POA
Role Play – conflict
Case study on conflict
Exercise on What is your style of conflict
handling or management
“The whole business starts with ideas, and
we’re convinced that ideas come out of an
environment of supportive conflict, which
is synonymous with appropriate friction.”
Michael Eisner
-CEO and Chairman of Disney
Conflicts
• In simple terms its collision or disagreement
• Any situation in which two or more parties feel
themselves in opposition
• True Conflicts – have to be resolved
Eg- A child having a drug problem.
• False Conflicts – are differences that don’t have to
be resolved.
Eg – you and your girlfriend disagree about a movie
being good
Eg – You and your colleague disagree about how smart
your boss is
Causes of Conflict
Arises
• From disagreements over the goals to attain
or
• methods to be used to accomplish those goals.
• Task interdependence – Eg one department
depending upon another department for the
tasks to get completed
• Competition over scarce resources Eg – 1
secretary shared by 2 bosses
• Personality differences.
• Eg – story of Lord Krishna & Arjun , Story of Lord
Buddha
Transitions in Conflict Thought
Traditional View of Conflict
The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be
avoided.
Causes:
• Poor communication
• Lack of openness
• Failure to respond to
employee needs
Transitions in Conflict Thought (cont’d)
Human Relations View of Conflict / Current View
The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable
outcome in any group.
Interactionist View of Conflict
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.
Levels of conflicts
• Intrapersonal conflict
Personal and organizational goals.
Sattwa, Rajas, Tamas
Eg – A team manager who responsible for protecting its team
and resources as a member of executive staff charged with
the task of reducing operating costs.
Interpersonal conflict-
Ego, false sense of pride,
denigration of colleagues
Eg develop from failures of communication or differences in
Dependence of departments on each other, goal
perception
Intergroup conflict
incompatibility, ltd resources , difference between
line and staff
Eg- the production department may want new and more
efficient machinery while at the same time the sales
department wants to expand its work force
Goal Conflict
• Approach Approach Conflict – Eg a person
feeling hungry and sleepy at same time
• Approach Avoidance Conflict – Eg a person
calling up someone for a favour and fears that
he would be insulted by another one
• Avoidance Avoidance Conflict- Eg a person
getting a chronic disease and not wanting to get
operated.
Eg – person wanting to avoid the supervisor with
whom he disagrees and cannot quit job too
Functional versus Dysfunctional Conflict
Functional Conflict
Conflict that supports the goals
of the group and improves its
performance.
Dysfunctional Conflict
Conflict that hinders
group performance.
The Conflict Process
E X H I B I T 14–1
Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility
• Communication
– Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and “noise”
• Structure
– Size and specialization of jobs
– Jurisdictional clarity/ambiguity
– Member/goal incompatibility
– Leadership styles (close or participative)
– Reward systems (win-lose)
– Dependence/interdependence of groups
• Personal Variables
– Differing individual value systems
– Personality types
Stage II: Cognition and Personalization
Perceived Conflict
Felt Conflict
Awareness by one or more parties of
the existence of conditions that
create opportunities for conflict to
arise.
Emotional involvement in a conflict
creating anxiety, tenseness,
frustration, or hostility.
Conflict Definition
Negative Emotions
Positive Feelings
Stage III: Intentions
Intentions
Decisions to act in a given way.
Cooperativeness:
• Attempting to satisfy the other party’s
concerns.
Assertiveness:
• Attempting to satisfy one’s own concerns.
Stage IV: Behavior
Conflict Management
The use of resolution and stimulation techniques to
achieve the desired level of conflict.
Stage V: Outcomes
• Functional Outcomes from Conflict
– Increased group performance
– Improved quality of decisions
– Stimulation of creativity and innovation
– Encouragement of interest and curiosity
– Provision of a medium for problem-solving
– Creation of an environment for self-evaluation and
change
Stage V: Outcomes
• Dysfunctional Outcomes from Conflict
– Development of discontent
– Reduced group effectiveness
– Retarded communication
– Reduced group cohesiveness
– Infighting among group members overcomes
group goals
Effects of conflicts
•
•
•
•
•
Destructive
Conflict not at all bad
Constructive
Distrust may grow among people
Individual level some people may feel
defeated
• Motivation level may be reduced
Conflict outcomes
Win
Individua
l A’s
Outcome
Lose
Win-lose
Lose-lose
Lose
Win-win
Lose-win
Win
Individual B’s Outcome
Accommodating
The willingness of one party in a conflict to place the
opponent’s interests above his or her own.
Compromising
A situation in which each party to a conflict is
willing to give up something.
Dimensions of Conflict-Handling Intentions
Conflict Management Techniques
Conflict Resolution Techniques
• Communication
• Bringing in outsiders
• Restructuring the organization
• Appointing a devil’s advocate
Source: Based on S. P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional
Approach (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 59–89
E X H I B I T 14–4 (cont’d)
Conflict Resolution Strategies
1.Take responsibility for dealing with conflict
2. Uncover, Define and discuss the Real
Problem
3. Ask questions and listen
4. Set goals and create an action plan
5. Follow up
FRUSTRATION
Frustration occurs when a motivated drive is
blocked before a person reaches a desired
goal
External Barriers – floods, power failures, and
break down of transportation
Internal Barriers – personal limitations, and
disabilities, weakness, physical deformities,
lack of skill, or low intelligence
Maier & Ellen describe
frustration
•
•
•
•
An insoluble problem
Pressure from behind
Barriers preventing escape
Consistency or inconsistency of results
A basic model of frustration Figure 12.3
Factors influencing frustration
• The degree of attachment to the desired goal
• The strength of motivation
• The perceived nature of the barrier or blocking
agent
• The personality characteristics of the
individual
Ways managers can reduce potential frustrations
• Effective recruitment,
selection & socialisation
• Recognition & rewards
• Effective communications
• Training & development
• Job design & work
organisation
• Equitable personnel
policies
• Participative styles of
management
• Attempting to understand
the individual’s perception
of the situation