Workplace Conflict -
Strategies & Management
Agenda
◦ What is Conflict ?
◦ What workplace conflict means ?
◦ Different views and levels of conflict.
◦ Causes of conflict in the workplace.
◦ Different styles of Conflict management and the conflict resolution
process.
What is Conflict?
◦ Conflict is a condition that exists anytime two or more people
disagree over an issue or situation.
◦ Conflict refers to some form of friction, disagreement, or discord
arising within a group when the beliefs or actions of one or more
members of the group are either resisted by or unacceptable to one
or more members of another group.
◦ Conflict is inevitable and often good.
◦ Conflict is not the same as discomfort. The conflict isn't the problem
- it is when conflict is poorly managed that is the problem
What is Workplace Conflict?
◦ Organizational conflict or workplace conflict, is a state of
discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of
needs, values and interests between people working
together. Conflict takes many forms in organizations.
◦ Workplace conflict is disagreement or opposition
between/among individuals, teams or departments in an
organization.
◦ Conflict is a natural phenomenon, neither inherently good or
bad, but there may be positive or negative outcomes.
1. Traditional View
Views About Conflict 2. Human Relations View
3. Inter - Actionist View
•This approach assumes that all conflicts hamper performance.
•Conflicts occur due to poor communication, lack of openness and trust
Traditional between people, and the failure of managers to be open to their employees.
View
• This approach assumes that conflicts occur naturally in all groups and
organizations.
Human • It is natural and cannot be avoided, hence it should be accepted.
Relations • It cannot be removed and it may play a role in group performance.
View
• This approach encourages conflict because it believes that a peaceful and
cooperative group may become constant and may not respond to the need for
change and innovation.
Inter - • Group leaders should maintain sufficient conflict so that the group remains
Actionist creative and self-critical.
View
Intrapersonal
Levels of Conflict Level
Interpersonal
Level
Inter – Group Level
Inter –
Organizational
Level
Involvement Levels Of Conflict
Inter –
Intrapersonal Interpersonal Inter – Group
Organizational
Level Level Level
Level
Conflict between two or Conflict among Conflict between firms
Conflicts involve the
more individuals who members of different that operate in the
individual alone
are against one another teams or groups same markets
Approach – Approach Conflict:
It occurs when a person has to choose between two positive and equally attractive alternatives.
E.G.: Choosing between promotion in the organization or a new job with another firm.
Avoidance – Avoidance Conflict:
It occurs when a person has to choose between two negative and equally unattractive alternatives.
E.G.: To make a choice between accepting a job transfer to another town or have the employment terminated.
Approach – Avoidance Conflict:
It occurs when a person has to choose between something that has both positive and negative results.
E.G.: Accepting or not accepting a job with a higher pay but with increased responsibilities that demand a lot of
personal time.
Misunderstandings
Personality Clashes
Competition for
Resources
Authority Issues
Causes of Conflict
Lack of Co-operation
Differences of Opinion
Low Performance
Values / Goal
Differences
Managerial Actions That Cause
Workplace Conflicts
Poor Insufficient Working Conflicting Leadership
Communications Resources Compatibility Values Problems
Avoid the person
Change the subject
Try to understand the other person’s
point of view
Find a judge / arbitrator
Play the martyr
Give in
Apologize
Typical Responses
To Conflict Whine / Complain
Fight it out
Pretend to agree
Try to find common ground
Admit that you are wrong
Turn the conflict into a joke
Work toward a mutually agreeable
solution
Constructive Conflict
Results in clarification of important problems and
issues
Results in solutions to problems
Involves people in resolving issues important to
them
Causes authentic communication
Conflict Is
Constructive
When It Helps release emotion, anxiety, and stress
Builds cooperation among people through learning
more about each other
Joining in resolving the conflict
Helps individuals develop understanding and skills
Destructive Conflict
Takes attention away from other important activities
Undermines morale or self-concept
Conflict Is
Polarizes people and groups, reducing cooperation
Destructive
When It
Increases or sharpens difference
Leads to irresponsible and harmful behavior, such as
fighting, name-calling
Helps to raise
and address
problems
Energizes work
to be on the
Improves
most
communication
appropriate
issues
Advantages
of Conflict
Helps people
Helps people
learn how to
"be real", for
recognize and
example, it
benefit from
motivates them
their
to participate
differences
Lost work
time and
productivity
Legal costs Lost
due to employees /
litigation high turnover
Disadvantages
of Conflict
Damage to
Health costs
organization
due to stress
reputation
Lowered job Sabotage,
motivation theft, damage
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES
Force
• It is a victory achieved due to force, superior skill, or domination of one party.
• It is a win-lose situation.
Avoidance
• In avoidance, every one shows that the conflict does not really exist and hopes
that it will finish.
Accommodation
• It involves hiding the differences between the conflicting parties and showing
areas of agreement.
Compromise
• It involves appreciation by all conflicting parties that something is wrong and
needs attention.
Collaborative
• It occurs when each party gives up something for the sake of the other.
• It is a win – win situation.
Approach Objective Your Position Supporting Likely Outcome
Rationale
Forcing Get your way. “I know what’s right. It is better to risk You feel vindicated, but
Don’t question my causing a few hard other party feels
judgment or authority.” feelings than to abandon defeated and possibly
a position you are humiliated.
committed to.
Avoiding Avoid having to deal “I’m neutral on that Disagreements are Interpersonal problems
with conflict. issue. Let me think inherently bad because don’t get resolved,
about it.” they create tension. causing long-term
frustration manifested
in a variety of ways.
Accommodating Don’t upset the other “How can I help you feel Maintaining harmonious Other person is likely to
person. good about this relationships should be take advantage of you.
encounter? My position our top priority.
isn’t so important that it
is worth risking bad
feelings between us.”
Compromising Reach an agreement “Let’s search for a Prolonged conflicts Participants become
quickly. mutually agreeable distract people from conditioned to seek an
solution.” their work and engender expedient, rather than
bitter feelings. effective solution.
Collaborating Solve the problem “This is my position. The positions of both Participants find an
together. What is yours? I’m parties are equally effective solution.
committed to finding the important (though not
best possible solution.” necessarily equally
valid).
Equality emphasis
should be placed on the
quality of the outcome
and the fairness of the
decision-making.
It’s common that a person uses
more than one style, depending on
the need of the situation, but
usually one style dominates.
CONFLICT
RESOLUTION
PROCESS
Managing conflict constructively depends in large measure
on clear, open, and honest communication
Conflict Resolution Process
Find a good time and place to talk
Discuss the problem - Clarify issues
Brainstorm - generate a variety of
options
Choose a solution that works the best
and suits everybody's need
Try the solution (If it doesn’t work, go
back to step three and renegotiate)
Thank You
