Chapter 12 Nelson & Quick Conflict and Negotiation Copyright ©2005 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Nature of Organizational Conflict Conflict - any situation in which incompatible goals, attitudes, emotions, or behaviors lead to disagreement or opposition between two or more parties Functional Conflict - a healthy, constructive disagreement between two or more people Dysfunctional Conflict - an unhealthy, destructive disagreement between two or more people Consequences of Conflict Positive Consequences Leads to new ideas Stimulates creativity Motivates change Promotes organizational vitality Helps individuals & groups establish identities Serves as a safety valve to indicate problems Negative Consequences Diverts energy from work Threatens psychological well-being Wastes resources Creates a negative climate Breaks down group cohesion Can increase hostility & aggressive behaviors Causes of Conflict in Organizations Structural Factors • Specialization • Interdependence • Common resources • Goal differences • Authority relationships • Status inconsistencies • Jurisdictional ambiguities Personal Factors • Skills & abilities • Personalities • Perceptions • Values & ethics • Emotions • Communication barriers • Cultural differences Globalization & Conflict Cultural differences & individual differences increase the potential for conflict Forms of Conflict in Organizations Interorganizational Conflict - conflict that occurs between two or more organizations Intergroup Conflict - conflict that occurs between groups or teams in an organization Interpersonal Conflict - conflict that occurs between two or more individuals Intrapersonal Conflict - conflict that occurs within an individual Forms of Conflict in Organizations Interrole Conflict - a person’s experience of conflict among the multiple roles in his/her life Intrarole Conflict - conflict that occurs within a single role, such as when a person receives conflicting messages from role senders about how to perform a certain role Person–role Conflict - conflict that occurs when an individual is expected to perform behaviors in a certain role that conflict with his/her personal values An Organizational Member’s Role Set Outside the organization Inside the organization Client Supervisor Focal Role Supplier Potential employee Employee 1 Employee Employee 2 3 Superior Superior role senders Colleague Peer role senders Employee’s colleagues Employee role senders Boundary of the organization SOURCE: J. C. Quick, J. D. Quick, D. L. Nelson, & J. J. Hurrell, Jr. Preventative Stress Management in Organizations, 1997. Copyright © 1997 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission. Power Relationships in Organizations Types of Power Relationships Equal vs. equal Behavioral Tendencies & Problems Suboptimization Competition Covert fighting Constant friction High vs. low Control vs. autonomy Resistance to change Motivation problems High vs. middle vs. low Role conflict, role ambiguity, stress Concessions Doubletalk Use of sanctions and rewards Examples of Interventions Define demarcation lines Integrate units Teach negotiating skills Bureaucratize power through rules Use a different leadership style Improve communication Clarify tasks Teach power strategies SOURCE: W. F. G. Mastenbroek, Conflict Management and Organizational Development, 1987. Copyright John Wiley & Sons Limited. Reproduced with permission. Defense Mechanisms Aggressive Mechanisms Fixation - an individual keeps up a dysfunctional behavior that obviously will not solve the conflict Displacement - an individual directs his or her anger toward someone who is not the source of the conflict Negativism - a person responds with pessimism to any attempt at solving a problem Defense Mechanisms Compromise Mechanisms Compensation - an individual attempts to make up for a negative situation by devoting himself/herself to another pursuit with increased vigor Identification - an individual patterns his or her behavior after another’s Rationalization - a compromise mechanism characterized by trying to justify one’s behavior by constructing bogus reasons for it Defense Mechanisms Withdrawal Mechanisms Flight/Withdrawal - entails physically escaping a conflict (flight) or psychologically escaping (withdrawal) Conversion - emotional conflicts are expressed in physical symptoms Fantasy - provides an escape from a conflict through daydreaming Win–Lose versus Win–Win Strategies Strategy Competitive Cooperative Dept. A Dept. B Organization Lose Lose Win Win– Lose Win Lose Win– Lose Lose Lose Win Ineffective Techniques for Dealing with Conflict Nonaction Character Assassination Due process Nonaction Secrecy Conflict Administrative Orbiting Effective Techniques for Dealing with Conflict Superordinate Goals Confronting & Negotiating Changing Structure Conflict Expanding Resources Changing Personnel Approaches to Negotiation Distributive Bargaining the goals of the parties are in conflict, and each party seeks to maximize its resources Approaches to Negotiation Integrative Negotiation focuses on the merits of the issues and seeks a win–win solution Conflict Management Styles Avoiding - deliberate decision to take no action on a conflict or to stay out of a conflict Accommodating - concern that the other party’s goals be met but relatively unconcerned with getting own way Competing - satisfying own interests; willing to do so at other party’s expense Conflict Management Styles Compromising - each party gives up something to reach a solution Collaborating - arriving at a solution agreeable to all through open & thorough discussion Conflict Management Styles Assertive Competing Collaborating Assertiveness (Desire to satisfy one’s own concerns) Unassertive SOURCE: K. W. Thomas, “Conflict and Conflict Management,” in M. D. Dunnette, Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1976), 900. Used with permission of M. D. Dunnette. Compromising Avoiding Uncooperative Accommodating Cooperative Cooperativeness (Desire to satisfy another’s concerns) Creating a Conflict-Positive Organization Value diversity and confront differences Take stock to reward success and learn from mistakes Conflict Positive Seek mutual benefits, and unite behind cooperative goals Empower employees to feel confident and skillful 3 Organization Views of Conflict Competitive conflict Belittle differences Suspect Seek win–lose situation Blame SOURCE: The Conflict-Positive Organization by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J. 3 Organization Views of Conflict Avoidance of conflict Evade differences Despair Reduce risks Withdraw SOURCE: The Conflict-Positive Organization by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J. 3 Organization Views of Conflict Positive conflict Value diversity Take stock Seek mutual benefit Empower SOURCE: The Conflict-Positive Organization by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.