DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
PONDICHERRY UNIVERSITY

ANALYSIS OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES IN TEAMS

Submitted To: Dr. R. P. Raya

PROJECT REPORT

Submitted By
KAMALAKKANNAN G ARVARIYA

GAURAV KUMAR SUSHIL SHAKYA

Section B

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The successful completion of any task would be

incomplete without mentioning the names of the persons who helped to make it possible. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude in a few words to all those who helped me in the completion of this project. I convey my sincere thanks to Dr. R. P. RAYA for giving this opportunity to have such a study about Conflict Management. I express my sincere thanks and deep sense of gratitude to Team leads Mr. Mohan (CTS), Mr. Sathish Kumar (Wipro) and Mr. Sonu Dass (Syntel Inc.,) for permitting us to conduct the study on their Organization. I sincerely thank my friends for giving timely advice in all the aspects for the success of this project work.

CONTENTS

S. No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Executive Summary Introduction

TITLES

Page No. 1 2 3 4 6 9 10 12 15 17 19

The Conflict Management Process Strategies for Conflict Management Ways People Deal with Conflict Objectives Research Methodology Data Analysis Correlation Analysis Conclusion Questionnaire

EXECUTIVE SUM MERY

Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS), Wipro & Synt el Inc are three reputed organization in IT Sector. They provide Software Solutions, BPO works in and around world. Th ese MNCs are playing a major part in US outsourcing works.

The Objective of he project is to identify and compare the conflict management styles followed in the teams of each comp any. Computing Correlation Analysis on th e data collected on their Conflict Man agement Styles.

If the Conflict is m anaged in a way that brings out positive effect then the productivity of the organization would be increased. It also increases the self awareness about onflict modes, conflict communication skills, and establishing a structure f or management of conflict in your environment.

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INTRODUCTION
Conflict is a fact of life . Although many people think onl y of its ugly or unfortunate results, som e conflict is actually necessary and goo d. It all depends on how a particular conflict is handled.

What is Conflict?
A process that be gins when one party perceives that a nother party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affects something that first cares about. Conflict occurs w hen there are two or more competin g responses to a single event. Is a process that begins when one party perceives tha t another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, som ething that the first party cares about. Conflicts must be perceived by the parties to it; whether or not conflict exists is a perception issue. If no one is aware of a conflict, then it is enerally agreed that no conflict exist. Conflict can be a serious problem in an organization. It can create chaotic condi tions that make it nearly impossible f or employees to work together on the other hand; conflict also has a well know n positive side.

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THE CONFLICT MANA GEMENT PROCESS What is conflict management?

Conflict may be d efined as a struggle or contest betw een people with opposing needs, ideas, b eliefs, values, or goals. Conflict on teams is inevitable; however, the results of conflict are not predetermined. Conflic t might escalate and lead to non-productive results, or conflict can be beneficia lly resolved and lead to quality final prod ucts. Therefore, learnin g to manage conflict is integral to a high-performance team. Although very few people go looking for conflict, more often than not, conflict results because f miscommunication between peopl e with regard to their needs, ideas, beliefs, goals, or values. Conflict management is the principle that all conflict s cannot necessarily be resolved, but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of nonproductive esca lation. Conflict managem ent involves acquiring skills rela ted to conflict resolution, self-awareness about conflict modes, conflict comm unication skills, and establishing a structu re for management of conflict in your environment.

How do people respond to conflict? Fight or Flight?

Physiologically we respond to conflict in one of two wa ys we want to get away from the conflict or we are ready to take on anyone who comes our way. Think for a moment

about when you are in conflict. Do you want to leave or do you want to fight when a conflict presents itself? Neither physiological response s good or badits personal res ponse. What is
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important to learn, regardless of our initial physiological respo nse to conflict, is that we should intention ally choose our response to conflict. Whether we feel like we want to fight or flee when a conflict arises, we can deliberately choose a conflict mode. By consciously choosing a conflict mode instead of to conflict, we are more likely to productively contribute to solving the problem at hand.

STRATEGIES FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Larson and Grays list of five strategies for managing dysfunctio nal conflict provides a good summar y of approaches. Mediation: The goal is to identify multiple possible alternatives and to mutually select one that is acceptable to all involved parties and in the in terest of project objectives. Arbitration: This strategy requi res the project manager to provide a safe and productive opportunity f or the conflicted parties to air their disagreements. After careful attention an d fully listening to each party, the project manager should formulate, define, and provide a solution to the parties. This strategy is based on the forcing app roach to conflict described earlier. Arb itration can often be effectively comb ined with mediation by forcing an initial conflict solution and then allowin g the parties to negotiate to a more m utually acceptable alternative.

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Control: Based on the smoo thing approach described earlier, this strategy seeks to bring tension and emotions down to a level at which produc tive discussion and negotiation can occur. Humour is often an effective tool, ass well as the use of temporary breaks or time-outs in the discussions between c onflicted parties. Acceptance: The decision can b e made that the conflict consequences are negligible relative to project objectives and, therefore, require no action. This strategy carries significant risk of later escalation and should be combin ed with specific plans for monitoring the situation to ensure that the conflict remains at an acceptable level. Elimination: Finally, the e limination strategy is reserved for tho se conflicts that have become so dysfunctional that the project can no longer to lerate any impacts from them. Ofte n a last resort, elimination involves the removal of the conflicted parties from involvement with the project.

What factors can affect our conflict modes?

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Gender Self-concept Expectations Situation Position (Power) Practice Determining the best mode Communication skills Life experiences

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The Conflict Managem ent Process

WAYS PEOPLE DEAL W ITH CONFLICT

There is no one be st way to deal with conflict. It depends on the current situation. Here are the major ways that people use to deal with conflict.

The Turtle (WITHDRAWI NG) Turtles withdraw into their shells to avoid conflicts. Th ey give up their personal goals and relationships. They stay away from the issues over which the conflict is taking pla ce and from the persons they are n conflict with. Turtles believe it is hope less to try and resolve conflicts. They feel helpless. They believe it is easier to withdraw (physically and psychologically) from a conflict than to face it.

The Shark (FORCING) Sharks try to overpower opponents by forcing them o accept their solutions to the conflict. Their goals are highly importan t

to them and
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relationships of minor i mportance. They seek to achieve t heir goals at all costs. They are not con cerned with the needs of others. The y do not care if others like or accept the m. Sharks assume that conflicts are either won or lost and they want to be t he winner. This gives them a sens e of pride and achievement. Losing giv es them a sense of weakness, inadeq uacy and failure. They try and win by atta cking, overpowering, overwhelming and intimidating others.

The Teddy Bear (SMOOTHING) To teddy bears th e relationship is of great importance while their own goals are of little importa nce. Teddies want to be accepted an d liked by other people. They think that conflict should be avoided in favour of harmony and that people cannot discuss conflicts without damaging relation ships. They are afraid that if a conflict continues, someone will get hurt and th at could ruin the relationship. They give up their goals to preserve the relationship. They like to smooth things over.

The Fox (COMPROMISING) Foxes are moderately concerned with their own goals and their relationships with others. They give up part of their own goa ls and persuade others in a conflict to gi ve up part of theirs. They seek a co nflict solution in which both sides gain so mething - the middle ground between two extreme positions. They compr omise; they will give up a part of their goal and relationship in order to find agreement for the common good.

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The Owl (CONFRONTING) Owls highly value t heir own goals and relationships. Th ey view conflicts as problems to be solved and seek a solution that achieves bot h their own and the other person's goals. Owls see conflicts as a mean s of improving relationships by reducin g tension between two people. They try to begin a discussion that identifies the conflict as a problem to be sol ved. By seeking solutions that satisfy eve ryone, owls maintain the relationshi p. They are not happy until a solution is found that both satisfies everyones go als and resolves the tensions and negativ e feelings that may have been present.

Conflict Manageme nt Style Withdrawal / Avoidance Smoothing / Accommod ating Compromising Forcing / Competing Problem Solving / Collaboration

Producti vity Tempora ry (Fails to Re solve)

Provides Resolution

Some Conflicts they face while executing a task: 1) Role conflict 2) Conflict in Selectio n of Ideas 3) Conflict in resource scarcity

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OBJECTIVES The main objecti ve of the study is to find the co nflict resolution strategies followed in 3 reputed concerns 0Other objectives of the study are compare the strategies with other 2 companies of the same sector 0Suggesting ways to handle the conflict efficiently

Conflict Management

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research design: A research design is ba sic frame work or plan for a study that guides the collection of data and an alysis of the data. The research design adop ted here is Descriptive. Descriptive research: Descriptive studie s, as their name implies, are desig ned to describe something (Conflict Resolution Strategies). Sampling plan: Data Researcher design Researcher instrum ent Method of contact Sampling method: Judgement Sampli ng Sampling Unit The Project Team : : : : Primary data Survey method Questionnaire Personal / E-mail / Telep honic

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Sampling Area Three IT Companies in different location. Cognizant, Coimbatore Syntel Inc., C hennai Wipro, Mys ore

Sample Size
15 Team members 3 Team Leads SCOPE & LIMITATIONS of the study Scope of the study Conflict in a team is directly proportional to the roductivity of a concern. Addressing tho se conflicts in a structured way will enhance the efficiency of the function ing of the team. So study must be m ade in order to increase the competitive ness of the firm in the fast changing market.

Limitations of the Study 0The study w as carried out with only 3 Teams 0Sample size is limited to 15 Team members and 3 Team Leads due to time constrains.

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DATA ANALYSIS:
Conflict Management St yle followed by a Team in COGNIZAN T

10.00% WITHDRAWING 40.00 % FO RCING SM OOTHING COOMPROMISIN G CO NFRONTING

50.00%

Description: 0Team Lead falls un der COMPROMISING Category 0Resolution process is Compromising Person well facilitated under a

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Conflict Management St yle followed by a Team in SYNTEL INC.

25%
WITHDRAWING

50 %

FORC ING SMOO THING COMPROMISIN G CONF RONTING

25%

Description: 0Team lead falls und er CONFRONTING type. 0Confronting type relationships. values both resolving and

0Negotiation of conflicts with the concern is his strategy ( as per interaction with hi m)

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Conflict Management St yle followed by a Team in WIPRO

14.28 %

14.28% WITHDR AWING FORCIN G SMOOTH ING COMPRO MISING CONFRO NTING

71.42%

Description: 0Team lead is partially Confronting and Smoothing

0As per the categor y the leader might be valuing relationship a bit more

0Negotiating conflict along with smoothing is the overall strategy of the team.

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CORRELATION ANALYSIS
No. of Companie s 1 2 3

X
Xi Yi

Y
(Yi-Y)

(X i-

X)

(Yi

- Y)

(X i-

(Xi -

X (Yi-

3.3 3.3 3

3.75 3 3

-0.15 -0.15 0.3

0.5 -0.25 -0.25

0.0225 0.0225 0.09

0 .25 0.0625 0.0625

0.075 0.0375 0.075

Total

10.35 9.75

0.135 0.375

0.112 5

Value of Cognizant = 3.3 , Xi = Company 1

Value of Syntel = 3.7 , Yi = company 2 Value of Wipro = 3.0

= Mean of Xi ,

= Mean of Yi

(Pearsons coefficient of c

orrelation)

(Xi-

X)(Yi-Y)
2

[(Xi -

X)

] [(Xi - Y) ]
2

(Pearsons coe fficient of correlation)

= 0 .5

The combination of the hypotheses to test the significance of r is shown below :

Ho : r = 0 ( the two vari ables are not associated.)

H1 : r 0 (the two variables are associated.)
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The value of the t static to test the significance of r is computed below:

[((1- r2)

/ (

n-2)

)]

The calculated value of t static (- 0.57) is less than table t static (12.706) Hence, the null hypo thesis is accepted .This means th at the correlation coefficient of the p roblem is not significant. Hence the association between the two varia bles is not significant.

INFERENCE From the above calculati on the following styles are obtained:

There is no Correla tion between the conflict mana gement styles followed by any two teams.

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CONCLUSION
The teams which w e had taken as Sample Size are Succe ssful in their Organization. The Conflict Management Techniques followed by all the three teams are different. There is no single solution to conflicts. Each one of them is unique and has to be handled differently. But there are some general rules or approaches to a conflict. You need a wide variety of ways to deal with those who disagree with you if you want to be effective. 0You sometim es need to change your style or appro ach to work with the per son who disagrees with you. 0Using collab oration or compromise as often as pos sible makes for more effective decision making.

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RECOMMENDATION
Managers should: 0Monitor employees work to assist them to understand and coordinate their actions. 0Encourage employees to approach you when they cannot solve difficulties with co-workers on th eir own. 0Clear the air with reg ular meetings that give employees a chance to discuss their grievances. 0Provide a suggestion box, check it frequently, and perso nally reply to all singed suggestions. 0Offer as much information as possible about decisio ns to minimize confusion and resent ment. 0Use employee surveys to identify potential conflicts th at have not yet surfaced. 0Listen carefully misunderstanding. to employees to prevent

In an Alliance t here is always a give and take policy

- by Kamal Nath

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CONFLICT STYLES QUESTIONNAIRE

How do you act in conflicts? The proverbs listed below can be thought of as some of the different strategies for resolving conflict. Read each of the proverb s and using the following scale score how typical each is of your actions when in conflict. 1 - Never does this, 2 - seldom do this, 3 - sometimes do this , 4 - frequently do this, 5 - usually do this SCOR E 1. It is easier to refrain than to retreat from a quarrel 2. If you cannot make a person think as you do, make him or h er do as you think 3. Soft words win hard h earts 4. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours 5. Come now and let us reason together 6. When two quarrel, the person who keeps silent first is the most praiseworthy 7. Might overcomes righ t 8. Smooth words make s mooth ways 9. Better half a loaf than no bread at all 10.Truth lies in knowledge, not in majority opinion 11.He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day 12.He hath conquered w ell that hath made his enemies flee 13.Kill your enemies with kindness
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14.A fair exchange brings no quarrel 15.No person has the fin al answer but every person has a piece to contribute 16.Stay away from people who disagree with you 17.Fields are won by tho se who believe in winning 18. Kind words are worth much and cost little 19.Tit for tat is fair play 20.Only the person who is willing to give up their monopoly o n truth can profit from the truths that others hold 21.Avoid quarrelsome people as they will only make your life miserable 22.A person who will not flee will make others flee 23.Soft words ensure ha rmony 24.One gift for another makes good friends 25.Bring your conflicts i nto the open and face them directly; only then will the best solutio n be discovered 26.The best way of hand ling conflicts is to avoid them 27.Put your foot down w here you mean to stand 28.Gentleness will trium ph over anger 29.Getting part of what you want is better than not getting anything at all 30.Frankness, honesty and trust will move mountains 31.There is nothing so i mportant you have to fight for it 32.There are two kinds of people in the world, the winners and the losers 33.When one hits you with a stone, hit him or her with a piece of cotton 34.When both give in ha lfway, a fair settlement is achieved 35.By digging and digging, the truth is discovered

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