Chapter

16
1
Chapter 16

Conflicts
 Chapter
16
1
Managing Organizational
Conflict and Politics
 Organizational Conflict
Organizational Conflict
 The discord that arises when goals,
interests or values of different individuals or
groups are incompatible and those people
block or thwart each other’s efforts to
achieve their objectives.
 Conflict is inevitable (predictable) given the
wide range of goals for the different
stakeholder in the organization.
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 The Effect of Conflict on Organization
Performance

Figure 17.1 17-4

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 Types of Conflict

Figure 17.2 17-5

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 Types of Conflict
 Interpersonal Conflict
 Conflict between individuals due to
differences in their goals or values.
 Intragroup Conflict
 Conflict within a
group or team.
 Eg:

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 Types of Conflict
 Intergroup Conflict
 Conflict between two or more teams or
groups. Managers play a key role in
resolution of this conflict
 Eg:

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 Types of Conflict
 Interorganizational Conflict
 Conflict that arises across organizations.

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 Sources of Conflict

Figure 17.3 17-9

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 (1) Different Goals and Time
Horizons
Definition:
Different groups have differing goals & focus.
 Production managers usually concentrate on
efficiency and cost cutting and have relatively
short time horizon.

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 (2) Overlapping Authority
 Overlapping Authority
 Two or more managers claim authority for
the same activities (tasks) which leads to
conflict between the managers and
workers.

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(3) Different Evaluation or Reward
Systems
 Different Evaluation or Reward Systems
 A group is rewarded for achieving a goal, but
another interdependent group is rewarded for
achieving a goal that conflicts with the first group.
 Eg:

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 Different Evaluation or Reward Systems

 The way in which interdependent groups, teams,

or departments are evaluated and rewarded can
be another source of conflict.
 Example:

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 (4) Task Interdependencies
 Definition: One member of a group or a group fails
to finish a task that another member or group
depends on, causing the waiting worker or group
to fall behind.

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 (5) Scarce Resources
Definition:
Managers can come into conflict over the
allocation of scare resources.
Example:

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 (6) Status Inconsistencies
 Definition:
Some individuals and groups have a higher
organizational status than others, leading to
conflict with lower status groups.

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 Strategies Focused on Individuals
 Increasing awareness of the sources of
conflict
 Increasing diversity awareness and
skills
 Practicing job rotation or temporary
assignments
 Using permanent transfers or
dismissals when necessary
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 Strategies Focused on the Whole
Organization
 Changing an
organization’s
structure or culture
 Altering the source
of conflict

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 Conflict management strategy
 Compromise
 each party is concerned about not only
their goal accomplishment but also the goal
accomplishment of the other party and is
willing to engage in a give-and-take
exchange to reach a reasonable solution.
 Eg:

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 Conflict management strategy
 Collaboration
 parties try to satisfy their goals without
making concessions by coming up with a
new way to resolve their differences that
leaves them both better off.

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 Conflict management strategy
 Accommodation
 one party simply gives in to the other party
 Avoidance
 two parties try to ignore the problem and do
nothing to resolve the disagreement

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 Conflict management strategy
 Competition
 each party tries to maximize its own gain
and has little interest in understanding the
other’s position

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 Organizational Politics
 Organizational Politics
 The activities managers engage in to increase their
power and use it to achieve their goals or
overcome resistance or opposition.

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 Organizational Politics
 Political strategies
 Specific tactics used to increase power and use it
effectively to influence and gain the support of
other people while overcoming resistance

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 The Importance of Organizational
Politics
Politics
 Can be viewed negatively when managers
act in self-interested ways for their own
benefit.
 Is also a positive force that can bring about
needed change when political activity
allows a manager to gain support for
needed changes that will advance the
organization.
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 Political
Strategies
for
Increasing
Power

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 Political Strategies for Gaining and
Maintaining Power
Strategies
Controlling Uncertainty Reduce uncertainty for others in the firm

Being Irreplaceable Develop valuable special knowledge or

skills

Being in a Central Have decision-making control over the

Position firm’s crucial activities and resources

Generating Resources Hire skilled people or find financing when

it is needed

Building Alliances Develop mutually beneficial relations

with others inside and outside the
organization
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 Political
Strategies
for
Exercising
Power

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 Strategies for Exercising Power
Strategies
Relying on Objective Providing impartial information causes
Information others to feel the manager’s course of
action is correct.

Bringing in an Outside Using an expert’s opinion to lend

Expert credibility to manager’s proposal

Controlling the Agenda Influencing those issues included (and

those dropped) from the decision
process.

Making Everyone a Making sure that everyone whose

Winner support is needed benefits personally
from providing that support.
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 Example

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