Module 1

Question 1

Describe the general nature of conflict

Answer 1

At its heart, conflict involves competition between two or more individuals or groups who have incompatible interests and who are interdependent.

note that the existence of conflict is often based on perception, for it is often the belief that our interests are incompatible, rather than the reality, that sets the stage for conflict. What often causes conflicts to continue and escalate is this gap between what is perceived to be irreconcilable and what may be reconciled if the par-ties’ perceptions about each other’s interests can change.

Question 2

Describe the costs of unresolved conflicts in organizations and among individuals

Answer 2

Some organizations rely more on “professional” conflict management specialists operating within formal channels. In such organizations, many conflicts do not receive serious attention until some official action has been taken, such as the

filing of a grievance,
the initiation of a formal inves-tigation of wrongdoing in violation of policy,
or the filing of a complaint or lawsuit with a government agency or in court.

Such matters are generally handled by human resources or labor relations specialists or by corporate counsel. Organizations operating in this mode tend to be reactive in their response to conflict and ignore or underutilize less formal mechanisms to resolve conflicts early on before they escalate.

Question 3

Articulate a definition of conflict

Answer 3

Conflict involves competition between two or more individu-als or groups who have incom-patible interests and who are interdependent.

Question 4

Differentiate between positional and interest-based approaches to addressing conflict

Answer 4

-In the positional approach, the parties, to varying degrees, treat the con-flict as a contest of wills. They enter a conflict discussion with clear ideas of what they want to achieve and hold firm to these positions.

-The positional approach is the traditional model we have come to know and accept in our culture, which is not to say it is always the “wrong” approach. game playing.
-You might take this approach if you are a customer wanting the best deal on a car or the sales-person wanting the best commission. In such circumstances, your relation-ship with the other party is superficial.

The interest-based approach takes into consideration the underlying needs, wants, values, and goals of the parties.