Chapter 9 Flashcards
(66 cards)
What is conflict?
a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected or is about to affect something that the first party cares about
Functional Conflict
-support the goals of the group, improve performance, they are constructive
Dysfunctional Conflict
- hinder group performance, destructive
What is the difference between dysfunctional and functional conflict?
group performance (can the group function and achieve)
Types of Conflict
- Task Conflict
- Relationship conflict
- Process conflict
Task Conflict
conflict over content and goals of the work
- believed to be associated with top performers (now considered unrelated)
relationship conflict
conflict based on interpersonal relationships
- almost always dysfunctional
- most emotionally exhausting
process conflict
conflict over how work gets done
- likely related to shirking, leads to members feeling marginalized
- become highly personalized and dissolve into relationship
- arguing about how to do something takes away from actually doing it
Relationship between conflict and performance
- Top Management
- top management conflict resulted in better performance, whereas at lower levels it was counter productive - Strength of Conflict
- if conflict is low, people are not engaged
- if too high, infighting will degenerate into personal - Personalities of Team Members
- high in openness and emotional stability can use conflict to improve group performance
dyadic conflict
conflict that occurs between two people
intragroup conflict
conflict that occurs within a group or team
intergroup conflict
conflict between two different groups or teams
Sources of Conflict
- Communication
- Structure
- Personal Variables
Communication (source of conflict)
- misunderstandings, noise in communication channels, semantic difficulties
Structure (source of conflict)
- consequence of the requirements of the job
Structural Variables
- Size, specialization and composition
- Ambiguity
- Reward Systems
- Leadership Style
- Diversity of Goals
- Group Interdependence
- Size, specialization and composition
- larger group = more specialization = increase conflict likelihood
- conflict increases when group members are younger and turnover is high
- Ambiguity
- ambiguity in defining exactly where the responsibility for actions lies creates more conflict
- fight for resources, control, territory
- Reward Systems
- create conflict when one member gains at another’s expense
- or when evaluations are not fair
- when managers and employees have different ideas about job responsibility
- Leadership Style
- tight control and oversee can create conflict
- employees want discretion in how they carry out tasks
- Diversity of Goals
- when groups seek diverse ends opportunity for conflict increase
- Group Interdependence
- could allow one group to gain at another’s expense etc.
Personal Variables (source of conflict)
- personality, values, emotions
- individuals who rank high in disagreeableness, neuroticism or self-monitoring are prone to tangle with others
How long do managers spend managing conflict?
20% of their time