CONFLICT

MANAGEMENT
-Mrs. Vijaya Puranik
Sinhgad Business School, Pune
“CONFLICT IS A PROCESS IN WHICH
AN EFFORT IS PURPOSEFULLY MADE
BY ONE PERSON OR UNIT TO BLOCK
ANOTHER THAT RESULTS IN
FRUSTRATING THE ATTAINMENT OF
THE OTHERS’ GOALS OR THE
FURTHERING OF HIS/HER
INTERESTS”
TRADITIONAL VIEW OF
CONFLICT
 Conflict is avoidable
 Conflict is caused by troublemakers
 Conflict is an organizational abnormality
 Conflict is potentially dangerous
 Conflict induces mainly negative
outcomes like anger, resentment,
confusion and lack of co-operation
MODERN VIEW OF CONFLICT
 Conflict is inevitable and accepted as a part of an
organisation
 Conflict is desirable for growth
 Conflict is a normal aspect of social intercourse
 Conflicts are not resolved, they are to be managed
 Conflicts prevent stagnation, stimulates interest
and curiosity
 It is a medium through which problems can be
aired and solutions arrived at
 Without conflict, organizations would only be
apathetic, leading to horizontal and not vertical
growth
 Increased
grp Perf.
Conflict
Handling
Perceived Intentions
Conflict Overt
Antecedent 1 Competing Conflict
Anteced
Conditions
ent 2Collaborating Party’s
Conditio
1 Commu. Behavior
ns 3Compromising
2 Structure Others
4 Avoiding
3 Personal reaction
Felt
variables 5Accomodating
Conflict
Decreased
grp perf.
CONFLICT PROCESS
TYPES OF CONFLICTS
INTRAINDIVIDUAL

INTERPERSONAL

INTERGROUP

ORGANIZATIONAL
INTRAINDIVIDUAL CONFLICT
GOAL ROLE
1. Approach- 1. Person-Role
Approach 2. Inter-Role
2. Approach- 3. Intrasender-Role
Avoidance 4. Intersender
3. Avoidance-
5. Role-overload
Avoidance
INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
SOURCES

1. Personal Differences
2. Information Deficiency
3. Role Incompatibility
4. Environmental Stress
The Luft & Ingham Johari window
for
interpersonal relationships

The person knows The person does not know

about himself himself

1 2
Other knows
about the OPEN SELF BLIND SELF
person
Other does not 3 4
know about the UNDISCOVERED
CLOSED SELF
person SELF
 High
Competing Collaborating
Contingency
approach to
conflict
management
Assertiveness
(Motivation to Compromising
satisfy one’s
own interests)

Avoiding Accommodating
Low
Low High
Cooperativeness
(Motivation to satisfy other party’s interests)
 Collaboration as a function of
Perceived Power and Trust

Only I Only he Neither Both

Competition
Coercion Submission
Low Indifference
Individualistic
Exploitation Compliance
Trust task

High Nurturance Dependence Mutual Cooperation

sympathy
Bases of Collaboration and
related interventions
 BASE  INTERVENTION
1. Motivation 1. Motivation
development lab
2. Simulation
exercises
2. Norms 3. Norm setting
exercise
4. Developing norms
of sharing
 5. Temporary systems
3.Reinforcement 6. The appraisal
system
7. Rewarding
collaboration
8. Joint goal setting
4. Superordinate goals
9. Work redesigning
10. Organisation
building
5. Power 11. Power lab
12. Role negotiation
13. Role substantiation
14. Role efficacy lab
6. Trust 15. Process group
16. Nonverbal exercise
17. Simulation exercise
7. Empathy 18. Emfeedback exer.
 19. Role contribution
8. Communication 20. Feedback system
9. Fait Accompli 21. Team building
22. Data feedback
23. Process review
24. Image sharing
25. Role linkage
10. Initiative and risk
Steps
of
Interpersonal Conflict Resolution

Allow time to Analyse

cool off

Leave the State the

person an problem to the
“out” other person
STRATEGIES FOR INTERPERSONAL
CONFLICT RESOLUTION

 Lose-Lose

 Win-Lose

 Win-Win
INTERGROUP CONFLICT
REALISTIC GROUP CONFLICT THEORY (RGCT)

“Intergroup hostility is produced by the existence of

conflicting goals(ie. Competition) and reduced by
the existence of mutually desired superordinate
goals attainable only through intergroup co-
operation.”

Muzafer Sherif
The organisation
as
overlapping role sets

S u p p lie r M a r k e t in g m a n a g e r

P u r c h a s in g a g e n t Production E x e c u t iv e v ic e p r e s id e n t
manager
Accountant

D e s ig n e n g in e e r P e rs o n a l m a n a g e r

S t a t is ic ia n D r a fts p e r s o n E x t e r n a l c o n s u lt a n t
ANTECEDENTS
to
INTERGROUP CONFLICT
Differentiation

Task
Goal Interdependence
Incompatibility
Potential
Conflict

Communication Scarce
Problems Resources

Ambiguity
IMPACT OF INTERGROUP
CONFLICT
1. Clear distinction between ‘we’ and ‘they’
2. Group becomes more cohesive
3. Out-group members are viewed as enemies
4. Intergroup communication decreases. When
there is, it is characterized by –ve comments
and hostility
5. If group is losing in conflict, cohesion
decreases and tension increases.
6. Resulting hostility between groups
ORGANIZATIONAL
ANTECEDENTS TO CONFLICT
 INSTITUTIONALIZE
1. Hierarchical Conflict

2. Functional Conflict

3. Line-Staff
Contd….

 EMERGENT (arises from personal &

social reasons, embracing informal and
non-formal behaviour)
1. Individual versus informal group
2. Formal-Informal
3. Status conflict
4. Political conflict
Structural approaches
to
conflict management
Emphasize
superordinate
goals
Reduce
Clarify rules &
differentiation
procedures Minimizing
Dysfunctional
Contact
Improve communication
Increase resources & understanding

Reduce task
interdependence
Styles of Conflict Management Confronta
tion
Compromi
se

Arbitratio Negotiatio
n n

AVOIDANCE APPROACH
Open to reason Unreasonable
OUTGROUP PERCEIVED AS

Resign Appeasem
ation ent

Withdraw
al Defusion

Having own interests but interested in

Opposed to our interests peace

OUTGROUP PERCEIVED AS
NEGOTIATIONS

Negotiations occur whenever two or

more conflicting parties attempt to
resolve their divergent goals by
redefining the terms of their
interdependence
EMERGING NEGOTIATION
SKILLS
 Establish superordinate goals
 Separate the people from the
problem
 Focus on interests not positions
 Invent options for mutual gains
 Use objective criteria
“In business you don’t get what
you deserve, you get what you
negotiate.”

Charles. L. Karras
GLOBAL NEGOTIATIONS

 Before negotiations it is advisable

to put negotiation infrastructure in
place viz.
 Current Status (SWOT)
 BATNA (Best alternative to a
negotiated agreement)
NEGOTIATION STYLES
 DODGERS
 DREAMERS
 HAGGLERS
 COMPETITORS
 PROBLEM SOLVERS