Post on 03-Jun-2018
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
1/54
Conflict and Stress
Management
1
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
2/54
Conflict
Conflict is a process in which one party perceives that hisor her interests are being opposed or negatively affected
by another party. It may occur when one party obstructs
or plans to obstruct anothers goals in some way.
3
Is Conflict Good or Bad
It describes that point in any ongoing activity when an
interaction crosses over to become conflict. Conflict must
be perceived by the parties to it; if no one is aware of a
conflict, it is generally agreed that no conflict exists. Conflictalso involves opposition or incompatibility, and some form of
interaction between the parties.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
3/54
Conflict
4
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
4/54
Conflict
5
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
5/54
Conflict
6
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
6/54
Types of Conflict
7
Constructive and Relationship Conflict
Constructive conflict occurs when people focus their
discussion on the issue while showing respect for
people with other points of view. This conflict is calledconstructive because different positions are
encouraged so that ideas and recommendations can be
clarified, redesigned, and tested for logical soundness.
Teams and organizations with very low levels ofconstructive conflict are less effective, but there is also
likely an upper limit to the level of intensity of
constructive conflict.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
7/54
Types of Conflict
8
Constructive and Relationship Conflict
Relationship Conflictfocuses on people, rather than the
issues, as the source of conflict. The parties refer to
interpersonal incompatibilities such as personalityclashes rather than legitimate differences of opinion
regarding tasks or decisions. Each party tries to
undermine the othersargument by questioning her or
his competency.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
8/54
Types of Conflict
9
Constructive and Relationship Conflict
Relationship conflict is sometimes called socioemotional
or affective conflict because people experience and
react to strong emotional responses during such conflictepisodes.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
9/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
10
The six main conditions that cause conflict in
organizational settings are incompatible goals,
differentiation, interdependence, scarce resources,
ambiguous rules, and communication problems.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
10/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
11
The MSN group had developed desktop search software
that would compete against Google Desktop. However,MicrosoftsWindows group opposed release of the MSN
software because the Windows group had developed
similar software for its Vista operating system. The MSN
group also fought against the Office people over MSNs
desire to connect their online calendar with the calendar
in Office.
Incompatible Goals
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
11/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
12
The battles between the Microsoft MSN and Windows
work units illustrate how goal incompatibility in whichthe goals of one person or department seem to interfere
with another personsor departments goalscan be a
source of conflict in organizations.
Incompatible Goals
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
12/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
13
Differentiation can be distinguished from goal
incompatibility because two people or departments mayagree on a common goal but have profound differences
in how to achieve that goal. Consider the classic tension
between employees from two companies brought
together through a merger. Employees in eachorganization fight over the right way to do things
because of their unique experiences in the separate
companies.
Differentiation
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
13/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
14
Interdependence exists when team members must share
common inputs to their individual tasks, need to interactin the process of executing their work, or receive
outcomes (such as rewards) that are partly determined
by the performance of others. Higher interdependence
increases the risk of conflict because there is a greaterchance that each side will disrupt or interfere with the
other sidesgoals.
Interdependence
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
14/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
15
Resource scarcity generates conflict because each
person or unit requiring the same resource necessarilyundermines others who also need that resource to fulfill
their goals. The more resources one project receives, the
fewer resources another project will have available to
accomplish its goals.
Scarce Resources
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
15/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
16
Ambiguous rulesor the complete lack of rulesbreed
conflict. This occurs because uncertainty increases therisk that one party intends to interfere with the other
partysgoals. Ambiguity also encourages political tactics,
and, in some cases, employees enter a free-for-all battle
to win decisions in their favor. When clear rules exist, on
the other hand, employees know what to expect from
each other and have agreed to abide by those rules.
Ambiguous Rules
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
16/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
17
Conflict often occurs due to the lack of opportunity,
ability, or motivation to communicate effectively. First,when two parties lack the opportunity to communicate,
each tends to rely more on stereotypes to understand
the other party in the conflict. Second, some people lack
the necessary skills to communicate in a diplomatic,
non-confrontational manner.
Communication Problems
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
17/54
Sources of Conflict in
Organizations
18
When one party communicates his or her disagreement
arrogantly, opponents are more likely to heighten theirperception of the conflict. A third problem is that the
perception of conflict reduces the motivation to
communicate. Relationship conflict is uncomfortable, so
people avoid interacting with others in a conflictingrelationship.
Communication Problems
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
18/54
Functional vs.
Dysfunctional Conflict
19
Not all conflict is bad. Some conflicts support the goals of
the group and improve its performance; these are
functional, or constructive, forms of conflict. But there areconflicts that hinder group performance; these are
dysfunctional, or destructive, forms of conflict. The
criterion that differentiates functional from dysfunctional
conflict is group performance. If a group is unable to
achieve its goals because of conflict, then the conflict is
dysfunctional.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
19/54
Functional vs.
Dysfunctional Conflict
20
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
20/54
Functional vs.
Dysfunctional Conflict
21
At the lower part of the continuum, we have conflicts
characterized by subtle, indirect, and highly controlled
forms of tension. Conflict intensities escalate as they
move upward along the continuum, until they become
highly destructive. Strikes and lockouts, riots, and wars
clearly fall into this upper range. The upper ranges of thecontinuum are almost always dysfunctional.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
21/54
Resolution of Conflict
22
The number of styles identified by conflict experts has varied overthe years, but most common are variations of the five-category
model.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
22/54
Resolution of Conflict
23
Problem solving tries to find a mutually beneficial
solution to the disagreement. This is known as the win-
win orientation because people using this style believe
the resources at stake are expandable, rather than fixed,if the parties work together to find a creative solution.
Information sharing is an important feature of this style
because both parties collaborate to identify common
ground and potential solutions that satisfy everyoneinvolved.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
23/54
Resolution of Conflict
24
Forcing tries to win the conflict at the othersexpense.People who use this style typically have a win-lose
orientation they believe the parties are drawing from a
fixed pie, so the more one party receives, the less the
other party will receive.
Avoiding tries to smooth over or avoid conflict
situations altogether. It represents a low concern for both
self and the other party; in other words, avoiders try to
suppress thinking about the conflict. For example, some
employees will rearrange their work area or tasks to
minimize interaction with certain co-workers.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
24/54
Resolution of Conflict
25
Yieldinginvolves giving in completely to the other sideswishes, or at least cooperating, with little or no attention
to your own interests. This style involves making
unilateral concessions & unconditional promises, as well
as offering help with no expectation of reciprocal help.
Compromising involves looking for a position in which
you make concessions to some extent. It involvesmatching the other partys concessions, making
conditional promises or threats, and actively searching
for a middle ground.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
25/54
Organizational
Culture
26
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
26/54
Organizational Culture
27
Culture is the soul of the organizationthe beliefs and
values, and how they are manifested. Culture sets the
tone for how organizations operate and how individuals
within the organization interact. Culture provides stabilityto an organization and gives employees a clear
understanding of theway things are done around here.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
27/54
Organizational Culture
28
ICICI Bank, Indias second-largest bank exudes aperformance-oriented culture focused on growth. Its
organizational practices place a premium on training,
career development, goal setting, and pay for
performance, all with the intent of maximizing employeeachievement and customer service. The company relies
on GEs storied performance curve, in which a small
percentage of staff receive generous rewards while the
bottom 5 percent are cut from the payroll. Growth
happens only when there are differential rewards for
differential performers, explains ICICIs head of human
resources.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
28/54
Organizational Culture
29
The key features of culture are as follows:
Culture is shared by the members of the organization.
Culture helps members of the organization solve and
understand the things that the organization encounters,both internally and externally.
Because the assumptions, beliefs, and expectations that
make up culture have worked over time, members of theorganization believe they are valid. Therefore, they are
taught to people who join the organization.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
29/54
Organizational Culture
30
The key features of culture are as follows:
These assumptions, beliefs, and expectations strongly
influence how people perceive, think, feel, and behave
within the organization.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
30/54
Organizational Culture
31
Levels of CultureOrganizational culture has multiple levels. However, a
simmering volcano may better represent the layers of
culture: beliefs, values, assumptions bubble below the
surface, producing observable aspects of culture at thesurface.
Artifacts-Aspects of an organizations culture thatyou see, hear, and feel.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
31/54
Organizational Culture
32
Levels of Culture
Assumptions are the taken-for-granted notions ofhow something should be. When basic assumptionsare held by the entire group, members will have
difficulty conceiving of another way of doing things
Beliefs The understandings of how objects andideas relate to each other.
Values The stable, long-lastingbeliefs about whatis important.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
32/54
Organizational Culture
33
Characteristics of CultureInnovation and risk-taking. The degree to which
employees are encouraged to be innovative and take
risks.
Attention to detail.The degree to which employees areexpected to work with precision, analysis, and attention
to detail.
Outcome orientation. The degree to which
management focuses on results, or outcomes, rather
than on the techniques and processes used to achieve
these outcomes.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
33/54
Organizational Culture
34
People orientation.The degree to which management
decisions take into consideration the effect of outcomes
on people within the organization.
Team orientation.The degree to which work activitiesare organized around teams rather than individuals.
Aggressiveness. The degree to which people are
aggressive and competitive rather than easygoing and
supportive.
Stability.The degree to which organizational activities
emphasize maintaining the status quo in contrast to
growth.
Characteristics of Culture
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
34/54
Organizational Culture
35
Culture performs a number of functions within an
organization:
It has a boundary-defining role because it creates
distinction between one organization and others.
It conveys a sense of identity to organization members.
It helps create commitment to something larger than
an individualsself-interest.
Implication of Culture
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
35/54
Organizational Culture
36
It serves as a control mechanism that guides and
shapes the attitudes and behaviour of employees, and
helps them make sense of the organization.
It enhances stability; it is the social glue that helps hold
the organization together by providing appropriate
standards for what employees should say and do.
Implication of Culture
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
36/54
Organizational Culture
37
It serves as a control mechanism that guides and
shapes the attitudes and behaviour of employees, and
helps them make sense of the organization.
It enhances stability; it is the social glue that helps hold
the organization together by providing appropriate
standards for what employees should say and do.
Implication of Culture
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
37/54
Organizational Culture
38
A culture can be created in three ways. First, founders
hire and keep only employees who think and feel the
way they do. Second, they indoctrinate and socialize
these employees to their way of thinking and feeling.Finally, the founders behaviour acts as a role model,
encouraging employees to identify with the founders
and internalize those beliefs, values, and assumptions.
Implication of Culture
For example, Microsofts culture is largely a reflection of its
co-founder, chair, and chief software architect (and former
CEO), Bill Gates. Gates is personally aggressive, competitive,
and highly disciplined.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
38/54
Organizational Culture
39
Organizations can use several strategies when considering
how to merge the cultures of two organizations:
Assimilation.The entire new organization is determinedto take on the culture of one of the merging organizations.
This strategy works best when one of the organizations
has a relatively weak culture. However, if a culture is
simply imposed on an organization, it rarely works.
Strategies for Merging Cultures
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
39/54
Organizational Culture
40
Separation. The organizations remain separate, and
keep their individual cultures. This strategy works best
when the organizations have little overlap in theindustries in which they operate.
Strategies for Merging Cultures
Integration. A new culture is formed by merging parts of
each of the organizations. This strategy works best whenaspects of each organizations culture need to be
improved.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
40/54
Organizational Culture
41
Separation. The organizations remain separate, and
keep their individual cultures. This strategy works best
when the organizations have little overlap in theindustries in which they operate.
Strategies for Merging Cultures
Integration. A new culture is formed by merging parts of
each of the organizations. This strategy works best whenaspects of each organizations culture need to be
improved.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
41/54
Organizational Culture
42
One of the most well-documented findings from studies
of individual and organizational behaviour is that
organizations and their members resist change. In a sense,
this is positive. It provides a degree of stability and
predictability to behaviour. If there were no resistance,
organizational behaviour would take on characteristics of
chaotic randomness. Resistance to change can also be asource of functional conflict.
Resistance To Change
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
42/54
Organizational Culture
43
Resistance To Change Individual ResistanceIndividual sources of resistance to change reside in basic
human characteristics such as perceptions, personalities,
and needs.
Habit. To cope with lifes complexities, we rely on
habits or programmed responses. But when confronted
with change, this tendency to respond in our
accustomed ways becomes a source of resistance.Security.People with a high need for security are likely
to resist change because it threatens their feelings of
safety.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
43/54
Organizational Culture
44
Resistance To Change Individual Resistance
Economic factors. Changes in job tasks or established
work routines can arouse economic fears if people are
concerned that they will not be able to perform the newtasks or routines to their previous standards, especially
when pay is closely tied to productivity.
Fear of the unknown. Change substitutes ambiguity
and uncertainty for the known. This is also referred to asthe status quo bias, in which individuals assume that
their current state is better than whatever the changed
state might be.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
44/54
Organizational Culture
45
Resistance To Change Individual Resistance
Selective information processing. Individuals are guilty
of selectively processing information in order to keep
their perceptions intact. They hear what they want tohear, and they ignore information that challenges the
world they have created.
l l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
45/54
Organizational Culture
46
Resistance To ChangeIndividual Resistance
In addition to simple resistance to change, employees
often feel cynical about the change process, particularly if
they have been through several rounds of change, and
nothing appears (to them) to have changed. The major
elements contributing to the cynicism were as follows:
Cynicism
Feeling uninformed about what was happening
Lack of communication and respect from onesmanagerLack of communication and respect from ones union
representative
Lack of opportunity for meaningful participation in decision
making
i i l l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
46/54
Organizational Culture
47
Resistance To ChangeOrganizational Resistance
Organizations, by their very nature, are conservative.54
They actively resist change. You do not have to look far to
see evidence of this phenomenon. Government agencies
want to continue doing what they have been doing foryears, whether the need for their service changes or
remains the same. Organized religions are deeply
entrenched in their history.
i i l l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
47/54
Organizational Culture
48
Resistance To ChangeOrganizational Resistance
Six major sources of organizational resistance to change
have been identified:
Structural inertia. Organizations have built-in
mechanismssuch as their selection processes and
formal regulationsto produce stability. When an
organization is confronted with change, this structural
inertia acts as a counterbalance to sustain stability.
Group inertia. Even if individuals want to change their
behaviour, group norms may act as a constraint.
O i i l C l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
48/54
Organizational Culture
49
Resistance To ChangeOrganizational Resistance
Limited focus of change.Organizations are made up of a
number of interdependent subsystems. One cannot be
changed without affecting the others. So limited changesin subsystems tend to be nullified by the larger system.
Threat to established power relationships. Any
redistribution of decision-making authority can threaten
long-established power relationships within the
organization.
O i i l C l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
49/54
Organizational Culture
50
Resistance To Change Organizational Resistance
Threat to established resource allocations. Groups in
the organization that control sizable resources often see
change as a threat. They tend to be content with the way
things are.
O i i l C l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
50/54
Organizational Culture
51
Overcoming Resistance to ChangeEducation and communication. Resistance can be reduced
through communicating with employees to help them see the
logic of a change. Communication can be achieved through
one-on-one discussions, memos, group presentations, orreports.
Participation and involvement.It is difficult for individuals to
resist a change decision. Before making a change, those
opposed can be brought into the decision process. Assumingthat the participants have the expertise to make a meaningful
contribution, their involvement can reduce resistance, obtain
commitment, and increase the quality of the change decision.
O i i l C l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
51/54
Organizational Culture
52
Overcoming Resistance to ChangeFacilitation and support. Organizations undergoing change
can offer a range of supportive efforts to reduce resistance
such as employee counselling and therapy, new-skills training,
or a short paid leave of absence.
Negotiation and agreement.Another way for organizations to
deal with potential resistance to change is to exchange
something of value for less resistance. For instance, if the
resistance is centred in a few powerful individuals, a specific
reward package can be negotiated that will meet their
individual needs.
O i i l C l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
52/54
Organizational Culture
53
Overcoming Resistance to ChangeManipulation and co-optation.Manipulation refers to covert
influence attempts. Twisting and distorting facts to make them
appear more attractive, withholding undesirable information,and creating false rumors to get employees to accept a change
are all examples of manipulation. Co-optation, on the other
hand, is a form of both manipulation and participation. It seeks
to buyoffthe leaders of a resistance group by giving them a
key role in the change decision.
O i i l C l
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
53/54
Organizational Culture
54
Overcoming Resistance to ChangeExplicit and implicit coercion. Coercion is the application of
direct threats or force upon the resisters. If the corporate
management is determined to close a manufacturing plantshould employees not acquiesce to a pay cut, then coercion
would be the label attached to its change tactic. Other
examples of coercion are threats of transfer, loss of
promotions, negative performance evaluations, and poor
letters of recommendation.
8/12/2019 O B Unit 5 (1)
54/54