Module 4 :Session 4
Conflict management
Developed by Dr J Moorman
Common sources of conflict
• Competition for scarce resources
• Different values and interests of people
• Antagonistic roles of different people
• Acquisition of power
• Communication breakdown
• Introducing change
Types of conflict
• Individual conflict (personal problems)
• Organisational
- Intra-individual – within an individual
- Inter-individual – between two
individuals
DCST – Persons in the middle
• Faced with expectations from above
• Faced with expectations at own level
• Faced with expectations from below
ROLE CONFLICT
Definition of Role
The term “role” is
used to represent
behavior of an
occupant of a
given position
How individuals in a
specific role behave
depends on
 How they feel they
should behave
 How they believe
other people should
respond to their
actions
Role Conflict
Role conflict is a type of social conflict
caused from an individual being expected to
take on separate and incompatible roles.
Breakdown in standard mechanisms of
decision making
Types of Role Conflict
Role Ambiguity
This happens when a person is not clearly aware of the
rights and duties associated with his/her role or has not
properly learnt the patterned sequence of activities that
relate to his/her rights and duties.
Role ambiguity can arise about the following aspects:
The scope of one’s responsibilities
The limits of authority
The rules, sanctions and its application
The legitimate vs. the illegitimate aspects of
authority behavior
Role Overload
Having too much work to do in the time
available
Inter-sender role conflict
 Arises as the result of the expectations of one
“role sender” conflicting with the expectations of
another “role sender.”
 Basically conflicting expectations
Intra-sender role conflict
When a person is not capable – or
resources and time are not sufficient – to
do a job.
Person role conflict
Role
incompatible
with value
system
Inter-role conflict
• Someone has multiple and divergent
roles.
• The expectations attached to one role
conflict with the expectations of the
same individual in another role
Conflict is destructive when it…
• Diverts attention from important
activities
• Undermines morale
• Reduces Co-operation
• Leads to irresponsible behaviour
And it can be constructive
when….
• It results in clarification and solution to
problems
• Helps relieve anxiety and stress
• Improves communication, co-operation
and understanding
Inter-individual conflict usually
due to
• The heterogeneity
of personnel
• Differences in
values, expectation,
attitudes, interests
• All this creates
fertile ground for
conflict
How to avoid and resolve
conflict
How to resolve conflict
 Many ways of resolving conflict
 Method you use depends on the
cause of the conflict
Solving conflict
Step by step process
1. Define the problem or issue to be addressed
2. Analyse the issues and generate alternative
courses of action
3. Evaluate the alternatives and select the best
course of action
4. Implement the decision
5. Monitor the result and evaluate the impact
How to resolve conflict
1. Avoid the conflict
2. Wait (it might go away)
3. Accept - conform to conflict expectation
4. Compromise – bargaining and splitting the difference
5. Use of authority – legitimate power used to bring
about compliance
6. Independent action – third party intervention – third
party used as a mediator
Avoiding conflict
• Be calm
• Think creatively
• Respect
• Use the right words
• Be magnanimous
• Change the environment
• Discuss / debate
• Be honest
• Be rationale
• Get ego out of
management style
• Acknowledge emotions
• Be precise
• Be aware of displacement
your
Negotiation
• Process by which you try to reach
agreement,
• Bargaining – parties have different
preferences.
• Win / win or win / lose strategy
Negotiation
Win-lose
Win-win
• Defines conflict as a win lose
strategy
• Defines conflict as a mutual
problem solving situation
• Pursue own outcomes
• Pursue joint outcome
• Force the other group into
submission
• Find creative solution to
satisfy both groups
• Communicate high rigidity
to communicate own
position
• Use open and honest
communication
• Threaten
• Use inaccurate and
misleading communication
• Communicate the flexibility
of your position
Factors influencing choice of
action
Legitimacy
• Compromise if expectations of both
parties are perceived to be legitimate
• If both expectations are not perceived
to be legitimate - avoidance
Factors influencing choice of action
Sanction
• For example, if both A and B have
strong negative sanctions, you will need
to compromise.
• Workers will follow their own
inclinations if both managers have weak
sanctions
Factors influencing choice of action
Power
• If manager A has more power than
manager B = conform to A
• Compromise if both have power
• If neither have power – independent
action