MGT6430 Organization

Development

Housekeeping
News
Conflict
Myths about conflict
Costs/benefits
Sources of conflict
Levels of conflict
Resolution
Next week: OD Techniques

What are your associations

to the word, conflict ?

Beliefs about conflict

Conflict is generally negative and destructive

It is better to ignore small problems
Recognizing conflict can make it increase
Problems will work themselves out
Conflict is the result of bad management
There are usually single, simple causes of conflict

The Cost of Conflict

Over 65% of performance problems result from
strained relationships rather than skill or motivation
problems
The amount of managerial time spent dealing
with conflict was 30% in 1976 and 42% in 1996
Amount of time wasted during conflict can be as high as
50% of gross salary, defending, avoiding & venting
Chronic unresolved conflict is a decisive factor in 50% of
people leaving, and 90% of involuntary terminations
Projected costs should include estimates of wasted time,
reduced decision quality, loss of skilled employees,
restructuring, sabotage, lowered motivation, lost work time,
and health costs, loss of innovation & initiative.

When it really gets bad

In 1994 18 million cases were filed in US

courts at a cost of $300 billion

20% of Fortune 500 executives time is spent

on litigation related activities

Average cost is $80,ooo per case for wrongful

discharge and employment related suits

Outcomes of Conflict:
The Good, Bad and Ugly
The good
clarify important issues & concerns
abilities and potentials surface
motivate people to do better
provide creative, constructive, innovative ideas
stimulate energy
require new decisions & rules
generate changes to prevent future disputes
facilitate understanding of people & problem
increase trust and improve relationships
and the Bad & Ugly
consumes time & energy
takes people away from primary tasks
promotion of self interest at expense of organization
stress induced illness
lower morale, sabotage, polarization, job dissatisfaction, loss of
productivity, apathy, etc.

Wehrs Conflict Map

Hocker & Wilmot Conflict

Assessment Guide

Thomas Kilmann Conflict

Mode Instrument

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument:

5 styles of conflict

What you need to know

Teambuilding
& conflict style
awareness

Your styles
Interaction of
styles
Implications of
styles
Plan for dealing
with conflict

Types of
conflict

Data
Interests
Structural
Values
Relationships

Level of
conflict

Conflict Management Skills

Problem to solve
Disagreement
Contest
Fight/flight
intractable

Conflict Analysis

Concisely describe the conflict situation (who, what, sources

of conflict, stage, symptoms, etc.)

Describe the dynamics of the situation that enabled the

conflict to emerge and prevented it from resolution (history,
norms, stakeholders, crises, etc.)

Identify what efforts toward resolution were attempted (what

worked and didnt, why?)

What would you recommend (do what, with whom, your

rationale)