By

Pratap Kumar Pathak

Understanding Conflict and It’s
Management
Context of Conflict Management
• Conflict arises because of differences in opportunity,
expectations, capability and values.
• Because of many wants, needs, interests and values, and
the competition among many groups in society for who
gets what, when and how through the medium of
government, the public manager finds her/him at the
center of social conflict.
• Public management operates mostly in an atmosphere of
conflict and competition for values, services and
satisfaction.
• Cooperation and conflict are contemporary phases of
organised activity with the organisation.
• Translation of conflict into cooperation and harmony is the prime
responsibility of management.

• The urgency of management is to bring about resolutions

satisfactory to all parties as to the extent possible for effectiveness
in contingent situations. Conflict if managed properly will
produce positive impact on administrative ecology.

• A survey done by American Management Association revealed

the importance of conflict management, which clearly indicated
that managers spend approximately 20 percent time in dealing
with conflict, and among other management responsibilities, it
was rated as more important than decision making, leadership or
communication skills.
 Defining “Conflict”
“Conflict
• Conflict is a situational characteristic as the outcome of “presence of two
or more sides whose goals, interests, values, roles, actions and
psychological status appear to be incompatible, heterogeneous and
diverse”.
• Conflict is the effect of various differences:
– communication differences
– structural differences
– personal differences
– situational differences
• It is “perceived incompatible differences resulting in interference or
opposition”.
• Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional.
– Functional conflict supports organisation’s goals.
– Dysfunctional conflict prevents organisation from achieving goals.
 Understanding Conflict
• More than just a disagreement
• Continue to fester when ignored
• Response to conflicts based on perceptions
• Conflicts trigger strong emotions
• Conflicts are an opportunity for growth
 Different Conflicts
• Substantive Conflict: Performance or task
related conflict
• Affective Conflict: Relationship-driven
conflict
• Situational Conflict: Internal and External
 Different View of Conflict
Management
• Traditional view: Negative connotation
– conflict should be avoided since it is an unnecessary
phenomenon
• Human relations view: Assertiveness
– some conflict is necessary for an organisation to
perform effectively
• Interactionist view: Persuasion and proactivity
– conflict is necessary for organisation to perform
effectively
 Different Stages of Conflict
1. Latent Conflict: potential opposition and
dissatisfaction
2. Perceived Conflict: aware of causes and sources
of conflict
3. Felt Conflict: personalization
4. Manifest Conflict: expression of hostile feelings
and behaviour
5. Conflict Aftermath: effect on succeeding courses
 Level of Conflict and
Organisational Performance
High level of performance

Point of conflict threshold

A B C
Low level of performance High
Level of conflict
Conflict Situations in Public
Management
 Different Sources of Conflict
• Organisational change and risks associated
• Different sets of values
• Threats to status
• Contrasting perceptions
• Lack of trust
• Personality clashes
Effects of Conflict
Conflict Management: Principles
and Approaches
 Conflict Management Principles
• Principle of Subordination or Domination
– where one side to prevail over others creating win-loose
outcome.
• Principle of Compromise
– where neither sides gets reasonable satisfaction.
• Principle of Constructive Conflict or Integration
– That brings the conflict situation with the new arrangement.
– It focuses on integration and synthesis in which each side finds
in satisfaction.
– It puts forth the achievement of compliance and commitment
among the parties of conflict.
 Conflict Management Styles
Strategy Appropriate when
Avoidance conflict is trivial, when emotions are running high and time is needed to
cool down, or when the potential disruption from an assertive action outweighs
the benefits of resolution
Accommodation Issue under dispute is not that important to you or when you
want to build up credits for later issues
Forcing Need a quick resolution on important issues that require unpopular
actions to be taken and when commitment by others to your solution is not
critical
Compromise Conflicting parties are about to equal in power, when it is desirable to
achieve a temporary solution to a complex issue, or when time pressures demand
an expedient solution
Collaboration/Integration Time pressures are minimal, when all parties seriously
want a win-win solution, and when the issue is too important to be compromised
Different Models of Conflict
Management
Steps in Managing Conflict
Effectiveness in Management of
Conflict
Emotional awareness is the key
factor in resolving conflicts.
 Effective Conflict Resolution:
Different Competencies
• Diagnosing Competency: Cognitive or problem solving
– It is the skill to better understand what the situation is now and knowing what
can reasonably be expected in the future. This competency develops ability
“to understand the situation we are trying to influence for better resolution”
• Adapting Competency: Behavioural or Interpersonal
– It involves adapting the behaviour of manager in the way that helps to close
the gap between the current situation and what the manager wants to achieve.
It provides manager the ability “to adapt personal behaviour and the other
resources available to meet the contingencies”.
• Communicating Competency: Process
– It is the ability “to communicate and influence in a way that people with
different interests and perception can easily understand and accept the
resolution that help in producing desirable impact”.
Leadership Vs Administratorship
in Conflict Management
• Leaders manage conflict into change and
transformation: Transformative conflict
management
• Administrators transform conflict for
solving problems and managing
complexities: Transactional conflict
management
 Some Important Way-outs for
Effective Conflict Management
• Know the type of conflict you are
facing
• Understand the causes and
consequences of conflict.
• Face conflicts rather than avoiding it.
• Respect other’s interests including
yours.
• Avoid ethnocentrism and
egocentricism.
• Distinguish between your “interests”
and your “positions”.
• Explore compatible and shared
interests.
• Define conflicting interests as a
mutual problem.
• Listen attentively, speak to be
understood. Encourage others to
speak. Give and take feedback.
• Be alert to bias, stereotypes, distorted
perceptions during heated arguments.
• Some conflicts are very difficult and
complex; be prepared for that.
• Know yourself and how you respond
to conflict.
• Remain a moral person.
 Management Techniques for
Conflict Resolution
• Strategic planning
• Communication
• Participative management
• Team building
• Management by objectives
• Capacity development and empowerment
 Role of Public Manager in
Conflict Management
• Facilitator/Mediator
– Facilitating for resolution by using reasoning, persuasion and suggestions

• Arbitrator
– Dictating an agreement in a conflicting situation as the authority

• Conciliator
– A trusted third party providing informal communication link between the parties of
conflict

• Consultant
– An independent or impartial third party skilled in conflict management, who
attempts to facilitate creative/innovative problem solving through communication
and analysis
 What is “Stress”?
• Stress is a dynamic condition in which an individual is confronted
with an opportunity, constraint or demand related to what she or he
desires and for which the outcome is perceived to be uncertain but
significant and important.
• Stress is the body’s nonspecific response to any demand or situation.
• Stress has both the responses
– Reinforcement for job performance
– Frustration or adjustive reactions
• rationalisation
• compensation
• regression
• resignation
• pseudostupidity: intentionally forgetting as a means of avoiding
• obsessive thinking: unnecessarily enlarging problems
• displacement
• conversion: emotional frustrations conversed into bodily symptoms
 Stress and Job Performance
High Job performance

Positive level Negative

level

Low Job performance

Low Stress threshold High

Stress
Potential Sources of Stress
 Job-related Causes of Stress
• Work and role overload
• Time pressures
• Poor quality of supervision
• Insecure job climate
• Lack of authority to match job responsibility
• Role conflict and ambiguity
• Value differences
• Technology without training support
 Consequences of Stress
• Psychological and behavioural symptoms
• Physiological symptoms
• Performance-related symptoms
• Interpersonal relationship related symptoms
Theories of ‘Stress’
 Cannon’s Response Theory
• ‘Fight’ or ‘Flight’ theory
• This theory is based on compulsory human
reaction to stress.
• This theory explains that the physiological
response to stress equips the individual to
either attack the stressor or to flee.
 Hans Seyle’s theory of “General
Adaptation”
• Positive stress – ‘Eustress’ that enhances function
and Negative stress – ‘Distress’ that causes
anxiety, depression or withdrawal behaviour
• This theory divided stress into four stages
– Alarm reaction
– Resistance
– Exhaustion
– Death
 Managing Stress: Prevent,
Divert, Escape, Adapt or Cope
• Preventive and Clinical
Measures
• Individual Approach
– time management
– reasonable goal setting
– physical exercise and meditation
– relaxation techniques
– – extension of career development
social support network
– role diversification
– authority delegation
– preparedness planning
• Organisational Approach
– Proper selection and placement
– goal setting
– redesigning jobs
– increasing employee involvement
– organisational communication
– vocational guidance and counseling
– moral education and training
programmes
– wellness programmes
– teambuilding and teamwork
– quality of work life
 Managing Personal Stress
• Balance between work and personal life
• Learn how to slow down or unwind.
• Say no tactfully
• Relaxation techniques
• Learn to enjoy being with other people
• Make the effort to smile
• Be sure to rest
• Take regular vacations
• Prepared for challenges: persuasion
• Share the personal problems
• Establish moral and ethical values
Managing Career-related Stress
• Develop readily attainable goals.
• Set realistic standard of performance.
• Set reasonable level of satisfaction.
• Have faith in yourself and seek opportunities.
• Beware of “workaholics”
• Minimum use of authority
• Delegation of authority
• Teambuilding and teamwork
• Preparedness planning
Any queries, comments,
suggestions.....PLEASE