Chapter 13 Conflict at WorkNelson & Quick

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

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Emotional intelligence - the ability to manage conflict. It is the power to – control one’s emotions– perceive emotions in others– adapt to change– manage adversity

Consequences of Conflict

PositiveConsequences

NegativeConsequences

Leads to new ideas Diverts energy from work

Stimulates creativity Threatens psychologicalwell-being

Motivates change Wastes resources

Promotes organizationalvitality

Creates a negative climate

Helps individuals & groupsestablish identities

Breaks down groupcohesion

Serves as a safety valve toindicate problems

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

Individualism/

Collectivism

Masculinity/

Femininity

Uncertainty/

Avoidance

Long-term/Short-termorientation

Power/

Distance

• 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

Forms of Conflict in Organizations

Forms of Conflict in Organizations

Intrapersonal conflict - conflict that occurs within an individual

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

Inside the organization

Focal Role

Out

side

the

orga

niza

tion

Employee1

Employee2

Employee3

Potentialemployee

Employee’scolleagues

Client Supervisor

ColleagueSupplier

SuperiorSuperior

rolesenders

Peerrole

senders

Employeerole

sendersBoundary of the organization

J. C. Quick and J. D. Quick, Organizational Stress and Preventive Management, 1997. Reprinted by permission.

Power Relationships in Organizations

Types of powerrelationships

Behavioraltendencies &

problems

Examples ofInterventions

Equal vs. equal Suboptimization Integrate units Teach

negotiating skills

High vs. low Control vs.autonomy

Bureaucratizepower throughrules

Use a differentleadership style

High vs. middle vs. low Role conflict, roleambiguity, stress

Improvecommunication

Clarify tasks Teach power

strategies

From W. F. G. Mastenbroek, Conflict Management and Organizational Development , 1987. Copyright John Wiley & Sons Limited. Reproduced with permission.

Defense Mechanisms

Aggressive Mechanisms

Fixation - an aggressive mechanism in which an individual keeps up a dysfunctional behavior that obviously will not solve the conflict

Displacement - An aggressive mechanism in which an individual directs his/her anger toward someone who is not the source of the conflict

Negativism - an aggressive mechanism in which a person responds with pessimism to any attempt at solving a problem.

That won’t work!

Defense Mechanisms

Compromise Mechanisms

Compensation - a compromise mechanism in which an individual attempts to make up for a negative situation by devoting himself/herself to another pursuit with increased vigor

Identification - a compromise mechanism whereby 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 - a withdrawal mechanism that entails physically escaping a conflict (flight) or psychologically escaping (withdrawal)

Conversion - a withdrawal mechanism in which emotional conflicts are expressed in physical symptoms

Fantasy - a withdrawal mechanism that provides an escape from a conflict through daydreaming

Coping with Difficult Behavior

• Stand up for yourself

• Allow run-down time

• Avoid direct confrontation

Superagreeables

• Value them as people

• Compromise & negotiate

• Discern their humor’s hidden meaning

Indecisive stallers

Indecisive stallers

• Raise the issue of the hesitancy

• If you are the problem, ask for help

• Keep action steps in own hands

Hostile/Aggressive

Coping with Difficult Behavior

• Listen attentively

• Acknowledge feelings

• Use problem-solving

Negativists

• Discuss problems; don’t offer solutions

• Be ready to take action alone

• Stay out of their despair

ClamsClams

• Ask open-ended questions

• Wait patiently for a response

• Ask more open-ended questions

Complainers

Coping with Difficult Behavior

• Prepare yourself

• Listen & paraphrase main points

• Question

Balloons

• State facts as your own perception

• Help them save face

• Confront when they are alone

Bulldozers

Know-It-Alls

Information on slides 14-16 adapted from Table 13.3. From Coping with Difficult People by Robert Bramson.

Copyright© 1981 by Robert Bramson. Used by permission of Doubleday, a division of Random House and Carol Mann Literary Agency on behalf of author.

Managing Intrapersonal Conflict

Person-role conflicts Intrarole or interrole conflicts

Ask role senders what they expect

of you

Find out as muchas you can about

the company’s values

Win-Lose versus Win-Win Strategies

Strategy Dept. A Dept. B Organization

Competitive Lose Lose LoseLose Win LoseWin Lose Lose

Cooperative Win- Win- Win

Ineffective Techniques forDealing with Conflict

Nonaction - doing nothing in hopes that a conflict will disappear

Secrecy - attempting to hide a conflict or an issue that has the potential to create conflict

Administrative orbiting - delaying action on a conflict by buying time

Due process nonaction - a procedure set up to address conflicts that is so costly, time-consuming, or personally risky that no one will use it

Character assassination - an attempt to label or discredit an opponent

Effective Techniques forDealing with Conflict

Subordinate GoalsSubordinate Goals

ConfrontingConfronting&&

NegotiatingNegotiating

Expanding Expanding ResourcesResources

Changing Changing StructureStructure

Changing Changing PersonnelPersonnel

ConflictConflictX

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

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

CooperativenessCooperativeness(Desire to satisfy another’s concerns)(Desire to satisfy another’s concerns)

AssertivenessAssertiveness(Desire to satisfy one’s (Desire to satisfy one’s

own concernsown concerns))

Competing Collaborating

Compromising

Avoiding Accommodating

Uncooperative Cooperative

Assertive

UnassertiveK. W. Thomas, “Conflict and Conflict Management,” in M. D. Dunnette, Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 900, (Chicago, IL; Rand McNally, 1976).

Negotiation

Negotiation - a joint process of finding a mutually acceptable solution to a complex conflict

Useful under these conditions– Two or more parties

– Conflict of interest between the parties

– Parties are willing to negotiate

– Parties prefer to work together rather than to fight openly, give in, break off contact, or take the dispute to a higher authority

2 Negotiating Approaches

Integrative Negotiation -Integrative Negotiation -focuses on the meritsfocuses on the meritsof the issues & seeksof the issues & seeks

a win-win solutiona win-win solution

Distributive Bargaining -Distributive Bargaining -the goals of the parties the goals of the parties are in conflict, are in conflict, & each party seeks& each party seeksto maximize its resourcesto maximize its resources

3 Organization Views of Conflict

Belittledifferences

Blame

Seekwin-losesituation

Suspect

Valuediversity

Empower

Seekmutualbenefit

TakeStock

Evadedifferences

Withdraw

ReducerisksDespair

Competitiveconflict

Avoidance ofconflict

Positiveconflict

D. Tjosvold, The Conflict-Positive Organization. 1991 (pages 41/42). Copyright© 1991 by Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc. Reprinted by permission of Addison Wesley Longman.