Crisis And Conflict Management

Conflict in Organizations Lecture 18 –2–2

Learning Goals Define conflict and conflict behavior in organizations Distinguish between functional and dysfunctional conflict Understand different levels and types of conflict in organizations Analyze conflict episodes and the linkages among them –3–3

Learning Goals (Cont.) Understand the role of latent conflict in an episode and its sources in an organization Describe a conflict management model Use various techniques to reduce and increase conflict Appreciate some international and ethical issues in conflict management –4–4

lecture Overview Introduction Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict Levels and Types of Conflict in Organizations Conflict Episodes Conflict Frames and Orientations Latent Conflict: The Sources of Conflict in Organizations –5–5

lecture Overview (Cont.) Conflict Management Reducing Conflict Increasing Conflict International Aspects of Conflict in Organizations Ethical Issues in Conflict in Organizations –6–6

Introduction ConflictConflicto Conflit Conflito Conflict: What does the word mean to you? –7–7

Introduction (Cont.) Definition – Opposition – Incompatible behavior – Antagonistic interaction – Block another party from reaching her or his goals Range of conflict behavior Doubt or questioning Annihilation of opponent –8–8

Introduction (Cont.) Key elements – Interdependence with another party – Perception of incompatible goals Conflict events – Disagreements – Debates – Disputes – Preventing someone from reaching valued goals –9–9

Introduction (Cont.) Conflict is not always bad for an organization Do not need to reduce all conflict Conflict episodes: ebb and flow of conflict An inevitable part of organization life Needed for growth and survival Conflict management includes increasing and decreasing conflict Major management responsibility – 10

Introduction (Cont.) Toda unanimidade é burra. (“It’s dumb if we all agree.”) Brazilian Saying (Ditado popular, Portuguese) – 11

Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict Functional conflict: works toward the goals of an organization or group Dysfunctional conflict: blocks an organi- zation or group from reaching its goals – Dysfunctionally high conflict: what you typically think about conflict – Dysfunctionally low conflict: an atypical view – Levels vary among groups – 12

Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict (Cont.) Functional conflict – “Constructive Conflict”--Mary Parker Follett (1925) – Increases information and ideas – Encourages innovative thinking – Unshackles different points of view – Reduces stagnation – 13

Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict (Cont.) Dysfunctionally high conflict – Tension, anxiety, stress – Drives out low conflict tolerant people – Reduced trust – Poor decisions because of withheld or distorted information – Excessive management focus on the conflict – 14

Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict (Cont.) Dysfunctionally low conflict – Few new ideas – Poor decisions from lack of innovation and information – Stagnation – Business as usual – 15

Levels and Types of Conflict Individual Group Organization Type of conflict Level of conflict Within and between organizations Within and between groups Within and between individuals – 16

Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.) Intraorganization conflict – Conflict that occurs within an organization – At interfaces of organization functions – Can occur along the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the organization Vertical conflict: between managers and subordinates Horizontal conflict: between departments and work groups – 17

Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.) Intragroup conflict – Conflict among members of a group – Early stages of group development – Ways of doing tasks or reaching group's goals Intergroup conflict: between two or more groups – 18

Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.) Interpersonal conflict – Between two or more people – Differences in views about what should be done – Efforts to get more resources – Differences in orientation to work and time in different parts of an organization – 19

Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.) Intrapersonal conflict – Occurs within an individual Threat to a person’s values Feeling of unfair treatment Multiple and contradictory sources of socialization Related to the Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (Chapter 5) and negative inequity (Chapter 8) – 20

Levels and Types of Conflict (Cont.) Interorganization conflict – Between two or more organizations – Not competition – Examples: suppliers and distributors, especially with the close links now possible – 21

Conflict Episodes Latent conflict Conflict aftermath Manifest conflict Simple conflict episode – 22

Conflict Episodes (Cont.) Latent conflict: antecedents of conflict behavior that can start conflict episode Manifest conflict: observable conflict behavior Conflict aftermath – End of a conflict episode – Often the starting point of a related episode – Becomes the latent conflict for another episode Conflict reduction: lower the conflict level – 23

Conflict Episodes Latent conflict Conflict aftermath Manifest conflict Conflict reduction – 24

Conflict Episodes (Cont.) The antecedents of conflict Example: scarce resources Latent conflict Manifest conflict Conflict aftermath

Conflict Episodes (Cont.) Some latent conflict in the lives of college students – Parking spaces – Library copying machines – Computer laboratory – Books in the bookstore – School and other parts of your life – University policies – 26

Conflict Episodes (Cont.) Observable conflict behavior Example: disagreement, discussion Latent conflict Manifest conflict Conflict aftermath – 27

Conflict Episodes (Cont.) Manifest conflict Latent conflict Conflict aftermath Residue of a conflict episode Example: compromise in allocating scarce resources leaves both parties with less than they wanted – 28

Conflict Episodes Latent conflict Manifest conflict Conflict aftermath Perceived conflictFelt conflict Conflict reduction Text book Figure 11.1 – 29

Conflict Episodes (Cont.) Perceived conflict – Become aware that one is in conflict with another party – Can block out some conflict – Can perceive conflict when no latent conditions exist – Example: misunderstanding another person’s position on an issue – 30

Conflict Episodes (Cont.) Felt conflict – Emotional part of conflict – Personalizing the conflict – Oral and physical hostility – Hard to manage episodes with high felt conflict – What people likely recall about conflict – 31

Relationships Among Conflict Episodes Episodes link through the connection of conflict aftermath to latent conflict Effective conflict management: break the connection Discover the latent conflicts and remove them – 32

Relationships Among Conflict Episodes (Cont.) Latent conflictManifest conflictConflict aftermath Latent conflictManifest conflictConflict aftermath Latent conflictManifest conflictConflict aftermath Conflict reduction – 33

Summary Learning goals Functional & dysfunctional conflict Level and types Conflict Conflict Episodes – 34

Thank you – 35