Understanding
and Managing Workplace Conflict
SCWHE
IR Workshop
October 17, 2014
10-1
Is Conflict Good or Bad?

Negative Outcomes
•
•
•
•
•

Less information sharing
Higher stress/dissatisfaction/turnover
More organizational politics
Wasted resources
Lower team cohesion when conflict is internal
Positive Outcomes
• Better decision making
• More responsive
• Stronger team cohesion when conflict is external
10-2
Is Conflict Good or Bad?:
Emerging View

Two types of conflict
• Constructive conflict -- Conflict is aimed at issue,
not parties
• Relationship conflict -- Conflict is aimed at
undermining the other party

Goal: encourage constructive conflict with
common goals and a cohesive team;
minimize relationship conflict

Problem: difficult to separate the two conflicts
10-3
The Conflict Process
Conflict
Perceptions
Sources of
Conflict
Manifest
Conflict
Conflict
Outcomes
Conflict
Emotions
Conflict
Escalation Cycle
10-4
Structural Sources of Conflict
Incompatible
Goals
• One party’s goals perceived to interfere
with other’s goals
Differentiation
• Different values/beliefs
• Explains cross-cultural and generational
conflict
Task
Interdependence
• Conflict increases with interdependence
• Parties more likely to interfere with each
other
more
10-5
Structural Sources of Conflict
Scarce
Resources
• Motivates competition for the resource
Ambiguous
Rules
• Creates uncertainty, threatens goals
• Without rules, people rely on politics
Communication
Problems
• Increases stereotyping
• Reduces motivation to communicate
• Escalates conflict when arrogant
10-6
Five Conflict Handling Styles
Forcing
Assertiveness
High
Problem-solving
Compromising
Avoiding
Low
Yielding
Cooperativeness
High
10-7
Conflict Handling Contingencies
Problem solving
• Best when:
- Interests are not perfectly opposing
- Parties have trust/openness
- Issues are complex
• Problem: other party can take advantage of information
Forcing
• Best when:
- you have a deep conviction about your position
- quick resolution required
- other party would take advantage of cooperation
• Problems: relationship conflict, long-term relations
10-8
Conflict Handling Contingencies
Avoiding
• Best when:
- relationship conflict is high
- conflict resolution cost is higher than benefits
• Problems: doesn’t resolve conflict, frustration
Yielding
• Best when:
- other party has much more power
- issue is much less important to you than other party
- value/logic of your position is imperfect
• Problem: Increases other party’s expectations
10-9
Conflict Handling Contingencies
Compromising
• Best when…
- Parties have equal power
- Quick solution is required
- Parties lack trust/openness
• Problem: Sub-optimal solution if mutual gains had
been possible
10-10
Structural Approaches to Conflict
Resolution
1.
Emphasizing superordinate goals
• Emphasize common objectives rather than
conflicting sub-goals
• Reduces goal incompatibility and differentiation
2.
Reducing differentiation
• Remove sources of different values and beliefs
- e.g. Move employees around to different jobs
3.
Improving communication/understanding
• Employees understand and appreciate each
other’s views through communication
10-11
Structural Approaches to Conflict
Resolution (con’t)
4.
Reduce Task Interdependence
• Dividing shared resources
• Combine tasks
• Use buffers
5.
Increase Resources
• May be difficult to accomplish
6.
Clarify Rules and Procedures
• Clarify resource distribution
• Change interdependence
10-12