Chapter 12 Conflict at Work Nelson Quick Nature

Chapter 12 Conflict at Work Nelson & Quick

Nature of Organizational Conflict - any situation in which incompatible goals, attitudes, emotions, or behaviors lead to disagreement or opposition between two or more parties Functional conflict - a healthy, constructive disagreement between two or more people Dysfunctional conflict - an unhealthy, destructive disagreement between two or more people

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Emotional intelligence - the ability to manage conflict. It is the power to – – control one’s emotions perceive emotions in others adapt to change manage adversity

Consequences of Conflict

Causes of Conflict in Organizations Structural Factors • Specialization • Interdependence • Common resources • Goal differences • Authority relationships • Status inconsistencies • Jurisdictional ambiguities Personal Factors • Skills & abilities • Personalities • Perceptions • Values & ethics • Emotions • Communication barriers • Cultural differences

Globalization & Conflict Cultural differences & individual differences increase the potential for conflict / m s i l a u d Indivi ivism t c e l l o C Power Distance Ma Fe scul mi ini nin ty/ ity y nt i a t er c ce n n U a id o v A Long-term/ Short-term orientation

Forms of Conflict in Organizations • Interorganizational conflict - conflict that occurs between two or more organizations • Intergroup conflict - conflict that occurs between groups or teams in an organization • Interpersonal conflict - conflict that occurs between two or more individuals

Forms of Conflict in Organizations Intrapersonal conflict - conflict that occurs within an individual Interrole conflict - a person’s experience of conflict among the multiple roles in his/her life Intrarole conflict - conflict that occurs within a single role, such as when a person receives conflicting messages from role senders about how to perform a certain role Person-role conflict - conflict that occurs when an individual is expected to perform behaviors in a certain role that conflict with his/her personal values

An Organizational Member’s Role Set Outside the organization Inside the organization Supervisor Client Focal Role Supplier Potential employee Employee 1 Employee 2 3 Boundary of the organization J. C. Quick and J. D. Quick, Organizational Stress and Preventive Management, 1997. Reprinted by permission. Superior role senders Colleague Peer role senders Employee’s colleagues Employee role senders

Power Relationships in Organizations From W. F. G. Mastenbroek, Conflict Management and Organizational Development, 1987. Copyright John Wiley & Sons Limited. Reproduced with permission.

That won’t work! Defense Mechanisms Aggressive Mechanisms Fixation - an aggressive mechanism in which an individual keeps up a dysfunctional behavior that obviously will not solve the conflict Displacement - An aggressive mechanism in which an individual directs his/her anger toward someone who is not the source of the conflict Negativism - an aggressive mechanism in which a person responds with pessimism to any attempt at solving a problem.

Defense Mechanisms Compromise Mechanisms Compensation - a compromise mechanism in which an individual attempts to make up for a negative situation by devoting himself/herself to another pursuit with increased vigor Identification - a compromise mechanism whereby an individual patterns his or her behavior after another’s Rationalization - a compromise mechanism characterized by trying to justify one’s behavior by constructing bogus reasons for it

Defense Mechanisms Withdrawal Mechanisms Flight/withdrawal - a withdrawal mechanism that entails physically escaping a conflict (flight) or psychologically escaping (withdrawal) Conversion - a withdrawal mechanism in which emotional conflicts are expressed in physical symptoms Fantasy - a withdrawal mechanism that provides an escape from a conflict through daydreaming

Coping with Difficult Behavior Hostile/ Aggressive • Stand up for yourself • Allow run-down time • Avoid direct confrontation Indecisive stallers • Raise the issue of the hesitancy • If you are the problem, ask for help • Keep action steps in own hands Superagreeables • Value them as people • Compromise & negotiate • Discern their humor’s hidden meaning

Coping with Difficult Behavior Complainers • Listen attentively • Acknowledge feelings • Use problemsolving Clams • Ask open-ended questions • Wait patiently for a response • Ask more openended questions Negativists • Discuss problems; don’t offer solutions • Be ready to take action alone • Stay out of their despair

Coping with Difficult Behavior Know-It-Alls Bulldozers • Prepare yourself • Listen & paraphrase main points • Question Balloons Information on slides 14 -16 adapted from Table 13. 3. From Coping with Difficult People by Robert Bramson. Copyright© 1981 by Robert Bramson. Used by permission of Doubleday, a division of Random House and Carol Mann Literary Agency on behalf of author. • State facts as your own perception • Help them save face • Confront when they are alone

Managing Intrapersonal Conflict Person-role conflicts Find out as much as you can about the company’s values Intrarole or interrole conflicts Ask role senders what they expect of you

Win-Lose versus Win-Win Strategies

Ineffective Techniques for Dealing with Conflict Nonaction - doing nothing in hopes that a conflict will disappear Secrecy - attempting to hide a conflict or an issue that has the potential to create conflict Administrative orbiting - delaying action on a conflict by buying time Due process nonaction - a procedure set up to address conflicts that is so costly, time-consuming, or personally risky that no one will use it Character assassination - an attempt to label or discredit an opponent

Effective Techniques for Dealing with Conflict Subordinate Goals Confronting & Negotiating Changing Structure X Conflict Expanding Resources Changing Personnel

Conflict Management Styles Avoiding - deliberate decision to take no action on a conflict or to stay out of a conflict Accommodating - concern that the other party’s goals be met but relatively unconcerned with getting own way Competing - satisfying own interests; willing to do so at other party’s expense Compromising - each party gives up something to reach a solution Collaborating - arriving at a solution agreeable to all through open & thorough discussion

Conflict Management Styles Assertive Competing Assertiveness (Desire to satisfy one’s own concerns) Collaborating Compromising Accommodating Unassertive Avoiding Uncooperative Cooperativeness (Desire to satisfy another’s concerns) K. W. Thomas, “Conflict and Conflict Management, ” in M. D. Dunnette, Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 900, (Chicago, IL; Rand Mc. Nally, 1976).

Negotiation - a joint process of finding a mutually acceptable solution to a complex conflict Useful under these conditions – – Two or more parties Conflict of interest between the parties Parties are willing to negotiate Parties prefer to work together rather than to fight openly, give in, break off contact, or take the dispute to a higher authority

2 Negotiating Approaches Integrative Negotiation focuses on the merits of the issues & seeks a win-win solution Distributive Bargaining the goals of the parties are in conflict, & each party seeks to maximize its resources

3 Organization Views of Conflict Competitive conflict Avoidance of conflict Positive conflict Belittle differences Evade differences Value diversity Suspect Seek win-lose situation Blame Despair Reduce risks Take Stock Withdraw D. Tjosvold, The Conflict-Positive Organization. 1991 (pages 41/42). Copyright© 1991 by Addison. Wesley Publishing Company Inc. Reprinted by permission of Addison Wesley Longman. Seek mutual benefit Empower