13-1 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter 13 Conflict Management

13-3 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Types of Conflicts McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Functional  constructive  Dysfunctional  deconstructive continued

13-4 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Types of Conflicts continued McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Another way to classify conflict is by the participants:  Inner conflict—within an individual.  Person versus person conflict—involves two people who are at odds.  Intragroup conflict—occurs when two groups form and take sides.  Person versus group conflict—occurs most often when a member of a group breaks its rules.

13-5 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Sources of Conflict McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Context Values Negotiation-of-self Institutionalized Disagreements on items of content, or “rightness” of ideas Competition over resources or power within a company Difficulties with self-definition Disagreements on basic values and beliefs Address/revise organizational policies or structure Build positive and stable self-concept Tolerance value differences, listen, communicate Check another source to verify who is right Source Potential Solution

13-6 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Conflict Analysis McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Who is involved?  What is at stake?  How important is time?  What are the tie-ins with other issues?

13-7 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Potential Solutions McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Win-Lose Lose-Lose This strategy allows one side of a conflict to win at the expense of another. Win-Win In this strategy, everyone gives up something and the focus is on compromise. This solution sees both sides feeling they have come out on top.

13-8 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Styles of Conflict Management McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Everyone has his or her own style of managing conflicts, usually divided into five common approaches in the Thomas- Kilman Conflict Model:  Win-lose style  Problem-solving style  Compromising style  Avoidance style  Accommodating style continued

13-9 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Styles of Conflict Management continued McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Within these styles, there are different types of personalities: 1. Competitor 2. Avoider 3. Compromiser 4. Accommodator 5. Collaborator

13-10 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Dealing with Special Conflict Cases McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Other conflict issues are caused by the specific behaviors of those identified as problem people.

13-11 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Low Conformers McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  High conformers are usually easy to work with. They like to fit in, work well in teams, and are generally friendly toward policies and group norms.  Low conformers are just the opposite. They think independently, solve problems creatively, and often cause some conflict in the process.

13-12 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Ways to Work Productively with Low Conformers McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Learn to tolerate their honesty, straightforwardness, and lowered tact and diplomacy.  Accept their firm method of self- expression without labeling it stubbornness or disloyalty.  Support low conformers when others are overly critical. continued

13-13 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Ways to Work Productively with Low Conformers continued McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Accept their independence, and don’t be offended if they don’t ask for advice.  Resist the urge to force them to conform.  Give relevant positive reinforcement even when they don’t seem to need it.

13-14 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Envious People McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Envious coworkers cause conflict that can be damaging to morale and productivity and can spread through a department or division like a virus. continued

13-15 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Envious People continued McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Different approaches help deal with an envious person:  Avoid destructive conflict with the envious person.  Confront the envious coworker.  Avoid excessive contact with the envious person.  Discuss the problem with your manager.  Build up the envious person’s self-esteem.

13-16 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Whiners and Complainers McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The following steps can help you deal with this common source of conflict:  Listen, but not too much.  Do frequent reality checks.  Challenge the word unfair.  Be a team leader or player.

13-17 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Passive, Unresponsive People McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Passive, unresponsive people react to any confrontation or potential conflict by shutting down. continued

13-18 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Passive, Unresponsive People continued McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. You can take this positive steps to get meaningful feedback from this type of difficult person:  Ask open-ended questions.  Develop and use a friendly, silent gaze.  Don’t fill the space.  Make statements to help break the tension.  Set time limits. continued

13-19 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Strategy for Success 13.1: Negotiate Win-Win Solutions 1. Get emotion under control. 2. Agree on ground rules. 3. Clarify all positions. 4. Explore multiple needs and issues. 5. Develop alternatives. 6. Choose solutions that are win-win.

13-20 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Strategy for Success 13.2: Making Collaborations Work 1. Identify the problem. 2. Generate a solution. 3. Identify an action plan. 4. Put the action plan to work.

13-21 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Human Relations, 3/e © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Strategy for Success 13.3: Stop Conflicts Before They Start 1. Turn the people around you into winners. 2. Work together for common goals. 3. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

Chapter 13 End of Chapter 13