CONFLICT IN MANAGEMENT

2BA-D
 CONFLICT

Conflict in the workplace is

inevitable, and when it happens,
there is always that great
tendency for it to disrupt the
flow productive activities in the
organization.
 Nature of conflict

Conflict in organization may be

defined as any situation in which
incompatible goals, attitude,
emotions or behaviors lead to
disagreement or opposition
between two or more parties.
Construction conflict
Construction conflict is a healthy constructive disagreement between
two or more people. It can benefit the organization by means of the ff.

The production of new ideas, learning, and growth among

individual
People engaged in constructive conflict develop a better
awareness of themselves and others
Working relationship are improved when two parties work
through their disagreement
Morale is improved when tensions are released and problem
solved in working together
Constructive conflict can lead to innovation and positive change
for the organization and ;
increased productivity may be expected
Destructive conflict
Destructive conflict is an unhealthy,
destructive disagreement between
two or more people.
Destructive can decrease work
productivity and job satisfaction and
contribute to absenteeism and job
turnover
 Levels of conflict

Intrapersonal
Interpersonal
Intergroup
Interorganizational
Intrapersonal conflict

Is the kind of conflict that faces internally, as

when an individual experiences personal
frustration, anxiety and stress.
Intrapersonal conflict consists of the
following types
1. Approach-approach conflict
2. Avoidance-avoidance conflict
3. Approach-avoidance conflict
Interpersonal conflict

Interpersonal conflict is that type of conflict

that occurs between two or more individual
who are in opposition to one another. This
type of conflict may be classified into three
sub types:
1. Substantive conflict
2. Emotional conflict
3. Substantive and emotional conflict
 Intergroup conflict

Conflict that occurs among groups in an

organization is referred to as intergroup
conflict. This type of conflict may also
be sub classified as either substantive,
emotional , or both.
Intergroup conflict is quite common in
organization, and it can make
coordination and integration to task
activities very difficult.
 Interorganizational
conflict
Interorganizational conflict is that type of
conflict that occurs between
organizations. It is most commonly
referred to the competition and rivalry
among firms operating in the same
markets.
 Sources Of Conflict

It conflict is to be managed effectively,

one should understand its many
sources. There are two broad
categories of conflict:
1. Structural factors
2. Personal factors
 Structural factors
Sources of conflict may be attributed to
structural factors which refer to the
nature of the organization and the way
in which work is organized. Structural
factors include:
Specialization
Interdependence
Common resources
Goal differences
Authority relationships
Status inconsistencies
Jurisdictional ambiguities
Specialization when people specialize on their
jobs, they become less aware of the task that other
perform.

Interdependence when two or more units

depend on each other in completing their
respective tasks.

Common Resources when an organization`s

resources are shared by two or more parties, a
potential for conflict is created.

Goal Differences different work units

sometimes have goals that are incompatible.
Authority Relationships how the superior
and the subordinates feel about each other many
sometimes be a cause for conflict.

Status Inconsistencies in many large

companies, managers have certain privileges like
the free use of company car, flexible work
schedule, the use of company telephone, cell
phone privileges, parking space and the like.

Jurisdictional Ambiguities sometimes,

there are situations when a part of the company`s
overall tasks is left without a clear indication on
who should be responsible.
 Personal Factors

Personal factors comprise another broad

category of the causes of conflict. These
factors are the result of individual
differences which include:
Skills and abilities
Personalities
Perceptions
Values and ethics
Emotions
Communication barriers
 Skills and Abilities

People working in organizations have

varying levels of skills and abilities
because of this, conflict may occur . For
Instance, experienced workers who
have a deadline to beat or a quota to
produce will find it hard to work
alongside new and unskilled workers.
 Personalities
People do not think, feel, look, or act alike, and
these personality differences can cause conflict.
Conflict-causing personalities may be described as follows:
The aggressor
The passive aggressor
The chronic absentee
The person who makes too many errors
The negative person
The chatterbox
The do-nothing person
The unreliable person
The time-waster
The resentful person
 Perceptions

Conflict may also be caused by

differences in perception. For instance,
when employee output or performance
cannot be measured accurately, the
perception game will come into play.
 Values and Ethics

Differences in values and ethics among

workers can be source of
disagreement. When a new employee
works hard as expected by his
superiors , he may be regarded by the
old workers as trying to do something
that may expose their shortcomings.
 Emotions

Uncontrolled emotions can cause

conflicts among workers. For instance,
a worker just had a violent quarrel with
his spouse, his anger may spill over
his work area.
 Communication Barrier
When communication between workers is not
effective , a requisite for conflict is laid out. One of
the barriers to effective communication are
language
Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or
irrelevance to the receiver.
Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or
speech difficulties.
Expectations and prejudices which may lead to
false assumptions or stereotyping.
 Stages of conflict

Conflict develop in stages, or at least

most of them. The stages consist of the
following
1. Antecedent conditions
2. Perceived and felt conflicts
3. Manifest conflict
4. Conflict resolution or suppression
5. Conflict aftermath
 Antecedent conditions

The sources of conflict are the

antecedent condition that set the first
stage of conflict. An example is the
presence of the negative person
 Perceived and Felt
conflict
The second stage in the conflict process
consists of either the perceived conflict
or the felt conflict. Perceived conflict
refers to the awareness by one or more
parties of the existence of conditions
that create opportunities for conflict to
occur.
 Manifest conflict

Manifest conflict is that stage in the

conflict process where the conflicting
parties are actively engaged in conflict
behavoir. There may be verbal, written,
or even physical attacks.
 Conflict resolution or
suppression
Conflict resolution occurs when the reason for
the conflict are eliminated. There are various
techniques used in resolving conflicts. These
are the ff.
1. Problem solving
2. Superordinate goals
3. Expansion of resources
4. Smooting
5. Compromise
6. Altering the structural variables
 Conflict suppression

Conflict of suppression happens when no

change in antecedent condition is
made and the manifest conflict
behaviours are controlled.
Suppressing conflict takes the following
form
1. Avoidance
2. Authoritative command
 Conflict aftermath

What happens after the conflict may be

regarded as either positive or negative
development . Unresolved conflict can
result in sustained emotional
discomfort and escalate into
dysfunctional emotional conflict
between individuals.