HRM 609: Conflict Management

Atikur Rahman,
MBA (HRM), BBA (Mgts), RU
Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
Faculty of Business Studies, PCIU
Email: atikur.rahman@portcity.edu.bd

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 Group
A group is a collection of individuals who interact with each other such that
one person’s actions have an impact on the others.

In other words, a group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and

interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives.

Groups where people get along, feel the desire to contribute to the team,
and are capable of coordinating their efforts may have high-performance
levels.

Group can be defined as a collection of individuals who have regular contact

and frequent interaction, mutual influence, the common feeling of
camaraderie, and who work together to achieve a common set of goals.

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 Types of Group
Though groups can be classified in many ways, the most popular types
of groups are formal and informal groups. Organizations or governments
deliberately create formal groups to serve specific purposes, and informal
groups are developed randomly.

A. Formal Group: A formal group is deliberately created by an organization to

achieve an objective. This group has defined criteria for members to join. It
has structure, an operating procedure, and is led by a leader. A formal group
is also known as a planned group.

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 Types of Group
Types of Formal Group: A formal group can be defined in many ways. Some
classifications are as follows:

•Temporary Group
•Permanent Group
•Functional Group
•Command Group
•Task Group
•Committee

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 Types of Group
Temporary Group: These groups are created for the short term. Once they achieve
the objective, they cease to exist.

Permanent Group: These groups are permanent and operate for a long time.

Functional Group: These groups are defined according to group members’ position
in an organization, such as engineers, clerks, supervisors, etc.

Command Group: These groups are permanent and exist in every organization. They
can be called sections or departments.

Task Group: This group is temporary and created to achieve a specific task. Usually,
these groups consist of influential stakeholders.

Committees: Members of this group are appointed by organizations to resolve issues.

This group is permanent and consists of stakeholders with high positions. 1–6
 Types of Group
Informal Group: Informal groups are groups that are formed by individuals
when they communicate with one another. These groups are not created by
organizations and work democratically.

People form these groups to solve their common issues or social needs; the
issues may or may not be related to work.

Types of Informal Group: An informal group can be one of the following types:

1.Apathetic Groups
2.Erratic Groups
3.Strategic Groups
4.Conservative Groups

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 Types of Group
Apathetic Groups: These groups are not very active, have minor grievances,
and do not have a collective strategy against the organization or government.
They lack cohesiveness.

Erratic Groups: As the name suggests, these groups are known for erratic
behavior, poor control, mismanagement, and no leadership or autocratic
leadership.

Strategic Groups: These are well-formed groups that follow ground rules and
have leadership. These groups can pressure the organization or government to
consider their demands.

Conservative Groups: These groups are conservative, have strong unity, and
have specific objectives.

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 The Five-Stage Model of Group Development

Forming: The first stage in group

development, characterized by much
uncertainty.
Storming: The second stage in group
development, characterized by intragroup
conflict.
Norming: the third stage in group
development, characterized by close
relationships and cohesiveness.
Performing: The fourth stage in group
development when the group is fully
functional.
Adjourning: The final stage in group
development for temporary groups is
characterized by concern with wrapping up
activities rather than performance. 1–9
 Group Conflict
Group Conflict- Group conflict occurs between two or more different
groups. This conflict commonly happens when the two groups are fighting
and working towards the same goal. This can create contact and tension
between the groups. There are two types of group conflict. These are:

A.Intragroup conflict: Intragroup conflict refers to a specific kind of conflict

that occurs between members of a group that shares common goals, interests
or other identifying characteristics. Intragroup conflict can be small-scale,
such as within a workplace or large-scale, such as between members of a
specific population group.

B.Intergroup conflict: Intergroup conflict is a term that refers to

disagreement or confrontation between two or more groups and their
members. This confrontation can involve physical violence, interpersonal
discord, and psychological tension.
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 Sources of Intragroup Conflict
A. Leadership Styles
B. Task Structure
C. Group Composition
D. Group Size
E. Group Cohesiveness and Groupthink
- Invulnerability
- Rationalization
- Morality
- Stereotypes
- Pressure
- Self-censorship
- Unanimity
- Mind Guards
F. External Threat

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 Managing Intragroup Conflict

A. Diagnosis
B. Measurement
C. Analysis

Managing Intragroup Conflict

•The Process Intervention

•The Structural Intervention

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 Strategies for Managing Intragroup Conflict

 By changing group membership.

 By changing the group size.
 By altering difficulty and variability of the task.
 By altering the reward system.
 By altering the rules and procedures and appeals system.

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 Causes Intergroup Conflict
1. Competition of resources: There are scarce sources in organization. And
scarce sources are distributed to different groups of organization. But all
group press for sufficient budget, place, supply, worker and helpers. At that
time disagreement arises and takes form of intergroup conflict.

2. Task factors: Organization ought to co-ordinate all task of groups available

in organization. While coordinating different factors come and it fails to co-
ordinate due to task dependence, task ambiguity and differences in work
orientation.

3. Status struggle: If a group tries to improve in their activities, next group

have fear of status that they will get good status in organization. And other
groups start different practices to fail improvement of related group. Then
there is created conflict.

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 Causes Intergroup Conflict
4. Reward conflict: Reward system is also a source of intergroup conflict. In
fact, the reward system motivate the workers. But when the workers take
reward negatively it brings conflict in organization. If there is inequity in
reward system and the company leave to provide the reward, which was
provided previously. In this situation also intergroup conflict takes place.

5. Organizational change: Organizational change is the changing in design of

organization. In this way while changing the design of organization duties and
responsibilities of groups are also changed. At that time, if the groups take
change negatively, it creates the conflict.

6. Organizational climate: Organizational climate means the quality of task

environment. While making quality task environment, if organization can not
create mutual interest, climate of trust, autonomy related to task and open
communication, it creates intergroup conflict.
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 Approaches to Intergroup Conflict

 Cooperation by law
 Negotiations
 Leadership replacement
 Personnel rotation
 Structural solutions
 Liaison persons
 Flexible reporting relationships
 Mediation and arbitration

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