CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

WHAT IS CONFLICT?nA process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about.

nIt is any tension that is experienced when one perceives that ones needs or desires are or are likely to be thwarted or frustrated

nIt is the struggle between incompatible or aspiring needs, wishes, ideas, interests or people

CONFLICT COULD ARISEnDUE TO INCONGRUENCE IN

-Goals

-Values

-Having conflicting ideas and thoughts

-Incompatible feelings or emotions

-Acting in ways that are unacceptable to others

TRANSITIONS IN CONFLICT THOUGHTnTraditional View: The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided.

nHuman Relations View: The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group

nThe interactionist View: The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively.

FUNCTIONAL VS. DYSFUNCTIONAL CONFLICTnFunctional Conflict: Conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its performance.

nDysfunctional Conflict: Conflict that hinder group performance

TYPES OF CONFLICTnTask Conflict: Conflict over content and goals of work

nProcess conflict: conflict over how work gets done

nRelationship conflict: conflict based on interpersonal relationship

LEVELS OF ORGANISATIONAL CONFLICTnIntra-IndividualnInterpersonalnInter-groupnOrganisational

INTRA-INDIVIDUAL CONFLICTnConflict due to frustration

nGoal Conflict

nRole conflict

CONFLICT DUE TO FRUSTRATIONnArises when motivated drive is blocked

nDefence Mechanisms:

- Aggression - Withdrawal - Fixation - CompromiseGOAL CONFLICTnApproach - Approach

nApproach - Avoidance

nAvoidance - Avoidance

ROLE CONFLICTnRole A position that has expectations evolving from the established norms

nTypes of Role conflict

- Intra- sender conflict - Inter-sender Conflict - Person and the role - Intra-role Conflict - Role overload INTER-PERSONAL CONFLICTnVertical Conflict

nHorizontal conflict

SOURCES OF INTERPERSONAL CONFLICTnPersonal Difference

nInformation Deficiency

nRole Incompatibility

nEnvironmental Stress

ANTECEDENTS TO INTER-GROUP CONFLICTnCompetition for Resources

nTask Interdependence

nJurisdictional Ambiguity

nStatus Struggle

ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTnHierarchical Conflict: Outcome of hierarchical based incompatibility

nFunctional Conflict: Conflict between various functional department of the organization

nLine Staff Conflict: It often results from situations in which staff personnel do not possess authority over line personnel

nFormal informal conflict: Informal groups norms for performance may be incompatible with the formal organizations norm for performance

FIVE STAGES OF CONFLICT PROCESSnStage 1:Potential opposition or incompatibility

nStage 2: Cognition and personalization

nStage 3: Intentions

nStage 4: Behaviour

nStage 5: Outcomes

STAGE 1: POTENTIAL OPPOSITION OR INCOMPATIBILITYAntecedent Conditions:-Communication

-Structure

-Personal variables

STAGE 2: COGNITION AND PERSONALIZATIONnPerceived conflict

nFelt conflict

STAGE 3: INTENTIONSConflict Handling Styles- Competing -Collaborating

-Compromising

-Avoiding

-Accommodating

STAGE 4: BEHAVIOUR OVERT CONFLICTnPartys Behaviour

nOthers Reaction

CONFLICT-INTENSITY CONTINUUMSTAGE 5: OUTCOMESnIncreased group performance

nDecreased group performance

ANALYSIS OF INTERPERSONALCONFLICT: JOHARI WINDOWnArena or Public Self: This part of an Individuals behaviour known both to himself and to those with whom he interacts.

nBlind Area: Contains those aspects of the persons behaviour and style that others know but the person himself does not know about

nClosed Area: That which known to the person but not revealed to others

nDark Area: Inaccessible to both self and others

nThe Arena or Open Space is critical for personal effectiveness

nArena increases in proportion to the decrease in the blind and the closed area

OPENNESSnSelf- disclosure: Sharing with others what others do not seem to know about ones self

nFeedback: Being open to what others say on aspects which one may not be aware of

CAROLSQUE OPENNESSnOpenness without accompanying sensitivity to others in a situation

nCan result from insensitivity to the recipients of the communication

RECEIVING FEEDBACKnNegative Feedback creates dissonance with self-image, and may be threatening to the ego, leads to the defensive behaviour

nDefensive Behaviour does not serve the behaviour, may reduce anxiety, the conflict in the self is not resolved

OUTCOMES FOR INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTIONnLOSE-LOSE

nWIN LOSE

nWIN-WIN

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES

nAvoiding: Uncooperative and Unassertive. Associated with withdrawal, sidestepping the situation.

nCompeting: Uncooperative but Assertive. Identified with win-lose orientation.

nCollaboration: Cooperative and Assertive. Associated with problem solving attitude.

nAccommodation: Unassertive and highly cooperative.

nCompromise: Medium level of assertiveness and cooperativeness

APPROPRIATE SITUATIONS OF USING DIFFERENT STYLESnAVOIDING:

-Issue is trivial

-When more pressing matters are to be handled within a limited time frame

-When ones power is very low and there is no possibility of satisfying ones own concern

-When potential damage of confronting the situation outweighs the benefit

nCOMPETITION:

-When quick decision is vital

-On important issues, where unpopular actions need implementing

-On issues vital to the organisations welfare & when you know you are right

-Issues are important to the party or when an unfavourable decision by the other party may be harmful to the first parrty.

nCOLLABORATION

-To find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised

-When your objective is to learn

-When one party cannot solve the problem

-To merge insights from people with different perspective

nACCOMMODATION

-Where the individual realises that he or she is wrong

-The issue is much more important to the other person than the concerned individual

nCOMPROMISE

-When goals are important, but not so important as to risk potential disruptions by taking more assertive positions

-To settle complex issues as a short term remedy till a satisfactory and permanent solution to the problem can be found

-As a backup when collaboration or competition is unsuccessful

MANAGEMENTS APPROACHES TO INTERGROUP CONFLICT MANAGENMENT

nAvoidance: Attempts to keep away the conflict from surfacing.

nDefusion: Attempt is made to deactivate the conflict and cool off the emotion and hostilities. Playing down importance of conflict or establishing a super ordinate goal

nContainment: Some conflict is allowed to surface, but it is carefully contained by spelling out which issues are to be discussed and how they are to be resolved

nConfrontation: All issues are brought into the open, and the conflicting groups directly confront the issues and each other in an attempt to reach an mutually satisfactory solution

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT nConflict management does not imply avoidance , reduction or termination of conflict.

nIt involves designing effective strategies to minimise the dysfunction of conflict and enhancing the constructive functions

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIESnThe conflicts which have negative effects on individual and group performance may have to be reduced.

nMinimize affective conflict at various levels

nAttain and maintain moderate amount of substantive conflict

nSelect and use appropriate conflict management style

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIESnRole conflict can be resolved by clarifying demands

nIndividuals belonging to different departments can be rotated from time to time

nDependence of common resources by impersonal allocation of rules or giving control of ones own resources or introducing large buffer inventories

nCreate a linking position to facilitate communication between conflicting groups