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˜ ³Conflict is a —
 —
  
among parties that differ in interest,
perceptions, and preferences.´


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G eams in engineering require both 

and
   competencies
G
reakdowns in either skill can cause team
disruption
G herefore, conflict management skills are vital to
team harmony and productivity

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˜ Differences in beliefs, values, & expectations often are

the main cause of conflict.
˜ Conflict may arise when:
wo members or sub-groups use different sources or
interpret the same source differently
Members or sub-groups have different or sometimes
conflicting objectives
here are differing views on how logistics should be
managed
here is a lack of authority structure or hierarchy
he team is in the ³storming´ stage of development
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p  Vot all
conflict is
˜ morces members/subgroups to negative
discuss their differing viewpoints
˜ Often results in mutual
understanding
˜ Helps a team to achieve its goals
Example: Member A wants to use
Method I while Member
wants to use
Method 2 to design a necessary
component
-esulting discussion clarifies A &
s
viewpoints and a decision is reached †
D Conflict that
 


 
p  ——   is
negative
˜ Is a hindrance to the team
˜ Leads to reduced productivity and morale
˜ Should always be addressed and never
ignored
Example: Member A wants to exclude
Member
from future meetings because
Member
often is late to meetings
-esulting discussion reduces team
resources for project completion

M
†
 


 
˜ Avoidance
˜ Competition (A)
˜ Accommodation (
)
˜ Compromise (C)
˜ Collaboration (D)

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I win, you lose (competition²A)
I lose or give in (accommodate²
)
We both get something
(compromise²C)
We both ³win´(collaborate²D)
A
C D

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˜ Ylus
he winner is clear
Winners usually experience gains
˜ Minus
Establishes the battleground for the
next conflict


  
 
˜ Ylus
Curtails conflict situation
Enhances ego of the other
˜ Minus
Sometimes establishes a precedence
Does not fully engage participants

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˜ Ylus
Shows good will
Establishes friendship
˜ Minus
Vo one gets what they want
May feel like a dead end

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˜ Ylus
Everyone ³wins´
Creates good feelings
˜ Minus
Hard to achieve since no one knows
how
Often confusing since players can
³win´ something they didnt know
they wanted

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˜ Managing conflict means you need to
develop several styles and decide
which is valuable at any given point of
conflict

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u  
p 
˜
uild good relationships before conflict occurs
˜ Do not let small problems escalate; deal with them as
they arise
˜ -espect differences
˜ Listen to others perspectives on the conflict situation
˜ Acknowledge feelings before focussing on facts
˜ mocus on solving problems, not changing people
˜ If you cant resolve the problem, turn to someone who
can help
˜ -emember to adapt your style to the situation and
persons involved

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