Power: The architecture of

conflict
Chapter 05
 Power and Conflict
 Power influences the moves and counter
moves made in interaction.
 Power and Conflict Interaction
 Power influences the moves and counter
moves made in interaction.
 The use of power imposes constraints on
others.
 Each move makes certain other moves
desirable and others undesirable or
impossible.
 Conflict is a collective product—neither party
is in total control
 Definitions of Power
 Definitions focus on whether the power is:
 Distributive (either/or)
 Integrative (both/and
 Designated (power to a certain relationship)

 Power brings out varying emotional

responses in people and it is an extremely
difficult concept to define!
 Distributive Power (Either/Or)
 When relationships begin to deteriorate,
power concerns increase
 Either/or power is the type in the typical
“power struggle”
 Most people in a struggle believe that the
other person has more power
 Focuses on win/lose instead of rights and
interests
 Tends to be a male approach to power
 Integrative Power (both/and)
 Power is framed in terms of rights and
interests
 Most people think of power in terms of
“win/lose” but successful and ongoing
relationships require a broader view of
“power”
 This type of power is the choice of people
in many cultures and for women in our
culture
 Designated Power
 This type of power involves giving power
to some other group or entity
 People place power into some other group
or entity (like the military, teachers, elected
officials, the police) and then draw on that
power when they don’t have enough on
their own to solve a problem
 Who owns the power?
 A common misconception is that power
resides in a particular person
 Power is not an attribute of a person – it is
a product of the social relationship in
which certain qualities become
important and valuable to others
 This is the “relational theory of power”
 Currencies of Power Within a
Relationship
 Resource control (e.g. parents with car keys)
 Interpersonal linkages (e.g., being a liaison
between two groups that wouldn’t know
much about each other without you)
 Communication skills (e.g. Ronald Reagan
and Bill Clinton)
 Expertise (e.g. being an expert in something
or having great skill in social interaction)
 Relational View of Power
 Power stems from relationships amongst the
group.
 Any resources serving as a basis for power are
effective only if others endorse the resource.
 Power resources = skills/abilities, time,
expertise, rewards/punishments, formal
position, allies, etc.
 We have the option to resist, but the tendency to
endorse power is based on deep-seated and
powerful social processes.
Assessing Power: A Relational
View
 When working through conflict, always
remember that:
 Each person firmly believes that the other person
has more power!!
 People in organizations have power when they:
 Are in a position to deal with important problems
 Have control over valued resources
 Can bring problems and resources together
 Are centrally connected in the work flow
 Are not easily replaced
 Have successfully used their power in the past
Factors that influence endorsement
of power
 Social categorization process
 Perceptions about what types of people are powerful
or not
 The use of power carries a mystique
 “magic aura”
 Interaction in the immediate situation is the
primary means through which endorsement is
achieved.
 Open, rational decsions about power resources
 Conflict Tactics
 Four types of conflict tactics
 Direct application of power
 Direct and virtual use of power (potential use
of direct power)
 Indirect use of power
 Hidden use of power
 Conflict Tactics
 Threat and promises (direct, virtual use of
power)
 Relational Control (indirect)
 Content and relational dimension of all
messages
 Conflict Tactics
 Issue control (hidden)
 Bachrach & Baratz: Two Faces of Power
 Hidden face (i.e., nondecisions)
 Parties influence issues through:
 Directing
attention away from an issue
 Suppress conflicts by creating fear of raising
issues
 Balance of Power in Conflict
 Any significant imbalance of power creates
poses a serious threat to constructive
conflict resolution.
 What are the dilemmas of strength?
 What are the dangers of weakness?
 Dilemmas of strength
 Power can erode
 Coerced may reorder their values
 Threat of power can be more effective than
actual use
 Making false assumption about other’s
response
 Powerful sets terms for settlement
 Dilemmas of weakness
 Powerful determine terms of conflict
 Weaker is at disadvantage
 Solution hurts even the powerful

 Weakness is self-perpetuating
 Feeling of powerlessness reinforces control of
the stronger
 Weak party make commit act of desperation
 Nothing to lose if relationship is threatened
 Cultural Differences in Values
 Equality is not a central value in all
cultures.
 High and low power distance cultures
influence conflict orientations
 Working with Power
 Try to
 Identify the resources of power and who holds
them
 Identify power through its effects
 Identify those who favor the status quo in
relationships (usually indicates they have a
favorable power balance)
 Recognize when parties draw on shared power
resources as a basis for influence. (drawing on
individual power resources leads to less
productive conflict management)
 Fostering Shared Power
 Shared power is likely when:
 Parties are in agreement about broader goals
and a shared sense of purpose overarches
the conflict
 Key sources of power are accessible to
everybody
 Parties understand their role in the creation of
power are actively work to manage how
power is used in the conflict.