Singh and Khatri - Chapter 14

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Chapter 14

Conflict Management
CONTENTS
Definitions
Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict
Process of Conflict
Levels of Conflict
Transactional Analysis
Johari Window
Conflict Resolution
Conflict Management Styles
DEFINITIONS
 Conflict is a process that begins when one party perceives that
another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively
affect, something that the first party cares about.—K. W.
Thomas.

 Conflict is a struggle between incompatible or opposing needs,


wishes, ideas, and interests of people.—Chung and Meggison

 Conflicts are communicative interactions among people who are


interdependent and who perceive that their interests are
incompatible, inconsistent, or in tension.—Conrad
FUNCTIONAL & DYSFUNCTIONAL
CONFLICT
 Functional Conflict
­ This allows the groups pursue their goals and improve performance.
­ Increases knowledge about persisting problems and provides solution for the same.
­ It helps in the reduction of serious conflicts, which can affect performance of
individuals or organizations.
 Dysfunctional Conflict
­ This conflict actually creates obstacles for the group performance within the
organization.
­ When a conflict arises between groups or individuals, it takes a lot of time to resolve
differences in opinion and narrowing them down on a specific solution.
­ Conflict, if not resolved, can lessen coordination and collaboration between
members of the group and harmony and team spirit is lost.
PROCESS OF CONFLICT
 Opposition
­ The first stage in the process of conflict is the opposition stage, where an environment
is created such that conflict can arise.
­ The disagreement arises due to (a) communication, (b) structure, and (c) personality
categories.
 Cognition
­ This stage brings clarity on whether the conflict is felt or perceived between individuals
and groups, and emotions play a crucial role in influencing perceptions.
 Intention
­ The purpose of a perceived or a felt conflict is identified at this stage.
­ The company may prepare to state their pre-emptive measures mentally on the
conflict by going for competing, collaboration, avoidance, accommodating, and
compromising.
 Behaviour
­ There is external display of conflict using verbal and visual modes by the staff.
PROCESS OF CONFLICT
Antecedent Conditions
- Communication
Stage 1 - Structure
(Opposition) - Personality
Categories

Stage 2
Felt Perceived
(Personality
Conflict Conflict
Categories)

Intentions
- Competing
Stage 3 - Collaboration
(Intentions - Avoidance
) - Accommodating
- Compromising

Overt Conflict
Stage 4
- One part’s action
(Behaviour)
- Other party’s reaction

Stage 5 Increased Decreased


(Outcome) Performance Performance
LEVELS OF CONFLICT
 Intrapersonal Conflict
­ Intrapersonal conflict refers to the internal conflict or frustration of a human being.
­ This arises when numerous profiles within self demand attention, which is not
always justifiable to devote to, goals set by self which are not met, or some external
social barriers.
­ The major forms of goal conflict in existence are the following:
­ Approach–Approach Conflict
­ Approach–Avoidance Conflict
­ Avoidance–Avoidance Conflict
­ Role Conflict
 Interpersonal Conflict
­ Interpersonal conflict occurs between two individuals in an organization.
­ Interpersonal conflict arises due to dissimilarities in insights, values and ethics, and
no clear description of roles.
­ The tools which can explain the occurrence of interpersonal conflict are transactional
analysis, Johari Window, life position, and so on.
LEVELS OF CONFLICT
 Intragroup Conflict
­ Intragroup conflict relates to conflict between group members leading to
degradation in the performance of the group.
­ Intragroup conflict refers to the inappropriateness and incongruence among
the members of a group and subgroups with regard to long- and short-term
goals, policies, processes and methods, functions, or deeds of the group.
 Intergroup Conflict
­ Intergroup conflicts refer to the conflict between various groups of people,
several units or functionalities within the organization.
­ Basically intergroup conflicts occur due to Task Interdependence (Pooled
Task Interdependence or Sequential Task Interdependence).
TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS
 Stages of communication between two or more people can correlate
to the moves of the game.
 Transaction Types:
 Crossed Transactions
­ When two people turn away from each other, without further discourse or
dialogue after they had a disagreement is said to be just experienced a
crossed transaction.
­ Cross transactions are elements of discomfort in relationships be it husband–
wife, parent–child, and so on.
P P

A A

C C

Crossed Transaction
TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS
 Complementary Transactions
­ It is a transaction between individuals when one person’s ego state receives
the appropriate response.
­ A complimentary transaction can occur between any two ego states.
 Ulterior Transactions
­ It is a type of communication where one has to read between the lines.
It is the complex types of transactions which involves more than two ego
states.
P P
P P
A A
A A
C C
C C
Complementary
Transaction Ulterior Transaction
JOHARI WINDOW
 The model is vital for representing interpersonal conflict and is based
primarily on two concepts.
 The extent to which a person can self-assess himself/herself.
 The extent to which the person is known to others.
 The Johari Window can be represented using following four areas:
­ Open Area: This area correlates to a candidate’s personal profile. In the initial
stages of a relationship, because no two individuals are close to each other,
their personal profiles are not known to each other individual in totality.
­ Hidden Self: This area shrinks as the person shares more information with
others.
­ Blind Area: This area contains information unknown to self and known to
others.
­ Unknown area: This is not the area which contains information not known to
others, nor does self, this area contains information which is deliberately
suppressed.
JOHARI WINDOW
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
 To resolve interpersonal conflict certain approaches are used:
 Lose–Lose
­ In this strategy both the entities tend to lose. One of the solutions can
be a compromised made by both the groups.
 Win–Lose
­ In this strategy one entity wins and the other loses. For example, the
worker’s union wins or the management of an organization wins.
 Win–Win
­ Using this strategy both the entities win and the brainstorming of views
and ideas to solve certain problems happen from positive perspective.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
 Competition or Application of Force
In this style, one party is the winner and the other is the loser.
This style is used when relationships are not important to a party and the
party is aggressive as well as certain about its decision.
 Advantages
­ Rapid conflict resolution.
­ Increases self respect when the other party can see through the justification
of applying force.
 Disadvantages
­ Relation with opponent may get strained .
­ May lead to uncontrolled authority.
­ May require a lot of energy and is stressful for some.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
 Collaboration
­ In this style both parties are the winner, which promotes good feelings amongst the
parties.
­ Collaboration involves parties or individuals working in coalition towards a common
goal or objective and get mutually benefited from the outcome.
 Advantages
­ Problem solving gets easy.
­ Promotes trust and respect.
­ Shared responsibility of the outcome.
­ Every individual/groups perspective is taken into account and relationships are
maintained.
­ Less stressful.
 Disadvantages
­ May require more effort and more time.
­ Not appropriate when resolution demands instant decision making.
­ Parties lose trust and faith at later times where relationship matters.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
Compromise
­ This style is used when chief concern is for attainment of goals and
relationships. Both the parties sacrifice some of their goals to achieve a
long term goal in collaboration.
­ This is used when an ideal solution cannot be perceived or all the parties
are in equal power proposing their own solution.
 Advantages
­ Realistic and quick issue resolution.
­ Ad hoc solutions provided while looking for the most optimal one.
­ Lower degree of stress and tension.
 Disadvantages
­ Lose–lose situation.
­ Does not contribute to building trust in the long run.
­ May require close monitoring and control .
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
Avoidance
­ This style can be used when issue is not major or too much of conflict
has an impact on the relationship or when there is very little scope to
fulfil a party’s own needs or when to reach to a solution can incur
delay.
 Advantages
­ Incorporates low level of stress approach.
­ Better preparedness by gathering information .
 Disadvantages
­ Showing no opposition can affirm to be an agreement.
­ May have negative effect on the party who was relying on the action.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
Accommodation
­ This style helps in improving relationships and harmony and time is a
constrained variable for resolving issues.
Smoothing is keeping in priority other people’s concern.

Advantages of smoothing
­ Smoothing encourages resolution of prioritized issues.
­ Gives opportunity to speculate issues from various perspectives.

Disadvantages of smoothing
­ Balance has to be maintained as to when to accommodate and when
not to.
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
Competition or Application of Force
­In this style, one party is the winner and the other is the loser.
­This style is used when relationships are not important to a party and
the party is aggressive as well as certain about its decision.
 Advantages
­ Rapid conflict resolution.
­ Increases self respect when the other party can see through the
justification of applying force.
 Disadvantages
­ Relation with opponent may get strained.
­ May lead to uncontrolled authority.
­ May require a lot of energy and is stressful for some.
Thank You…
Any Queries ?

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