Levels of Conflict

Chapter 2
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF THIS
CHAPTER
After studying this unit, you will be able to understand:
1. Understand different levels of conflict.
2. Know aspects of intra-personal conflict.
3. Appreciate interpersonal conflict, different stages of conflict
episode, behavioral indicators and how to assess them.
4. Discuss conflict and group processes, behavioral signs of
conflict; and impact of diversity, decision-making and
communication on group conflict.
5. Differentiate between organizational and inter-organizational
conflict as well as the organizational conflict process.
 INTRODUCTION
 Conflict is practically intrinsic to the life and explains the
dynamics of an individual's relationships.
 Four levels of Conflict. These are:
1. Intra-personal,
2. Inter-personal,
3. Group and
4. Organization.
 1. INTRA-PERSONAL CONFLICT
 Intrapersonal conflict is defined as the internal crisis that
occurs in the mind of an individual.
 An individual may experience internal conflict due to the
presence of:
 A number of competing needs and roles;
 A variety of different drives that compel the individual to
act in a certain way;
 Barriers that may come in between the drive and the
goal achievement;
 Both positive and negative aspects attached to desired
goals;
 Not having a clear understanding of what is expected from
the job role.
 CONFLICT DUE TO FRUSTRATION
 Frustration model explains the behavioral pattern of
employees when they face intra-personal conflict.
 Frustration occurs when a motivated drive is blocked
before a person reaches a desired goal (Figure 2.1).
 The barrier can be overt (physical) or covert (mental- socio
psychological).
 CONFLICT DUE TO FRUSTRATION
Figure 2.1 describes the reactions or the behavioral pattern of
the employees when faced with a barrier.
 CONFLICT DUE TO FRUSTRATION
1. Aggression (Curses the poverty)
2. Withdrawal (Backs away from putting in the required effort)
3. Rationalization (Thinks that opting for job is better than studies)
4. Compromise (Studies in best university in his own country)
5. Fixation (Continues to try to arrange money to meet the
expenditure to going to the US)
 CONFLICT DUE TO GOAL
• Conflict occurs when an individual has to select one option from
among many alternatives. There are 4 goal conflict.
1. Approach-Approach Conflict: It arises when an individual has to
choose between two attractive alternatives. It is a conflict between
two positive goals. ( + - )
2. Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict: It involves a choice between two
equally unattractive options. This is the case where two goals have
negative valence and the person has to decide on one of them. ( - - )
3. Approach-Avoidance Conflict: In certain situations, the individual
faces conflict when he has to decide whether to approach or avoid
a particular goal that has both positive (attractive) as well as negative
(unattractive) qualities. ( + / - )
4. Multiple approach-Avoidance Conflict: Intra-individual conflict arises
in situations where the individual has alternatives and each
alternative possesses both positive and negative valence. (+-, +-)
ROLE CONFLICT AND AMBIGUITY
 ROLE CONFLICT AND AMBIGUITY
 Role is the position one occupies in a social system, and is defined by
the functions one performs in response to the expectations of the significant
members of a social system, and one's own expectations from that position
or office.
 Role ambiguity occurs when employees are not clear about their
work expectations of the employee from the role as well as the expectation
of the role senders towards the role will be incorrect. This mismatch of the
expectations will lead to confusion and conflict.
3 types of Role Conflict and Ambiguity:
1. Person and the role conflict
2. Intra-role conflict
3. Inter-role conflict
 ROLE CONFLICT AND AMBIGUITY
1. Person and the role conflict: It occurs when an individual finds his
values clashing with the job requirements. It is the conflict between a
person's personality and the expectations of the role.
2. Intra-role conflict: It is created by the contradictory expectations
about how a given role should be played. It refers to a person receiving
conflicting information from others regarding a particular role.
3. Inter-role conflict: Inter-role conflict is defined as the simultaneous
occurrence of two or more sets of pressures, where compliance
with one would make compliance with the other more difficult.
Work-family conflict is a type of inter-role conflict in which the role
demands stemming from one domain (work or family) are incompatible
with role demands stemming from another domain (family or work).
 INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
 Conflict experienced between two or more individuals can be termed
as interpersonal conflict.
 It can be between co-workers, team members or roommates.
Benefits of Interpersonal conflict are:
 They feel better about each other and their own jobs.
 Both express satisfaction about the way the conflict was resolved.
 They consider their abilities to handle future conflicts improved.
STAGES OF INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
 STAGES OF INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
1. Developing conflict stage in initial stage of conflict there are three levels. They are:
latent conflict, conflict awareness and frustration in employees. Latent
conflict is indicated by characteristic behavior changes such as isolation, self-
centered behavior, avoidance, and denial. Conflict awareness stage can be
recognized by behavior like complaints, gestures, stress and difference of opinions.
Tonality, physical signs, negativism, withdrawal and over sensitivity are the
symptoms of frustration stage.
2. Recognizable conflict stage This is the most important stage in conflict
development. The recognizable behaviors that are generally observed are:
tension, friction and frequent disagreement.
3. Aggressive conflict stage A manager would not like the conflict in his team to reach
this stage. Once it reaches this stage, it is almost difficult to handle the
conflict. Highest priority has to be applied to resolve the matter, but could prove
tough indeed. This stage is expressed in three sub-stages like-verbal abuse, sarcasm,
physical assault and threat. Verbal aggression/abuse is identified in behaviors such as
name-calling, taunting, interrupting, and shouting. Physical threats can be
observable in behaviors as interfering into other's space, physical posturing,
clenching fists, etc. Physical aggression/assault is expressed in behaviors like
physical contact, intense feelings, intention to harm, and, aggression.
 BEHAVIORAL CONFLICT INDICATORS
 Body language
 Disagreements, regardless of issue
 Withholding bad news
 Surprises
 Strong public statements
 Airing disagreements through media
 Increasing lack of respect
 Open disagreement
 Lack of candor on sensitive issues such as budget
 Fighting for certain specific goals
 No discussion of progress.
 GROUP / TEAM CONFLICT
 Group conflict can either be intra-group or inter-group conflict.
 Intra-group conflict refers to the incompatibility, or
disagreement among the members of a group or its subgroups
regarding goals, functions or activities of the group.
 Inter-group conflict occurs whenever individuals belonging to one
group interact collectively or individually, with another group or
its members in terms of their reference group indication.
 It is the conflict between groups in the same organization. It occurs as a
result of disagreements over any number of turf or substantive issues.
 GROUP DEVELOPMENT APPROACH
 Two group development approaches. These are:
A. Classical group development approach and
B. Concomitant approach.
A. CLASSICAL GROUP DEVELOPMENT
APPROACH
A. CLASSICAL GROUP DEVELOPMENT
APPROACH
 A. CLASSICAL GROUP DEVELOPMENT
APPROACH
1. The forming stage where group members identify the boundaries of
social and task activities through testing
2. The second stage is storming where members experience "conflict and
polarization around interpersonal issues, with concomitant emotional
responding in the task sphere".
3. The third stage is norming where in-group feeling and cohesiveness
develop after the initial resistance has been overcome. In addition,
intimate and personal opinions are expressed in the group.
4. The fourth stage is performing where "interpersonal structure becomes
the tool of task activities. Roles become flexible and functional, and
group energy is channeled into task."
5. The final stage is adjourning where task forces disband when the
project is completed.
 B. CONCOMITANT APPROACH
Second approach to understand inherent group conflict can be explained
from a 'concomitant perspective. It suggests that conflict is a
concomitant, attendant process of collective life.
The paradoxes are the sources of tension in the group. There are
seven paradoxes (A self contradictory statement or concept) and
are described as follows:
(i) Paradox of identity
(ii) Paradox of disclosure
(iii)Paradox of trust
(iv) Paradox of individuality
(v) Paradox of authority
(vi) Paradox of regression
(vii)Paradox' of creativity
 BEHAVIORAL SIGNS OF CONFLICT IN
GROUPS
 Colleagues not speaking to each other or ignoring each other;
 Contradicting and bad-mouthing one another;
 Deliberately undermining or not co-operating with one another etc.
 CONFLICT AND ROLE OF
COMMUNICATION IN GROUP
 CONFLICT AND ROLE OF
COMMUNICATION IN GROUP
 Communication is the foundation for all group functioning. It is the
lifeblood of any group's effectiveness. There should be smooth
flow of information among the group members.
 Any barrier in exchange of information needs to be given
immediate attention to avoid group failure.
1. Downwards
2. Upwards
3. Horizontal
4. Diagonal
  ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT
 An organization consists of different groups of stakeholders, each
of which contributes to the organization in expectation for reward.
 The stakeholders can be inside (management, employees, unions)
or outside (suppliers and other stakeholders).
 The stakeholders' goals, preferences and interests are not identical, and
conflict arises when one group pursues its own interests at the
expense of other groups.
 Organizational conflict can be understood as the clash that occurs
when the goal-directed behavior of one group blocks or
threats the goals of other groups.
  ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT PROCESS
 Stage 1: Latent Conflict
 Stage 2: perceived Conflict
 Stage 3: Felt Conflict
 Stage 4: Manifest Conflict
 Stage 5: Conflict Aftermath.
 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT PROCESS