WORKPLACE CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND MANAGEMENT
Frederick Pokoo-Aikins MSc. AMC, CIA, CISA, ACFE
Overview
Objectives of this session What is conflict? Desirability of conflict Sources of conflict Types and categories of conflict Impact of conflict Conflict management
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
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.
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 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. Leads to conflict between the managers and workers.
Task Interdependencies:
one
member of a group fails to finish a task that another depends on. This makes the worker that is waiting fall
Sources of conflict
Incompatible Evaluation or reward system:
workers
are evaluated for one thing, but are told to do something different. Groups rewarded for low cost but firm needs higher service.
managers
Scarce Resources:
can conflict over allocation of resources. When all resources are scarce, managers can fight over allocations.
some
Status inconsistencies:
groups have higher status than others. Leads to managers feeling others are favored.
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: occurs across organizations. Managers in one firm may feel another is not
Categories of conflict
Categories
Issue based conflict Personality based conflict
Impact of conflict - Negative
Mission incomplete Destroys morale Polarizes groups Deepens differences in values Produces irresponsible and regrettable behavior
Impact of conflict - Positive
Opens issue of importance Increases the involvement of individuals Causes authentic communications to occur Results in a solution of the problem Releases pent-up emotion, anxiety, and stress
Figure 16.1
Conflict and organisational performance
Level of Organizational Performance
High B
Low Low Low
A Level of Conflict
C High
Toward Conflict Management
Conflict management is defined as the opportunity to improve situations and strengthen relationships (BCS, 2004). proactive conflict management collaborative conflict management
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..
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.
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.
Toward Conflict Management Practical 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.
Toward Conflict Management Practical 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 your team, or 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.
Managing individual conflicts
Increase
Can
conflict
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
face.
a good view of what others
Conflict solutions
Alter
If
the source of conflict:
due to overlapping authority, managers fix the problem to change the source.
Negotiation:
Parties
use when parties have equal power.
try and find a common ground by considering various alternatives. Distributive negotiation: parties see there is a fixed resource base.
For them to gain, the other must lose.
Integrative
negotiation: parties can increase total resources by coming up with a new solution.
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?
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? What will be the biggest obstacles to this new behavior?
Three things to avoid when confronting a difficult person:
Overreacting Complaining Lecturing
The end!!!
Questions?
