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Conflict Lecture-14 1 Organizational Behaviour

2 Conflict Defined  Psychological and behavioral reaction to a perception that another person is –Keeping you from reaching a goal –Taking away your right to behave in a certain way –Violating the expectancies of a relationship. – Key goal to conflict is Perception and / or misperception.  Types of Conflict –Functional –Dysfunctional

3 Consequences of Dysfunctional Conflict  Decreased productivity  Low morale  Absenteeism  Stress  Turnover  Law suits  Violence

4 Causes of Conflict  Task interdependence  Competition for resources  Jurisdictional ambiguity: When geographical boundaries lines of authority are unclear.  Communication barriers –Physical –Cultural –Psychological  Personality

5 Types of Difficult People TypeNeedDescription TankControlPushes, yells, intimidates SniperControlUses sarcasm, criticizes Know-it-allControlDominates conversations WhinerPerfectionConstantly complains No personPerfectionDisagrees with everything Nothing personPerfectionDoesn’t do anything Yes personApprovalAgrees to everything Maybe personApprovalWon’t commit or make a decision GrenadeAttentionThrows tantrums/anger Friendly sniperAttentionUses jokes to pick on others Think-they-know-it-allAttentionExaggerates, lies

6 Who has worked with a difficult person? And how handled that person?

7 Dealing with Difficult People  Direct Intervention –address behavior –explain impact of behavior on others  Indirect Intervention –positive feedback when appropriate behavior is used  Direct Coping –separate difficult employee from others  Indirect Coping –provide training to others on dealing with difficult personality

8 Conflict Styles  Avoiding style –Withdrawal –Triangling  Accommodating style  Forcing style : Win-lose fashion, and does what it takes to win.  Collaborating style: Wants to win but also wants others to win. That is win-win situation.  Compromising style : Give and take tactics

9 Conflict Response Styles The Sage  Problem-solver  Win/Win orientation  Cooperative problem solving  Emphasis on preserving relationship and meeting own goals as well as that of others

10 The Diplomat  Goal-oriented  Compromising orientation - provide evidence - persuasion  Emphases on - relationship and each other’s goals

11 The Ostrich  Avoidance  Withdrawal orientation - quit - complain to others  Over-emphasis is on preserving relationship

12 The Philanthropist  Accommodating - smoothing and conciliation  High concern for satisfying needs of others

13 The Warrior  Win/Lose orientation - winning at all costs  Potential problem creator  Focus on own goals

Transitions in Conflict Thought  Traditional View of Conflict –The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided –Prevalent view in the 1930s-1940s  Conflict resulted from: –Poor communication –Lack of openness –Failure to respond to employee needs 15-14

Transitions in Conflict Thought  Human Relations View of Conflict –The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group –Prevalent from the late 1940s through mid-1970s  Interactionist View of Conflict –The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively 15-15

Forms of Interactionist Conflict Functional Conflict Conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its performance Dysfunctional Conflict Conflict that hinders group performance 15-16

Types of Interactionist Conflict  Task Conflict –Conflicts over content and goals of the work –Low-to-moderate levels of this type are FUNCTIONAL  Relationship Conflict –Conflict based on interpersonal relationships –Almost always DYSFUNCTIONAL  Process Conflict –Conflict over how work gets done –Low levels of this type are FUNCTIONAL 15-17

The Conflict Process  We will focus on each step in a moment… 15-18

Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility  Communication –Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and “noise”  Structure –Size and specialization of jobs –Jurisdictional clarity/ambiguity –Member/goal incompatibility –Leadership styles (close or participative) –Reward systems (win-lose) –Dependence/interdependence of groups  Personal Variables –Differing individual value systems –Personality types 15-19

Stage II: Cognition and Personalization  Important stage for two reasons: 1.Conflict is defined Perceived Conflict –Awareness by one or more parties of the existence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise 2.Emotions are expressed that have a strong impact on the eventual outcome Felt Conflict –Emotional involvement in a conflict creating anxiety, tenseness, frustration, or hostility 15-20

Stage III: Intentions  Intentions –Decisions to act in a given way –Note: behavior does not always accurate reflect intent  Dimensions of conflict-handling intentions: –Cooperativeness Attempting to satisfy the other party’s concerns –Assertiveness Attempting to satisfy one’s own concerns 15-21

Stage IV: Behavior  Conflict Management –The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict  Conflict-Intensity Continuum Source: Based on S.P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 93– 97; and F. Glasi, “The Process of Conflict Escalation and the Roles of Third Parties,” in G.B.J. Bomers and R. Peterson (eds.), Conflict Management and Industrial Relations (Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff, 1982), pp. 119–40.

Conflict Resolution Techniques –Problem solving –Superordinate goals –Expansion of resources –Avoidance –Smoothing –Compromise –Authoritative command –Altering the human variable –Altering the structural variables –Communication –Bringing in outsiders –Restructuring the organization –Appointing a devil’s advocate Source: Based on S. P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 59–89

Stage V: Outcomes  Functional –Increased group performance –Improved quality of decisions –Stimulation of creativity and innovation –Encouragement of interest and curiosity –Provision of a medium for problem-solving –Creation of an environment for self- evaluation and change  Dysfunctional –Development of discontent –Reduced group effectiveness –Retarded communication –Reduced group cohesiveness –Infighting among group members overcomes group goals  Creating Functional Conflict –Reward dissent and punish conflict avoiders 15-24

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