15.2 Constructive conflict: Enjoying a good fight

Question 1

What is an inevitable by-product of people working together to accomplish tasks?

Answer 1

Conflict is an inevitable by-product of people working together to accomplish tasks.

Question 2

What is the essential element underlying all conflict?

Answer 2

Mary Parker Follett in the 1920s observed that the essential element underlying all conflict is a set of differences:

• differences of opinion
• differences of interests
• differences of underlying desires
• other differences

Question 3

What can we do given that conflict is unavoidable in interpersonal settings?

Answer 3

Conflict is unavoidable in interpersonal settings, so it should be understood and used to increase the effectiveness of all of the people involved. To be useful, however, conflict must be constructive.

Question 4

Compare and contrast the bases of constructive and destructive conflict.

Answer 4

Constructive conflict is usually based in the realm of ideas or values.

Destructive conflict is usually based on the personalities of the people involved.

Question 5

What must teams recognize and understand regarding conflict?

Answer 5

Teams ought to recognize and understand the difference between destructive, personality-based conflict and constructive, idea-based conflict.

Question 6

What are the five basic strategies for resolving conflicts?

Answer 6

Five basic strategies for resolving conflicts have been identified:

• avoidance: ignoring the conflict and hoping it will go away
• smoothing: allowing the desires of the other party to win out in order to avoid the conflict
• forcing: imposing a solution on the other party
• compromise: attempting to meet the other party”halfway”
• constructive engagement: determining the underlying desire of all the parties and then seeking ways to realize them