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
 Personality
Type 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
Competing Collaborating

Compromising

Avoiding Accommodating

Cooperativeness
 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