HAND OUT # 7
SQU/CEPS: DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT
Organizational Behavior: MNGT3512: 40/50
Dr. Franck Renand: Fall 2012
Important: Textbook + Course outline + Hand out = mandatory for each lecture.
STUDENT NAME/ID#:
When replying to questions use key words but make sure you can explain if I ask any further details.
Chapter 10. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT p. 208
Definition
Conflict is a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected
him, or someone else or something else. So, conflict is a perception issue rather than a reality.
In organizations conflict covers a wide range of problems which should be addressed: from basic
disagreements to physical violence & death.
> Is conflict good or bad?
The emerging view: Constructive & Relationship conflict
Actually we differentiate 3 schools (3 views of conflict):





1.The traditional
2.The human relations
3.The interactionist
(Up to 1940s)
(Up to 1980s)
(Current view)
Conflict is functional
Leaders maintain a minimum of conflict
to stimulate innovation by avoiding
“static groups.”
Conflict is bad
Poor communication
Lack of openness
Distrust
Misunderstanding
 Conflict is avoided
 Conflict is natural
Relationship conflicts:

Conflict/discussion is
encouraged
Constructive conflicts:
Socio-emotional conflict
Task conflict
Affective conflictive
Cognitive conflict
Destructive conflict
= People focus on the issue
= People focus on people
Separating Constructive conflicts from Relationship conflicts
Actually, the reality is a mix of people focusing on issue & people(especially when disagreement
are too deep).
Solution to reduce Relationship conflicts :
Having employees with High EI (see definition previous hand out)
Having cohesive teams (mutual trust)
Supportive team norms (encouraging openness).
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> Conflict process model
> Structural sources of conflict in organizations
Q1. In the Four stages process below complete all the needy information
1. Sources ( Conditions which create conflict):?
.
2. Conflict perception & emotions
Conflict is felt (anxiety, emotion, tension, frustration, hostility).
Q 2. >
Interpersonal conflict handling
Styles
(Win+ Win+; or Win+ Lose- : see Q4)
It is the 2 different parties’ behavior that we analyze in
5 different situations below:
Q 3. Conflict outcomes (What result) ?
What is the
outcome
on 1 party
Write:
What is the
outcome
on other
Counterpart?
Write:
+, -, =
or ? (if
+, -, =
or ?
don’t know)
Assess each Interpersonal conflict handling: For
each solution: put 1 X in the cell:
- Dysfunctional
1
2
Functional +
4
5
3
1.Problem solving
What is your brief definition?
2.Yielding
What is your brief definition?
3.Compromising
What is your brief definition?
4.Avoiding
What is your brief definition?
5.Forcing
What is your brief definition?
Stress/Morale,
Turnover
Politics
Low performance,
Distorted information
Manifest conflict
Conflict style, Decisions & Behavior
Better decision.
Responsive
organization.
Team cohesion.
Choosing the best conflict handling style
Depend on situation, your self-concept, personality, experience, personal/cultural values:
confucian culture [Asia] choose Avoidance more than in the West);
gender: women prefer problem solving & compromise.
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> Structural approach to conflict management
Q4: Complete the table
Sources
What to do to solve each problem?
(conditions which create conflict)
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> Third- party conflict resolution
Sometimes another “neutral person or organization” helps the parties to resolve their differences.
Instructor example:
Two years ago, the town of Deraa in southern Syria was convulsed by a series of angry, but peaceful
demonstrations. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad answered them with force.
Far from being crushed, the movement spread, and as more protesters died it became an armed
insurgency. Now it is a civil war, and it is destroying Syria.
Casualty figures are rising, fast. The UK's Department for International Development points out that since
the start of this year more people have been killed than in the entire first year of the conflict.
The exodus of Syrians is also speeding up. More than one million are refugees. The strain of absorbing
them, and periodic border clashes, risk destabilising Syria's neighbours.
Worst case scenarios include a regional war.
Britain, France and the United States are getting closer to supporting the rebels with weapons and military
training. But it's a risky strategy which could make matters worse, not better….
The view from the president's palace in Damascus is not as bad as foreigners might imagine, and many
rebels would like. Britain estimates that his main allies Iran and Russia have increased their levels of
military and financial support to the regime since late last year.
The belief that President Assad's men are getting a sharper military edge over the armed opposition is
one of the reasons why Britain and France are pressing their European Union partners to lift their arms
embargo to Syria. BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21810015
Q5. Complete the table by “high” or “low”
Arbitration
Inquisition
Mediation
Control over process
Control over final decision
Q6. What is the most difficult mode of conflict resolution? Why?
Choosing the best Third- Party Intervention Strategy
Actually there is no fixed rule as each case is different even if we found some similarities
i.e. Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria.
Accordingly it depends on:
 Situation,
 Relationship,
 Personal culture,
 Organizational culture/position/status of the person & organization that will intervene.
Instructor. Conflict can be inter or intra. And we also distinguish 3 types of conflicts: interpersonal,
organizational , and international i.e. today the biggest and most dangerous conflict for the entire world is
North Korea vs. South Korea/USA:
(CNN April 9, 2013) -- The Obama administration calculates it's likely North Korea may test fire mobile
ballistic missiles at any time, based on the most recent intelligence showing Pyongyang probably has
completed launch preparations, a U.S. official said Tuesday.
The administration believes a test launch could happen without North Korea issuing a standard notice to
commercial aviation and maritime shipping warning them to stay away from the missile's path.... "A major
conflict in Korea could have unpredictable, long term and far reaching impacts due to the central location
of the Korean peninsula in Northeast Asia and the vital importance of Northeast Asian trade to the global
economy," said Adm. Samuel J. Locklear, commander of the U.S. Pacific command.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/09/world/asia/koreas-tensions/index.html
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