Chapter Five

Managing Organizational conflict 1

1. What is conflict and why conflict occurs?
2. Do you think that conflict is important?

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 Organisational conflict

• Topics:
– Definition
– Causes of conflict
– Types of conflict
– Perspectives on conflict
– Conflict management approaches

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 Organisational conflict

Definition:
– Disagreement two or more interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals,
scarce resources, and interference from others in achieving that goal (Hocker &
Wilmot, 1995).

– The interaction of interdependent people who perceive opposition of goals, aims,

and values, and who see the other party as potentially interfering with the
realization of these goals (Putnam & Poole, 1987)

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 Causes of conflict

Structural factors

• specialization Communication gap Work

overload

Jurisdictional
• Interdependence
• Structural conflict ambiguities

• Common • Status
Resources: Goal Authority inconsistencies:
differences relationships
 Personal factor

Skills and abilities

Personal factors;
Personality The causes of conflict that arise from individual
differences include skills and abilities,
perception personalities, perceptions, values and ethics,
emotions and communication barriers.
Value and ethics

Emotion
Communication
barrier
 Causes of conflict

–Scarcity of resources (finance, equipment, facilities,

etc)
–Different attitudes, values or perceptions
–Disagreements about needs, goals, priorities and
interests
–Poor communication
–Poor or inadequate organizational structure
–Lack of teamwork
–Lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities 7
 Types of conflict

Conflict can be:

– Functional conflict , and

– Dysfunctional conflict

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 Functional Conflict
Conflict develops cohesiveness within the
group members.

Conflict leads to innovation and creativity, as there

is competing sprit among various groups.
Conflict provides challenging work
environment and enhances opportunities
for self-development of group that leads to
formation of group norms.

Enhance work culture leads to up gradation

of various systems within the organization
and therefore growth is achieved.
 Dysfunctional Conflict
Conflict may turn out to be detrimental and disastrous and
having deleterious effects.

It can be identified in the following circumstances:

When conflict does not lead to solution.

When basic goals of the organization are neglected.

Conflict may lead to absenteeism and subsequently to increased
turn over if not controlled in time.

Dual management style may create hatred and lead to

dysfunctional conflict.

Disagreement with management may be considered as disloyalty,

if this environment prevails, an opportunity for creativity would
be lost and employees would loose interest in their job.
 Levels and Types of Conflict

Level of conflict Type of conflict

Organization Within and between organizations

Group Within and between groups

Individual Within and between individuals

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 Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.)

• Intraorganization conflict
– Conflict that occurs within an organization
– At interfaces of organization functions
– Can occur along the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the
organization
• Vertical conflict: between managers and subordinates
• Horizontal conflict: between departments and work groups

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Staff and line conflict

Cont’d
Line authority creates product and services and contributes directly towards the
revenue generation. While staff authority assists line authority and acts in advisory
capacity.

Staff managers have a technical know how and they are able to advice the line
authority to cut down cost of production and save on wastage etc.

Line authority does not like their advice at times. Staff managers get frustrated when
their suggestions and ideas are not implemented by line managers and hence the
cause for conflict. In the process the organizational goals are not achieved as per plans
 Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.)
• Inter-organization conflict
– Between two or more organizations
– Not competition
– Examples: suppliers and distributors, especially with the close links now
possible

 It takes place between two dependent organizations. Conflict can

take place between government organization, unions and the operating
Inter- industry.
Organizational  Conflict can also take place between seller and buyer in the
Conflict organization.
 Managers must try and reduce inter-organizational conflicts by
adopting positive approach and by following strictly, the rules and
regulations laid down by the government agencies.
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 Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.)

• Intragroup conflict
– Conflict among members of a group
– Early stages of group development
– Ways of doing tasks or reaching group's goals
Intra-group conflict relates to values, status and roles played by
an individual in the group and the group norm
disagree with the methods and procedures followed by the
group
social changes

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 • Intergroup conflict: between two or more groups

Conflicts between different groups, sections and departments

are called inter-group conflict
 Causes due to factors inherent to the organizational structure-
Organizational objectives can only be achieved when all
departments work towards attainment of organizational goals
can be avoided by better communication between departments, joint
decision making, removing disparity in group goals and paying
due respect and displaying concern for other group’s view.
 Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.)

• Interpersonal conflict
– 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

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 Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.)

• Intrapersonal conflict

– Occurs within an individual

• Threat to a person’s values

• Feeling of unfair treatment

• Multiple and contradictory sources of socialization

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 Transitions in Conflict
Perspectives Thought
on conflict

Traditional View – conflict is harmful and must be avoided

Human Relations View – conflict is a natural and inevitable

outcome in any group and need not be negative

Interactionist View – conflict is encouraged to prevent group

from becoming stable.

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 Transitions in Conflict Thought
Traditional View of Conflict

The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided it reflects
malefaction within the group. .

Causes:
• Poor communication
• Lack of openness
• Failure to respond to employee
needs
• Lack of trust

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 Transitions in Conflict Thought (cont’d)
Human Relations View of Conflict
The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any
group.

Interactionist View of Conflict

The belief that conflict is not only a positive force

in a group but that it is absolutely necessary for
a group to perform effectively.

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Conflict management strategies

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 Stage III: Intentions (cont’d)
Competing
A desire to satisfy one’s interests, regardless of the impact on the other
party to the conflict.
Cont’d
•

Competing
I win, you
lose

Competing ,.I win, you lose!

This strategy may be adopted when other strategies of conflict
resolution are not workable.

Aggressive behavior to resolve conflict

Competing is also useful in emergencies where quick decisions are

required

This strategy is based on win-lose principle of managing conflicts.

Power must be used unilaterally as a weapon

 Collaborating-
To work together
with other to
achieve a common
goal.

Collaborating
A situation in which the parties to a conflict each desire to satisfy fully
the concerns of all parties.
Avoiding
The desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.

Avoidance=stop

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The basic goal of the avoidance it to delay.

One or both parties could avoid facing the conflict

The situation pertains to un-cooperative and unassertive behavior on the part

of parties involved.

Avoiding strategy may help to maintain relationship that would be hurt by

conflict resolution and very effective way to affront conflictive situations at
short term
 Accommodating
The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponent’s
interests above his or her own.

Scarifying his/her own interest

It is form of selfless generosity, obeying other person’s point of
view
Results from a low concern for ones group own interests
combined with a high concern for the interest of other group
Emphasis on human relationships
Their unassertive and cooperative behavior creates a
win/lose situation want to be accepted and liked by others
 Compromising- LET US MEET HALF WAY

 No clear winner or lose

is a mode when both  Accept the solution which is not complete
to either of the parties; incomplete
parties try to find out satisfaction of both parties’ concern
some expedient,  Values, ethics, principles and long term
mutually acceptable objectives of the organization must be
solution that protected while adopting compromising.
sacrifices both the  Compromising policies can easily be
parties partially adopted when competing or collaboration
strategy fails
 Compromising
A situation in which each party to a
conflict is willing to give up something.

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