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CATERING AND TOURISM TRAINING INSTITUTE

Sector: - Culture, Sports and Tourism

Sub Sector: - Travel and Tours

Tourism Service Level – I

Learning Guide #1

Unit of Competency: Deal with conflict situation

Module Title: Dealing with conflict situation

LG Code: CST TUS1 M01 LO1- 2

TTLM Code: CST TUS1 TTLM 0219v2

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia


CTTI, TVET system learning guide
Learning module

TVET PROGRAM TITLE: Hotel Kitchen Operation Level I


MODULE TITLE: Deal with conflict situation
MODULE CODE: CST HKO1 16 0912
NOMINAL DURATION: 32 hours
MODULE DESCRIPTION: This module aims to provide the learners with the skills,
knowledge and attitudes required to resolve conflict situations with customers and colleagues.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the module the learners will be able to:
LO1 Identify conflict situations
LO2 Resolve conflict situations
LO3 Evaluate conflict situations
MODULE CONTENTS
Introduction to the module
LO1 Identify conflict situations
1. Understanding conflict
2. Sources of assistance in managing conflict
LO2 Resolve conflict situations
1. Respond to conflicts and customers complaints
2. Conflict management
LO3 Evaluate conflict situations
1. Outcomes of Conflict
2. Causes of workplace conflict
ASSESSMENT METHOD: Written test, Demonstration (Observation with oral questioning)

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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
LO1 Identify conflict situations
INSTUCTION SHEET LEARNING GUIDE #1
1. Identify potential for conflict quickly and take swift and tactful action to prevent
escalation.
2. Identify quickly situations where personal safety of customers or colleagues may
be threatened and organize appropriate assistance.
3. Identify and use resources to assist in managing conflict where appropriate and
according to organization policy and procedures
LO2 Resolve conflict situations
1. Take responsibility for finding a solution to the conflict within scope of individual
responsibility.
2. Deal with conflict sensitively, courteously and discreetly and take steps to
maximize impact on other colleagues and customers.
3. Use effective communication skills to assist in management of the conflict.
4. Encourage all points of view, acknowledge them and treat them with respect.
5. Establish and agree on the nature and details of the conflict with all parties and
assess the impact of the situation on them.
6. Determine possible options to resolve the conflict and promptly analyze and decide
on the best solution in agreement with all parties, taking into account any
organization constraints.
7. Use accepted conflict resolution techniques to manage the conflict situation and
develop solutions.
8. Complete any necessary documentation accurately and legibly within time
constraints
LO3 Evaluate conflict situations
1. Seek and provide feedback on the conflict and its resolution where possible with
the parties involved.
2. Evaluate and reflect on the situation and effectiveness of the solution.
3. Determine possible causes of workplace conflict and provide input for workplace
enhancement and improvements.

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This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information and help you
become competent with regard to the following content:

 Understanding conflict
 Sources of assistance in managing conflict
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to:–

 Identify conflict situations

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Learning Instructions:

1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.


2. Follow the instructions described in number 3 to 7.
3. Read the information written in the ―Information Sheets 1. Try to understand what are
being discussed. Ask you teacher for assistance if you have hard time understanding them.
4. Accomplish the ―Self-check 1‖ in page __.
5. Ask from your teacher the key to correction (key answers) or you can request your teacher
to correct your work. (You are to get the key answer only after you finished answering the
Self-check 1).
6. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to ―Information Sheet 2‖. However, if your
rating is unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning
Activity #2.
7. ….

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SESSION PLAN

UNIT OF COMPETENCE Deal with conflict situation


MODULE TITLE Dealing with conflict situation
LO1 Identify conflict situations
SESSION OBJECTIVES At the end of this session the trainees shall be able to:
 Identify conflict situations
ACTIVITIES NOMINAL CONTENTS METHODS
DURATION
 Understanding conflict Lecture-
SESSIONS 8 hours  Sources of assistance in discussion and
managing conflict demonstration
EVALUATION 1 hour Accomplishment of LAP test Individual
activity
SUMMARY 1 hour Wrap-up and feedback Question and
answer

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Information sheet one LO1 Identify conflict situations

1.1. Understanding conflict

Conflict is a process that involves people disagreeing. Researchers have noted that conflict is like
the common cold. Everyone knows what it is, but understanding its causes and how to treat it is
much more challenging.

It can manifest itself in all situations in the hospitality industry. It is an industry that deals with
people and service. It is an industry with tight deadlines and pressure. It is also an industry
involving lots of people, all with different needs and expectations. Hence, conflict is day to day
phenomena of the industry.

In the workplace, we encounter three broad areas where conflict could exist.

These include:

 Interpersonal conflict between staff members;

 Organizational conflict between different sections, or managers;

 Conflict involving the organization’s clients (customers and suppliers).

There has been no shortage of definitions of conflict, but common to most is the idea that
conflict is a perception. If no one is aware of a conflict, then it is generally agreed no conflict
exists. Also needed to begin the conflict process are opposition or incompatibility and some form
of interaction.

We can define conflict, then, as a process that begins when one party perceives another party has
or is about to negatively affect something the first party cares about. This definition is purposely
broad. It describes that point in any ongoing activity when an interaction crosses over to become
an interparty conflict. It encompasses the wide range of conflicts people experience in
organizations: incompatibility of goals, differences over interpretations of facts, disagreements
based on behavioral expectations, and the like. Finally, our definition is flexible enough to cover
the full range of conflict levels—from overt and violent acts to subtle forms of disagreement.

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Generally, conflict is 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.
There are two viewpoints of conflict:-
Traditional view of conflict is the belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided.

Interactionist view of conflict is the belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a group
but also an absolute necessity for a group to perform effectively.

1. Functional conflict is a conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its
performance.
2. Dysfunctional conflict is a conflict that hinders group performance.
3. Task conflict is a conflict over content and goals of the work.
4. Relationship conflict is a conflict based on interpersonal relationships.
5. Process conflict is a conflict over how work gets done.

Conflict process is a process that has five stages: potential opposition or incompatibility,
cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior, and outcomes.

Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility

The first step in the conflict process is the appearance of conditions that create opportunities for
conflict to arise. These conditions need not lead directly to conflict, but one of them is necessary
if conflict is to surface.

The antecedent conditions (which we can also look at as causes or sources of conflict) have three
general categories: communication, structure, and personal variables.

Communication: Differing word connotations, jargon, insufficient exchange of information, and


noise in the communication channel are all barriers to communication and potential antecedent
conditions to conflict

Structure: The term structure in this context includes variables such as size of the group, 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.

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Size and specialization can stimulate conflict. The larger the group and the more specialized its
activities, the greater the likelihood of conflict. Tenure and conflict have been found to be
inversely related; the potential for conflict is greatest when group members are younger and
when turnover is high.

The greater the ambiguity about 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. Diversity of goals among groups is also a major source of conflict. When
groups within an organization seek diverse ends, opportunities for conflict increase. Reward
systems, too, create conflict when one member’s gain comes at another’s expense. Finally, if a
group is dependent on another group (in contrast to the two being mutually independent), or if
interdependence allows one group to gain at another’s expense, opposing forces are stimulated.

Personal Variables: Our last category of potential sources of conflict is personal variables,
which include personality, emotions, and values.

Stage II: Cognition and Personalization

If the conditions cited in Stage I negatively affect something one party cares about, then the
potential for opposition or incompatibility becomes actualized in the second stage.

As we noted in our definition of conflict, one or more of the parties must be aware that
antecedent conditions exist. However, because a conflict is a perceived conflict does not mean it
is personalized. In other words, “ A may be aware that B and A are in serious disagreement . .
. but it may not make A tense or anxious, and it may have no effect whatsoever on A ’s
affection toward B .”
It is at the felt conflict level, when individuals become emotionally involved, that they
experience anxiety, tension, frustration, or hostility.

Stage III: Intentions


Intentions intervene between people’s perceptions and emotions and their overt behavior. They
are decisions to act in a given way.
Using two dimensions— cooperativeness (the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy the
other party’s concerns) and assertiveness (the degree to which one party attempts to satisfy his or
her own concerns)— we can identify five conflict-handling intentions: competing (assertive and

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uncooperative), collaborating (assertive and cooperative), avoiding (unassertive and


uncooperative), accommodating (unassertive and cooperative), and compromising (midrange
on both assertiveness and cooperativeness).

Competing

When one person seeks to satisfy his or her own interests regardless of the impact on the other
parties to the conflict, that person is competing. You compete when you place a bet that only one
person can win, for example.

Collaborating

When parties in conflict each desire to fully satisfy the concerns of all parties, there is
cooperation and a search for a mutually beneficial outcome. In collaborating, the parties intend to
solve a problem by clarifying differences rather than by accommodating various points of view.
If you attempt to find a win–win solution that allows both parties’ goals to be completely
achieved, that’s collaborating.

Avoiding
A person may recognize a conflict exists and want to withdraw from or suppress it. Examples of
avoiding include trying to ignore a conflict and avoiding others with whom you disagree.

Accommodating

A party who seeks to appease an opponent may be willing to place the opponent’s interests
above his or her own, sacrificing to maintain the relationship. We refer to this intention as
accommodating. Supporting someone else’s opinion despite your reservations about it, for
example, is accommodating.
Compromising

In compromising, there is no clear winner or loser. Rather, there is a willingness to ration the
object of the conflict and accept a solution that provides incomplete satisfaction of both parties’
concerns. The distinguishing characteristic of compromising, therefore, is that each party intends
to give up something.

Intentions are not always fixed. During the course of a conflict, they might change if the parties
are able to see the other’s point of view or respond emotionally to the other’s behavior. However,

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research indicates people have preferences among the five conflict-handling intentions we just
described.

Stage IV: Behavior

When most people think of conflict situations, they tend to focus on Stage IV because this is
where conflicts become visible. The behavior stage includes the statements, actions, and
reactions made by the conflicting parties, usually as overt attempts to implement their own
intentions. As a result of miscalculations or unskilled enactments, overt behaviors sometimes
deviate from these original intentions.

It helps to think of Stage IV as a dynamic process of interaction. For example, you make a
demand on me, I respond by arguing, you threaten me, I threaten you back, and so on.

Stage V: Outcomes

The action–reaction interplay between the conflicting parties results in consequences. These
outcomes may be functional, if the conflict improves the group’s performance, or dysfunctional,
if it hinders performance.

Conflict is constructive when it improves the quality of decisions, stimulates creativity and
innovation, encourages interest and curiosity among group members, provides the medium
through which problems can be aired and tensions released, and fosters an environment of self-
evaluation and change. The evidence suggests conflict can improve the quality of decision
making by allowing all points to be weighed, particularly those that are unusual or held by a
minority.

1.2. Sources of assistance in managing conflict

 Coworkers
 Managers/supervisors
 Close friends
 Family members
 Professional counselors

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Self-check # 1 Written Test

Name: _________________________ Date: ______________

Give short and precise answer to the following questions.

1. What is conflict?
2. Discuss the areas where conflict can occur
3. Describe your sources of assistance in managing conflict at work place
4. Discuss the traditional view of conflict
5. Discuss the interactionist view of conflict
6. Discuss the following concepts:
a. Functional conflict
b. Dysfunctional
c. Task conflict
d. Relationship conflict
e. Process conflict

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INSTRUCTION SHEET LEARNING GUIDE #2

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information and help you
become competent with regard to the following content:

 Respond to conflicts and customers complaints


 Conflict management
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to:–

 Resolve conflict situations

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INSTRUCTION SHEET LEARNING GUIDE #2

Learning Instructions:

1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.


2. Follow the instructions described in number 3 to 7.
3. Read the information written in the ―Information Sheets 1. Try to understand what are
being discussed. Ask you teacher for assistance if you have hard time understanding them.
4. Accomplish the ―Self-check 1‖ in page __.
5. Ask from your teacher the key to correction (key answers) or you can request your teacher
to correct your work. (You are to get the key answer only after you finished answering the
Self-check 1).
6. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to ―Information Sheet 2‖. However, if your
rating is unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning
Activity #2.
7. ….

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SESSION PLAN

LO 2 Resolve conflict situations


SESSION OBJECTIVES At the end of this session the trainees shall be able to:
 Resolve conflict situations
ACTIVITIES NOMINAL CONTENTS METHODS
DURATION  Respond to conflicts and Lecture-
SESSIONS 9 hours customers complaints discussion and
 Conflict management demonstration
EVALUATION 2 hours Accomplishment of LAP test Individual
activity
SUMMARY 1 hour Wrap-up and feedback Question and
answer

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Information sheet 2 LO2 Resolve conflict situations

2.1. Respond to conflicts and customers complaints

Occasionally guests complain.

Sometimes our fault, sometimes it is not but as we are front line staff, the customers will come
and express their dissatisfaction. Therefore, we must manage how to respond to it.

Complaints

 Mechanical complaint: Most guest complaints relate to hotel equipment malfunctions.


(Room furnishing, ice machine, door keys, television, lighting, air conditioning etc)
 Attitudinal complaint: The guest feel insulted by rude or unprofessional staff member
of the hotel.
 Service-related complaint: The guest experience a problem with hotel service. ( waiting
time for service, lack of assistance with luggage, untidy room, phone difficult)
 Unusual complaint
 Guest sometime expects the front office staff to resolve or at least listen.
 Hotel generally have little or no control over the circumstances.
o For example: Bad weather, why train are late? No buses running on weekends
etc.
Why do Customers Complain?
 Customers complain because their needs and/or expectations have not been met.
 They feel they have been let down by the establishment or the service provider.
 There is a gap between what the customer expects and what has been achieved i.e..- a
service performance gap.
WHY PEOPLE COMPLAIN?

 From frustration
 To impress other people
 For compensation
When dealing with a guest complaint NEVER

 Talk down to the customer

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 Be defensive
 Justify why it happened
 Blame other people or departments
 Blame the customer
COMPLAINT HANDLING PROCEDURE

 Listen without interruption


 Don’t get defensive
 Express concern and empathy - apologize sincerely
 Establish the problem - ask questions
 Find out what they want
 Explain what you can and cannot do
 Fully discuss alternatives
 Take Action
 Follow up to ensure they are happy
Handling Complaints

 Information recorded accurately in Complaint Log


 Recognized complaint handling procedure s are followed
 Relevant department or personnel consulted
 Follow up to ensure everything is resolved - record action in Log
 Log reviewed to see if ongoing/multiple complaints being received and what steps
can be taken to rectify.
Empowerment
 The person who takes the complaint owns the complaint.
 You should try to resolve the complaint to the best of your ability.
 Do you know what you can do to resolve a complaint without calling for a manager
or supervisor?
Complaint Recording and Follow up Procedures:

All complaints must be handled diplomatically so all parties recognize:


 The issue has been raised with relevant authority
 All points of view have been considered

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 Discretion will be applied in resolving the matter


 Due process will be followed
 Action will be taken and the matter will be remedied

 You must establish the details of the customer complaint through Questioning and
active listening techniques
 Summarizing and clarifying the issue
 Recording details of complaint
 Discussing with customer the process of resolution – giving them options and letting
them know how the complaint will be resolved
 You need to know the lines of reporting complaints and when to seek assistance
Benefits of positive handling of complaints

The value of resolving complaints cannot be underestimated and include:

 Promoting goodwill
 Improved customer relations
 Positive work of mouth publicity
 Promotion of enterprise service ethic
Difference between a complaining customer and a difficult customer

 A complaining customer is somebody whose needs and expectations have not been
met
 A difficult customer is somebody who is a challenge to serve because of their
personality, for example, they may be rude, impatient or talkative
How can a customer be difficult?

 Rude
 Impatient
 Noisy
 Talkative
 Confused - unable to make decisions
 Silent
 Fussy

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Types of difficult customers


 Rude Customer

Can be rude to everyone - they just don’t feel comfortable being nice.

 DO Ignore their rudeness and don’t take it personally


 DON’T Become Rude and Aggressive
 Impatient Customer

Always in a hurry and it won’t matter how quickly you serve them they will still be
impatient
 DO Serve them quickly and politely
 DON’T Waste their time with conversation and they may not want you trying to
sell them products and services
 Confused Customer

Find it difficult to make decisions and may take a long time to decide

 DO= be helpful by making suggestions and asking questions


 DON’T= Rush them they could become flustered and embarrassed
 Talkative Customer

Wants to talk and could spend all day doing it

 DO= Be friendly and attentive - Lead the conversation


 DON’T= Ignore them or give them all your attention so other customers are
ignored
Customer Complaint Handling:

• It is essential to treat every complaint with respect, no matter how trivial.


• On average, a satisfied customer tells three people about good service. A dissatisfied
customer complains to 11 people.
• One study showed that 13% of the people who had a problem with an organisation
complained about the company to more than 20 people.

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Advantages of Complaints

To the Organization: Opportunity to improve quality of products and services in organization


To the Customer: The customer’s need can be met resulting in customer satisfaction

Steps in complaint handling

1. Listen and stay calm


2. Acknowledge the customers feelings and right to complain
3. Establish/confirm the problem
4. Suggest alternatives and agree on solution
5. Take action
6. Record the incident
7. Follow up to ensure customer satisfaction
2.2. Conflict management techniques

Conflict management refers to the use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the
desired level of conflict.

Conflict-Resolution Techniques

Problem solving: Face-to-face meeting of the conflicting parties for the purpose of identifying
the problem and resolving it through open discussion.

Superordinate goals: Creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the cooperation of
each of the conflicting parties.

Expansion of resources: When a conflict is caused by the scarcity of a resource (for example,
money, promotion, opportunities, and office space), expansion of the resource can create a win-
win solution.

Avoidance: Withdrawal from or suppression of the conflict.

Smoothing: Playing down differences while emphasizing common interests between the
conflicting parties.

Compromise: Each party to the conflict gives up something of value.

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Authoritative command: Management uses its formal authority to resolve the conflict and then
communicates its desires to the parties involved.

Altering the human variable: Using behavioral change techniques such as human relations
training to alter attitudes and behaviors that cause conflict.

Altering the structural variables: Changing the formal organization structure and the
interaction patterns of conflicting parties through job redesign, transfers, creation of coordinating
positions, and the like.

Conflict-Stimulation Technique

 Communication: Using ambiguous or threatening messages to increase conflict levels.


 Bringing in outsiders: Adding employees to a group whose backgrounds, values,
attitudes, or managerial styles differ from those of present members.
 Restructuring the organization: Realigning work groups, altering rules and regulations,
increasing interdependence, and making similar structural changes to disrupt the status
quo.
 Appointing a devil’s advocate: Designating a critic to purposely argue against the
majority positions held by the group.

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Self-check # 2 Written Test

Name: _________________________ Date: ______________

Give short and precise answer to the following questions.

1. Case study

 A receptionist in a “5 star” hotel received a call from an angry guest who discovered
that the TV in his room was not working and the bathroom had not been cleaned.
 List the sequence of steps necessary for the receptionist in this scenario to deal with
customer complaints.
 Explain 2 long-term consequences to the establishment if customer complaints are
continuously incorrectly handled.
2. Discuss the different conflict-Resolution Techniques

3. What are the steps to be followed in complaint handling?

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INSTRUCTIOSHEET LEARNING GUIDE #3

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information and help you
become competent with regard to the following content:

 Outcomes of Conflict
 Causes of workplace conflict

This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to:–

 Evaluate conflict situations

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Learning Instructions:

1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.


2. Follow the instructions described in number 3 to 7.
3. Read the information written in the ―Information Sheets 1. Try to understand what are
being discussed. Ask you teacher for assistance if you have hard time understanding them.
4. Accomplish the ―Self-check 1‖ in page __.
5. Ask from your teacher the key to correction (key answers) or you can request your teacher
to correct your work. (You are to get the key answer only after you finished answering the
Self-check 1).
6. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to ―Information Sheet 2‖. However, if your
rating is unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions or go back to Learning
Activity #2.
7. ….

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SESSION PLAN

LO 3 Evaluate conflict situations


SESSION OBJECTIVES At the end of this session the trainees shall be able to:

 Evaluate conflict situations


ACTIVITIES NOMINAL CONTENTS METHODS
DURATION
 Outcomes of Conflict Lecture-
SESSIONS 3 hours  Causes of workplace conflict discussion and
demonstration
EVALUATION 2 hours Accomplishment of LAP test Individual
activity
SUMMARY 1 hour Wrap-up and feedback Question and
answer

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Information sheet 3 LO3 Evaluate conflict situations

3.1. Outcomes of Conflict

One of the most common outcomes of conflict is that it upsets parties in the short run. However,
conflict can have both positive and negative outcomes. On the positive side, conflict can result in
greater creativity or better decisions. For example, as a result of a disagreement over a policy, a
manager may learn from an employee that newer technologies help solve problems in an
unanticipated new way.

Positive outcomes include the following:

 Consideration of a broader range of ideas, resulting in a better, stronger idea


 Surfacing of assumptions that may be inaccurate
 Increased participation and creativity
 Clarification of individual views that build learning

On the other hand, conflict can be dysfunctional if it is excessive or involves personal attacks or
underhanded tactics.

Examples of negative outcomes include the following:

 Increased stress and anxiety among individuals, which decreases productivity and
satisfaction
 Feelings of being defeated and demeaned, which lowers individuals’ morale and may
increase turnover
 A climate of mistrust, which hinders the teamwork and cooperation necessary to get work
done.

Generally, if properly handled, conflict can lead to:

 Improved working relationships


 Improved customer service
 Increased productivity
 Increased opportunities for self-development

3.2. Causes of workplace conflict

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There are many potential root causes of conflict at work. We’ll go over six of them here.
Remember, anything that leads to a disagreement can be a cause of conflict. Although conflict is
common to organizations, some organizations have more than others.

Organizational Structure

Conflict tends to take different forms, depending upon the organizational structure. For example,
if a company uses a matrix structure as its organizational form, it will have decisional conflict
built in, because the structure specifies that each manager report to two bosses.

Limited Resources

Resources such as money, time, and equipment are often scarce. Competition among people or
departments for limited resources is a frequent cause for conflict. For example, cutting-edge
laptops and gadgets such as a BlackBerry or iPhone are expensive resources that may be
allocated to employees on a need-to-have basis in some companies. When a group of employees
have access to such resources while others do not, conflict may arise among employees or
between employees and management. While technical employees may feel that these devices are
crucial to their productivity, employees with customer contact such as sales representatives may
make the point that these devices are important for them to make a good impression to clients.
Because important resources are often limited, this is one source of conflict many companies
have to live with.

Task Interdependence

Another cause of conflict is task interdependence; that is, when accomplishment of your goal
requires reliance on others to perform their tasks. For example, if you’re tasked with creating
advertising for your product, you’re dependent on the creative team to design the words and
layout, the photographer or videographer to create the visuals, the media buyer to purchase the
advertising space, and so on. The completion of your goal (airing or publishing your ad) is
dependent on others.

Incompatible Goals

Sometimes conflict arises when two parties think that their goals are mutually exclusive. Within
an organization, incompatible goals often arise because of the different ways department

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managers are compensated. For example, a sales manager’s bonus may be tied to how many
sales are made for the company. As a result, the individual might be tempted to offer customers
“freebies” such as expedited delivery in order to make the sale. In contrast, a transportation
manager’s compensation may be based on how much money the company saves on transit. In
this case, the goal might be to eliminate expedited delivery because it adds expense.

Personality Differences

Personality differences among coworkers are common. By understanding some fundamental


differences among the way people think and act, we can better understand how others see the
world. Knowing that these differences are natural and normal lets us anticipate and mitigate
interpersonal conflict—it’s often not about “you” but simply a different way of seeing and
behaving. For example, Type A individuals have been found to have more conflicts with their
coworkers than Type B individuals.

Communication Problems

Sometimes conflict arises simply out of a small, unintentional communication problem, such as
lost e-mails or dealing with people who don’t return phone calls. Giving feedback is also a case
in which the best intentions can quickly escalate into a conflict situation. When communicating,
be sure to focus on behavior and its effects, not on the person. For example, say that Peter always
arrives late to all your meetings. You think he has a bad attitude, but you don’t really know what
Peter’s attitude is. You do know, however, the effect that Peter’s behavior has on you. You could
say, “Peter, when you come late to the meeting, I feel like my time is wasted.” Peter can’t argue
with that statement, because it is a fact of the impact of his behavior on you. It’s indisputable,
because it is your reality. What Peter can say is that he did not intend such an effect, and then
you can have a discussion regarding the behavior.

Prepared by: Ahder Tena, Henok Mehari & Gelan Dadi Page27
CTTI, TVET system learning guide

Self-check # 2 Written Test


Name: _________________________ Date: ______________
Give short and precise answer to the following questions.
1. Describe positive outcomes of conflict
2. Describe negative outcomes of conflict
3. Discuss the causes of workplace conflict with example

Prepared by: Ahder Tena, Henok Mehari & Gelan Dadi Page28

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