Conflict Management

5. Organizational Learning &

Effectiveness
Dr. Javed Mahmud

September 2022
Organizational Learning
 Conflict resolution should not be limited to just negotiation, mediation, and
arbitration, they should involve changes in the processes and structures in the
existing organizations
 Unfortunately, existing conflict resolution approaches are mostly not suitable
for changing behaviours, which involves learning
 There is greater need to improve knowledge about learning and effectiveness
so that organizations can effectively respond to the needs of rapidly changing
environments
 Therefore, one of the major objectives of managing conflict in contemporary
organizations should be to enhance organizational learning that will influence
long-term effectiveness.
Organizational Learning Definition

 Organizational learning  is the process of developing, retaining, and

transferring knowledge within an organization
 Organizational learning occurs as a result of experience, and an
organization is said to have learned from an experience when
there is a change in the organization's behaviour or performance
Types of Learning
 Single-loop and double-loop learning are two different types of learning
that can be used by any organization in order to adapt and improve its
overall performance
Types of Learning
 Single-loop Learning
 Single-loop learning is one of the problem-solving processes
 Organizations usually examine the environment, compare data with the norm,
and then initiate an appropriate action
 If there are differences between expected and reached outcomes actions are
modified
 Single-loop learning occurs when errors or problems are detected and
corrected without any adaptation to the organizations policies and goals
 For example, if a team fails to perform a specific task within the time
allocated to it, the team may be changed in an attempt solve the problem
 Types of Learning
 Double-loop Learning
 Double Loop Learning is identifying and understanding causality (কার্যকারণ) and
then taking action to fix the problem
 This kind of learning involves more “thinking outside the box,” creativity and
critical thinking
 In double-loop learning the organization is involved in questioning and
modification of its underlying norms, procedures, policies, and objectives
 As in the earlier example, the organization may find that one of its processes is
too lengthy and may be reduced to finish the task within the specified time period
Experts assert that double-loop learning is critical to the success of an
organization, especially during times of rapid change
 Organizational Effectiveness
 Organizational effectiveness can be
defined as the efficiency with which an
organization is able to meet its objectives
 This means an organization that produces
a desired effect or an organization that is
productive without waste
 According to Hannan and Freeman,”
Organizational effectiveness is the degree
of congruence (অভিন্নতা) between
organizational goals and observable
outcome”
 Organizational Effectiveness
 A moderate amount of
substantive conflict is
necessary
 Affective conflict Encouraged Enhanced
should be minimized double-loop Organizational
 Organizational learning Effectiveness
participants should
learn to use the five
styles of handling
conflict to deal with
different conflict
situations
Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness

Goal Attainment Approach

System Resource Approach
Internal Process Approach
Strategic Constituencies Approach
 Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
Goal Attainment Approach
 The most common assessment model
 Effectiveness is the ability to excel at one or more goals
 States that an organization’s effectiveness must be appraised in terms of the
accomplishments of its end goals
 Based on the identification of goals and the achievement of those goals
 Goals must be
 Clearly identifiable
 Measurable
 Time bound
Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
Limitations of Goal Attainment Approach
 Setting too many goals at the same time can cause failure
 Failure of participants to agree on a goal to ensure commitment
 Setting goals that are not measurable or realistic
 Unwilling to raise or lower goals as needed from time to time
 Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
System Resource Approach
 Effectiveness is the ability to acquire scarce and valued resources
from the environment
 End goals are not ignored but are considered to be an element in a
complex set of criteria
 Emphasizes criteria that will increase long term survival of the
organization
 Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
Limitations of System Resource Approach
 The acquisition of resources is dependent on what the
organization is trying to achieve
 This approach focuses more on procurement of resources than the
achievement of goals
 If ends are achieved, then means are not important
 Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
Internal Process Approach
 Effectiveness is the ability to excel at internal efficiency and employee
satisfaction
 Internal process approach focuses on internal affairs of the organization such
as
 interpersonal relationships
 commitment
 trust
 work involvement
 flow of information in all directions
 Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
Limitations of Internal Process Approach
 Neglects the external relationships
 No valid evidence that an organization will be ineffective if it has less than
satisfactory internal process relationship
 The existence of conflict may create inefficiency in internal processes, but
conflict may be essential for innovation and change, that is, conflict may help
an organization in its long-term survival and adaptability
 Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
Strategic Constituents Approach
 Effectiveness is the ability to satisfy multiple strategic constituents
both in and outside the organization
 An effective organization is one that satisfies the demand of those
constituents in its environment from whom it requires support for
its continuous existence, such as owners, employees, customers,
suppliers and government officials
 It seeks to appraise only those in the environment who can
threaten the organization’s survival
 Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
Limitations of Strategic Constituents Approach
 Strategic constituents often have conflicting needs
 An organization may still be effective even if it does not satisfy the
needs of all its constituents
 It is difficult to identify the expectations that the strategic
constituents hold for the organization which it needs to satisfy
 Approaches to Organizational
Effectiveness
Appropriateness of the Approaches

Goal Attainment Goals are clear, consensual, time-bound, measurable

System Resource A clear connection exists between inputs and performance

Internal Process A clear connection exists between organizational processes

and performance
Strategic Constituencies have powerful influence on the organization,
Constituencies and it has to respond to demands
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
In the old paradigm (ধারণা) of conflict management
 it was not recognized that double-loop learning was inhibited (বাধা প্রদান করা)
by defensive reasoning of organizational members
 it was not recognized that organizational defensive routines were significant
factors that limit an organization’s capacity to respond to the environment
 the culture that encourages members to engage in a real problem-solving
process was neglected
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
Individual Defensive Reasoning
 Double-loop learning is inhibited (বাধা গ্রস্থ) by defensive reasoning
(আত্মরক্ষামূলক যুক্তি) of organizational members
 This type of reasoning takes place when members fail to take responsibility
for their decisions and attempt to protect themselves against the complaints
of errors of judgment, incompetence (অযোগ্যতা), or procrastination (অলসতা)
by blaming others
 This psychological reaction has something to do with the mental models that
humans develop early in life for dealing with embarrassing (বিব্রতকর) or
threatening (আশঙ্কাজনক) situations
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
Individual Defensive Reasoning
 As a result of this, organizational members become committed (নিবেদিত) to a
pattern of behaviour
 In a desire to avoid embarrassment and threat, few if any challenges (আপত্তি)
are made to the wisdom (বিজ্ঞতা) and viability (কার্যকরতা) of these behaviours
 They persist even when rapid and fundamental shifts in the competitive
environment render these patterns of behaviour obsolete (অচল) and
destructive (ধ্বংসাত্মক) to the well-being of the organization
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
Organizational Defensive Routines
 Organizational defensive routines consist of procedures, policies, practices,
and actions that prevent employees from having to experience
embarrassment or threat
 Also these routines prevent them from examining the nature and causes of
that embarrassment or threat
 Organizational defensive routines make it highly likely that individuals, groups,
intergroups, and organizations will not detect and correct errors that are
embarrassing and threatening because the fundamental rules are
 bypass the errors and act as if they were not being done
 make the bypass undiscussable
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
Problem Solving
 Effective conflict management involves problem solving and learning
 Unfortunately, traditional conflict resolution strategies are unable to use the
problem-solving process effectively
 Existing conflict management strategies have neglected to recognize and
overcome the problems of defensive reactions of employees and
organizational defensive routines
 As a result, organizations do not have the culture that encourages members
to engage in a real problem-solving process
 Creative problem solving involves three stages: problem recognition, planning
for change and implementation
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
1. Problem recognition involves:
A. Problem sensing
B. Problem formulation
2. Planning for change involves:
C. Recommending solutions
to problems
D. Preparing plans for
intervention
3. Implementation involves:
E. Putting plans into action
F. Review of outcomes

Problem-Solving Process
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
Problem Solving
 The first phase of problem solving is problem recognition, which involves
confronting risky problems
 Even if some organizational members overcome their defensive reactions,
organizational defensive routines will not allow them to formulate the real
problems
 Organizational members who create “dissent” become the bad “guys.”
 In contemporary organizations, problem formulation (প্রণয়ন) in the problem
recognition phase is often distorted
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
Problem Solving
 As a result, old policies, procedures, and practices continue to be followed,
although they may have been rendered ineffective due to changes in the
external environment
 This typically results in Type III error, which has been defined “as the
probability of having solved the wrong problem when one should have
solved the right problem”
 In poor organizations good plans for intervention may not be put into action
for a variety of reasons
 This results in Type IV error: the probability of not implementing a solution
properly
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm
Guidelines for avoiding Type III Error
1. Select the Right Stakeholders - To avoid E3, managers need stakeholders
who challenge their views
2. Expand Your Options - To avoid E3, managers should look at problems
from more than one perspective: scientific/technical,
interpersonal/social, etc.
3. Phrase Problems Correctly - Phrasing a problem incorrectly may lead to
E3. The effectiveness of the formulation of a problem depends to a great
extent on the language that one uses
Characteristics of the Old Paradigm

Guidelines for avoiding Type III Error

4. Extend the Boundaries of Problems - Managers should enlarge the
boundary or scope of a problem so that it is inclusive enough. In other
words, “never draw the boundaries of an important problem too
narrowly; broaden the scope of every important problem up to and just
beyond your comfort zone”
5. Think Systemically - Managers should not focus on a part of the problem
or ignore connection between parts
Characteristics of the New Paradigm
 Effective conflict management in the new paradigm involves changes at the
macrolevel in the organization so that
 substantive conflict is encouraged
 affective conflict is minimized at the individual, group, and intergroup levels
 organizational members learn to handle conflict correctly
 To make conflict management effective, organizations have to overcome the
problems of
 defensive reactions of organizational members
 organizational defensive routines
 Type III and Type IV errors
 There must be changes in leadership, culture, and design in an organization
Sample Questions
1.* Differentiate between single loop and double loop learning
2. Describe the four approaches to organizational effectiveness with their
limitations
3. Describe the characteristics of the old paradigm of conflict management
Q &A