Post on 02-Jan-2016
EASING CONFLICT AT WORK
NameCollege
Sources of conflict
• It is important to identify and understand the
sources of conflict at the job
– Interpersonal
– Organizational
– Conflict related to change
– Outside factors
How conflict originates
• Officials have identified three sources
– Economic (money)
– Value
– Power
• Most conflict is a mix of these types
• Better understanding may help with improved resolution
Resource conflict
• Many firms have limited resources to allocate among
groups
• These teams may fight with each other for who among
them is most deserving of funds
• Collaborative approaches are ideal for helping to resolve
conflict
Organizational conflict
• Teams may compete with each other in an organization
• Much of the source may have to do with ineffective communication
• All members should be made to feel important to the goals of the firm
• Each individual should be valued in the organization
How to solve intergroup conflicts
• Intergroup conflicts
– May occur within racial or ethnic groups on any team
– These groups may pit themselves against one another for valuable recognition
and resources
• Many organizations have developed ways to manage these issues
• Poor communication among groups may be at the heart of all the strife in
the workplace
Solving intergroup conflict, cont.
• Different methods of conflict resolution have been identified
– Win-lose approach
– Lose-lose approach
• Both of these above are destructive to a company and its employees
– Win-win approach
• Clearly superior
• Selecting the nest option will take excellent communication and positive
patience to reach a resolution
References• Blake, R.R., Shepard, H.A., & Mouton, J. S. (1964) Managing intergroup conflict in
industry. Houston, Texas: Gulf, 1964.• Cormick, G., Dale, N., Emond, P., Sigurdson, S.G. & Stuart, B.D. (1996) Building
consensus for asustainable future: Putting principles into practice. Ottawa: National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, 1996.
• Deutsch, M. and Coleman, P. (eds.). (2000) The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
• Fink, C.F. (1968) Some conceptual difficulties in the theory of social conflict. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 1968, 12(4), 412-460.
• Fisher, R.J. (1990) The social psychology of intergroup and international conflict resolution. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1990.
• Katz, D. (1965) Nationalism and strategies of international conflict resolution. In H.C. Kelman (ed.), International behavior: A social psychological analysis. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1965, pp. 356-390.
• Mack, R.W. & Snyder, R.C. (1957) The analysis of social conflict – Toward an overview and synthesis. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 1957, 1, 212-248.