University of Petru Maior

Trgu Mure
Department of Sciences and Letters

Dealing with conflicts

Student:
Pasc Vlad-Alexandru
Coordinator:
Nicolae Cristina

LMA 1

Table of Contents

1. Clarifying confusion about conflict

2. Four types of conflict
3. 10 tips and tactics for dealing with conflict
4. Bibliography

Dealing with conflicts

My aim in this study is to raise some awareness, about how to resolve a

conflict, within my colleagues. To do so, using the information from three articles
I've found online, I am going to briefly describe what a conflict is, the kinds of
conflicts that can occur in one person's life and how to succeed in solving them.
In this first part, as Mr. Carter McNamara1 says in his article, How to Deal
With Conflict, let's see what is the exact meaning of conflict.

1.Clarifying confusion about conflict

Conflict occurs with two or more people who, despite their first attempts at
agreement, do not yet have agreement on a course of action, usually because their
values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in nature. Conflict can occur:
1. Within yourself when you are not living according to your values.
2. When your values and perspectives are threatened.
3. When there is discomfort from fear of the unknown or from lack of
fulfillment.
Conflict is inevitable and often necessary when forming high-performing
teams because they evolve through form, storm, norm and perform periods.
Getting the most out of diversity often means addressing contradictory values,
perspectives and opinions. Conflict is often needed. It:
Helps to raise and address problems.
Energizes work to be focused on the most important priorities.
Helps people be real and motivates them to fully participate.
1 Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, How to Deal With Conflict, available online at:
managementhelp.org/interpersonal/conflict.htm.

 Helps people learn how to recognize and benefit from their differences.
Conflict is not the same as discomfort. The conflict is not the problem poor
management of the conflict is the problem. Conflict is a problem when it:
Hampers productivity.
Lowers morale.
Causes more and continued conflicts.
Causes inappropriate behaviors.
Types of Managerial Actions That Cause Workplace Conflicts:
1. Poor communications
Employees experience continual surprises, for example, they are not
informed of major decisions that affect their workplaces and lives.
Employees do not understand the reasons for the decisions they are not
involved in the decision-making.
As a result, they trust the rumor mill more than their management.
2. The alignment or the amount of resources is insufficient. There is:
Disagreement about who does what.
Stress from working with inadequate resources.
3.Personal chemistry, including conflicting values or actions, for example:
Strong interpersonal natures among workers do not seem to match.
We do not like others because they seem too much like ourselves (we often
do not like in others what we do not like in ourselves).
4. Leadership problems

For example, inconsistent, missing, too-strong or uninformed leadership (at

any level in the organization), evidenced by:
Avoiding conflict, passing the buck with little follow-through on
decisions.
Employees see the same continued issues in the workplace.
Supervisors do not understand the jobs of their subordinates.

As you can see, there can be different situations in which conflict can arise.
Now, to go further we will see what Brad Evans2 has to say, in his article Types of
Conflict Four Classifications, about conflict types.

2.Four types of conflict

When you think of the different types of conflict, you might instantly think of the
ones referred to in literature, especially in fiction. They can be applied to real life,
of course. However, there are types of conflict which are easily identifiable in our
contemporary times.
Before going any further, let us first give a brief description of
what conflict is. There are actually a lot of ways to define conflict due to how it is
used in many areas. Hence, to keep it simple for the layman, conflict pertains to the
opposing ideas and actions of different entities, thus resulting in an antagonistic
state. Conflict is an inevitable part of life. Each of us possesses our own opinions,
ideas and sets of beliefs. We have our own ways of looking at things and we act
according to what we think is proper. Hence, we often find ourselves in conflict in
different scenarios; may it involve other individuals, groups of people, or a struggle
within our own selves. Consequently, conflict influences our actions and decisions
in one way or another.
Conflict is classified into the following four types:
2 Brad Evans , Types of Conflict Four Classifications, August 16, 2013, available online at:
http://www.typesofconflict.org/types-of-conflict.

 Interpersonal conflict refers to a conflict between two individuals. This

occurs typically due to how people are different from one another. We have
varied personalities which usually results to incompatible choices and
opinions. Apparently, it is a natural occurrence which can eventually help in
personal growth or developing your relationships with others. In addition,
coming up with adjustments is necessary for managing this type of conflict.
However, when interpersonal conflict gets too destructive, calling in
a mediator would help so as to have it resolved.
Intrapersonal conflict occurs within an individual. The experience takes
place in the persons mind. Hence, it is a type of conflict that is
psychological involving the individuals thoughts, values, principles and
emotions. Interpersonal conflict may come in different scales, from the
simpler mundane ones like deciding whether or not to go organic for lunch
to ones that can affect major decisions such as choosing a career path.
Furthermore, this type of conflict can be quite difficult to handle if you find
it hard to decipher your inner struggles. It leads to restlessness and
uneasiness, or can even cause depression. In such occasions, it would be best
to seek a way to let go of the anxiety through communicating with other
people. Eventually, when you find yourself out of the situation, you can
become more empowered as a person. Thus, the experience evoked a
positive change which will help you in your own personal growth.
Intragroup conflict is a type of conflict that happens among individuals
within a team. The incompatibilities and misunderstandings among these
individuals lead to an intragroup conflict. It is arises from interpersonal
disagreements (e.g. team members have different personalities which may
lead to tension) or differences in views and ideas (e.g. in a presentation,
members of the team might find the notions presented by the one presiding
to be erroneous due to their differences in opinion). Within a team, conflict
can be helpful in coming up with decisions which will eventually allow them
to reach their objectives as a team. However, if the degree of conflict
disrupts harmony among the members, then some serious guidance from a
different party will be needed for it to be settled.

 Intergroup conflict takes place when a misunderstanding arises among

different teams within an organization. For instance, the sales department of
an organization can come in conflict with the customer support department.
This is due to the varied sets of goals and interests of these different groups.
In addition, competition also contributes for intergroup conflict to arise.
There are other factors which fuel this type of conflict. Some of these factors
may include a rivalry in resources or the boundaries set by a group to others
which establishes their own identity as a team.
Conflict may seem to be a problem to some, but this isnt how conflict
should be perceived. On the other hand, it is an opportunity for growth and can be
an effective means of opening up among groups or individuals. However, when
conflict begins to draws back productivity and gives way to more conflicts, then
conflict management would be needed to come up with a resolution.
Moving on, let us learn how John M. McKee3, the founder and CEO
of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, an international consulting and coaching practice
with subscribers in 43 countries, proposes to act during some difficult situations,
as the ones described above, in his article from the 10Tips blog.

3. 10 tips and tactics for dealing with conflict

A little common sense and preemptive action can defuse conflicts before they
get out of hand. These tips will help you manage and resolve touchy situations.
One of the most important skills you can learn and develop is how to deal
successfully with conflict. Successful individuals seem to have an inherent
understanding of what causes conflicts and how to resolve them quickly. For
others, however, it's much harder.
During his 30 years in executive suites and boardrooms, he has worked with
people at all levels, in a wide swath of industries and across many countries.
During those periods, he has learned that the best conflict managers often employ a
3 John McKee, 10 Things, September 3, 2009, available online at:
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-tips-and-tactics-for-dealing-with-conflict.

few common approaches to prevent or overcome potential issues before they

become major obstacles.
Use the following tips and tactics in your professional as well as your
personal life. It could help you to become one those great "conflict resolution
experts" that others may call on for help.
1: Ask questions
Conflict can arise due to poor communication -- someone didn't say what
they meant to say or perhaps misstated what was intended. Before you allow an
escalation, ask questions. It won't cause any loss of face, and may result in a quick
resolution.
2: Analyze expectations
Often, conflicts develop as a result of unmet expectations on one side. If the
other party -- expected something they didn't get or something that didn't happen,
the whole conversation can become negative and closed. If a conversation seems to
be getting rocky, take a step back and review together with the other person to try
to uncover what just occurred.
3: Recognize differing perspectives
Keep in mind that conflict may arise due to people having different
perceptions. You, or the other person, saw things differently. This happens most
frequently when one is dealing with someone from another organization,
background, or culture. It's easy to believe that we all see things the same way and
then get derailed unexpectedly.
4. Identify mistakes
Honest and unintended mistakes frequently result in conflict. Before you let
temperatures rise, do a reality check of your understanding with the other
person(s). Mistakes, even small ones, can erode one's credibility -- someone made
a mistake.
5: Watch out for emotional triggers

Beware of emotions. Fear of someone or somebody, loss of face, whether

real or perceived, anger, and surprisingly even excitement can all result in
unintended conflict, which may cause your interaction to go downhill.

6: Focus on preventing escalation

Conflict resolutions always start with one or both parties making an honest
attempt at avoiding further escalation. This recognition, even if only by one of
those involved, often causes a more objective review to occur.
7: Take action to control the situation
Escalation-avoidance tactics may involve one of more key steps including
separating the parties, changing the location of the discussion, signaling empathy
to the other involved.
8: Commit to working it out
Take charge of the process by committing to reach a resolution. A powerful
impact occurs when one person makes this statement. It can turn down the
temperature immediately.
9: De-escalate the conflict
De-escalation is next: This can be accomplished with a joint statement of the
facts at hand, always eliminating exaggerations, embellishments or personalities,
which may inadvertently apply judgments and re-created the cycle of escalation.
10: Stay calm
Cooler heads prevail in even the most difficult conflicts. Whether you're in a
business or personal situation, you can take control of it by keeping cool. And
when you're maintaining your calm, it will be easier for others involved to get back
to the task at hand.

In the end, to conclude what has been said above, we just have to keep in mind that
every conflict can reach a resolution, if we just take the right steps in resolving it,
keep our calm and commit to reaching a common end.

Bibliography:
Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, How to Deal With Conflict,
available online at:
managementhelp.org/interpersonal/conflict.htm.
Brad Evans , Types of Conflict Four Classifications, August
16, 2013, available online at:
http://www.typesofconflict.org/types-of-conflict.
John McKee, 10 Things, September 3, 2009, available online
at: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-tips-andtactics-for-dealing-with-conflict.