Chapter 10 Flashcards
definition of conflict
a process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party; exists whenever one party BELIEVES that another might obstruct its efforts, regardless of whether or not the other party actually intends to do so
negative consequences of conflicts
lower performance/
higher stress, dissatisfaction, and turnover/
less information sharing and coordination/
increased organizational politics/
wasted resources/
weakened team cohesion (conflict among team members)
positive consequences of conflict
better decision making; tests logic of arguments, questions assumption/
more responsive to changing environment/
stronger team cohesion (conflict between the team and outside opponents)
what is constructive conflict also called
task conflict
what is task conflict
occurs when people focus their discussion around the issue while showing respect for people with other points of view; viewed as an umbrella term for disagreements about the task or decision, including what task should be performed, how it should be done, and who should perform the various task roles
what does task conflict also debate
the various alternatives and arguments so they can be clarified, redesigned, and tested for logical soundness
summary of task conflict
keeps the debate focused on the issue and avoids any attention to the competence or power of the participants ; tends to produce better decision making
what is relationship conflict
a type of conflict in which people focus on characteristics of other individuals, rather than on the issues, as the source of conflict
when does relationship conflict occur
when someone tries to dismiss an idea by questioning the competence of the people who introduce or support that idea; also when someone tries to use status to defend a position (I’m right because I have the most experience)
how else can relationship conflict occur
when someone is abrasive or assertive to the extent that the behavior demeans others in the conversation; like manager banging fist on desk when mad
what does relationship conflict threaten
self esteem, self enhancement, self verification process; usually triggers defense mechanisms and a competitive orientation between the parties; also reduces mutual trust
which conflict escalates more easily
relationship; adversaries become less motivated to communicate and share information, making int more difficult for them to discover common ground and solve it all.
how do you minimize relationship conflict
emotional intelligence and stability/
cohesive team/
supportive team norms
what are the conflict handling styles
problem solving, forcing, avoiding, yielding, compromising,
what is problem solving style
“win win”
