UNIT 8 - Conflict Management Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is Conflict?
Conflict involves disagreement and opposition between at least two parties (e.g., individuals, teams, departments).
It occurs when the interests of one party are oppositional to those of another party.
Opposing interests can stem from:
- Tangible (‘visible’) causes: such as resources, information, or positions.
- Intangible (less ‘visible’) causes: such as opinions, beliefs, or personality.
Conflict Formal Definition
“A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about.”
The conflict process consists of five stages:
- Stage 1: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility
- The pre-conflict stage—conflict hasn’t yet emerged but may arise.
- Antecedents of conflict (factors that may trigger it):
- Competition over scarce resources
- Perceived injustice
- Unclear roles and task responsibilities
- Unclear leadership
- Communication problems
Incompatible goals and job structures
- Biased perceptions
- Personal incompatibilities
These factors can—but do not necessarily—lead to conflict.
- Stage 2: Perceived Conflict
- When one party becomes aware of a possible conflict.
- Conflict exists once it is perceived or felt.
- Stage 3: Conflict Handling
- People must choose how to deal with the conflict (Conflict handling styles next page).
Stage 4: Conflict Handling Intentions and Behavior
- The stage where the parties take steps to either deal with the conflict OR
- Amplify the conflict → this has consequences
Stage 5: Outcomes
Conflict resolution leads to:
-Increased performance if it is
resolved and handled constructively.
- Decreased performance if it is amplified or handled poorly.
Task Conflict
- Conflict over work content.
- Involves disagreements about the task to be done or the best solution to a problem.
Example: Disagreeing over which marketing strategy to implement.
Process Conflict
- Conflict over work styles.
- Involves disagreements about the best way to work on a task or solve a problem.
Example: Disagreeing over how to divide tasks within a team.
Relationship Conflict
- Conflict involving interpersonal relationships.
- Focuses on personal aspects unrelated to the task or process.
Example: Conflicts due to personality clashes, personal values, or communication styles.
Conflict can be handled using different styles depending on two dimensions:
- Assertiveness: The degree to which one party attempts to satisfy their own concerns.
- Cooperativeness: The degree to which one party attempts to satisfy the concerns of the other party.
Five Conflict Handling Styles
- Avoidance
- Unassertive and uncooperative.
- Avoiding the conflict altogether; withdrawing or suppressing it.
- No resolution; conflict is left unaddressed.
Example: Staying silent to avoid confrontation. - Competition
- Assertive and uncooperative.
- A “win/lose” approach where one party seeks to win at the expense of the other.
- Appropriate when quick, decisive action is needed or when important issues are at stake. - Accommodation
- Unassertive and cooperative.
- A “giving in” approach where one party yields to the other’s needs.
- Useful for maintaining harmony or when the issue is more important to the other party. - Compromise
- Moderately assertive and moderately cooperative.
- A “win-some/lose-some” approach.
- Each party gives up something to reach a mutually acceptable solution.
- Important: Compromise does not mean accepting unethical behavior. - Collaboration
- Assertive and cooperative.
- A “win/win” approach where both parties work together to find a solution that satisfies both.
- Involves rethinking positions to go beyond and develop a new outcome.
When to Use Each Conflict Handling Style
- Avoidance: When emotions are high and time is needed to cool down, or if the issue is trivial.
- Competition: When urgent action is needed or to protect against exploitation.
- Accommodation: When relationship is more important than the issue → to build goodwill.
- Compromise: When time is limited or as a temporary solution.
- Collaboration: When the issue is too important to compromise and both perspectives are valuable.
Is Conflict Always Problematic?
Conflict is not always negative. It can be constructive (functional) or destructive (dysfunctional).
Functional Conflict (Healthy Conflict)
- A constructive form of conflict that improves individual or team performance.
- Often arises from low to moderate task conflict and low process conflict.
- Keeps focus on objective facts and task-related discussions.
- Helps teams consider multiple alternatives, define goals, and enhance learning.
Dysfunctional Conflict (Unhealthy Conflict)
- A destructive form of conflict that hinders performance.
- Often associated with relationship conflict or high levels of process conflict.
- Leads to personal tension, loss of focus, and lower collaboration.
Strategies to Keep Conflict Functional (Eisenhardt et al., 1997)
- Focus on objective facts.
- Consider multiple alternative solutions.
- Create and work toward common goals.
- Use humor during decision-making.
- Use a balanced power structure within the team.
- Make decisions without forcing consensus.
- Define decisions as a collaborative effort for the good of the company.
- Establish a sense of fairness and equity in the team.
- Keep focus on the task, instead of personal aspects — helps avoid relationship conflict.
Managing Dysfunctional Conflict Constructively
- Facilitate Communication
- The team leader plays a key role.
- Helps conflicting parties communicate openly and honestly.
Ensures that:
- Each party provides their perspective.
- Each party listens to the opposing party. - Manage Emotions (If Needed)
- Especially important in cases involving anger.
- Help parties cool down before further discussion. - Facilitate Decision-Making Processes & Negotiation
- The team leader guides the conflicting parties through:
- Problem definition.
- Discussion of alternative solutions.
- Negotiation toward a mutually beneficial solution.
Distributive Bargaining
- A zero-sum negotiation strategy.
- The goal is to divide a fixed set of resources — “dividing up the pie”.
- Each party pursues their own outcomes, trying to get as much as possible.
- Defined as a win-lose situation.
- Often increases conflict and damages relationships.
- Particularly applicable when the conflict is rooted in tangible causes (e.g., money, time, tasks).
Integrative Bargaining
- A collaborative negotiation strategy.
- The goal is to increase the size of the pie before dividing it.
-Parties pursue joint outcomes and work on creative solutions that benefit both sides.
- Defined as a win-win situation.
-Typically preferable in organizational settings because it strengthens collaboration and maintains relationships.
When conflicts cannot be resolved by the involved parties, external help may be required.
- Mediation
A neutral third party is brought in to help the conflicting parties reach an agreement.
Especially relevant when communication is hindered or limited.
The mediator:
- Works with both parties individually and together.
- Maintains open communication.
- Helps clarify issues and find mutually acceptable solutions.
- Supports the team leader or facilitates the agreement directly.
- Arbitration
A third party is brought in with authority to impose a decision.
The parties in conflict must adhere to the decision made by the arbitrator.
Used when voluntary agreement is unlikely or time is critical.
