Module Seven Reaction Paper
John.01
Chapter10Slides.pptxChapter 10: Managing Conflict
Introduction
Workplace conflicts are often not productive
Take time away from one’s job
Take time away from providing customer service
Strained emotion often lingers
Conflict can lead to innovation and creativity
Conflict must be managed – not ignored
Conflict Defined
An expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties, who perceive incompatible goals, scarce rewards or resources or expectations that are not being met, and interference from the other party or parties in achieving their goals
Conflict vs. Difference of Opinion
Interdependent parties
Incompatible goals
Interference
If we perceive something, we will often act as if it is true
Managing Conflict
Dimensions of Conflict
History: experiences with the party or other conflicts
Source: can be the other person or something less personal
Perceptions: assumptions and prejudices often make us think something is true even if it is not
Emotions: controlling emotions in a positive manner can lead to positive conflict resolution
Behavior: good, controlled behavior can move us toward positive results
Effective vs. Dysfunctional Responses
Differentiation: “Parties raise the conflict issues and spend sufficient time and energy clarifying positions, pursuing the reasons behind those positions, and acknowledging their differences stage determines differences” (Stutman, 2009, p. 14)
Opportunities to develop understanding during this stage
Case Study: Zest Manufacturing Wars
A small group of managers met for their weekly meeting, and conflict arose
Two managers were at odds because both failed to ask for rationale and allowed their emotions to flare
A third manager facilitated a conversation to help both parties see how to resolve the conflict
Perception was key; both managers perceived that the other was questioning their ability to do their job
Have their been times when emotion influenced your perception of something? Did it help or hurt?
Conflict Within the Organization
Personality conflicts: arise out of differences in the collection of qualities that make people who they are but that also don’t meet our expectations
Role confusion: lack of clarity over expectations of our position or fulfilling our job duties
Intragroup conflict: conflict within a group
Intergroup conflict: conflict between two or more groups
Intraorganizational conflict: conflict within an organization
Critical Thinking Questions - Conflict
Why does conflict often escalate so quickly?
In today’s modern society, what other potential sources of conflict within organization can you think of?
Styles of Dealing with Conflict
Avoiding
Those who prefer avoidance recognize a conflict exists, but tend to want to withdraw from, ignore, or suppress it
Low concern for satisfying concerns of themselves or others
Can be useful when issues are trivial, there is no chance of satisfying your concerns, or disruption outweighs benefits of resolution
Competing
Individuals who use competition place their own concerns as more important than the concerns of others
“I win, you lose” approach
Can work when quick action is necessary
Can spur creativity and innovation
Can lead to one-sidedness and harmful for building trust
Accommodation
The opposite of competing
Putting one’s needs and concerns aside in order to focus on concerns and needs of others
Useful when one is wrong about an issue, or an issue is far more important to others, maintaining cooperation as a goal
Compromise
Often considered the best strategy because it is in the middle of the grid
Both parties get something without excessive disruption
Balance of loss and gain can be useful and seen as fair
Often leaves both parties feeling dissatisfied
Collaboration
Ideal because of a high concern for needs of all parties involved
Win-win result is the goal
Collaborative people help to solve problems by being creative and looking for joint gains
Trust is an important component of collaborative processes
Strategic Objectives
We need to consider the importance of the relationship as well as our goals and desires as we decide which tactic to use
Managing conflict requires the ability to recognize the tactics of others and adjust our own tactics to complement and/or counter the other party in an effort to achieve the final goal
Organizational Conflict and Power
Power can determine:
How conflict gets resolved
What goals a group will pursue
How a group’s resources will be distributed
Many conflicts have asymmetrical power
Forms of Power
Formal power is based on an individual’s position in an organization:
Coercive power
Reward power
Legitimate power
Personal power is derived from one’s unique characteristics:
Expert power
Referent power
Critical Thinking Questions - Power
Consider conflicts in which you have been involved where power has been used by either yourself or the other party
Was power used in a productive way?
How did the parties to the conflict feel after power was used?
Third Party Intervention
• In the following three special types of organizational conflicts, it is necessary to bring in a third party.
Whistle-blowing, sexual harassment, discrimination
• To deal with conflicts via third party intervention:
Negotiation
Mediator
Arbitration (conventional interest arbitration, final offer arbitration)
Judicial approach
Case Study- Email Fiasco
Phil is unhappy with the hiring of new manager Marshall, and the promotion of Trish
Marshall suggested changing the inventory process, and Trish supported it while Phil did not
Marshall sent an email to the entire company that derided both Trish and Phil
What types of conflict exist in this case?
What other issues contributed to this conflict situation?
Conflict Outside: Dealing with an Angry Public
When conflict has moved outside the organization and we are dealing with a potentially angry public, remember there are some key variables to consider in our response:
What are the facts of the situation?
What emotions are driving the publics’ perception?
What are the contextual variables that create and sustain the crisis?
What are/should be the organizational actions taken in response to the critical event(s)?
Organizations must recognize the various emotions involved and seek to “step into the shoes” of others and understand their varying perspectives
Context Matters
For-Profit Organizations
Dealing with conflict takes time, which can be both positive and negative
Family Entrepreneurship
Conflict can be dealt with more quickly but can also infect an entire organization faster
Nonprofit Organizations
Presence of volunteers complicates conflict processes
Government Sector
Unique rules and guidelines may produce additional interorganizational conflicts
