Inter-group Relation

and Conflict
Interdependence of Groups

• Pooled interdependence

• Sequential interdependence

• Reciprocal interdependence

• Team interdependence
Conflict Management
Conflict is a process in which one party
perceives that its interests are being opposed
or negatively affected by another party.

Three Views on Conflict:

• Traditional Views: Avoid Conflict
• Behavioural Views: Tolerate Conflict
• Interactionist View: If required, stimulate
conflict
Positive Consequences of conflict
• It helps in analytical thinking
• It helps in increased cohesion
• It promotes competition and therefore
leads to increased effort.
• It serves as a foundation for organization
development
• Conflict when expressed clears the air
and reduces tension.
 Types of Conflict

• Intra-personal Conflict
• Inter-personal Conflict
• Conflict between the individual and
the group
• Inter-group Conflict
• Inter-organizational Conflict
TYPES OF CONFLICT
Micro

Intra-
individual

Interpersonal

Intergroup

Organizatoinal

Macro
 CONFLICT SOURCES
• Competition for resources
• Lack of absolute standards of openness,
honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, dealings b/w
general staff, departments, divisions.
• Lack of shared values, commitment, motivation,
enthusiasm.
• Unfairness, unevenness, and inequality of
personal and professional treatment.
• Physical and psychological barriers b/w
seniors & subordinates, departments, divisions
CONFLICT SOURCES (contd..)

• Inability to meet expectations and fulfill promises.

• Nature of work and its professional, expert and
technical context.

• Structure of work, and the division and allocation

of tasks and jobs.
• Hopes, fears, aspirations, ambitions, beliefs,
attitudes of people involved.
• Presence of vested interests and pressure groups.
MODES OF MANAGING CONFLICT
(Kenneth & Thomas)
Approaches to managing conflict are function of both how
assertive one is trying to satisfy one’s own or one’s
group’s concerns and also how cooperative one is in
trying to satisfy those of the other party.

• •
Assertive
Competing Collaborating

Assertiveness Compromise
•

Avoiding Accommodating
• •
Unassertive
Uncooperative Cooperative
Cooperativeness
Accommodating – Cooperating with other person‟s
wishes while not asserting own
•Effective reaction to build goodwill.
Competing – Maximizes assertiveness for one‟s own
position and minimize cooperative responses.
•Develops win lose conflict
•Holds promise when one has lot of power and has
no future relation with other party.
Compromise – Combines immediate levels of
assertiveness and cooperation.

•Isn‟t very successful when conflict stem from

power asymmetry.
•Has good fall back when other means fail.
Collaboration – Both assertiveness and cooperation
are maximized in the hope that an integrative
agreement occurs that fully satisfies interests of both
parties.
•Best when conflict is not intense and when each
party has information about other.
•Useful for organizational conflicts
11
Transactional Analysis
THE STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY

Human Personality

Critical

PARENT
Nurturing

ADULT Little Professor

Free Child

CHILD Rebellious

Compliant
TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS
PARALLEL TRANSACTION

PARENT PARENT

ADULT ADULT

CHILD CHILD
CROSSED (BLOCKED) TRANSACTION
• Blocked Transaction

PARENT PARENT

ADULT ADULT

CHILD CHILD
ULTERIOR (HIDDEN) TRANSACTION

PARENT PARENT
•Psychological level

•Stimulus
ADULT ADULT
•Social level

CHILD CHILD
 STROKES
Strokes refer to giving some kind of
recognition to the person.
TYPES OF STROKES
1. Positive
2. Negative
3. Indifference
ANOTHER CLASSIFICATION OF STROKES
a) Conditional (C) – given for behaviors
b) Unconditional (U) – given to the person.
 Life positions

• I am OK, You Are OK

• I am OK, You are not OK

• I am not OK, You are OK

• I am not OK, You are not OK

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

Games are a set of ulterior transactions

with a definite payoff.

Elements of a Game
The elements of a game can be
expressed through a formula:
C + G = R →S→X→P
 NEGOTIATIONS
Negotiation is an attempt to prevent conflict or
resolve existing conflict
Everyone negotiates !!
Negotiation strategies can be more than conflict
management and be a tool for success in
organizations for Management Gurus
TWO TYPES
i. Distributive Negotiations

ii.Integrative Negotiation
I. DISTRIBUTIVE NEGOTIATIONS
“Focus on how to attain the biggest
share/slice of pie” among the parties.
Decision more like compromise.
Forcing
Accommodating All used
Avoiding
Compromising
WIN LOSE SITUATION !!
SINGLE ISSUE
Tactics in Distributive Negotiation

Threats and promises – Punish &

Concessions

Firmness Vs concessions – Sticks to target

 DEADLOCK

Persuasion – Verbal debate

II. POSITIONAL/ INTEGRATIVE BARGAINING
APPROACH
Here „Pie‟ is enlarged before distribution
More of collaborating situation
Like we bargain in open market
“Successively taking and then giving up”
Mutual problem solving through high quality
information.
WIN - WIN SITUATION !!
Tactics for integrative negotiations

o Some degree of creativity required.

o Framing differences as Opportunities – Have

information about each party‟s real interest

o Benefits all – Attractive for all parties. e.g.

Cutting costs