What words do we associate with
“conflict”?
 Perceived differences between
individuals that result in some form of
interference or opposition
 “Perceived” is the important word!
 “Kramer vs. Kramer”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQt
t9I6c-YM


Traditional View
› All conflict is bad and has negative effect on
organizations and their members

Human Relations View
› Conflict is natural, inevitable outcome in any
org.
› May be a positive force
› Accept and capitalize on conflict

Stimulating View
› Not only can conflict be positive force, but
some conflict is necessary for org. members
to perform effectively
› Separates conflict into constructive and
destructive types
› Necessary to challenge the status quo

What is your style?
› Take survey
“Forcing”
“Twelve Angry Men”
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akbfcr45Gc&feature=related
 Pick your battles
 Know who is involved
 Determine conflict source
 Respond to conflict—what style(s) do
you use—survey you just completed

There are situations where you may need
to stimulate conflict
 “Devil’s Advocate”
 You may need to inform others that
conflict has its place—then support your
message
 Use conflict carefully

To alter, transform, or convert
 Causes of change

› External and internal forces
 What forces cause change in your personal
and professional lives?

Change Agents
› People who make changes and act as
catalysts in the org.
Doesn’t only come from leaders
 Outside consultants often used for major
changes

› Can be problem because they don’t fully
understand the org.
› Often initiate more drastic changes than
those inside org.—could be pro or con
› Don’t have to live with the consequences

Metaphors—Calm Waters
› Org. a large ship crossing a calm sea;
they’ve made this trip many times
 Lewin’s three-step description of successful
change
 Unfreeze a current activity
 Change to something new
 Re-freeze new change to make it permanent
 Lewin disturbs the status quo

Metaphors—Whitewater Rapids
› Org. a small raft navigating raging river with
whitewater rapids, no one knows each
other, in the dark
› Surroundings uncertain and dynamic
› People would need to be flexible and
respond quickly to change

Change resisted because:
› Uncertainty
› Concern over personal loss
› Belief that change is not in your
organization’s best interest

Organization Development (OD)
› Org. makes concerted effort to alter some
aspect of the org.
› Activity designed to facilitate long-term org.wide changes
› Focus is to constructively change attitudes
and values of org. members so they can
more readily adapt to changes in the org.

Survey feedback
› Attitude about the change and current org.
activities

Team building
› Help group become a team

Intergroup development
› Achieve team building between different
work groups so that groups can better
coordinate work