The conflict process Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility The first step in the conflict process is the presence

of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise. The need not lead directly to conflict but one of these conditions is necessary if conflict is to arise: - Communication Communication as a source of conflict represents those opposing forces that arise from semantic difficulties, misunderstanding, and noise in the communication channels. Too much information as well as too little can lay the foundation for conflict. Differing word connotations, jargon, insufficient exchange of information, inadequate information about other are all barriers to communication and potential antecedent conditions to conflict. - Structure The term structure is used in this context to include variables such as size, degree of specialization in the tasks assigned to group members, jurisdictional clarity, member-goal compatibility, leadership styles, reward systems and the degree of dependence between groups. The larger the group and the more specialized its activities, the greater the likelihood of conflict. The greater the ambiguity defining where responsibility for actions lies, the greater the potential for conflict to emerge. Such jurisdictional ambiguities increase intergroup fighting for control of resources and territory. The potential for conflict tends to be greatest when group members are younger and when turnover is high. - Personal Variables

They include the individual value systems that each person has and the personality characteristics that account for individual idiosyncrasies and differences. Eg: individuals who are highly authoritarian and dogmatic and who demonstrate low esteem lead to potential conflict. Stage II: Cognition and Personalization In Stage II we focus on two things: First: Stage II is where conflict issues tend to be defined, what the conflict is about. The way a conflict is defined goes a long way toward establishing the sort of outcomes that might settle it. Second: Emotions play a major role in shaping perceptions that may be negative emotions as well as positive emotions. Negative emotion reduces the trust and negative interpretations of the other partys behavior. Positive emotion increases the tendency to see the relationships above the problem, to take a broader view of the situation and to develop more innovative solutions. Stage III: Intentions In stage III we look for the intentions of the parties involved. Whether there is a competing desire to satisfy ones interests, regardless of the impact on the other party to the conflict or the willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponents interests above his or her own by compromising a situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something. There are some dimensions of conflict handling intentions and they are: Assertiveness and Cooperation Assertiveness and cooperation are the two components that make up our choices of how to respond in a conflict. These two components are separate from each other. First lets talk about Assertiveness: Since conflict happens when your concerns seem to be incompatible with somebody elses concerns, your assertiveness is your behavior when trying to satisfy your own concerns. For example:

 Your actions to get your needs met that includes what you say and what you do to make that happen. Trying to get support for your ideas: a work process, an assignment, a particular work schedule, etc. Now, Cooperation Your cooperation is your behavior when trying to satisfy the other persons concerns. For example: Your actions to help someone else get his or her needs met what you say and what you do to make that happen. Being receptive to the other persons ideas: his or her preference for a work process, an assignment, a particular work schedule, etc.

The diagram shows how the five Conflict Management Styles are formed. They are made up of different amounts of assertiveness and cooperation. The overall size of each square represents the amount of joint satisfaction you intend for yourself and the other person.
And now to explain the remaining stages of conflict process I would like to call upon my friend Rakin Shrestha.