Dr. Roy Philip MHR Conflict and Change Management

Conflict Defined o “disagreement through which the parties involved perceive a threat to their needs, interests or concerns.”

Workplace Conflict Defined o “a condition between or among workers whose jobs are interdependent, who feel angry, who perceive the other(s) as being at fault, and who act in ways that cause a business problem.”

Workplace Conflict Structure o Interdependency o Number of interested parties o Constituent representation o Negotiator authority o Critical urgency o Communication channels

Mediation Techniques o Managerial mediation o Team mediation o Self-help mediation o Preventive mediation

Conflict Costs o Wasted time o Bad decisions o Lost employees o Unnecessary restructuring o Sabotage, theft, damage o Lowered job motivation o Lost work time o Health costs

Conflict Risks o Workplace violence o Unionization, labor strikes o Vandalism o Malicious whistle-blowing o Retaliatory lawsuits

Conflict Resolution o Power contests o Right contests o Interest reconciliation

Conflict Resolution Characteristics o Dialogue is essential o Dialogue must be protected o Dialogue must be given time o Dialogue must be facilitated by someone who performs the ‘primary tasks’ of the mediator

Steps in Managerial Mediation o Decide to mediate o Hold preliminary meetings o Plan the context o Hold a three-way meeting o Follow-up

Steps in Self-Mediation o Find a time to talk o Plan the context o Talk it out o Make a deal

Steps in Team Mediation o Define the issue o Define the parties o Get the parties to the table o Help the parties define their interests o Brainstorm options o Test options against interests and modify as necessary o Finalize an action plan o Ask for commitment

Conflict Issues o Substantive (Issues involving objective self-interests) o Emotional (Issues with underlying psychological needs) o Pseudo-substantive (Issues where emotional issues are disguised as substantive issues)

Conflict Myths o Mediation is solely a professional practice o Mediation must be performed by a third party o Mediation is a problem-solving process o Mediation must occur at a particular time and place

Conflict Reiterated o More than a mere disagreement o Participants respond on the basis of their perceptions to the situation o Conflicts contain substantial, procedural, and psychological dimensions o Conflicts are predictable and to be expected o Creative problem-solving strategies are essential

Conflict Styles o Competing o Avoiding o Accommodating o Compromising o Collaborating

Conflict Styles CompetingAvoidingAccommodatingCompromisingCollaborating Conflict Styles

CompetingCollaborating Compromising Accommodating Avoiding Uncooperative Cooperative COOPERATIVENESS Assertive ASSERTIVENESS Unassertive

Conflict Responses o Emotional o Cognitive o Physical

Conflict Perceptions o Culture, race, and ethnicity o Gender and sexuality o Knowledge (general and situational) o Impressions of the Messenger o Previous experiences

Group-Based Interventions – 8 Principles 1. If the group is to be used as a medium for change, those people who are to be changed and those who are to exert influence for change must have a strong sense of belonging to the same group. 2. The more attractive a group is to its members the greater the influence it will exert over its members. 3. A group has most influence over those matters that attract members to it. 4. The greater the prestige of the group member in the eyes of the other group members, the greater the influence that member can exert. 5. Efforts to change individual members or sub-parts of a group which, if successful, would have the effect of making them deviate from the norms of the group will encounter strong resistance.

Group-Based Interventions – 8 Principles 6. It is possible to create strong pressure for change in a group by establishing a shared perception of the need for change, thus making the source of pressure for change lie within the group. 7. Information relating to the need for change and the consequences of change (or no change) must be shared by all relevant members of the group. 8. Changes in one part of the group (or system) produce strain in other parts of the system that can be reduced only be eliminating the initial change or by bringing about readjustments in the related parts of the system.

Interventions based on Focal Issues o Human process issues o Techno-structural issues o Strategic issues o Human Resource issues

Interventions based on Focal Issues Human processes Strategy Technology (task methods & job design) and structures Human resources

Diagnosed Issues HUMAN PROCESS TECHNO-STRUCTURALHUMAN RESOURCE STRATEGIC Diagnosed issue

Level of Change Target INDIVIDUAL GROUP INTER-GROUP ORGANISATION Level Diagnosed issue TRANS-ORGANIZATION

Depth of Intervention DEEP Depth INDIVIDUAL GROUP INTER-GROUP ORGANISATION Level Diagnosed issue SHALLOW TRANS-ORGANIZATION Human process Techno- structural Human resource strategic