Chapter 7
Interpersonal Conflict
Interpersonal Conflict
Interpersonal conflict refers to the manifestation
of incompatibility, disagreement, or difference
between two or more interacting individuals.
The Prisoner’s Dilemma
 Cooperation is usually analyzed in game theory by
means of a non-zero-sum game called the
"Prisoner's Dilemma“.
 A frequently used example is the Prisoner’s
Dilemma (PD) game.
 A scenario where cooperation and trust wins and
blind pursuit of self-interest loses.
Example of Prisoner’s Dilemma
 Suppose two individuals, A and B, have been
arrested on the suspicion that they have
committed a serious crime.
 Although they are guilty, there is not enough
evidence for conviction of the serious crime.
 The accused are separated and not allowed to
communicate with each other.
 The district attorney wants them to confess to the
crime that they have committed.
Payoff Matrix
Explanation of the Matrix
 If both A and B confess, they will be convicted of serious
offense, but their sentence will be reduced from 10 to 6
years.
 If A does not confess, but B confesses, A will get a
maximum sentence of 10 years, and B will get the
minimum sentence of 4 years.
 If A confesses, but B does not confess, A will get a
reduced sentence of 4 years, and B will get the maximum
sentence of 10 years.
 If both A and B do not confess, they can be convicted
only for the lesser offense and sentenced for 2 years.
A Model of Conflict
A Model of Conflict
Antecedent conditions:- Sources of conflict namely
process, demographics and structural.
Behavioral Changes:- Conflict may affect the behavior
of parties toward each other.
Structure Formation:- As the conflict intensifies, the
parties may restrict free communication and
interaction.
Decision Process:- When decision cant be reached incase of
win-lose conflict a mediator or arbitrator may be selected by
the parties.
In the case of superior–subordinate conflict, the decision is
often made by the superior.
In the case of conflict between two managers, the superior
of the two parties is often called upon to make a decision to
resolve the conflict.
Conflict Aftermath:- Usually the resolution of conflict leaves
a legacy which will affect the future relations of the parties
and their attitudes toward each other. A problem-solving
approach for the management of conflict may lead to greater
commitment to the agreement reached between parties.
Consequences of Interpersonal Conflict
 Integrating
Style:- Increase in organizational
commitment, performance outcomes, job outcomes
and interpersonal outcomes.
 Compromising Style:- Positively associated with
interpersonal outcomes.
 Dominating style:- Negatively associated with
interpersonal outcomes and job satisfaction.
 Avoiding
style:Negatively
associated
with
interpersonal outcomes.
 Obliging
style:Negatively
associated
with
interpersonal outcomes.
Sources of Interpersonal Conflict
 Personality
 Bases of Power
 Organizational climate
 Referent-role
Personality:Extroverts are more likely to strive for integrative style of
handling conflict.
Feelers handle conflict through compromising and
obliging styles.
Thinkers handle conflict through dominating and
integrating styles.
Bases of Power:Coercive power increases conflict and is positively related
with dominating style.
Non coercive power decreases conflict and is positively
associated with obliging and integrating style.
 Organizational climate:-
An organization’s culture refers to the shared
assumptions, attitudes, values, beliefs, expectations,
and norms. The effect of culture on conflict
influences the long-term growth and adaptability of
the organizations.
 Referent-role:The managers are primarily obliging in dealing with
their superiors, integrating with subordinates, and
compromising with peers. Back-up (unusual) styles
are only used when the primary styles fail.
Managing Interpersonal Conflict
The management of interpersonal conflict
essentially involves teaching organizational
members the styles of handling interpersonal
conflict to deal with different situations effectively.
Diagnosis:The diagnosis of interpersonal conflict can be
performed by such methods as self-reports,
observation, and interviews.
Measurement:1. The styles of handling interpersonal conflict used
by the organizational members to deal with different
situations.
2. Factors that affect the styles of handling conflict.
3.Effectiveness of the individual members of an
organization.
Analysis: The styles of handling interpersonal conflict utilized
by the members of various units, departments, or
divisions and whether they deviated from the
national norms significantly.
 Whether organizational members are using
appropriate behavioral styles to deal with different
situations effectively.
 Relationships of the styles to situations and individual
effectiveness.
Intervention
The intervention strategies for the management
of interpersonal conflict are:
 Process
 Structural
Process
The objective of a process intervention is to help the
organizational members to enhance their integrating
style of handling conflict by changing their attitudes
and behavior.
A transactional analysis training may be useful for
them.
Transactional Analysis:- A transactional analysis
intervention can enable the members of an
organization to improve their communication skills
and consequently the styles of handling conflict with
superiors, subordinates, and peers.
Aspects of Transactional Analysis
The three aspects of transactional analysis are:
1) Structural Analysis
2) Transactional Analysis Proper
3) Life Positions
1) Structural Analysis
Structural analysis is the study of ego states. Human
beings interact with each other in terms of three
psychological states which are:
a) Parent ego state: It reflects the attitudes, values,
and behavior of authority figures, especially parents.
b) Adult ego state: It represents the rational part of
personality.
c) Child ego state: It reflects the experiences and
conditions of early childhood.
2) Transactional Analysis Proper
The basic unit of communication is called a transaction.
Transactions may be classified as:
a) Complementary Transaction
b) Uncomplementary Transaction
c) Ulterior Transaction
a) Complementary Transaction:- Complementary
transaction occurs when they are parallel; that is, a
message sent from one ego state receives an expected
response from the appropriate ego state of the
other party.
b) Uncomplementary Transaction:- It occurs when
a message from one ego state receives a response from
a different ego state than intended.
This happens when stimulus and response cross on the
P–A–C transaction diagram.
c) Ulterior Transaction:- It occurs when the overt
stimulus indicates a transaction at one level but the
underlying intent of it may place the transaction at
another level.
3) Life Positions:If an individual is communicating primarily from one
ego state, it can correspond to one of these four
positions:
Structural
The two structural arrangements that are
necessary to deal with conflicts between two
parties when they fail to resolve their
disagreements are:
a) Appeal to Authority
b) Use of Ombudsmen
a) Appeal to Authority
 Organizations allow members to appeal to a common
superior if two or more members, at the same
organizational
level,
fail
to
resolve
their
disagreements.
 The common supervisor can make a decision that will
be binding on the two parties involved in conflict, and
the supervisor has the right to enforce her or his
decisions.
 This system can work effectively if the supervisor is
respected by the conflicting individuals, understands
the complexity of the problems, and is able to make a
good decision.
b) The Use of Ombudsmen
 An ombudsman is a mediator who ensures fair and
just application of the rules and procedures of an
organization for the management of conflict between
two or more parties.
 Ombudsmen can only make recommendations.
 Two types of corporate ombudsmen:
o Helping
o Fact-finding