Conflict

Categories of Stressors Affecting Occupational Stress

Extraorganizational
Stressors
Organizational Stressors
Group Stressors
Individual
Stressors

JOB
STRESS

12-2
 Macrolevel Organizational Stressors

ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES
ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES
AND STRATEGIES
Tight controls
Downsizing
Only downward communication
Competitive pressures
Little performance feedback
Merit pay plans
Centralized decision making
Rotating work shifts
Lack of participation in decisions
Bureaucratic rules
Punitive appraisal systems
Advanced technology

JOB
STRESS

WORKING CONDITIONS
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Crowded work area
AND DESIGN
Noise, heat, or cold
Centralization and formalization
Polluted air
Line-staff conflicts
Strong odor
Specialization
Unsafe, dangerous conditions
Role ambiguity and conflict
Poor lighting
No opportunity for promotion
Physical or mental strain
Restrictive, untrusting culture
12-3
Toxic chemicals or radiation
 Profiles Of Type A And Type B Personalities

Type A Profile Type B Profile

Is always moving Is not concerned about time

Walks rapidly Is patient
Eats rapidly Doesn’t brag
Talks rapidly Plays for fun, not to win
Is impatient Relaxes without guilt
Does two things at once Has not pressing deadlines
Can’t cope with leisure time Is mild-mannered
Is obsessed with numbers Is never in a hurry
Measures success by quantity
Is aggressive
Is competitive
Constantly feels under time
pressure

12-4
 Level Of Conflict In Organizational Behavior

Macro

Organizational

Intergroup

Interpersonal

Intra-
individual

Micro
CONFLICT
12-5
 A Model Of Frustration

Need Drive Goal/

(deficiency) (deficiency incentive
with direction) (reduction of
the drives and
Barrier
fulfillment of
(1) Overt
deficiencies)
(2) Covert
Frustratio
n

Defense mechanisms
(1) Aggression
(2) Withdrawal
(3) Fixation
(4) Compromise

12-6
 Sources Of Interpersonal Conflict

Personal Information
differences deficiency

Interpersonal
Conflict

Role Environmental
incompatibility stress

12-7
 Antecedent Conditions For Intergroup Conflict

Competition Task
for resources interdependence

Intergroup
Conflict

Jurisdictional Status
ambiguity struggles

12-8
 Ways To Manage Prolonged Stress

Exercise Relaxation

Individual
Coping
Strategies Behavioral
Networking
self-control

Cognitive
therapy
12-9
 What is conflict…normally?
`A disagreement between people that may be the
result of different:
• Ideas
• Perspective
• Priorities
• Preferences
• Beliefs
• Values
• Goals
• Organizational structures
 Conflict Involves…
• Emotions: What you feel is important

• Perceptions: What you see at stake

• Behaviors: How you act with others

 Sources of Conflict….. warning:
1. Ambiguous jurisdictions:
`I don’t know who has the authority on that
issue.’
2. Conflict of interest:
`He deserved that position rather that
person’
3. Communication barriers:
• `They never returned the phone calls.’
announced.’
4. Unresolved prior conflicts:
`We always have a problem with SGS lab about
the final report.’
5. Over dependency of one party:
`We will have to wait till the budget is
 Conflict defined:
 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.
 Is that point in an ongoing activity
when an interaction “crosses over” to
become an inter party conflict.
 Conflict defined:
 Encompasses a wide range of conflicts
that people experience in organizations
 Incompatibility of goals
 Differences over interpretations of facts
 Disagreements based on behavioral expectations.
 Misconceptions about Conflict

• Harmony is `normal’.
• Conflict is `abnormal.’
• Conflict & disagreements are same.
• Conflict is the result of `personality
problem.’
• Conflict & anger are the same.
 Transitions in Conflict Thought:
Traditional View of Conflict:
The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be
avoided. Used synonymously as violence,
destruction and irrationality.

Seen
Seenas ascaused
causedbyby: :
•• Poor
Poorcommunication
communication
•• Lack
Lackof
ofopenness
openness
•• Failure
Failureto
torespond
respondto toemployee
employeeneeds
needs
 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.
 Organizational Conflict:

 Conflict is inevitable given the wide range of

goals for the different stakeholder in the
organization.

 Lack of conflict signals that management

emphasizes conformity and stifles innovation.
Conflict is good for organizational
performance although excessive conflict
causes managers to spend too much time
achieving their own ends.
Types of Conflict
 Functional Conflict
 Functional (or constructive) conflict
Results in positive benefits to individuals,
the group, or the organization.
Likely effects
 Important problems surface so they can be
addressed.
 Causes careful consideration of decisions.
 Causes reconsideration of decisions.
 Increases information available for decision making.
 Provides opportunities for creativity.
 Dysfunctional Conflict

 Dysfunctional (or destructive) conflict

Works to the disadvantage of individuals, the group, or
the organization.
Likely effects
 Diverts energies.
 Harms group cohesion.
 Promotes interpersonal hostilities.
 Encourages stereotyping
 Creates overall negative environment for workers.
 Type of Conflict
Task Conflict
Conflicts over content and goals of
the work.

Relationship Conflict
Conflict based on interpersonal relationships – is dysfunctional

Process Conflict
Conflict over how work gets done- low levels of this conflict are
functional
 Levels of Conflict

Macro

Organisational

Inter-group

Interpersonal

Intra-
individual

Micro
Intraperson Conflict
 Conflict due to Frustration
• Occurs when a motivated drive is blocked
before a person reaches a desired goal.
• Defense mechanisms
– Aggression: Theft, violence
– Withdrawal –apathetic
– Fixation – Rules become ends and the frustrated
employee adapts to the barrier
– Compromise – Mid career changes ,seek
fulfillment outside the job
OHT 12.10 Figure 12.3

A basic model of frustration

Mullins: Management and Organisational Behaviour, 7th edition © Pearson Education Limited 2005
 Goal Conflict
• Arises when a Goal has both positive
and negative features or two or more
competing goals
 Approach-approach conflict- Two or more
positive but mutually exclusive goals
 Approach-avoidance conflict – Motivated to
approach a goal and the same time avoid it
 Avoidance-avoidance conflict – Avoid two or
more negative but mutually exclusive goals
 Role Conflict and Ambiguity
• Role is defined as a position that has
expectations evolving from established
norms
• A study of international JVs showed
that this conflict is lower when the
foreign partner was dominant -
inversely related to cultural distance
 Types of Role conflict

• Person and the role – between the persons

personality and the expectations of the role
• Intrarole – Contradictory expectations
about how a given role should be played
• Interrole - Differing requirements of two or
more roles that must be played at the same
time
 Interpersonal
Conflict

 Occurs between two or

more individuals who are in
opposition to one another.
 Personal differences -
Everyone has a unique
background because of
different values, socialization
etc.
 Information deficiency – two people in
conflict are using different information
or that one or both have
misinformation.
 Role incompatibility – Managers have
highly interdependent functions &
tasks but their individual roles may be
incompatible
 Environmental stress
 Intra Group conflict
 Substantive conflict
Conflict that is based on intellectual
disagreement among group members
 Affective conflict
Based on emotional responses to a situation or
when interacting individuals have incompatible
styles or personalities.
 Inter Group conflict
 Occurs among members of different teams or
groups.
 Competition for resources
 Task interdependence – more in a sequential
technological process
 Jurisdictional ambiguity – “turf” problems
 Status struggles – HR departments feel they are
inequitably treated