1. Conflict in the Organization
Chapter 9
(pp )

2. Overview Communication & Conflict Defining Conflict Origins
Consequences
Factors Influencing Conflict
Conflict Styles
Disputes and Negotiation
Conflict Management & Resolution Skills

3. Communication & Conflict
Mild “tensions” vs. Incapacitation
Understanding conflict is critical to communication success
Communication constitutes the essence of conflict in that it undergirds the formation of opposing issues, frames perceptions of the felt conflict, translates emotions and perceptions into conflict behaviors, and sets the stage for future conflicts (Putnam & Poole, 1987)

4. Conflict Defined
Two or more interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from others in achieving that goal (Hocker & Wilmot, 1995)
Competition between interdependent parties who perceive that they have incompatible needs, goals, desires, or ideas (Van Slyke, 1999)
The interaction of interdependent people who perceive opposition of goals, aims, and values, and who see the other party as potentially interfering with the realization of these goals (Putnam & Poole, 1987)

5. Conflict Defined Interdependence Perceived Incompatible Goals
Scarce Resources
Interference
Social Interaction
Central to Conflict
How conflict is identified and framed

6. Origins of Conflict
Four Events that precipitate interpersonal conflict
REBUFFS
Failure to respond to appeal for desired action
ILLEGITIMATE DEMANDS
Unjust or extreme request
CRITICISMS
Unfavorable or demeaning verbal or nonverbal act
CUMULATIVE ANNOYANCES
Repetition of instances that crosses tolerance threshold
Five Factors that favor the development of conflict
Frequency of Occurrence
Goal Mutuality
Goal-Path Uncertainty
Attribution of Cause
Negative Feelings

7. Consequences of Conflict
Negative Consequences
Less Effective
Suboptimal Productivity
Inhibited Cognitive Functioning
Positive Consequences
Identify and Better Understand Issues
Clarify Issues
Creative Solutions

8. Factors Influencing Conflict
Content Related vs. Personal
Size of Conflict
Rigidity of the Issue
Power Differences
Individual Personalities, Traits, and Dispositions

9. Conflict Styles Strategy Effectiveness Adapt to the Situation
Be Fair and Objective
Appropriate and Effective Communication
Mutual Awareness
Open-minded Attitudes
Willingness to Ignore Power Issues
Problem-Solving Procedures

10. Characterizing Conflict Styles
5 Basic Conflict Styles
Withdrawing (Avoiding)
Smoothing (Accomodating)
Forcing (Dominating; Competing)
Confronting (Collaborating, Problem Solving, Integrating)
Compromising
Ethical Climate Determines Effectiveness of Conflict Style
Formal Procedures / Rules
McKinney, Kelly, and Duran (1997)
CMMS scale Ross & DeWine (1988)
Concern for other, self, and issue
Nicotera (1994)

11. Conflict Styles Research
McKinney, Kelly, and Duran (1997)
Concern for other and issue positively related to social confirmation
Concern for other and issue positively related with social experience
Concern for self negatively related to social composure
Nicotera (1994)
AVOID - evasive vs. estranged
ACCOMMODATE - accommodate vs. patronize
COMPETE - assertive vs. aggressive
COLLOBORATE - consolidate vs. begrudge
COMPROMISE - ?
Flexibility is influenced by liking, loyalty, and personality factors (aggressiveness, tolerance, and innovativeness)

12. Conflict Styles Research
Superior’s Conflict Styles and Rewards for Subordinates
System Rewards (salary, benefits, promotions)
Performance Rewards (responsibility, decision making input, meaningful/challenging work)
Interpersonal Rewards (recognition, friendship, status, appreciation, feeling of belonging)
Results
Collaboration and Forcing styles predict Interpersonal and Performance Rewards
No relationships identified . . .
between accommodation and perceived rewards
between manager conflict styles and system rewards

13. Conflict Styles Research
Diversity and Gender
Workplace diversity and orientations toward conflict can heighten the frequency and intensity of conflict situations
Lack of understanding of cultural differences can result in conflict
Personality has a greater impact on conflict style than biological sex

14. Disputes and Negotiation
Bargaining as Compromise
Participants negotiate mutually shared rules and then cooperate within these rules to gain a competitive advantage over opponent
Bargaining and Negotiation are interchangeable
Organizational Responses (Disputing Process Instrument (DPI) Morrill & Thomas, 1992)
Aggressiveness - expense of others
Authoritativeness - resources of social position
Observability visible to social audience
Seven Conflict Behaviors (DPI)

15. The Negotiation Process
The goal of negotiation is no longer exclusively getting an effective settlement
Redefinition of the problem
Perceptual change in the elements of the problem
New appreciation of the socio/historical context of the dispute
Communication-as-Negotiation
Transformational power that transcends notions of technical and instrumental rationality
Participants define the conflict and its environment
Rationality and Effectiveness (and Appropriateness) help define many aspects of organizational life

16. Conflict Management & Resolution Skills
First, understand the factors contributing to conflict
Next, we identify the methods for resolving conflict
Two Forms of Conflict Resolution
Distributive Conflict Resolution
Winning through the use of negative behaviors
Disagreement to prevent others from reaching their goals
Serves personal needs and goals at the expense of others
Conflict as WIN - lose
Integrative Conflict Resolution
Foster cooperation and shared solutions
Modifying ideas, bargaining for an acceptable compromise
Search for solutions and provide support for others
Cooperative and not mutually exclusive
Objective is to share values, highlight common objectives, and help achieve consensus
Transition from distributive to integrative conflict resolution occurs when the need to accomplish a common goal is recognized.

17. Conflict Management & Resolution Skills
Once individuals realize that it will be impossible to achieve the desired goal without resources and abilities beyond their own, the transition can take place.
INTEGRATIVE CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILL SET
Ability to establish effective working relationships
Must have cooperative and problem-solution attitudes
Must be able to manage the group process and group decision making be knowledgeable about the issues
Interpersonal Relationships are at the core of our ability to resolve conflict
Effective development of interpersonal relationships among co-workers can potentially decrease the severity of grievances filed
Metaphors to describe attitudes toward conflict
CONFLICT as WAR (great personal cost)
CONFLICT as IMPOTENCE (powerless to impact)
CONFLICT as RATIONAL PROCESS (collaboration)
Most frequent - conflict as impotence

18. Conflict Management & Resolution Skills
Having skills and knowledge of different approaches to conflict may help one overcome a sense of helplessness in conflict settings
Resolving conflicts depends on the perceptions of the negotiation
Misinformation can lead to negative perceptions
Organizational conflict can be one of the most frustrating and difficult aspects of working in an organization
Especially frustrating when people feel they have no control over the outcome
Be sensitive to your own style of interacting and managing conflict and pay attention to the styles of others
Conflict is expected and anticipated in the communicative organization (CO)
The only UNKNOWN is how parties respond to conflict

19. Strategies for Dealing with Conflict
Be Objective
Analyze and separate content and personal issues
Planning stage for strategic communication
Be Aware of Preferred Style of Conflict Resolution
Plan, Recognize, Contain, and Cope
Distinguish Symptoms from Causes
Symptoms let us know a conflict is present
Causes of conflict are issues underlying the symptoms
Identify Success of Methods already Implemented
Ignore problems
Persuasion
Compromise
Be Sensitive to Different Approaches and Views of Conflict based on Gender and Cultural Diversity

20. Summary Communication & Conflict Defining Conflict Origins
Consequences
Factors Influencing Conflict
Conflict Styles
Disputes and Negotiation
Conflict Management & Resolution Skills