conflict 2012
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TRANSCRIPT
HR Strategies for the Int Manag
CONFLICT
Definition K.W.Thomas: “ 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”
FUNCTIONAL CONFLICT - supports the goals of the groups and improves its performance
DYSFUNCTIONAL CONFLICT - hinders group performance
THEORIES OF CONFLICT TRADITIONAL VIEW - conflict as harmful and
to be avoided Solution is therefore to look at causes of conflict
and correct these. HUMAN RELATIONS VIEW - conflict as natural
and inevitable Conflict must therefore be accepted
INTERACTIONIST APPROACH - some conflict as absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively
Unitary & Pluralist Frames of Reference: Alan Fox
Unitary view: Firm as a family, team; Management expects undivided loyalty; assumes shared goals & anything different is blamed on the workers
Management view their actions as legitimate which can lead to problems with unions, assertions of authority
Management relies mainly on control & authority
Pluralist View A coalition of interests. Some sections of
the firm only partially loyal to the firm; conflict is inevitable and resistance to change is normal
Management can accept unions & conflict more easily
There is a plurality of power in organisations; power will be used to resolve conflict
Reasons for Dispute Disputes are internal, can be with outside
agencies and can be handled in very different ways
Where there is competition for resources, responsibilities, status, promotions, power
Strategies will differ depending on interest levels, changes in external environment eg competition, leadership, shareholders etc
Reasons continued The environment eg trust? Politics? Most stem from communication problems
and other interpersonal issues, for instance someone being left out of the communication loop, a misunderstanding, a personality clash.
Disputes are inevitable and in international organisations cultural and language differences will exacerbate the problems
Culture & Conflict Anglo cultures believe some level is necessary
to stimulate creativity and initiative (fits in with the philosophy of ‘doing’ and not just being’ - ‘self-development through doing’ cultures)
Tension when well-handled brings new energy/added value
Conflict beyond acceptable limits will be dealt with eg discipline, dismissal
Persons may be in conflict in one area and friendly in another; one needs to compartmentalise
Dispute in Collectivist Culture
‘Being’ cultures’ – see it as threatening harmony of group; disagreements not seen positively
Disputes in one area have repercussions in others Dispute is feared as it may destabilise status quo Hostile takeovers accepted in US but the systems
in Japan eg financial institutions are not in accord Eastern – e.g. Japan greater co-operation to reach
agreement Thai philosophy feels co-operation should be
encouraged much more
Disputes continued Disputes in collectivist countries exist
but are dealt with differently They develop strategies to minimise
threatening aspects of dispute. Mead says open dispute often dealt with by acceptance of latent dispute rather than ‘head on’
Studies & Theories Laurent’s work (’86) showed that 41%
Italian managers felt conflict should be eliminated, 27% French, 4% Swedish. Managers who wanted it eliminated felt threatened by perceived loss of authority eg bypassing line manager
Hofstede (2001 and earlier) – in collectivist societies harmony should be maintained
Hofstede
Collectivist cultures – maintain harmony/avoid direct confrontations
Individualistic cultures – speaking one’s mind= honest person
Collectivist – OPEN dispute discouraged – LATENT dispute tolerated appearance of harmony maintained Confrontation occurs if few risks
Theories continued In cultures where high UA is the norm,
disputes are seen as destabilising. High UA cultures – conflict highly undesirable,
emotionally disapproved of; low readiness to compromise with opponents
Low UA – conflict is natural, competition can be fair and right; greater readiness to compromise with opponents In low UA cultures, competition may be fierce but
reconciliation is usually achieved
Theories continued In masculine cultures, disputes are
often more overt; compromise and negotiation are valued in more feminine cultures
Masculine cultures – conflicts resolved by fighting them out
Feminine – resolved by compromise/ negotiation
Theories continued High PD – latent conflict between
ranks normal peers reluctant to trust each other
Low PD – harmony between powerful/ less valued
peers willing to co-operate
Tolerance Varies across cultures eg Mead’s example of
Thai office of an American manufacturing company. Competition amongst supervisors for manager’s position caused 3 supervisors to leave because of loss of face
Competition encourages new ideas but can be damaging to relationships
Conflict Argument can be constructive when info used
to resolve the situation, personal attacks are avoided; communication is full and accurate; differences are resolved
Conflict occurs when parties are unwilling to accept closure to the competition and argument
Reasons include no perception of common interest; arbitration is unsuccessful; the cost of losing is too high; personality clashes cannot be resolved
Resolving Conflicts Clarifying strategic priorities Flexible structures eg cross discipline teams Good communication systems; avoidance of
ambiguity Discourage personal attacks; concentrate
on the issues Appropriate procedures for dispute
resolution eg in accordance with the culture
Tactics for Dealing with Conflict
Co-operation – Work together to achieve common goals (not necessarily equal)
Collaboration – Parties to a conflict each try to satisfy the concerns of all parties
Avoidance – Ignore the conflict or the people with whom you disagree
Accommodation – One party self sacrifices
Compromise – No clear winners or losers
Culture & Resolution In Anglo cultures, managers must be
willing to confront problems; avoidance & appeasement may work but are normally seen as weakness
Japanese & Chinese more likely to try to resolve through compromise;interpersonal relationships much more important and help to resolve differences
Mediation A superior and an outsider may be asked to
mediate; both sides must accept the decision in advance
Usually try to negotiate so neither party wins everything or loses everything
Popular in collectivist countries eg Indonesia, Singapore
Exists in West but hasn’t been used extensively
Negotiation Every negotiation involves possible conflict
and co-operation eg mergers Negotiator needs to identify those points Sides need to decide what they are willing
to give on and what is their fall back line Is it a short term issue eg a sale or a long
term position eg a partnership?
Negotiation Tactics Where? Alternating? Neutral? When? Timing is critical and needs to
consider other business needs eg business peaks and deadlines; religious holiday? Is data available?
Who? Where trust high more info will be shared; if not, more proof needed
Ethical behaviour, trust, authority, respect, persuasion are important
Tactics continued How big a team? What disciplines needed?
US relies heavily on legal advice Asian countries may have more respect for
older negotiators In international deals, agents who are
more familiar with the culture may help in a good deal of the preparation and in briefing the team
Is someone with final authority to make a decision part of the team?
Outcome – S. Robbins Functional – Improves the quality of decisions;
stimulates creativity and innovations; environment of change; opposes the complacency of group think
Dysfunctional – Reduction in group cohesiveness; subordination of group goals to politicking; increased workload eg additional paperwork to cover themselves; stress, turnover of staff, job losses; failure of firm
Complexities in an International Firm
1. Strategic needs structure, goals, change 2. Complexity – structure, IT, H.O. versus
local; interdepartmental rivalry 3. H.O need for control over subsidiary 4. Size – Need for formality, lack of face to
face contact; time differences 5. Decision making; priorities; resources
H.O. or local?
Complexities continued
6. Different laws, norms, practices, ethical issues
7. Cultural Issues – eg Hofstede’s PD, UA 8. Staffing – Ex-pat vs local; skills; training 9. Salary Differentials – H.O. vs Ex-pat; ex-
pat vs local; loss of work 10. Isolation – Them & us