Lecture 1 Flashcards
Organizational Conflict:
state of disharmony - occurs when ind/groups in orgs feel/perceive frustration
Organizational Conflict Process
Perception: something has occurred
Emotion: reaction to what we perceive
Behaviours: what we do in response
Outcomes: consequences of our actions
9 Group Types
- Primary work team (department/ unit ind assigned to)
- Long-standing teams (groups meant to accomplish task - stable/well-defined/ongoing training)
- Project team (specific assignment - specialized/no history/trust must be established *but initial disharmony = better results)
- Prefab groups (designed for frequent replacement)
- Self-managing teams (complementary skills w common purpose - performance goals, hold selves accountable, less management)
- Directional groups (direction/oversight ie management team/board, often report to bigger directional group)
- Task force groups (for specific task/project - examine issue/make recommendation)
- Geographically diverse groups (separated by distance, rely on tech, barriers of time/culture/language)
Team benefits & drawbacks
B = structure with fewer managers, networks of self-managing team
D = role ambiguity in org, confusion around leadership/responsibility - most orgs still want teams
team-based orgs require
require comms competencies
most programs view teamwork as major skill and major deficiency
self-limiting behaviours (in groups)
- others “expertise”
- compelling arguments
- no self-confidence
- unimportant/meaningless decision
- peer pressure
- dysfunctional climate
Group norms
unwritten/written behaviour rules
reflect what group deems as desirable
beliefs about what is effective/appropriate
develop over time
Group communication roles (3):
task, maintenance, self-centered
Task role (in group comms)
help groups accomplish goals –
Initiator
Information requestor & giver
Procedure facilitator
Opinion requestor & giver
Clarifier
Summarizer-evaluator
Maintenance roles (in group comms)
promote social support among group members –
Social supporter
Harmonizer
Tension reliever
Energizer
Leader
Follower
Compromiser
Gatekeeper
Self-centered roles (in group comms)
support individuals’ goals and may/may not be compatible with overall group goals/relationships - negative blocker, dominator, attacker, clown
group participation influences
goal alignment
prestige
climate
degree of interaction among members
size
- more participation and smaller size makes group involvement more attractive
conflict causes
Scarce Resources
Technology
Change
Difficult people
Irrationality/incivility
Diverse Backgrounds
Deception
Past Experience
Cost of bad behaviour:
Pearson/Porath study of 800 people - 96% experienced incivility, 48% experienced it once a week, 10% every day, 94% say they get even
Stages of conflict
latent conflict (underlying w conflict potential)
perceived conflict (awareness of differences)
felt conflict (emotional impact from perception of conflict)
manifest conflict (actual - open aggression/covert action)
Conflict categories:
- Procedural conflict (argue about how to do/decisions/responsibility)
- interpersonal issues (personality/stereotyping/inequality/power imbalance)
- substantive issues (intentional - diverse groups to challenge norms etc)
- groupthink (no critical thinking - desire to conform/apathy)
FNSP:
Forming, storming, norming, performing… AND adjourning
Surviving group work:
listen
common goal
assign roles / divide & conquer
timeline
objectives
avoid “groupthink”
resolve conflicts
exchange contact info
book group study room
play nice, be proactive
perception IS reality, trust is earned, feed off others’ strengths, be straight shooter, give fair warning not no warning
Negative participation behaviours:
being stubborn, suppressing others’ opinions, work for quick agreement, pitting others against each other, using power to get others to agree, not responding to voice/email.
Positive participation behaviours:
be prepared/informed, cooperative, value opinions, contribute, rationality, observe, actively participate, stress group productivity, avoid duts, don’t be self-centered, ease tensions, support leadership, build group pride, produce results
