CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

MODERN VIEW ABOUT CONFLICT

• Conflict is inevitable.
• Conflict is integral to the nature of change.
• A minimal level of conflict is optimal.
• Conflict is determined by structural factors
such as the physical shape of a building, the
design of a career structure or the nature of
change.

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 CONFLICT
• A situation in which the conditions, practices,
or goals for the different participants are
inherently incompatible.
(SMITH)

• Conflict is defined as disagreement between

two or more parties resulting from an
incomeatability goals, interests, values,and
perceptions
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 CONFLICT

A State of Disagreements
Or
Disequilibrium

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 CONFLICT
• INTRA-INDIVIDUAL CONFLICT
• INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
• INTERGROUP CONFLICT
• ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT

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 INTRAINDIVIDUAL
CONFLICT
• Conflict due to frustration
• Goal Conflict
– Approach-Approach
– Approach-Avoidance (single goal with+ or --)
– Avoidance-Avoidance
• Role Conflict and Ambiguity
– Person and role (personality & expectations)
– Intra-role ( between 1 role, be autocratic or democratic)
– Inter-role (work and non-work roles)

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INTERPERSONAL CONFLCT

• SOURCES OF INTERPERSONAL
CONFLIICT
– Personal differences
– Information deficiency
– Role incompatibility
– Environmental stress

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 INTERGROUP BEHAVIOR
AND CONFLICT
• Competition for resources.
• Task interdependence.
• Jurisdictional ambiguity.
• Status struggle.

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUP IN
CONFLICT
• Clear cut distinction between “We” and “They”.
• More cohesive due to conflict.
• Positive feelings and cohesion within the in-
group and out-group considered as enemy.
• Threatened group members feel superior.
• Communication between conflicting groups
decrease.
• If the group is losing, cohesion decreases.

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 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT

• STRUCTURAL CONFLICT
– Hierarchical conflict.
– Functional conflict.
– Line-Staff conflict.
– Formal-informal conflict.

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 INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
• Is this conflict due to?
– Cultural differences among people working together? If yes, what is the
cultural variation and how is it a source of conflict?
– Educational differences among the employees? If yes, outline how educational
differences are the source of conflict?
– Differences in values and beliefs among the actors (people involved in the
conflict)? If yes, how are value and belief differences manifested, and between
whom?
– Experience differences? If yes, how are differences in experience a source of
conflict?
– Need Orientation
– The analysis may be done with respect to one’s own needs and one’s
perception or inference of the needs of the other actors in the conflict situation.

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 INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
• Is the conflict due to?
– Incompatibility of needs? If yes, who are the actors (in the conflict
situation) characterized by incompatible needs?
– Multiplicity of needs? If yes, who are the actors characterized by such
a situation?
– What are the multiple needs to be satisfied?
– Need dissatisfaction? Who are the actors characterized by need
dissatisfaction?
– Which are the dissatisfied needs?
– What are the factors frustrating need satisfaction

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 INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
• Goal Orientation
– Examine with reference to one and the main actors, whether the
conflict experienced is because of:
– Ambiguity of goals (i.e., the goals or objectives are not perceived
clearly)?
– Choice dilemma (i.e., unable to choose among a number of
alternatives)?
– Approach-approach conflict (i.e., make a choice among two equally
attractive goals)?
– Avoidance-avoidance conflict (i.e. make a choice among two equally
unattractive goals?
– Approach-avoidance conflict (i.e., a goal that sometimes is attractive
and at other times one wishes to avoid)?

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 INTERACTIONAL FACTORS
• To what extend does the conflict have basis in the following:
• Communication Process
– Inadequate communication
– Lack of precision
– Lack of clarity
– Lack of legitimacy
– Lack of authenticity
– Lack of timeliness
– Contradictory messages
– Credibility of communicator
– Distortion of communication
– Information overload
– Presumptive communication (taking others for granted, that they know or
expected to know).

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 INTERACTIONAL FACTORS
• Group Process
– Cliques or factions among actors
– Distrust among people involved
– Estrangement (feelings of personal and social
isolation)
– Competition between individuals or groups

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 INTERACTIONAL FACTORS
• Leadership Style
– Authoritarian
– Consultative
– Democratic
– Laissez faire

• Is it compatible or incompatible

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 ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS
• Examine the source of conflict in the following factors:
• (Tick the relevant factors)
• Lack of Clarity of
– Goals
– Norms
– Standards
– Procedures
• Scarcity of Resources
– Men
– Materials
– Machinery
– Skills
– Facilities
– Time
• Finance

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ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS
• Task/Role
– Role ambiguity (lack of task/role clarity)
– Role conflict
– Inadequate performance feedback
– Task-individual incompatibility
– Responsibility-authority incompatibility
– Excessive standardization
– Very less standardization
• Formalization of Rules and Procedures
– Excessive
– Very low
• Competition between
– Individuals
– Groups
– Promotional Opportunities
– Lack of
– Inadequate
• Transfers

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 CONFLICT—causing PERSONALITIES

• The Aggressor.
• The Passive Aggressor.
• The Chronic Absentee.
• The person who makes too many errors.
• Negative people.
• The Chatterbox.
• The Do-nothing.
• The Unreliable Person.
• The Time-Waster.
• The Resentful Person.

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 What do I consider to be my worst qualities

• …In my Personal Life?

– ________________
– ________________
– ________________
• …In my Working Life?
– ________________
– ________________
– ________________

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 CONFLICT DIFFUSION
• Refuse to take things personally and don’t get
personal in return.
• Understand the other person’s point of view
and his position.
• Sharpen your listening skills.
• Keep your cool.
• Seek agreement whenever possible,and
downplay areas of disagreement.
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 CONFLICT DIFFUSION
• Determine if the argument can be settled here
and now in an amicable fashion.
• If one can settle the argument here and now by
all means, do so.
• Arrange a follow-up meeting.

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 Advantage of Conflict
• Tension release.(games)
• Stimulate creativity.
• Source of learning and growth.
• Alternative to more disruptive conflict(grievance hearing
vs strike)
• Clarification of information and/or position.
• Can increase mutual evaluation of adversaries.(worthy
opponents)
• Entertainment values. (games)
• Can correct imbalances in power and authority.
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 Harms of Conflict
• Can increase tension.
• Can increase financial risk.
• Can increase organizational costs.
• Can increase time spent.
• Torment effect.
• Confusion of information or position.
• Discourage creativity.
• Can decrease group cohesion and member performance.
• Can hinder learning and growth.

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 Conflict-Provoking Behaviors
• Person Centered Comments & Criticism
• Past Centered Comments (you have done it in the
past)
• Guilt-Induction Attempts (one makes other person
guilty about something in the past)
• Blaming Comments
• Inappropriate Reassurance and Positive Thinking
• Unsolicited Advice/Commands
• Lengthy Attempts At Persuasion

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 Conflict-Provoking Behaviors
• Defensiveness-Causing Questions ( you know about this)
• Extended Attempts To Win
• Mistrust Statements
• Overstatements and Over-generalizations( out of context)
• Infallibility Comments (and qualification Comments)
• Histrionic Behaviors (Over dramatization)
• Use of Hot Phrases and Words
• Phrase that blame or imply blame or suggest ignorance
• Absolute words ( honest , truthful)
• Phrases that suggest helplessness (Brush-offs)

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 Conflict-Provoking Behaviors
• Phrases that have a threatening undertone
(coercion)
• Phrases that challenge or dare
• Use of Code Words and Innuendo( hint,
implicit, allusive)

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 Power Tactics
1.Reason
2.Friendliness
3.Coalition
4.Bargaining
5.Assertiveness
6.High authority
7.Sanctions ( Salary decrease, poor pa)

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 Impression Management
1.Conformity
2.Excuses
3.Apologies
4.Acclaiming
5.Flattery
6.Favours
7.Association

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 Defensive Behaviors
(Avoiding Action)
1.Overconforming (undue use of R&R)
2.Passing the buck
3.Playing the dumb
4.Stretching
5.Smoothing

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 Defensive Behaviors
(Avoiding Blame)
1.Buffing
2.Playing safe (neutral positions)
3.Justifying
4.Scapegoating
5.Misrepresenting ( information manipulation)

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 Territorial Games
Driven by the need to secure or to protect
Not obvious to the game player
To watch the individual or organizational
interests
Causes bad feelings and stimulates more games

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 Three BELIEFS
• Everyone plays so I play

• We pretend we are not palying

• They are the problem not me

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 Avoiding
• Avoidance as a behavior alternative is resorted to by an individual:
• When he has low stakes in a given situation,
• When he finds it extremely difficult to control or deal with the situation,
• When he is less confident to deal with the situation due to lack of required authority and
resources,
• When he is uncertain what to do and is characterized by high fear of failure or of
punishment for wrong action than no action (on may presume that to run away from the
situation is to run away from the conflict),
• When he does not give importance to his relationships with those people involved in the
conflict situation,
• When inappropriate action may hurt or damage an existing sensitive or critical
relationship,
• When the intention is to seek reprieve from the situation so that he can tackle it
appropriately the next time,
• When the issue is relatively less important or of low priority compared to other pressing
issued and considered not worthy of the time and effort required,

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 AVOIDING
Issues of lower importance
Fear of entangling in conflict
To reduce tension,
To buy some time
When someone is in a position of lower power
• Avoiding Skills
– Ability to withdraw
– Ability to sidestep issues
– Ability to leave things unresolved
– Sense of timing
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HIGH Desire to Satisfy Self LOW

Avoiding
Desire
to Satisfy
Others

HIGH
Conflict Styles
 Avoiding
I lose - you lose

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 Appeasement/Obliging/
Accomodating
• This response alternative is characterized by unassertiveness and cooperativeness. This is
where one would like to toe the line of the other and satisfy the other’s concerns to maintain a
friendly relationship. Appeasement as a behavioral alternative is resorted to by an individual,
when:
• He values his relationship with other (especially those in positions of influence and power)
more than achieving certain personal outcomes, and the harmony and stability of the
relationship is considered more important.
• He lacks the initiative and needs somebody’s support to trigger his actions.
• He feels less confident of himself due to high fear of failure or punishment
• He is uncertain what he is expected to do due to lack of clarity of goals/tasks to be performed
• Relationship with others helps him overcome his feelings of insecurity
• Dependency on others has been reinforced in terms of his earlier experiences to overcome
conflicts
• He is high on need for affection
• His intentions are to appease presently for certain futuristic gains
• Personal stakes are low in a given situation
• He finds himself in a disadvantageous or wrong position and cannot do anything about it and
wishes to smoothen it out
• A quick solution is needed to resolved the problem
• It enables him to minimize losses

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 ACCOMMODATING
At times issue less important
To create good will, or keep peace

• Accommodating Skills
– Forgetting your desires
– Selflessness
– Ability to yield
– Obeying orders

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HIGH Desire to Satisfy Self LOW

Avoiding
Desire
to Satisfy
Others

Obliging
HIGH

Conflict Styles
Obliging or Accommodating
I lose - you win

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 Confrontation/Dominating/
Competing
• It is behavioral response characterized by assertiveness and aggressiveness with little or no concern for cooperating
with the other person. It is an act of modifying the behavior of the other individual in the direction of one’s own
expectations by demand, pressures or threats. It is a power oriented mode where power or force is employed to win
over stand up for one’s right or defend oneself. Force as a behavioral alternative is employed when:
• An individual has or feels that he has a considerable amount of authority and power,
• One is characterized by feelings of superiority and has high concern for ends and low concern for means,
• The other party is considered to be in a weaker position to retaliate (the greater the discrepancy in power between an
influencer and a target, the greater the probability that more directive influence strategies will be used),
• A maximum impact has to be achieved at a given moment,
• One has high stakes in a given situation,
• One is characterized by a high need to control and is basically aggressive, dominating and emotions,
• One has a considerable degree of higher power support with in or outside the organization,
• The situation necessitates the dependence of the other party for want of important information or resources,
• One is cornered in a situation and confrontation is the only available behavioral alternative,
• There is a sense of urgency or criticality demanding an immediate solution,
• The other party is untrustworthy,
• You alone have the correct solution to the problem, and solving the problem is vital to the organization’s welfare,
• A conflict of values is involved and one is constrained to defend to defend one’s position (come what may, I will not
budge an inch –attitude),
• When a less palatable but necessary decision is to be implemented.

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 COMPETING
Quick action to be taken
Unpopular decision to be made
Vital issue to be handled
One is protecting self-interests
• Competing skills
– Arguing or debating
– Using rank or influence
– Asserting your opinions and feelings
– Standing your ground
– Stating your position clearly
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HIGH Desire to Satisfy Self LOW

Dominating Avoiding
Desire
to Satisfy
Others

Obliging
HIGH

Conflict Styles
Dominating or Forcing
I win - you lose

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 Collaboration/Integrating
• It is the behavioral alternative where in the concern of both the parties is to cooperate in
integrative ways to fully satisfy their respective goals or expectations. The two parties are
mutually supportive and at the same time assertive of their concerns. The existing resource
could be expanded through creative problem-solving so that each party can gain without the
other party having to lose. People tend to collaborate when:
• They have trust in each other and believe that being mutually supportive they can achieve
their individual goals better than competing or acting independently,
• They have high stakes in a given situation (the issue or problem is critical to both),
• They are clear about the goals to be achieved,
• They are flexible to seek creative solutions to problems,
• Their earlier experiences in dealing with the concerned individuals are regarded as positive
and fruitful,
• The solution is not constrained by the immediacy of the time factor,
• There is an equal concern to maintain the ongoing supportive relationship between the
concerned parties,
• The concern is to seek solutions than to look for faults or problems in persons and situations,
• Interactions are characterized by openness and specific feedback.

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HIGH Desire to Satisfy Self LOW

Dominating Avoiding
Desire
to Satisfy
Compromising Others

Integrating Obliging
HIGH

Conflict Styles

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 Collaboration Skills
Issue important so no compromise
When gaining commitment
When improving relationships
When learning
• Collaboration Skills
– Active listening
– Nonthreatening confrontation
– Identifying concerns
– Analyzing input

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Integrating or Collaboration
I win - you win

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 Compromise
• When one is partly cooperative and partly assertive in dealing with an issue or person, the approach utilized
is that of compromise. In compromise each party gains partly and loses partly. In other words, it is a situation
of give and take. An individual tends to compromise, when:
• He can exercise only a part control over a given situation,
• He does not have full information/resources and has to depend upon the other person/party for rest of the
information or resources,
• There is competition with others for the possession of certain resources,
• Moderate to high stakes are involved for both oneself and the other party in the attainment of a common
goal,
• Any of the parties cannot resolve an issue or problem by itself and mutual dependency is thus built into the
situation,
• A quick temporary solution is needed and no other alternative seems viable,
• There is a moderate to high concern for both means and ends and expressed and felt needs of inclusion and
control,
• Each of the parties have certain strengths and weaknesses in areas exclusive to one another,
• To achieve a temporary solution of a complex problem,
• The issue is complex and critical and both the groups have strong interest in the different facets of a problem,
• The other response alternatives such as collaboration or competition have been unsuccessful and compromise
is the only back-up solution

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 COMPROMISING
Issues of moderate importance
Equal power status
When strong commitment to resolve
Can be temporary solution to conflict
• Compromising Skills
– Negotiating
– Finding a middle ground
– Assessing value
– Making concessions
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HIGH Desire to Satisfy Self LOW

Dominating Avoiding
Desire
to Satisfy
Compromising Others

Obliging
HIGH

Conflict Styles

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 Compromising
I give in - you give in

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 Qualities of a Mediator
1.Impartiality
2.Good Listener
3.Creates Trust
4.Presentation skills
5.Inventiveness and problem solving
6.Flexibility
7.Understanding of situations and people

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 Circumstances for Mediation
1.Relationships are important
2.Both sides have good case
3.Confidentiality is important
4. Both sides need the opportunity to let off
steam
5.There is no great disparity in power
6. Neither side wants to go to litigation

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 When a mediator is useful
1.The parties have stopped communicating
2.The parties lack the skill and the desire
3.The parties cannot find the solution
4.An impasse is there
5.Element of confidentiality is there
6.Balance of power is maintained

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 Examples of situations
1.Disputes between co-worker who are unable to
function together
2.inter-depaetmental squabbles
3.Long run personality clashes
4.Communication breakdowns
5.Conflicts over aims and objectives
6.Conflcits over allocation of tasks
7.Conflicts over roles
8.Conflicts where there is a long history of bad feelings

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 Mediation
1. Preparation
2. Opening
3. Parties’ statements
4. Interchange
5. Movement
6. Preparing for resolution
7. Closing

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 Preparation
• Preliminary meetings
• Getting parties to mediation
• Selection of mediator
• Meeting co-mediator
• Preparation of the room

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 Opening
• Mediator’s opening statement
• Introductions and use of ground rules
• Getting the parties to trust you
• Agreeing on confidentiality

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 Opening statement checklist
Welcomes
Personal introduction
Explaining the purpose
Clarify the Mediator’s role
Explain the value of mediation

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 Parties’ statements
• Separate meetings or statements made in open session
• Getting them started
• Getting feelings heard by both sides
• Reflecting feelings and meanings
• Reframing statements
• Collecting information and background .an initial
idea about what they want by taking notes , key
facts , time frame and clarification

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 Reflecting and Reframing
Reflecting
It is a way of responding to feeling and content in a
single response.
e.g you look angry, you look disappointed
Reframing
The process of stating what has already been said in a
way more likely to be heard.
e.g.if I understand you right .he is difficult to talk at
times.Ans so there are difficult feelings associated
with talking to as far as you are concerned.

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 Interchange I
• Mediator led mutual problem definition
• Mutualising
• Normalizing
• Selective summary
• Gaining agreement on problem definition
• Party-led dialogue and structured discussion

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 Mutualising and normalizing
Mutualising is the process of feeding back to the parties issues,
ideas and concerns which are true for both parties.
e.g. you both have pressure of time.
you both want to do good jobs
Normalizing
They are the statements which are generalizations about human
experiences which are similar and relevant to the parties
situation
e.g I know what you both mean. Making time for one another can
be difficult when you are really busy .

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 Interchange II
• Encouraging dialogue
• Preventing withdrawal
• Transmitting information
• Structuring the discussion
• Pulling everything together

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 Movement
• How can the problem be solved –building
agreements
• Generating options
• Giving parties space to talk through it
• Support conciliatory gestures
• Strategies for dealing with resistance to
settlement
• Breaking an Impasse
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 Preparation for the resolution
• Work through , negotiate and close on each
issue
• Make workable agreements

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 Closing
• Writing the agreement
• Arranging for the follow up

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 MEDIATION TAKE AWAY
• Decide to mediate
– Who defines the problem
• Hold preliminary meetings
– Each person’s side
– Define the problem to be solved
– Secure the agreement to attend
• Plan the context
– Location
– Physical surrounding
– Time ( length of time )
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 MEDIATION TAKE AWAY
• Hold A 3 way meeting
– Departure from essential process
– Conciliatory gestures
– Make a deal
• Follow up
– Written agreement
– Another meeting

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Thank You…!