WHAT IS CONFLICT?

Conflict

• Conflict is actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and

interests.

• A conflict can be internal (within oneself) or external (group

or organization dynamics)

– Conflict can refer to wars, revolutions or other struggles,

which may involve the use of force as in the term armed
conflict.
 Sources of Conflict
 Different attitudes, values, perceptions, opinions and
approaches
 Misunderstandings and disagreement about needs, goals,
priorities and interests
 Personality conflicts
 Scarcity of resources
 poor communication
 poor or inadequate organizational structure
 lack of teamwork
 lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities
 TYPES OF CONFLICT / DISPUTE
 Disputes of Right
 Where people or groups are entitled by law, by contract, by previous
agreement or by established practice to certain rights.

 Disputes of right will focus on conflict issues such as employment

contracts, legally enforceable matters or unilateral changes in
accepted or customary practices.

A dispute of rights is, therefore, usually settled by legal decision or

arbitration and not by negotiation.

 Disputes of Interest
 Where the conflict may be a matter of opinion, such as where a person or
group is entitled to some resources or privileges (such as access to
property, better working conditions, etc).

Because there is no established law or right, a dispute of interest will

usually be solved through collective bargaining or negotiation.
 Effects of Conflict

• If conflicts are not resolved early and effectively, they can

easily escalate and result in:

– Low productivity

– Low morale

– Stress

– Other negative outcomes

TURNING CONFLICT INTO OPPORTUNITY

Conflict may also be a positive experience

It can help us see things from diverse perspectives.

Lead to innovative and creative solutions

Challenges us to improve ourselves and our

relationships with others.

Can lead to growth and learning.

 Conflict management
 The practice of recognizing and dealing with disputes in a rational, balanced
and effective way.

 Is a theoretical concept focusing on the limitation, mitigation, and/or

containment of a conflict without necessary solving it.

 Objectives:

 Provides skills to resolve conflict for growth and learning

 Assist individuals in preventing, or resolving conflict before it escalates

and becomes unhealthy.

 Each party to the transaction plays an important role in managing

conflict.

 If conflicts arises, each party should be involved in evaluating selection

appropriate options for resolving the issues.
 Benefits of conflict management

 Greater job satisfaction

 A more productive workplace.

 Early resolution of disputes with no resort to legal process.

 Greater privacy and confidentiality.

 Cost-effectiveness

 Preservation and improvement of relationships

 Greater control over outcomes and, thus, higher satisfaction with

solutions.

 Greater opportunity for win-win resolution

conflict MANGEMENT Strategies

Collaborate or
Negotiate

Accommodate Avoid

Conflict

Compromise Compete
 Avoidance
 The avoidance strategy seeks to put off conflict indefinitely.

 By delaying or ignoring the conflict, the avoider hopes the problem resolves
itself without a confrontation.

 Someone who uses avoidance has the ability to side step problems,
leave issues unresolved, and allow others to take ownership.

If an issue is unimportant avoidance may be the correct strategy.

However, if you continually avoid conflicts it is like a simmering pot

that will eventually boil over.

A person who avoids conflict has a low concern for herself and
for others. In the two-dimensional space they are
uncooperative and unassertive.
 Accommodation
• The accommodating strategy essentially entails giving the opposing side
what it wants.
– The use of accommodation often occurs when one of the parties
wishes to keep the peace or perceives the issue as minor.
– Accommodation is useful when you want to create goodwill or show
reasonableness.
• If it is overused it can result in restricted influence, loss of
contribution, overlooked ideas and anarchy.
• If it is underused it can result in low morale and lack of rapport
among colleagues.

– The skills of an accommodator are selflessness, obedience and

an ability to yield.
 Competition
 Competition operates as a zero-sum game, in which one side wins and other
loses.
 A competitive strategy is good in emergencies or other instances when
quick decisions need to be made.
Competitors use rank, position and influence and state their
positions, opinions and feelings clearly.
When competition is overused the environment is characterized by
a lack of feedback, low empowerment and reduced learning. If
competition is underused, indecision or delayed action could have a
crippling effect on an organization
The competitor is easy to recognize.
Winning is the name of their game and they are only concerned
about their own needs.
They are at the top of the assertiveness scale and low on the
cooperativeness scale.
 Compromise
• The compromising strategy typically calls for both sides of a
conflict to give up elements of their position in order to
establish an acceptable, if not agreeable, solution.
– In compromise each side’s needs are only partially met.

– A compromiser demonstrates skills of moderation and negotiation.

• An overuse of compromise means a loss of the big picture

perspective and lack of trust.

• If it is underused there may be frequent power struggles and

unnecessary confrontations.

– The compromiser is seeking ways to make a deal and meet

halfway.
 Collaboration
• Collaboration works by integrating ideas set out by multiple
people. The object is to find a creative solution acceptable to
everyone
– Sometimes referred to as the ideal alternative, collaboration is high on
the assertiveness and cooperativeness axis.

– A collaborator demonstrates reasonableness and an ability to listen,

understand and empathize.

• Lack of commitment, low empowerment and loss of innovation

can take place when there is insufficient collaboration.

• On the other hand, when collaboration is overused there may be

too much time spent on trivial matters and extra work created as a
result. Collaboration takes time and energy to correctly execute.