What is Conflict?
Conflict is something most of us fear and try to avoid.
Conflict is usually unavoidable
1. Tension arising from incompatible needs, action of one frustrates the ability of the other to achieve a goal (Arnold & Boggs, 2005, p. 366)
2.Clashing of two opposing interests (Stuart & Sundee, 2000)
Our attitude in a conflict will determine the outcome
Review sources and causes of conflict.
- Power: unequal power, use of power to control
- Communication: misunderstanding/breakdown
- Goals: ways to meet goals
- Values: differing values among individuals
- Roles: ambuitity, may have overlap of roles, can be viewed as competition, may see roles as exclusive to specific individuals, number of roles one is expected to assume can be a factor in conflict.
- Resource allocation: scarcity, overabundance
- Personalities/characteristics of individual: dealing with attitudes and behaviors of people.
- Information gaps: where is the information you need?
- Organizational Structure: looking at amount of control. The bigger the organization, the more opportunity for conflict
Types/Categories of Conflict:
- Intrapersonal (2 individuals)/Internal - occurs within the individual
- Interpersonal/External- occurs between or among individuals. Also known as horizontal violence or bullying
- Organizational/Intergroup – seen with two or more groups or departments struggle for power, territory or resources
e.g. emergency (authoritative power)
Constructive or functional: results when group members express disagreement in ways promotes group goals Engleberg & Wynn)
If done in a positive way it can improve quality of work to achieve a common goal.
It can be an impetus. It can help others.
Destructive or dysfunctional: results when groups engage in behaviours that create hostility and prevent groups from achieving their goal.
Complaining, personal insults, loud arguments, threats, hostile
Environment.
Examine the different styles and strategies in conflict resolution.
- Avoiding or withdrawing from - turtle
- Accommodating - teddy bear
- Competing – shark
- Compromising – fox
- Collaborating – owl
- Confronting – not tested
Avoiding or withdrawing from
- When the situation is clearly not your problem, and there is little to nothing you can do about it, or when you have more to lose than you have to gain.
- Good approach to use when the problem is sort itself out with time or if people need more time to regain composure.
- Individuals who back away from a conflict can be taken advantage of.
- Overuse of avoiding can cause the conflict to fester and boil over. Relationships can remain superficial.
Accommodating
- Involves trying to relieve feelings associated with conflict but does not solve the conflict.
- Involves apologizing for something that is not your fault. Stating agreement with a position or taking action with something you don’t not agree with.
- Surrendering to the conflict. Use this approach when there is anger in the workplace, use it when other ideas are better or you have made a mistake.
- Don’t get your needs met, and can be taken advantage of and you can become resentful. Doesn’t resolve the problem.
Competing
- Forcing the issue in a conflict and working exclusively for your own solution to the problem.
- These people are used to being the winners and fail to see the needs and opinions of others.
- Can prevent good problem solving and innovative approaches. Can create retaliation.
- Only approach to use for ethical and legal violations. Use it when there is unpopular decisions and group welfare is vital.
- Over use can weaken relationships, require less input from others which prevents problem solving. Can create sabotage.
Compromising
- Negotiating. Give and take. One factor is balanced against the other. Don’t put everything on the table at one time.
- Serves to minimize the losses for all parties while allowing each to realize some gains.
- Can be the approach of choice if approaching goals are so incompatible that no resolution can be reached. Good for areas that have time constraints.
- Use for this one is for temporary solutions to complex problems, time pressures, and collaborating and competing have failed. It may focus on what has not been achieved.
Collaborating
- Most difficult to achieve. Believed to be the best approach.
- Encourages participants to work towards common goals and consensus.
- Time consuming, all persons involved have to talk about issues honestly and openly.
- Use this approach when want to use creative solutions. Overuse can waste time and energy and can be very frustrating.
Steps for resolving the conflict
- Identify the source of the issue
- Individual response to conflict
- Choose the conflict style appropriate to manage the situation.
- Stay focused on the problem – separate problems from people
- Use Effective Communication
- Negotiate win-win
- Both parties state position –Look for areas of agreement
- Offer alternatives
“improving irritable conflict situations uses nasty boring opinions”
Conflict Process 5 stages
- Antecedent or latent conflict
- Perceived conflict
- Felt conflict
- Manifest or overt conflict
- Conflict aftermath
Antecedent or Latent Conflict
implies the anticipation of conflict. Haven’t had a conflict as of yet but the conditions provide opportunity for conflict.
Perceived conflict
intellectualized. Awareness that a conflict really exists. Recognizing it logically and impersonally.
Felt conflict
when the conflict is emotionalized and we have feelings. Fear, trust, anger. It is possibly to perceive conflict but not feel it.
Manifest or Overt conflict
this is where the actions takes place, its been anticipated and now action happens. People respond to it, but may be reluctant and pull back, may be fearful.
Conflict aftermath
positive or negative. If well managed = positive, if not = negative
