Charisse Anne R.

Obedencia, PRESENTER
 The Nature of
Conflict in organizations may be defined as any
situation in which INCOMPATIBLE GOALS, ATTITUDES,
EMOTIONS OR BEHAVIORS lead to DISAGREEMENT or
OPPOSITION between two or more parties.
CONFLICTS

maybe CONSTRUCTIVE
or
 Constructiv
ehealthy
constructive disagreement
THIS CAN BENEFIT THE ORGANIZATION BY:
1. production of new ideas, learning and growth among
individuals
2. People engaged in constructive conflict develop a better
awareness of themselves and others;
3. working relationships are improved when two
parties work through their disagreement;

4. morale is improved when tensions are released

and problems solved in working together;

5. Constructive conflict can lead to innovation and

positive change for the organization; and

6. Increased productivity may be expected

Destructi
ve
unhealthy
destructive disagreement
e.g. two employees who are unable to work
together because of interpersonal hostilities
decrease work production and job satisfaction
and contribute to absenteeism and job
turnover
 LEVELS OF CONFLICT

INTER-
INTRAPERSONAL INTERPERSONAL INTERGROUP
ORGANIZATIONAL

approach/approach substantive substantive

avoidance/avoidance emotional emotional

substantive and substantive and

approach/ avoidance
emotional emotional
LEVELS OF CONFLICT

1.Intrapersonal
2.Interpersonal
3.Intergroup
4.interorganizational
INTRAPERSONAL CONFLICT
 personal frustration, anxiety, stress
TYPES
1. APPROACH-APPROACH
 When an individual must choose between two
positive and equally attractive alternatives
Example: Leticia is making a choice between an
impending promotion as manager of her company or an
opportunity to work and settle in the US
2. AVOIDANCE- AVOIDANCE
 When an individual must choose between two negative
or
equally unattractive alternatives.
Example: Leticia is being asked either to accept a transfer to
a job which makes her academic qualification, training, and
experience irrelevant, or transfer to another town two
hundred kilometers away from her family.
2. APPROACH- AVOIDANCE
 When a person must decide to do something that has
positive and negative consequence.
Example: Leticia is offered a promotion but she will have to
work from 10:00pm to 6:00am.
INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
 occurs between two or more individuals who are in
opposition to one another.
TYPES
1. SUBSTANTIVE CONFLICT
 When there is a fundamental disagreement over ends
or goals to be pursued and their means of
accomplishment

Example: two persons having disagreement on the

2. EMOTIONAL CONFLICT
 Interpersonal difficulties that arise over feelings of
anger, mistrust, dislike, fear, resentment

Example: Leticia and Carol who continually disagree

over each other’s choice of office décor and wall paint

3. SUBSTANTIVE and EMOTIONAL CONFLICT

 Combination of the two types
INTERGROUP CONFLICT
 occurs among groups in an organization
 May also be substantive, emotional or both

Example: Disagreement between the marketing and

accounting department as a result of some expenditures
that the marketing department considers as necessary in
achieving the sales target of the company, but which the
accounting department does not consider acceptable.
INTERORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT
 occurs between organizations
 competitions and rivalry among firms operating in
the same markets

Example: Disagreement between the two giant telephone

companies on various issues such as encroachment on
each other’s assigned areas of operations and
interconnection.
SOURCES OF CONFLICT

1. Structural Factors

2. Personal Factors
Structural Factors
The 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:

1.Specialization
• When people specialize on their jobs, they
become less aware of the tasks that other
perform.
2. Interdependence
• work interdependence has a potential for
conflict
• are given too much to do
• dissimilar rewards

If a unit’s output is dependent on another

unit’s output, tension is created if the
dependent unit cannot start working because
of delays in the other unit’s production.
3. Common Resources
• When an organization’s resources are shared
by two or more parties, a potential conflict is
created moreso when the resources
becomes scarce.
Example: The use of five company vehicles is
shared by various units of the company. When
the activities of the units are doubled, a conflict
may occur.
The forms of conflict over resources in an
organization include inflating budgets,
challenging the legitimacy of activities by other
units and covert efforts to prevent budget cuts.
4. Goal Differences
• Different work units sometimes have goals
that are incompatible
Example: A bank that has a unit assigned to
dispose assets acquired by the bank. If that unit
is expected 100% performance within a year
and the unit receives acquired assets more than
it can handle, conflict becomes a great
possibility.
5. Authority Relationships
• Superior- subordinate relationship
6. Status Inconsistencies
• Privileges

7. Jurisdictional Ambiguities
• Company’s overall tasks is left without a
clear indication on who should be
responsible
2. Personal Factors
(Individual Differences)
(1) Skills and Abilities
(2) Personalities
Conflict- causing Personalities

1. The AGGRESSOR
 Bullies
2. The PASSIVE AGGRESSOR
 blocks progress at every turn
3. The CHRONIC ABSENTEE
4. The person who makes too many
errors
5. The NEGATIVE PERSON
6. The CHATTERBOX
7. The DO- NOTHING PERSON
8. The UNRELIABLE PERSON
9. The TIME WASTER
10. The RESENTFUL PERSON
2. Personal Factors
(Individual Differences)
(3) Perceptions
(4) Values and Ethics
(5) Emotions
(6) Communication Barriers