2. Meaning
• According to Robbins, Conflict is a process that begins
when one party perceives that another party has negatively
affected, or is about to negatively affects, something that
the 1st party cares about.
• Conflict arises whenever individuals have different values,
opinions, needs, interests and are unable to find a middle
way.
• Conflict is defined as a clash between individuals arising
out of a difference in thought process, attitudes,
understanding, interests, requirements and even
sometimes perceptions. A conflict results in heated
arguments, physical abuses and definitely loss of peace and
harmony. A conflict can actually change relationships.
3. Advantages of conflict
1. Conflict in conversations and work team interaction contributes to
greater innovation and creative development.
2. Positive conflict that arises in the course of work team
conversations also indicates that your business environment
fosters diverse perspectives.
3. As employees put forth and debate the merits of various ideas,
they negotiate through conflicts to come to the best resolutions.
4. Conflict fosters an awareness that problems exist.
5. Challenging old assumptions can lead to changes in outdated
practices and processes.
6. Conflict raises awareness of what is important to individuals.
7. Managing conflicts appropriately helps build self-esteem.
8. Managing conflicts well is a sign of maturity.
4. Disadvantages of conflict
1. Heated conflicts that become personal
cause stressful working relationships.
2. Personal conflicts in work teams get in the way of
collaborative communication, and the stress can
distract each worker from carrying out his role
optimally.
3. Conflicts also are time-consuming and costly for
companies. Some managers spend the majority of
their time resolving conflicts.
4. Turnover resulting from conflicts is costly, as the
companies have to recruit, hire and train new
employees.
5. Views regarding conflict
1. The traditional view: It suggests that any type of conflict
is bad and so must be avoided. This term had a negative
connotation in the traditional view. It was largely seen as
an outcome of lack of good communication and trust
between people as well as inability of the managers to
comprehend and respond to the need of the employees
under them.
2. The human relations view: As per this approach, conflict
is a natural inevitable phenomenon and, so can't be
eliminated completely from any organization. Here,
conflict was seen in a positive light as it was suggested
that conflict may lead to an improvement in a group's
performance.
6. View…
3. Interactionist view: The most recent
approach i.e. the interactionist view says that
some level of conflict is very much necessary
for a group to perform effectively. A
harmonious and cooperative group can be
rendered static, indifferent and
nonresponsive to the needs for change and
innovation. As per this view, conflicts can be
divided into two categories:-
7. TYPES OF CONFLICT
1. The conflict which supports the goals of a group and
also improves it performance is known as a functional
or a positive conflict. The functional conflict is helpful
in the achievement of the goals of a group as it aids in
–
a) Analytical thinking: During a conflict the members of a
group display analytical thinking in identifying various
alternatives. In absence of conflict, they might not have
been creative or even might have been lethargic.
b) Diffusing tension among the members of the
group: When conflict is allowed to express openly it can
help in reducing the tension among the members of the
group which would otherwise remain suppressed.
8. c) Promote Competition: Conflicts results in increase
competition and this increased competition in turn results
in more efforts. Some persons are highly motivated by
conflict and service competition. Such conflict and
competition can result in increased effort and output.
d) Promote group cohesiveness: Some experts believe that
conflict creates solidarity among the members of the
group it also increases loyalty in the members of the
group and inculcates a feeling of group identity as the
members of a group compete with outsiders.
e) Facing challenges: The abilities of individuals as well as
groups can be tested during conflict. Conflict creates
challenges for them and to face these challenges
individual and group to need to be creative and dynamic.
When they are able overcome these challenges
successfully it leads to a search for the alternatives to the
present methods which results in organizational
development.
9. f) 0rganizational change: It has been seen that some times
conflict stimulates change among the members of a group.
Whenever people are faced with conflict, there is a change in
their attitudes and they become ready for the change to meet
the requirements of the situation.
g) Increased awareness: Conflict creates an increased awareness
about the problems faced by the group. The group members
also become aware of the members involved in the problem
and the methods adopted to solve the problem.
h) Quality of decision: Conflict result s in high quality decisions
taken by the members of a group. During the conflict, the
members express the opposing views and perspective which
results in some high quality decisions. The members share the
information and examine the reasoning of other members to
develop new decisions.
i) Identification of weakness: The weaknesses of a group and its
members can be identified easily during the conflict. It
becomes easier for the management to remove these
weaknesses once it becomes aware of these.
10. Types of conflict…
2. Dysfunctional form of conflict – It is also called destructive form of
conflict as this kind of conflict negatively affects a group's
performance, which in turn impacts the organization in a direct or
indirect way. The characteristics of a dysfunction conflict are:
a) Increased tension: a dysfunctional conflict can cause high level of
tension among the members of a group and in some cases it
becomes difficult for the management to resolve such a conflict.
This increased tension may result in anxiety uncertainty, hostility
and frustration among the members of a group.
b) High rate of employee turn over: Dysfunctional conflicts can cause
some employees to leave the organization if they are not able to
resolve the conflict in their favor. In such a case it is the organization
that has to suffer to loss of its valuable employees.
11. c) Increased dissatisfaction: Dissatisfaction can be increased
among the members of the party that looses in conflict. This
struggle during conflict also results in decreased concentration
on the job and in this way it can also adversely affect the
productivity of the whole group.
d) Distrust: Conflict can result in a climate of distrust among the
members of a group and also in the organization. It can
decrease the level of cohesiveness among the group members
who will have negative feelings towards other members of the
group and avoid interaction with them.
e) Distraction from organizational goals : Conflicts can distract
the members of a group from the organizational goals they are
supposed to achieved but during a conflict the members may
waste their time and energy in making efforts for emerging as
winners in the on-going conflict in the group and their
attention from the organizational goals may be diverted.
Personal victory becomes more important for the members
involved in the conflict and the organizational goals take a back
seat.
12. The Conflict Process
• Conflict Process consists five stages that show how conflict begins, grows, and
unfolds among individuals or groups with different goals, interests or values of the
organization.
13. Stage I: Potential Opposition or
Incompatibility
• This stage states that the presence of certain
conditions gives birth to conflict. Not all
conditions lead to conflict, but one of these pre-
requisites is required for conflict to come to
surface. For conflict to come to surface, the
preconditions may be put under the following
three categories.
• Communication
• Structure
• Personal Variables
14. Stage II: Cognition and
Personalization
• This second stage does not come into force unless and until the
conditions stated in the first stage affect a party negatively. The
chances of incompatibility and opposition immediately come into
action when a person is negatively affected about something that
he cares for.
• As stated in our discussion earlier, for conflict to happen there has
to be a perception which may differ from other people’s
perception. Only then will conflict take place. Hence, the
antecedent conditions must be felt by one or more people.
Moreover, it is a point worth noting that if a conflict is a perceived
one, it does not imply that it is actually prevalent. For e.g. X and Y
may disagree with each other. Still they may not be tensed about it.
It may not cause any anxiety. It may not even be able to affect their
affection for each other. It is only when the parties become
emotionally involved and reach the felt conflict level that they begin
to experience hostility, tension, anxiety and frustration.
15. Stage III: Intentions
• Once conflict has emerged out of communication,
structure and personal variables; and the concerned
individual has taken cognizance of the same, he tries to
interpret the intentions of the other party. Depending
upon his willingness to be assertive and co-operative,
he may after interpreting the other’s intentions, decide
for one of the following behavior/ reactions:
• To compete,
• To collaborate,
• To avoid,
• To accommodate, and
• To compromise
16. The researcher has identified 5 conflict management
intentions on the basis of 2 dimensions namely:
cooperativeness and assertiveness. Cooperativeness is
the extent to which one party is willing to satiate
concerns of the other party. Assertiveness, on the other
hand, is the extent to which an individual is concerned
about satisfying his own interests. So, the 5 dimensions
of conflict-handling intentions are:
1. Competing - Assertive and uncooperative,
2. Collaborating - Assertive and cooperative,
3. Avoiding - Unassertive and uncooperative,
4. Accommodating - Unassertive and cooperative,
5. Compromising - Midway on assertiveness and
cooperativeness.
17. • Competing: When a person is indifferent about the interests and needs of the
conflicting party and seeks to satisfy his interests only, he is said to be competing. In
simplistic terms, when one wins a game of chance and the other candidate loses, it is
called competing.
• Collaborating: When the conflicting parties make an effort to completely fulfill the
interests of each other, there is harmony and quest for finding a mutually beneficial
conclusion. In collaboration, they do not try to accommodate different viewpoints;
rather they clarify their differences to find out a meaningful solution. Their aim is to
find a win-win solution that allows both the parties to achieve their individual goals
completely. This is called collaboration.
• Avoiding: When a person who is less assertive realizes that there is a conflict, he starts
withdrawing himself from it or begins to suppress it. For e.g. one tries to ignore a
conflicting situation or the person with whom one does not agree. This is called
avoiding.
• Accommodating: When an individual who is less assertive but more cooperative tries to
pacify the other party, he/she willingly tries to give more importance to his opponent’s
interests. It means that he is trying to maintain the relationship by sacrificing his own
interests. This is referred to as accommodating. Here, one party supports the other
party’s opinion even though the former has reservations about it.
• Compromising: When both the parties seek to forgo something, sharing happens and
the outcome is a compromised result. Here, no one is a total winner or loser. Both the
parties here agree to accept incomplete satisfaction of their respective interests by
giving up something.
• Intentions are not always permanent. In the process of conflict, they may undergo
change because of re-consideration. It may also happen as a result of emotional
response to the other party’s behaviour.
18. Stage IV: Behaviour
• Until this stage, the conflict
remains in the mind. Here, it
gets manifested in the
behavior. The conflict becomes
completely evident in this
stage. The conflicting party’s
reactions, statements and
actions come at a surface
here. The conflicting
behaviour here becomes an
apparent effort to administer
the intentions of both the
parties. Such behaviours have
a provocation quality and it is
different from intentions.
19. Stage V: Outcomes
• The action-reaction reciprocation between the conflicting parties has
certain implications. These consequences may be functional and improve
the group’s performance, or may be dysfunctional and bring down the
performance of the group.
• Functional Outcomes: It is difficult to imagine how aggression can be
useful. There are numerous instances and examples that help us in
understanding that low and moderate levels of conflict can be used to
improve and aggravate group performance. The conflict related to task
and performance is considered here. The ones related to relationships are
excluded.Functional conflict has implications in the form of improved
decisions, innovation and creativity among individuals and groups,
increase in curiosity and interest in the group. Problems are aired leading
to release of tension, an environment of introspection is created and
change in fostered. Conflict confronts the present state of affairs and
instills development of new ideas. It advocates revaluation of group goals
and activities. In this process the group starts reciprocating to change.
20. • Dysfunctional Outcomes: The damaging outcomes of conflict
and their impact on the performance of a group or an
organization are known to all. If protest, discontentment,
opposition and restlessness is uncontrolled, it leads to
bitterness. This bitterness mitigates all cordial relations and
ties. It may reach such a level that it ultimately breaks the
group. Effectiveness of the groups, cohesiveness, and
communication all start retarding. Survival of the group
becomes a big challenge.
21. Methods for resolving conflicts
1. Win-win outcomes occur when each side of a dispute feels they have
won. Since both sides benefit from such a scenario, any resolutions to the
conflict are likely to be accepted voluntarily. The process of integrative
bargaining aims to achieve, through cooperation, win-win outcomes.
2. Win-lose situations result when only one side perceives the outcome as
positive. Thus, win-lose outcomes are less likely to be accepted
voluntarily. Distributive bargaining processes, based on a principle of
competition between participants, are more likely than integrative
bargaining to end in win-lose outcomes--or they may result in a situation
where each side gets part of what he or she wanted, but not as much as
they might have gotten if they had used integrative bargaining.
3. Lose-lose means that all parties end up being worse off. Cuts are
essential--the question is where they will be made and who will be
hurt. In some lose-lose situations, all parties understand that losses are
unavoidable and that they will be evenly distributed. In such situations,
lose-lose outcomes can be preferable to win-lose outcomes because the
distribution is at least considered to be fair.
