CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Introduction
Conflict management plays a very important role in preventing conflicts among
individuals in any organization. A conflict arises when individuals strongly
oppose each other's opinions and ideas. A conflict starts when individuals think
on different lines and find it very difficult to accept each other's ideas. Conflict
must be avoided as it lowers the productivity as well as morale of the
organization and demotivates the individuals. All the factors leading to a conflict
needs to be identified and the administrator must make efforts to prevent a
conflict. The administrator requires conflict management skills as a conflict in an
organization is not that easy to control.

Meaning
The word conflict originates from the Latin word 'confligere' which means clash,
contend, fight or struggle.

Meaning and Definitions

Early definitions of conflict had focused on a wide variety of different
phenomena (Mack and Snyder, 1957; Fink, 1968), Pondy (1967) had sorted these
definitions into several categories: antecedent conditions, emotions, perceptions
and behaviors.
 Conflict refers to a struggle or contest between people with opposing needs,
ideas, beliefs, values, or goals. Conflict may escalate and lead to nonproductive
results, or disputes can be beneficially resolved and lead to final quality products.
 Conflict is a social situation where two parties have differences in their attitudes,
values, and opinions that may affect the achievement of their goals. Conflicts are
inevitable and need to manage to avoid negative impacts on the individual or
organization.
Factors Influencing Conflict
Factors affecting conflict arc as follows:
 Rules and procedures or constraints upon the interaction process, such as
decision rules and negotiating procedures.
 Complex adaptive system (CAS) of the health-care system and conflict
usually occurs at different levels simultaneously.
 Differences in knowledge, power, and control experienced by the various
disciplines. While most conflicts involve some difference between disciplines
 Work stress that affect employee commitment and the higher level of stress
may cause conflict and job dissatisfaction.
 The religion and languages differences between clients and health-care providers
 Healthcare involves people interacting with other people and thereby issues about
personal or religious values crops up.
 Behavioral predispositions viewed as habits
 Social pressures or normative forces on the conflict parties
 Issues concerning workplace safety can also be the factors of conflict between
health care workers and the organization
 Individual factors such as emotional intelligence, personality, incompetency,
attention deficit affect conflict, conflict management, and commitment to an
organization.
Types of Organizational Conflict
The five types of organizational conflict are as follows:
1. Intrapersonal conflicts: These conflicts occur within the individual due to
frustration, role conflict, and competing goals. The frustrated individuals
behave indifferently and may be antisocial, aggressive, and uncooperative.
These may affect the performance of the individual in the workplace.
2. Interpersonal conflicts: Interpersonal conflict is the conflict between
individuals of the organization. Disputes may arise due to personal
differences in education, experiences, cultural background, personality style,
or the communication gap in the organization. It may also be due to
 incompatible roles and work stress caused by competition, workload, lack of
resources, etc. in the organization.
3. Intragroup conflicts: Intragroup conflict occurs within the group, team, or
department. These conflicts involve more than one person in a group due to
the inability to conform to group dynamics.
4. Intergroup conflicts: Intergroup conflict occurs between different groups,
teams, and departments. These disputes arise due to competition for
resources, work independence, and status struggle.
5. Interorganizational conflict: Interorganizational conflict arises in different
organizations to compete against one another.
The primary sources of organizational conflicts are a task, relationship or
process.

 Task conflict: Task conflicts are commonly occurring in the workplace. These
are due to disputes/ differences in opinion regarding work assignment, human
resources, procedures and policies, organizational goals, functions, and process
of working.
 Relationship conflict: These are conflicts that occur due to the differences in
interpersonal issues in the organization, in the group, or with each other. These
are common due to the differences in individual personality, style of working,
and attitude.
 Value conflict: The value conflicts occur because of the differences in
value identity, norms, ethics, and beliefs in the groups. These may occur at
the time of making decisions and policies.
Dimensions of Conflict
The aspects of organizational conflicts are negative emotionality, acceptability,
the size or scope of the conflicts importance, group communication norms, and
resolution potential. Each of these dimensions applies to all types of conflict.
 Negative emotionality: The dimension of emotionality refers to the amount of
negative affect exhibited and felt during the conflict. It is associated with poor
group performance and low member satisfaction. Emotion includes anger,
 which provides for violence, frustration, uneasiness, discomfort, tenseness,
resentment, annoyance, irritation, fury, and rage.
 Acceptability: The acceptability dimension refers to group norms about conflict
and communication. Group norms are standards that guide group members'
behavior. Acceptability norms increased both the positive effect of constructive
conflict and the negative impact of destructive conflict on group performance
and member satisfaction.
 The size or scope of conflict: The nature of conflicts depends on the size or
scope of a dispute and its duration. Conflicts are perceived as more dangerous
when they involve more significant number of people' more events, or more
considerable influence over future interactions.
 Importance: Other predictors of group performance beyond the frequency or
number of times conflict episodes occur within groups, arc its importance, If the
issue is of great importance and vital to the life and success of the group, then it
is more dangerous,
 Group communication norms: These may also influence the effect of conflict.
Groups with open and direct expressions of conflict would be less likely to
experience explosive conflict, but at times, can increase the amount of negative
and positive conflict within groups.
 Resolution potential: Resolution potential refers to the degree to which the
conflict appears possible to resolve. It positively influences the constructive
effects of conflict on performance and satisfaction and decreases the adverse
effect. The main determinants of whether a member perceives conflict as
resolvable include characteristics of the members (e.g. experience, personalities),
group structure (e.g. interdependence, leader involvement), and dimensions of
conflict (importance, emotionality, acceptability).
Elements of Conflict

Cadotte and Stern (1979) described the following aspects of conflict:

 Conflict potential: Conflict potential is the extent that the actions of one
party are likely to (or perceived to) hinder the goal attainment of the other.
 Dependence (or power): The party determines the level of dependence of one
party on another by the value of the inputs invested in the relationship. The level of
control is inversely related to the level of dependency between the parties.
 Conflict perception: Conflict perception is one party's judgment of whether the
other party is interfering with the attainment of its goals. Conflict exists in case of
an actual disagreement or dispute.
 Resultant force: Resultant force is the pressure that one party uses to persuade the
other to change its goals, objectives, and perceptions of reality to meet its desires. It
may be either coercive or noncoercive. Coercive pressure frequently causes more
disruption in the relationship than does noncoercive force.
 Conflict aftermath: It is the outcome of the conflict resolution and directs future
interactions between the organizations. This model also incorporates a feedback
mechanism by which future conflict episodes are favored or influenced by previous
conflict resolution results.
Steps in Conflict Management
According to Borisoffand Victor, one needs to take five steps to manage conflict, which
they called the "five A's."
1. Assessment: This step involves the identification of the problem. In this stage,
the manager gathers the information about the problem from the parties. It will
help them to decide the conflict-handling mode.
2. Acknowledgment: The next step is acknowledgment. During this step, both
parties listen to each other, understand, and acknowledge each other's
viewpoints.
3. Attitude: During this stage, the parties do realize that fundamental differences
are observed between people based on culture, intelligence levels, gender, and
other factors.
4. Action: The parties begin to find a way to correct the problem by discussing the
options/alternatives.
5. Analysis: During this stage, the parties agree on the solution they choose. They
summarize all the information and decide on a solution.
Impact of Conflict
The positive Effect of Task-focused Conflict

Task-focused conflicts affect the group and organizational

outcomes:
 Improve decision-making outcomes
 Increase group productivity
 Make use of potentials and capabilities of groups
 Encourage discussion that helps groups to perform

The Negative Effect of Relationship-focused Conflicts

There is a negative association between relationship conflict, productivity, and
satisfaction in groups:
 Relationship conflicts interfere with performance because it may
reduce threats, increase power, and attempt to build a relationship
rather than working on the task.
 It decreases goodwill and mutual understanding, which hinders
in accomplishing organizational tasks.
 Time is often spent on interpersonal aspects of the group rather
than on technical and decision-making tasks.
 It may create negative, irritable, suspicious, and resentful members.
 Chronic relationship conflicts may also affect group functioning.
 It led members to lose sight of the mission; and they become
more defensive and blame each other.
Different Managerial Styles in Handling Conflicts

Kilmann and Thomas (1974) described five styles to handle conflicts based on two
dimensions: assertiveness and cooperativeness.
Assertiveness is concerned with satisfying one's concerns, and cooperativeness is
when the individual tries to meet others interests. The emerging styles are competing,
accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, and compromising, which the managers can
use according to the situation.
 Competing: The competing way is helpful in situations where there is a need
to make a quick decision and handle vital issues. The competing managers are
highly assertive but uncooperative with subordinates. They make their own
decisions without listening to other views. They use arguments, position power,
assert feelings, and opinions of subordinates, and have a rationale for their
actions. Although it is helpful to increase creativity and enthusiasm, it can lead
to violence.
 Collaborating: Collaborative mode is useful in a situation involves
constructing an integrative solution through compromise, improving the
relationship, and having commitment. The collaborative managers are highly
assertive and cooperative. They try to use a win-win strategy to solve conflicts.
They try to give chance for everyone to participate in emerging into some
concrete solution through collaboration actively. The manager needs to have
collaboration skills such as active listening, nonthreatening confrontation,
identifying concerns, and analyzing inputs. They need to initiate the problem-
solving process and should have a high level of commitment. They are highly
qualified and knowledgeable to accept responsibility to solve the problem. This
type of mode is truly worthy but very difficult to follow. Many of the managers
need the training to do it very well.
 Compromising: The compromising mode is appropriate in situations while
dealing issues of moderate importance, and both parties have equal power status. It
is also suitable to resolve conflicts temporarily due to time constraints or if there is
a strong commitment to resolve the dispute. The compromising managers are both
moderately assertive and cooperative. They use a lose-lose strategy or both parties
 are winning. They need to have compromising skills such as negotiation, finding a
middle ground, assessing value, and making concessions.
 Avoiding: The avoiding strategy is useful in situations when conflicts are likely to
solve without any intervention. It is a form of avoidance, denial and postponement
strategy. Avoiding managers ignore the conflict without intervening in the cause of
conflict.
 Accommodating: The accommodating strategy is useful when the outcome of the
solution is of profound importance. It is also helpful to develop performance,
create goodwill, or keep the peace. The accommodating managers favor their
subordinates without setting their own goals. They are less assertive and confident
but highly cooperative. It is useful to resolve the problem immediately; but in the
long run, it may create a problem. They need to have accommodating skills such as
forgetting desires, selflessness, and ability to obey orders.
Conflict Management/Resolution Strategies
Conflict management is essential to resolve conflicts, though all disputes cannot
necessarily be determined. Conflict management techniques depend on the problem
source. Following are the management strategies:
1. By modifying task relationships:
 Organizational restructuring: Try to analyze the problem, and if it is
found that the issues are related to organizational structure such as in
communication, hierarchical relationship, or in reporting, try to modify
the structural variables to reduce the communication and measurability
problems.
 Increasing integration: To overcome disputes related to resources and
subunit orientations, integrate processes such as task forces, teams, and
individual roles.
 Change in hierarchy and decentralizing authority: Use democratic
leadership and top-bottom approach to involve employees in decision-
making and make them accountable. Conflict reduces because employees
know their superiors.
2. Organize in-service training on conflict and conflict
management: All health-care institutions must organize in-
service training programs on conflict and conflict management
for health-care providers. It should be a part of their training.
Training must include basic conflict principles and approaches
and practical skill practice on conflict resolution skills such as in
negotiation, mediation, and facilitation.
3. Improve communication skills: Communication is at the heart
of conflict and conflict resolution. The health care providers must
use active listening by hearing, understanding, repeating, or
reframing what the other person is saying. Ensure that another
person must understand the message clearly.
4. Understand different communication styles and responses to
conflict: It is crucial to understand different methods of
communication, especially during the conflict resolution stage.
During that stage, every individual may respond differently,
particularly, in response to stressful situations.
5. Modify the behavior and attitude of individuals: Each
differs in their perception, attitude, and values; they react
differently in different situations. The employees working in

various divisions and functions have different ideas about

accomplishing organizational goals. Managers can use the
following ways to modify their behaviors:
 Be proactive instead of reactive

 Control anger especially over unimportant issues

 Try to make people realize their mistakes indirectly Admit
mistakes and poor decisions if taken
 Develop a conducive environment to allow parties to
share their grievances
  Develop a system to resolve the conflict between
management and unions
 Use a third-party negotiator
 Make a policy to exchange/rotate/terminate individuals.
6."Four R'sn of conflict resolution: According to Engleberg and
Wynn, "four R's" used to manage conflict are as follows:
i Reason out: Find out the reason or the cause of the conflict. Try
to focus on conflict, don't get involved emotionally and gather
detailed information about the problem.
Observe reactions: After gathering information, observe the response of the
parties involved in the conflict. Try to analyze the attitudes, either destructive or
positive, to conflict. If devastating, to work with them to convert into positive
responses to conflict.
ii. Results: Try to find out the consequences of the conflict that remain unresolved
and pro and cons of managing conflict.
iii. Work on resolution: Decide alternatives strategies to resolve the conflict based
on the cause. Select the best strategy/conflict management behavior to resolve the
dispute, so that both parties do not lose. Consider relationship building, the
importance of conflict, consequences, readiness of the parties, and outcomes of
disengagement. The resolution must be specific, mutually acceptable, appropriate,
realistic, and time based.
Conclusion
Conflict management is the process of limiting the negative aspects of conflict while
increasing the positive aspects of conflict. The aim of conflict management is to enhance
learning and group outcomes, including effectiveness or performance in an
organizational setting. Properly managed conflict can improve group outcomes. Conflict
exists when disagreements lead to arguments and struggles between people with
competing ideas and/or personal interests. There are many sources of conflict in the
workplace - differences of opinion, dissatisfaction with working conditions or
remuneration, excessive workloads, lack of recognition or promotion, perceptions of
discriminatory or unfair treatment, feelings of insecurity, fear of redundancy, clashes of
 personality, misunderstandings or breakdowns in communication and differing
expectations of what constitutes appropriate behaviour - to name but a few.

Research study
A Descriptive Study of Workplace Conflict Management Styles in Indian Organizations

Conflict is all pervasive in nature and organizations are not untouched with it.
Present study deals with interpersonal conflict in the private enterprises (both
corporate and academic) in Delhi and adjoining areas in India. The study has a
non-experimental, descriptive, and quantitative research design, a sample size of
103 employees working in financial, IT, academic and marketing sectors were
analyzed (stratified random sampling was used for the purpose). Statistical
measures like Cronbach's alpha, independent samples t test, bivariate correlation,
robust tests for equality of means, multiple comparisons (Tukey HSD) and chi
square tests were employed to analyze the data. Research revealed that employees
of fairer sex in Indian organizations used integrating, compromising and avoiding
styles of interpersonal conflict handling. Dominating and obliging styles were
followed by males and same was true for all the employees as their age increased.
Additionally, employees having superior income and work experience were found
to be less integrative and more dominating in their management of conflict.
Further, marital status of the employees also affected the conflict handling style.
Interpersonal conflict understanding is crucial for smooth functioning of the
organizations. Managers today are devising innovative handling techniques as
conflict poses a great challenge for them. The present study can facilitate the
management practitioners in understanding the concept and its implications.