Managerial Skills Lecture
Conflict
Learning Objectives
• Assess Sources of a Conflict.
• Modify Your Conflict Management
Style Appropriately.
• Understand departmental or unit
conflict.
What Is Conflict?
• A disagreement between two or more
parties who perceive they have
incompatible concerns
• At least one party sees the other as
blocking progress towards his/her
goals
Conflict Skills
• Assess the nature of the conflict
– Communication Problems
– Structural Design
– Personal Differences
Sources of Conflict
i) Communication problems
-miscommunication (semantics and
cultural differences)
-noise
-poor listening
ii) Structural design
-task interdependence
-power distributions
-resource scarcity
-goal incompatibility
-uncertainty
iii) Personal differences
-values
-personality
-prejudices
Conflict Skills?
• Assessing the Nature of the Conflict
• Are the effects positive or negative?
• Select the Conflicts You Try to Manage
• Know the Basic Styles of Handling
Conflicts
Exhibit 18.2: Conflict-handling Styles
Conflict Skills
• Choose the style of conflict
–
–
–
–
The importance of the issue
Concern over a long term relationship
Speed required
Conflict source
Exhibit: When to Use the Different
Conflict Management Styles
Conflict
Management Style
Avoiding
When to Use
When issues are trivial
When emotions are too high, need
to cool down
When costs outweigh benefits
When Not to Use
When a long-term solution is
needed
When it is your responsibility to
resolve the conflict
Accommodating
When the issues are unimportant
to you
When your knowledge is limited
When there is long-term give and
take
When you have no power
When others are unethical or wrong
When you are certain you are
correct
Exhibit: When to Use the Different
Conflict Management Styles
Conflict
Management Style
When to Use
Forcing
Or
Competing When there is no time
When issues are trivial
When any solution is unpopular
When others lack expertise
When issues are important to you
Compromising
When Not to Use
When issues are complex and
require input & information from
others
When working with powerful &
competent others
When long-term solutions &
commitment are needed
When parties are about equal in power When an imbalance of power is
When goals are clearly incompatible
present
When an immediate solution is needed When the problem is complex
When long term solutions are
needed
When conflict is rooted in value
differences
Exhibit: When to Use the Different
Conflict Management Styles
Conflict
Management Style
When to Use
When Not to Use
Collaborating
When issues are complex & require
input & information from others
When commitment is needed
When dealing with strategic issues
When long-term solutions are needed
When there is no time
When others are not interested or
do not have the skills
When conflict occurs because of
different value systems
How Do You Manage Conflict
Between Groups and Departments?
•
•
•
•
Superordinate Goals
Increased Communication
Negotiating
Expansion of Resources
How Do You Manage Conflict
Between Groups and Departments?
(continued)
• Third-party Judgment
• Changes in Organizational
Structure
• Smoothing
• Avoidance