1. Conflict Management Chapter Ten
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Constructive Confrontation at Intel
Intel employees learn to fully evaluate ideas through “constructive confrontation.” The objective is to attack the problem, not the employee, but some critics claim the process is a license for some Intel staff to be bullies.

3. Conflict Defined
The process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party

4. Is Conflict Good or Bad?: Pre 1970s View
Historically, experts viewed conflict as dysfunctional
Undermined relations
Wasted human energy
Results in job dissatisfaction, turnover, stress, lower productivity, less information sharing
Level of conflict
Conflict outcomes
Bad
Good
Low
High

5. Is Conflict Good or Bad?: 1970s-1990s View
From 1970s to 1990s, experts believed there is an optimal level of conflict
Dysfunctional to have too little and too much conflict
Some conflict is good because:
better decisions
reexamine assumptions
Improves responsiveness to external environment
Increases cohesion within the team
Level of conflict
Conflict outcomes
Bad
Good
Low
High
Optimal conflict

6. Is Conflict Good or Bad?: Emerging View
Two types of conflict
Constructive (task) conflict
Conflict is aimed at issue, not parties
Produces benefits of conflict
Upper limit to any conflict, including constructive
Relationship (socioemotional) conflict
Aims conflict a the person (e.g. their competence), not the task or issue
Introduces perceptual biases
Distorts information processing

7. Is Conflict Good or Bad?: Emerging View
Lack of constructive conflict is bad, but some produces positive outcomes, up to a point
Relationship conflict is dysfunctional
Problem: difficult to separate constructive from relationship conflict
Drive to defend naturally activated when ideas are critiqued
Level of conflict
Conflict outcomes
Bad
Good
Low
High
Constructive conflict
Relationship conflict

8. Minimizing Relationship Conflict
Three conditions that minimize relationship conflict while engaging in constructive conflict
Emotional intelligence
Cohesive team
Supportive team norms

9. The Conflict Process Conflict Perceptions Emotions Manifest Conflict
Sources of
Conflict
Conflict
Outcomes
Conflict
Escalation Cycle

10. Structural Sources of Conflict
Incompatible
Goals
One party’s goals perceived to interfere with other’s goals
Differentiation
Different values/beliefs
Explains cross-cultural and generational conflict
Task Interdependence
Conflict increases with interdependence
Higher risk that parties interfere with each other
more

11. Sources of Conflict (con’t)
Scarce Resources
Motivates competition for the resource
Ambiguous Rules
Creates uncertainty, threatens goals
Without rules, people rely on politics
Communication Problems
Increases stereotyping
Reduces motivation to communicate
Escalates conflict when arrogant

12. Interpersonal Conflict Handling Styles
Conflict Management

13. Interpersonal Conflict Handling Styles
High
Forcing
Problem-solving
Assertiveness
Compromising
Avoiding
Yielding
Low
High
Cooperativeness

14. Problem Solving Conflict Handling at ThedaCare
To resolve conflict between nurses and pharmacists regarding prescription ordering, ThedaCare management formed a task force that devised a new system satisfactory to both parties. They resolved their conflict through problem solving.

15. Problem Solving Conflict Handling Contingencies
Problem solving conflict handling is best when…
Interests are not perfectly opposing
Parties have trust/openness
Issues are complex

16. Other Conflict Handling Style Contingencies
Avoiding is best when…
relationship conflict is high
Conflict resolution cost is higher than its benefits
Forcing is best when…
You have a deep conviction about your position
Quick resolution required
Other party would take advantage of cooperation

17. Other Conflict Handling Style Contingencies (con’t)
Yielding is best when…
Other party has much more power
Issue is much less important to you than other party
Value/logic of your position is unsteady
Compromising is best when…
Parties have equal power
Quick solution is required
Parties lack trust/openness

18. Managing Conflict: Superordinate Goals
Emphasizing common objectives rather than conflicting sub-goals
Reduces goal incompatibility and differentiation

19. Structural Solutions for Managing Conflict
Conflict Management

20. Managing Conflict: Reducing Differentiation
Remove sources of different values and beliefs
Move employees around to different jobs, departments, and regions
Other ways to reduce differentiation:
Common dress code/status
Common work experiences

21. Managing Conflict: Communication/Understanding
Employees understand and appreciate each other’s views through communication
Relates to contact hypothesis
Two warnings:
Apply communication/understanding after reducing differentiation
A Western strategy that may conflict with values/traditions in other cultures

22. Other Ways to Manage Conflict
Reduce Task Interdependence
Dividing shared resources
Combine tasks
Use buffers
Increase Resources
Duplicate resources
Clarify Rules and Procedures
Clarify resource distribution
Change interdependence

23. Types of Third Party Intervention
High
Mediation
Inquisition
Level of
Process Control
Arbitration
Low
Level of Outcome Control
High

24. Choosing the Best 3rd Party Strategy
Managers prefer inquisitional strategy
Provides consistency and control
Problems: risk of poor decision and less perceived fairness
But best solution depends on situation, leader- follower relations, cultural values
Mediation potentially offers highest satisfaction with process and outcomes
Use arbitration when mediation fails

25. Conflict Management
Chapter Ten