CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Leadership and Management Development Program for Service Personnel

De La Salle University

Dr. BARBARA WONG-FERNANDEZ

Vice President for Academic Affairs, Jose Rizal University

Conflict:
 To come into collision, to be in opposition or at variance; disagree
 a controversy, a quarrel, discord of feelings or actions

Sources of Conflict:
 Incompatible Goals
 Personality conflicts
 Scarce resources
 Different Styles
 Different Values

Conflict Events:
o Disagreements
o Debates
o Disputes
o Preventing someone from reaching valued goals

Functional / Constructive Conflict

o Increases information and ideas
o Encourages innovative thinking
o Unshackles different points of view
o Reduces stagnation
o Improves decision making
o Stimulates creativity
o Releases tension
o Increases energy
Thus, Functional conflict works toward the goals of an organization or group.

Dysfunctional conflict blocks an organization or group from reaching its goals. It:
 threatens group survival,
 diverts energy, and
 destroys morale and trust.

Dysfunctionally High Conflict:

o Tension, anxiety, stress
o Drives out low conflict tolerant people
o Reduced trust
o Poor decisions because of withheld or distorted information
o Excessive management focus on the conflict

Dysfunctionally Low Conflict:

o Few new ideas
o Poor decisions from lack of innovation and information
o Stagnation
o Business as usual

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Levels and Types of Conflict:

TYPES
LEVELS
WITHIN BETWEEN
Organizations Intraorganization Interorganization
– e.g., Vertical – between manager and – Not competition
subordinate – e.g., suppliers and distributors
– Horizontal – departments and work groups
Groups Intragroup Intergroup
– Conflict among members of a group – Between two or more groups
– Early stages of group development – Different goals and perceptions
– Ways of doing tasks or reaching group's of how to achieve them
goals – Leadership roles and styles

Individuals Intrapersonal Interpersonal

– Occurs within an individual
– Threat to a person’s values
– Feeling of unfair treatment
– Multiple and contradictory sources of
socialization
– Related to the Theory of Cognitive
Dissonance
– Between two or more people
– Differences in views about what
should be done
– Efforts to get more resources
– Differences in orientation to
work and time in different parts
of an organization

Steps in Using Cognitive Conflict

1. Make the approach
2. Share perspectives
3. Build understanding
4. Agree on solutions
5. Plan next steps

CUDSA Model
 . Confront the conflict
 2. Understand the other’s position
 3. Define the problem(s)
 4. Search for and evaluate Alternative solutions
 5. Agree upon, implement and evaluate the Best solution

Principles:
 Conflict is not always bad for an organization.
 We do not need to reduce all conflict
 Conflict episodes show the ebb and flow of conflict.
 Conflict is an inevitable part of organization life.
 Conflict is needed for growth and survival.
 Conflict management includes increasing and decreasing conflict.
 Conflict management is a major management responsibility.

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Management is the process of reaching organizational goals by working with and through people and other
organizational resources.

Conflict management is the process of limiting the negative aspects of conflict while increasing the positive
aspects of conflict. The aim of conflict management is to enhance learning and group outcomes, including
effectiveness or performance in organizational setting (Ra him, 2002, p. 208).

CONFLICT
RESOLUTION METHOD OF HANDLING CONFLICT SITUATION APPLIED IN
STYLE
Competing unilateral decision making; most • Situations that involve quick action
appropriately used by managers and • Instances where there is no compromise or
leaders in the workplace. debate
• Making hard or unpopular decisions

Collaborating team input; useful if all parties in the
conflict want to find a resolution, but are
unable to agree on what the resolution
should be.
• Gaining support from the team.
• Using the different perspectives as an
opportunity to learn.
• Improving relationships through
collaboration.

Compromising reaching a resolution that involves a • Resolving issues of moderate to high

“win” on both sides of the table. importance.
• Finding a solution that involves equal power
and strong commitment on both sides.
• Situations where a temporary fix may be
needed.
• Backing up a decision that’s been made
using the competing or collaboration
methods.

Avoiding making an active decision to not handle • Unimportant or non-work related issues.
the conflict; best used for situations that • Buying time until a resolution can be
are not work related and should be solved reached.
through another means. • Recognizing issues as symptoms.

Accommodating allowing the other side to “win.” • Maintaining perspective in a conflict

situation.
• Making active decisions on what can be
“let go” vs. what needs another method.
• Keeping the peace and creating goodwill.