Conflict and Conflict
Management within and between
Groups
Mini case.
Conflict
• Three types Prefer chapter 11.
• Realistic—scarce resources. Examples
• Symbolic—conflict over values, beliefs and
ideas. Examples.
• Mixed motive—cooperation and
competition. Can involve realistic or
symbolic
Free Associate Conflict
Relationship Conflict and Task
conflict
• Relationship—personal, defensive, blame
finding
• Task conflict—merit of different ideas,
problem solving.
Irony
• Symbolic conflict is easier to resolve than
realistic.
• But symbolic conflict is often relationship
based which is more difficult to resolve
than task conflict.
Relationship conflict is difficult to
manage
• Prevention is good
• But once it sets in communication. But
already distrust. So communication is
clouded.
Moving toward task conflict
• Shared goals
• Create a safe harbor (GE feeling safer to
talk to Jack Welch).
• Training in task conflict.
• Avoiding Defensive behavior (blame
finding vs problem solving)
• Interest based response vs power based
responses or rights based response (no
dialogue).
Avoid
• In group bias. In groups and outgroups.
• Linked to us vs them. Respect for
diversity.
• Tendency to censor minority beliefs.
Majority thinks one way—Get with it.
• Diversity and respect are so important
from a positive position.
• Why is it so hard to do this?
• Mediation through third parties.
• Humor and self-deprecation.
• Building a team identity as opposed to
individual identity.
• Reward structure Team vs individual
incentives
• Hierarchy and status differences
• Resource scarcity vs Shared threat
• Stress vs social support and friendships
• Productivity goals vs harmony goals (Task
and maintenance roles)
Ugli Orange exercise
Team Decision Making and identity
• Decision by consensus
• Decision making by consensus is time
consuming.
• Everyone expresses preferences. Everyone
listens to everyone else’s preferences in
uncritical manner.
• Summarize postions.
• Have other people discuss strengths and
weakness of other peoples positions. Minimize
personal stakes.
Book offers more
• Avoid Fix pie fallacy. Win lose thoughts
are poor. Think win win. To do that
understand underlying interests of
everyone.
• Avoid sequential discussions. This is
hard.
• Decision my majority. Voting.
• What is the problem with Voting.
Decision by minority
• Person who sets the agenda for discussion has
inordinate power. First topic is discussed most
extensively. As time goes on issues get
disscussed less.
• Where do you stack alternatives. (arrow
paradox).
• Power, strategic manipulation. Its clear that only
person with preferred alternative. So rejected.
Then what do you do with your vote?
• Add to this coalitions.
Conflict mostly focuses on what not
to do.
Prefer to think about High
Performance Teams.
• Chapter 8 of book.
Creativity and innovation
• The heart of teams. Generally, people are
more creative and innovative in Teams.
• 3M Traditional hallmark of this.
• Pella Windows is too.
Creativity many different kinds of
Creativity
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Practical Creativity
Solving Unique problems
Developing new ways of doing something.
Farmers have to be creative mechanically.
Cognitively creative.
Viewing problems in new ways.
Thinking outside the box.
Deeper Creativity
• Blockbuster ideas. New Product
development.
• Pella creativity is more Problem solving
• 3M Mixture.
• Example
Creativity is linked to divergent
thinking
• Rather than narrowing options, one wants
to expand options.
• Goes against the time pressure of teams.
Creativity and problem solving
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Cognitive creativity.
Defining the problem. Case analysis.
Fishbone technique.
What causes the problem.
Not always transparent.
Parking on campus.
Practical Problem Solving
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Idea generation. Brainstorming.
Express any idea.
No censorship
More is better than fewer
Build on the ideas of others. Put ideas
together.
• Creativity comes from the juxtoposition of
ideas. Shaggy is excellent.
Unfortunately
• Individual brainstorming is better than
group brainstorming. That is group of 4 in
team generate fewer ideas than 4 could
individually.
• so why do it in a team?
So how does the magic of teams
work.
In Groups
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Not follow rules
Inhibitions
Loaf (others are more creative than me)
set low benchmakrs
Conform Conform Conform.
Lack of rewards for ideas.
What to do
• Facilitators with emphasis on maintenance
roles.
• High benchmarks
• Working independently for a time.
• Nominal group technique.
• Operate independently.
• Diversity change membership.
• Create a playground (Tom hanks and the
movie Big).
• Getting People to do different things.
• Breadth of experience is an important
minor contributor to profession experience.
• See how other people do things.
• Ideally it would be great to rotate team
memberships.
Wrap up on teams