 After studying this chapter, you should be

able to:
 Define conflict.
 Differentiate between the traditional, human
relations, and interactionist views of conflict.
 Outline the conflict process.
 Types of Conflicts
 Coping Strategies
 Conflict Management Styles
 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
 That point in an ongoing activity when an interaction
“crosses over” to become an interparty conflict
 Encompasses a wide range of conflicts that
people experience in organizations
 Incompatibility of goals
 Differences over interpretations of facts
 Disagreements based on behavioral expectations
 Traditional View of Conflict
 The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided
 Prevalent view in the 1930s-1940s

 Conflict resulted from:

 Poor communication
 Lack of openness
 Failure to respond to employee needs
 Human Relations View of Conflict
 The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable
outcome in any group
 Prevalent from the late 1940s through mid-1970s
 Interactionist View of Conflict
 The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in
a group but that it is absolutely necessary for a
group to perform effectively
 Current view
Functional Conflict
• Conflict that supports the
goals of the group and
improves its performance

Dysfunctional
Conflict
• Conflict that hinders
group performance
 Task Conflict
 Conflicts over content and goals of the
work
 Low-to-moderate levels of this type are
FUNCTIONAL

 Relationship Conflict
 Conflict based on interpersonal
relationships
 Almost always DYSFUNCTIONAL

 Process Conflict
 Conflict over how work gets done
 Low levels of this type are FUNCTIONAL
 We will focus on each step in a moment…
 Communication
 Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and “noise”
 Structure
 Size and specialization of jobs
 Jurisdictional clarity/ambiguity
 Member/goal incompatibility
 Leadership styles (close or participative)
 Reward systems (win-lose)
 Dependence/interdependence of groups
 Personal Variables
 Differing individual value systems
 Personality types
 Important stage for two reasons:
1. Conflict is defined
▪ Perceived Conflict
▪ Awareness by one or more parties of the existence of conditions
that create opportunities for conflict to arise

2. Emotions are expressed that have a strong

impact on the eventual outcome
▪ Felt Conflict
▪ Emotional involvement in a conflict creating anxiety, tenseness,
frustration, or hostility
 Intentions
 Decisions to act in a given way
 Note: behavior does not always accurate reflect intent
 Dimensions of conflict-handling intentions:
 Cooperativeness
▪ Attempting to satisfy
the other party’s
concerns
 Assertiveness
▪ Attempting to satisfy
one’s own concerns

Source: K. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in M.D. Dunnette and L.M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and
Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668. With permission.
Source: K. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in M.D. Dunnette and L.M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and
Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668. With permission.
Source: K. Thomas, “Conflict and Negotiation Processes in Organizations,” in M.D. Dunnette and L.M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and
Organizational Psychology, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press, 1992), p. 668. With permission.
 Conflict Management
 The use of resolution and stimulation techniques
to achieve the desired level of conflict

 Conflict-Intensity Continuum
Source: Based on S.P. Robbins, Managing Organizational Conflict: A Nontraditional Approach (Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974), pp. 93–97; and F. Glasi, “The Process of Conflict Escalation and the Roles of
Third Parties,” in G.B.J. Bomers and R. Peterson (eds.), Conflict Management and Industrial Relations
(Boston: Kluwer-Nijhoff, 1982), pp. 119–40.
  Bringing in outsiders
 Problem solving
 Restructuring the
 Superordinate goals
organization
 Expansion of resources
 Appointing a devil’s advocate
 Avoidance
 Smoothing
 Compromise
 Authoritative command
 Altering the human variable
 Altering the structural variables
 Communication
 Functional
 Increased group performance
 Improved quality of decisions
 Stimulation of creativity and
innovation
 Encouragement of interest
and curiosity
 Provision of a medium for
problem-solving
 Creating Functional
 Creation of an environment
for self-evaluation and
change
 Dysfunctional
 Development of discontent
 Reduced group effectiveness
 Retarded communication
 Reduced group cohesiveness
 Infighting among group
members overcomes group
goals
Conflict
 Reward dissent and punish
conflict avoiders
 Avoidance
 Competition (A)
 Accommodation (B)
 Compromise (C)
 Collaboration (D)
I win, you lose (competition—A)
I lose or give in (accommodate—B)
We both get something
(compromise—C)
We both “win”(collaborate—D)
A B C D
 Plus
 The winner is clear
 Winners usually experience gains
 Minus
 Establishes the battleground for the next conflict
 May cause worthy competitors to withdraw or
leave the organization
 Plus
 Curtails conflict situation
 Enhances ego of the other
 Minus
 Sometimes establishes a precedence
 Does not fully engage participants
 Plus
 Shows good will
 Establishes friendship
 Minus
 No one gets what they want
 May feel like a dead end
 Plus
 Everyone “wins”
 Creates good feelings
 Minus
 Hard to achieve since no one knows how
 Often confusing since players can “win”
something they didn’t know they wanted
 Managing conflict means you need to
develop several styles and decide which is
valuable at any given point of conflict
 Build good relationships before conflict occurs
 Do not let small problems escalate; deal with them as they arise
 Respect differences
 Listen to others’ perspectives on the conflict situation
 Acknowledge feelings before focussing on facts
 Focus on solving problems, not changing people
 If you can’t resolve the problem, turn to someone who can help
 Remember to adapt your style to the situation and persons involved
 Conflict and Culture
 Japanese and U.S. managers view conflict
differently
 U.S. managers more likely to use competing
tactics while Japanese managers are likely to
use compromise and avoidance
 Conflict can be constructive or
destructive
 Reduce excessive conflict by using:
 Competition
 Collaboration
 Avoidance
 Accommodation
 Compromise