CONFLICT

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WHAT IS CONFLICT
Conflict can be defined in many ways and can be
considered as an expression of hostility ,
negative attitudesaggression and
misunderstanding .
Conflict may emerge between different
organisations or within organisations , or between
organisations and their social and political
environments .

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• A conflict is serious disagreement or argument
between two or more persons

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 Definitions Of Conflict

• According to Joe Kelly , “ Conflict is defined as

opposition or dispute between persons,
groups or ideas ”.
• According to Follett, “ Conflict is the
appearance of difference , difference of
opinions, of interests ” .

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 Views on conflict
(1930-1940)
Traditional view:
The early approach to
conflict assumed that all
conflict was bad.
Conflict was viewed
negatively, and it was
usedwith such terms as
violence, destruction.
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 conti…

• Human Relations view (1940-1970) : The human

relations position argued that conflict was a
natural occurrence in all groups and
organizations. Since conflict was inevitable(which
cannot be avoided) it is accepted and there are
even times when conflict may benefit a group’s
performance.

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 Modern View:

Modern View:
This view is based on the belief that
conflict is not only a positive force in a
group but is also necessary for a group to
perform effectively. This approach
encourages group leaders to maintain an
ongoing minimum level of conflict –
enough to keep the group viable, self-
critical and creative
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 • Functional or Constructive Conflict: works
toward the goals of an organization or group
 Constructive
 Increase information & ideas
 Encourages innovative thinking

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• Dysfunctional/Destructive Conflict: blocks an
organization or group from reaching its goals
 Tension, anxiety, stress
 Drives out low conflict tolerant people
 Reduce trust
 Reduce information

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 Task conflict - task conflict occurs when two
parties are unable to move forward on a task
due to differing needs, behaviors or attitudes.
It can be conflict over organizational policies
resource and procedures distribution .for a
completing a task.

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 • Relationship conflict - Relationship conflict is
a conflict resulting from either personality
clashes or negative emotional interactions
between two or more people.

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 Levels of Conflict

.
Individual level Group level Organizational level
Conflict Conflict Conflict

Intra Inter Inter Intra

Individual Individual Organizational Organizational
Conflict Conflict conflict Conflict

Inter Intra
Group Group
Conflict Conflict
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 Intra Individual Conflict
This is an Internal Conflict that involves the
struggle between the character and his / her
opinion.

 This has to do with individuals having to make

choices between wrong and right or even with
overcoming emotions or mixed feelings.

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 EXAMPLE

• A father or mother tries to make a decision

whether he/ she is to stay with the family or take a
job in another place or country to get a better life
for the family.

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Inter Individual Conflict /EXTERNAL
CONFLICT
Inter Individual Conflict is a character (man)
struggles against an outside force, such as
nature, a physical obstacles or another
character.

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 CHARACTER VS. CHARACTER
• A character struggling against another
character mental or physical.
Example: Two persons fighting.

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 CHARACTER (MAN) VS. NATURE
A character struggling
with the forces or
elements of nature
( natural disaster ,Flood etc.)
that is beyond
his/ her control but the
struggle is usually done for
survival.

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 CHARACTER (MAN) VS. SOCIETY
The struggle between a character or a group of
characters fighting against the rules or laws that
govern the society in which he/ she lives.
Example: Religion and Politics

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 Intra Group Conflict (With in the
group):
Intra group conflict refers to disputes among
some or all of a group’s members, which often
affect the group’s performance.

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 Inter group Conflicts (Between groups)
• Inter group conflict arises out of the interaction
of various groups. Inter group conflict, refers to
the conflict between groups, departments
between groups is frequent and highly visible.

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Intra Organizational Conflict:
• The conflict which arises with in various levels
and departments of organization. Various
kinds are:
I. Horizontal Conflict
II. Vertical Conflict

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Inter Organizational Conflict

Inter organizational
interaction results in
conflict among different
organizations. How ever, it
is not necessary that such
interaction may result in
conflict.

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 The most common conflict occurred in
organization
• Lockouts.
• Strikes.
• Issues related with performance appraisals.
• Resistance to change.
• Conflicts related with emotions.
• Conflicts due to frustrations.

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CONFLICT RESOLUTION (PEACEMAKING)

 Social psychologists have focused on four strategies

for conflict resolution or peacemaking.
Cont
 CONTACT act

Conc Coop
 COOPERATION
iliatio 4 Cs
n erati
 COMMUNICATION
Com on

 CONCILIATION munic
ation
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 • Does desegregation improve racial attitudes?
Sometimes.
• When does desegregation improve racial
a Attitudes? When there is equal status
contact.
 Many studies confirm the correlation between
contact and positive attitudes. For example, the
more interracial contact South African Blacks and
Whites have, the more sympathetic their policy
attitudes are to those of the other group (Dixon
& others, 2007). Anti-gay feeling is lower among
people who know gays personally (Herek, 1993).
 In colleges and universities, informal interactions
enabled by classroom ethnic diversity pay dividends
for all students(Gurin
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shekhar al, 2002). Such 25
interactions tend to be intellectually growth-
 A cooperative approach aligns with the process which
that work cooperati vely to negoti ate a soluti on are more likely to develop
a relati onship of trust and come up with mutually benefi cial opti ons for
sett lement.

 In a recent study, white youths on a two to three week expediti on

involving inti mate contact and cooperati on expressed improved atti tudes
towards Blacks a m o nth aft er the expediti on if they had been randomly
assigned to an interracial expediti on group(Green & Wong, 2008).

• •occurs when there is a common external threat.

• occurs when there is a cooperative larning

environment.

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 Conflicting parties have other ways to resolve their
differences. They can communicate by bargaining,
mediation, or arbitration.
 Bargaining: Seeking an agreement to a conflict through
direct negotiation between parties.
 Tough bargaining may lower the other party`s
expectations, making the other side willing to settle for
less(Yukl, 1974).
 Mediation: An attempt by a neutral third party to resolve
a conflict by facilitating communication and offering
suggestions. A third party mediator may offer
suggestions that enable conflicting parties to make
concessions and still save face (Pruitt, 1998).
 Arbitration: Resolution of a conflict by a neutral third
party who studies both sides and imposes a settlement.
This is a commonly used practice in legal disagreements
as an alternative to the lengthy and expensive process of
going to court.
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 Conciliation is a conflict resolution process whereby
the parties agree to utilize the services of a conciliator,
who then meets with the parties separately in an
attempt to resolve their differences. The main goal is
to conciliate, most of the time by seeking concessions.
 For example, in the 1970s small concessions by Israel
and Egypt (such as Israel allowing Egypt to open uo the
Suez Canal, Egypt allowing ships bound for Israel to
pass through) helped reduce tension to a point where
the negotiations became possible (Rubin, 1981).
 • Two important linkage strategies deserve attention
here. One is Graduated Reciprocation In Tension-
reduction (GRIT), & the other is a Tit-For-Tat (TFT)
strategy.
 • In the GRIT strategy, one of the parties in a conflict
unilaterally initiates a series of cooperative moves;
these are announced & reciprocity is invited, but the
conciliatory moves are continued for an extended
period, even without immediate
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CONCLUSION
 Although conflicts are readily kindled and fueled by
social dilemmas, competition, perceived injustice, and
misperceptions, some equally powerful forces such
as contact, cooperation, communication, and
conciliation can transform hostility into harmony.
 Contacts are especially beneficial when people work
together to overcome a common threat. Several
research teams have replaced competitive classroom
learning situations with opportunities for cooperative
learning.
 Sometimes when genuine communication is
impossible, small conciliatory gestures by one party
may elicit reciprocal conciliatory acts by the other
party.
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