CONFLICT & DISPUTE

Understanding The
Misunderstanding
 What is Conflict ?

 "CONFLICT is a state of disagreement or disharmony between persons upon ideas. In other words, it is an
opposition between two minds, characters or forces in any manner whatsoever especially when discussing,
talking or arguing on any common thing or situation but seeing it from different perception".

 “Conflict is a unique situation or position arising out of a different thought process depending upon
countless factors which though looks similar but has altogether different interpretation by every individual”.

 “Views of an individual who is seeing a situation differently while keeping his interest on the higher
side".

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 Types of Conflicts

1. Intrapersonal conflict – With oneself.

 Example: Balancing between carrier and family responsibilities.

2. Interpersonal Conflict – Within two individuals.

 Example: Family conflicts and Workplace conflicts between two employees.

3. Intragroup Conflict – Within individuals of a Group

 Example: Conflict regarding service conditions between two or more employees.

4. Intergroup Conflict – Within two Groups or Organisations.

 Example: Between the different groups of employees in an organization working for a common cause.

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 Dispute

 "A continuous disagreement between two or more persons, within or

outside organizations and/or even in countries for a comparatively longer
period of time than normal according to situational/positional facts &
circumstances are known as the dispute. It has a higher degree of
disagreement than of conflict arising out of the difference of opinion
regarding any controversy".

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 Conflict vs Dispute

i) A Conflict refers to a broad area of issues and within this broad area, specific Disputes
can arise. Thus, Disputes may stem from a Conflict.

ii) A Dispute is a manifestation of continuous disagreement, while a Conflict is a long-term

concealed disagreement that causes more intensity to it.

iii) Disputes can be resolved through judicial or other means, whereas Conflicts cannot be
easily resolved and the possibility of resolving them is also very remote.

iv) Disputes can be easily resolved by dealing with the specific issue at hand and coming to a
final determination. It is not the same with Conflict.

v) Conflicts are more serious and sensitive in nature and very volatile in terms of resolution.

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 CONFLICT IS NATURAL

Respect people, attack

problems
It is easier to perceive error than to find the
truth, for the former lies on the surface and
is easily seen while the later lies in the
depth, where few are willing to search for
it.
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 Family Dispute

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 Labor Management Dispute

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 Property Dispute

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 Landlord & Tenant Dispute

Eviction from House

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 Neighbors Dispute

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 DISPUTE ** LITIGATION
 A small conflict on
any issue may convert
into a big dispute if
not handled properly.
 A dispute may
convert into long
litigation if not
handled properly.

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 Escalation of Conflict

 Conflict escalation "can be understood as an intensification of a conflict concerning the observed extent and the means used".
 The diagram shows, how a small difference of opinion can lead to a situation like war if not handled at the right time or at
initial stage itself, that is at least seven steps down stairs. Meaning thereby, that if a minor difference of opinion or
understanding is handled at the initial stage itself then it can be resolved even before it gets converted into conflict or dispute
and may even result in a war-like situation. This progression of differences is known as conflict escalation.
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 Causes of Conflict Escalation

a) Uncertainty and commitment

As conflicts escalate, doubts, uncertainties and flexibility get replaced by a firm commitment
to their position. People rationalize their choices once they have made them: they seek out
information that supports their views, reject information that rejects their views and become more
entrenched in their original position. Additionally, people believe that once they commit to a position
openly, they should stick with it. Sometimes, they realize the shortcomings of their views, but they
continue to defend those views and argue against their opponents just to save face. Finally, if the
opponents argue too strongly, reactance sets in and group members become even more committed to
their position.

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b) Perception and misperception

 Individuals' reactions to the conflict are shaped by their perception of the situation and the people
who are part of the situation. During the conflict, opponents' idea about each other's strengths, attitudes,
values, and overall personal qualities tend to get largely distorted.

c) Misattribution

 During the conflict, people understand and explain their opponents' actions such that it makes the
problem worse. Fundamental attribution error occurs when one assumes that opponents' behaviour was
caused by personal (dispositional) rather than situational (environmental) factors. When conflict continues
for a while, opponents might decide that this conflict is unmanageable. People expect such conflicts to be
prolonged, intense, and hard to resolve.

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d) Misperceiving motivations

During the conflict, opponents usually become mistrustful of one another. They wonder if their
cooperative motivations have been replaced by competitive ones. The loss of trust makes it tedious to
return to a cooperative relationship. People with competitive social value orientations stand to be the
most inaccurate in their perception of opponents' motivation. They often think that others are
competing with them when in fact, there is no competition going on. Competitors also become biased
in their search for information that confirms their suspicion that others are competing with them.
They also tend to deliberately misrepresent others intentions and sometimes claim to be more
cooperatively oriented than they are.

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 e) Soft tactics and hard tactics

Parties use soft tactics at the outset of the conflict, but as it escalates, tactics shift to stronger
and harder side. Although hard tactics can overwhelm the opponent, they often intensify conflicts.

f) Irritation and anger

It is generally difficult for people to remain calm and comfortable in a conflict situation.
However, increase in negative emotions (i.e., anger, etc.) only exacerbates the initial conflict. Even
when group members want to discuss their positions calmly, once they become committed to their
positions, an emotional expression often replaces logical discussion. Further, anger is also contagious:
when a group member negotiates with someone who is angry, they become angry themselves.

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 Dimensions of Conflict

1. The Conflict Core- The sense of threat that drives Conflict.

2. The Conflict Spiral- How conflict escalates.

3. The Conflict Triangle- Three aspects of Conflict that mediation addresses i.e. People, Problem and
Process.

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 Conflict Triangle (Basic Framework)

Handle The 3P’s for the forth P ( Peace ) :-

 People

 Process

 Problem

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Separate the people from the problem; handle the people
softly and be hard on the problem.
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 CAUSES STRATEGY

INFORMATION

- Lack of information - Agree on what data are important

- Misinformation - Agree on process to correct data
- Different Interpretations - Agree on considering all interpretations

INTEREST AND EXPECTATIONS

- Shift focus from position to interest

- Goal, needs - Expand options
- Perception - Find creative solutions
- Clarify perception

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 CAUSES
RELATIONSHIPS
- Poor Communication
- Repetitive Negative Behavior
- Misconception, Stereotypes
- Distrust
- History of Conflict
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STRATEGY
- Establish ground rules
- Clarify Misconception
- Improve Communication
- Agree on processes and procedure
- Keep your word
- Focus on improving future, not
dissecting the past
 CAUSES STRATEGY

STRUCTURAL CONFLICTS

- Reallocate ownership and control

- Resources - Establish fair, mutually
- Power acceptable decision making
- Time Constraint process
- Clearly define, change roles

VALUES

- Search for super-ordinate goals

- Different criteria for evaluating ideas
- Different ways of life, ideology and
religion
- Allow parties to agree and to
disagree
- Build common loyalty

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 Conflict De-escalation or Management

 Conflict de-escalation is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the
peaceful ending of conflict.
 Cognitive resolution is the way disputants understand and view the conflict with beliefs, perspectives,
understandings, and attitudes.
 Emotional resolution is a way where disputants feel about the conflict resolution by using their
emotional energy.
 A wide range of methods and procedures for addressing conflict exist; including negotiation,
mediation, mediation-arbitration, diplomacy, and creative peacebuilding.

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 Conflict Management

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The graph has been drawn by Thomas Kilmann to define the conflict resolution style.
1. AVOIDING / WITHDRAWING

 This technique consists of not addressing the conflict, postponing it, or simply withdrawing, it is
also known as Avoiding. This outcome is suitable when the issue is trivial and not worth the effort or
when more important issues are pressing, and one or both the parties do not have time to deal with it.
Withdrawing may also be a strategic response when it is not the right time or place to confront the
issue, when more time is needed to think and collect information before acting, or when not
responding may still bring some winnings for at least some of the involved parties. Moreover,
withdrawing may be also employed when someone knows that the other party is engaged with
hostility and does not want (can't) to invest further unreasonable efforts.

 Withdrawing may give the possibility to see things from a different perspective while gaining
time and collecting further information, and especially is a low-stress approach particularly when the
conflict is a short time. However, not acting might get interpreted as an agreement and thus, it may
lead to weakening of previously gained position with one or more parties involved. Furthermore,
while one uses withdrawing as a strategy, more time, skills, and experiences together with other
actions may need to be implemented.
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2. COMPETITIVE

The competitive conflict style maximizes individual assertiveness (i.e., concern

for self) while minimizing empathy (i.e., concern for others). Groups consisting of
competitive members generally enjoy seeking domination over others, and typically
see conflict as a "win or lose" predicament. Fighters tend to force others to accept
their personal views by employing competitive power tactics (arguments, insults,
accusations, or even violence) that foster intimidation.

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3. COMPROMISING

 Different from the win-win solution, in this outcome the conflict parties find a mutually
acceptable solution that partially satisfies both parties. This can occur as both parties converse
with one another and seek to understand the other's point of view. Compromising may be an
optimal solution when the goals are moderately important and not worth the use of more
assertive or more involving approaches. It may be useful when reaching a temporary settlement
on complex issues and as a first step when the involved parties do not know each other well or
have not yet developed a high level of mutual trust. Compromising may be a faster way to solve
things when time is a factor. The level of tensions can be lower as well, but the result of the
conflict may be also less satisfactory.

 If this method is not well managed, and the factor time becomes the most important one, the
situation may result in both parties being not satisfied with the outcome (i.e., lose-lose situation).
Moreover, it does not contribute to building trust in the long run and it may require closer
monitoring of the kind of partially satisfactory compromises acquired.

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4. ACCOMMODATING

 Accommodating is attempting to fulfil the concerns of others, rather than one's

concerns. This kind of strategy may be applied when the issue of the conflict is much
more important for one party whereas for the other it is not particularly relevant. It
may be also applied when someone accepts that he/she is wrong and there are no other
possible options than continuing an unworthy competing-pushing situation. Just as
withdrawing, accommodating may be an option to find at least a temporal solution or
obtain more time and information, however, it is not an option when priority interests
are at stake.

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5. COLLABORATING / WIN-WIN

 Collaboration involves an attempt to work with the other party involved in the conflict to
find a win-win solution to the problem at hand, or at least to find a solution that satisfies the
concerns of both parties. The win-win approach finds an opportunity in conflict resolution for
mutually beneficial result, it includes identifying the underlying concerns of the opponents and
finding an alternative that meets each party's concerns. From this point of view, collaborating
is the most desirable outcome when trying to solve a problem for all parties.

 Collaborating may be the best solution when the consensus commitment, interest, demand,
desire of all the parties is important to be addressed by all of them in a most friendly manner.
But more especially, it is the most desirable outcome when a long-term relationship is
important so that people can continue to collaborate productively; collaborating is, in a few
words, sharing responsibilities and mutual commitment. For parties involved, the outcome of
the conflict resolution is less stressful; however, the process of finding and establishing a win-
win solution may be longer and should be very involved.

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 “Whenever you are in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.”
WILLIAM JAMES

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 THANK YOU

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