase costs and inventory

– Linking pin role—formally assign someone to work with other group and understand the role of the other group

Specific Strategies

• Appeal to common goals—put conflict in perspective, appeal to organizational culture. May not work if there is disagreement over how to reach goals

• Hierarchical referral—send up the line, but higher level authorities may not understand the nature of the dispute or problem

• Third party interventions—Negotiations, mediations, arbitrations.

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

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

CONFLICT STIMULATION TECHNIQUES

• COMMUNICATION– Using ambiguous or threatening messages

• BRING IN OUTSIDERS– Add people to the group who differ regarding their

backgrounds, values, and attitudes (heterogeneity)

• RESTRUCTURE THE ORGANIZATION– Realign work groups, alter the rules, increase interdependence

• APPOINT A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE – Designate a critic to purposely argue against the majority

positions

DIAGNOSING YOUR CONFLICT SITUATION

• WHAT IS IT YOU WANT OR NEED? CLARIFY • WHAT DOES THE OTHER PARTY WANT OR

NEED? • WHAT DO YOU DISAGREE OVER? FACTS,

OBJECTIVES, METHODS? • WHAT COULD YOU LOSE IF THE CONFLICT

CONTINUES? • WHAT COMMON OBJECTIVES DO YOU AND THE

OTHER PARTY SHARE?• MUST YOU HAVE COOPERATION AND HELP TO

ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS?

GROUND RULES FOR CONFRONTATION

• REVIEW AND CLARIFY THE ISSUES & FACTS • BEGIN WITH A POSITIVE OVERTURE• COMMUNICATE FREELY, DON'T HOLD BACK

GRIEVANCES • ADDRESS PROBLEMS, NOT PERSONALITIES• DON'T ATTACK THINGS THAT ARE IRRELEVANT • KEEP TO SPECIFICS-DON'T ARGUE AIMLESSLY • DON'T USE INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC • MAKE SURE ALL PARTICIPANTS SAY ALL THEY

WANT TO SAY • EMPHASIZE "WIN-WIN" SOLUTIONS