Workplace Conflict resolution and management

5/4/12 Frederick Pokoo-Aikins Click to edit Master subtitle MSc. AMC, CIA, CISA, ACFE

style

Overview

Objectives of this session What is conflict? Desirability of conflict Sources of conflict Types and categories of conflict Impact of conflict Conflict management
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Objectives

Understand conflict and recognize how your own attitudes and actions impact on others Identify the sources of conflict Discuss the types and categories of conflict Develop coping strategies for dealing with difficult people and difficult situations 5/4/12

What is conflict?

Conflict is an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scare resources, and interference from others in achieving their goals (Wilmot and Hocker, 1998) Conflicts exist whenever incompatible activities occur.
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Desirability of conflict

Conflict helps eliminate or reduce the likelihood of groupthink. A moderate level of conflict across tasks within a group resulted in increased group performance while conflict among personalities resulted in lower group performance (Peterson and Behfar, 2003) Conflict of ideas

Dooley and Fryxell (1999) found that conflict of ideas at the early stage of decision 5/4/12 making (idea formulation) was desirable.

Sources of conflict

Different goals and time horizons:

different groups have differing goals.

Production focuses on efficiency; Marketing on sales.

Overlapping

authority:

two or more managers claim authority for the same activities. to conflict between the managers and workers.

Leads

Task

Interdependencies:

one

member of a group fails to finish a

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Sources of conflict

Incompatible Evaluation or reward system:

workers
Groups

are evaluated for one thing, but are told to do something different. rewarded for low cost but firm needs higher service.

Scarce

Resources:
can conflict over allocation of

managers
When

resources.

all resources are scarce, managers can fight over allocations. 5/4/12

Types of conflict

Interpersonal Conflict: between individuals based on differing goals or values. Intra-group Conflict: occurs within a group or team. Intergroup Conflict: occurs between 2 or more teams or groups. Managers play a key role in resolution of this conflict. Inter-organizational Conflict:5/4/12 occurs

Categories of conflict

Categories

Issue based conflict based conflict

Personality

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Impact of conflict - Negative

Mission incomplete Destroys morale Polarizes groups Deepens differences in values

5/4/12 Produces irresponsible and

Impact of conflict - Positive

Opens up issues of importance Increases the involvement of individuals Causes authentic communications to occur
5/4/12 Results in a solution of the problem

Conflict and organisational performance Figure 16.1

Hig h Level of Organizational Performance B

Lo w

A Lo Lo w w Level of Conflict

C Hig h

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Toward Conflict Management

Conflict management is defined as the opportunity to improve situations and strengthen relationships (BCS, 2004). proactive conflict management collaborative conflict management

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Toward Conflict Management

Blake and Moutons Conflict Grid

Source: Reproduced by permission from Robert R. Blake and Jane Syngley Mouton. The Fifth Achievement. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 6(4), 1970..

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Toward Conflict Management

Blake and Mouton (1970) proposed a grid that shows various conflict approaches. The 1,1 style is the hands-off approach, also called avoidance. The 1,9 position, also called accommodation, is excessively personoriented.
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Toward Conflict Management

The 5,5 position represents a willingness to compromise. The 9,1 is the bullheaded approach, also called competing. The optimum style for reducing conflict is the 9,9 approach, also called collaboration.

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Toward Conflict ManagementPractical Tips

Walker and Harris (1995) offer the following practical tips for implementing the 9,9 style. Encouraging behavior occurs when a team member:
1. Avoids feelings or perceptions that imply the other person is wrong or needs to change. 2. Communicates a desire to work together to explore a problem or seek a solution. 3. Exhibits behavior that is spontaneous and destruction-free.
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Toward Conflict ManagementPractical Tips

4. Identifies with another team members problems, shares feelings, and accepts the team members reaction. 5. Treats other team members with respect and trust. 6. Investigates issues rather than taking sides on them. The same principles can be applied to negotiating with others outside 5/4/12 team, or your with a supplier or customer.

Resolving conflicts

Functional Conflict Resolution: handle conflict by compromise or collaboration between parties.

Compromise: each party concerned about their goal accomplishment and is willing to engage in give and take to reach a reasonable solution. Collaboration: parties try to handle conflict without making concessions by coming up with a new way to resolve differences. Managers also need to address individual sources of conflict.

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Managing individual conflicts

Increase

conflict
Can

awareness of the source of

conflict source can be found and corrected?

Increase
Older

diversity awareness and skills

workers may resent younger workers, or experience cultural differences.

Practice

Job Rotation & Temporary assignments

Provides

a good view of what 5/4/12 face. others

Conflict solutions
Alter
If

the source of conflict:

due to overlapping authority, managers fix the problem to change the source.

Negotiation:
Parties

equal power.

use when parties have

try and find a common ground by considering various alternatives. negotiation: parties see there is a fixed resource base.

Distributive

For them to gain, the other must lose.

5/4/12 negotiation: parties can

Integrative

SelfExploring You and Your Interactions with Others

What do you see as the challenges you face as you interact with others? What do you think are your strengths? List three of your friends. Are they like you or are they different? (Remember to focus on a pattern, not a single behavior) What people do you have the most difficulty interacting successfully with?
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SelfExploring You and Your Interactions with Others

Can you see where some of your traits might cause some of the problems? List some of your tendencies that could jeopardize your interactions with others. What can you change?
5/4/12 What will be the biggest obstacles to

Three things to avoid when confronting a difficult person:

Overreacting Complaining Lecturing

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The end!!!

Questions?

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