Chapter 13: Conflict Management LO 13.1-13.3 Flashcards
conflict
the process that occurs when one person group, or organizational subunit frustrates the goal attainment of another.
why does group bias occur
Self-esteem is a critical factor, bolstered by emotions that favour one’s own group.
- Attributing positive behaviour to your own work group should contribute to your self-esteem.
interdependence
When individuals or subunits rely on each other to achieve their goals, conflict can arise. For example, sales depends on marketing for leads, while marketing relies on sales to meet revenue targets. If problems occur, tensions may escalate, leading to stereotypes and blame. However, low interdependence, like between sales and office maintenance, reduces conflict potential.
Interdependence sets the stage for conflict because:
It requires interaction, increasing opportunities for disagreement.
It gives each party some power over the other, which can be misused.
Power
When dependence is one-sided, conflict is more likely.
If party A relies on party B but not vice versa, B has power over A, creating resentment. For example, production workers may develop hostility toward quality inspectors who control approvals but do not depend on them.
Status
Conflict can arise from status reversals or contested status.
Lower-status employees sometimes direct higher-status ones, like servers giving orders to chefs, leading to resentment. Disputes over who holds more status, such as between marketers (with formal education) and sales personnel (who earn more), can also fuel tension.
culture
Differing workplace cultures can lead to conflict.
For example, hospital administrators focused on efficiency may clash with doctors prioritizing patient care. Apple’s hiring from companies with distinct work cultures caused internal friction, as did the cultural divide after Canaccord Financial acquired Genuity Capital Markets.
ambiguity
Unclear goals, roles, or performance criteria create conflict by making it hard to assign credit or blame. Examples include:
Product teams disputing responsibility for declining sales.
Turf wars (e.g., NYT print vs. digital).
Managers and employees clashing over vague job expectations.
Disagreements in the film industry due to uncertainty about success factors.
scarce resources
When resources are limited, power struggles intensify, turning hidden conflicts into open ones. Examples include:
Scientists competing for reduced lab space.
Employees at Amazon clashing over promotions and prime positions.
relationship conflict
concerns tensions among individuals that have to do with their relationship per se, not the task at hand.
So-called personality clashes are examples of relationship conflicts
task conflict
oncerns disagreements about the nature of the work to be done.
Differences of opinion about goals or technical matters are examples of task conflict.
process conflict
involves disagreements about work should be organized and accomplished. disagreement about responsibility and authority
constructive conflict
that promotes good decisions and positive organizational change.
This means that the parties to the conflict agree that its benefits outweigh its costs
conflict stimulation
a strategy of increasing conflict to motivate change
conflict dynamics
As conflict develops, parties focus on winning over solving the issue. This leads to:
Concealing or distorting information.
Increased group cohesion and punishment of conciliators.
Limited contact with the opposing side.
Negative stereotyping of the other group.
Emergence of aggressive leaders.
avoiding
a conflict management style by low assertiveness of one’s interests and low cooperation with other party
accommodationg
one cooperates with the other party while not asserting one’s own interests
competing
maximize your own position and minimize cooperative responses (Win-lose terms)
compromise
it combines intermediate levels of assertiveness and cooperation
- sensible reaction to conflict steming from scarce resources
collaborating
a style that maximizes both assertiveness and cooperation
