Lecture 15 - Conflict Management Flashcards
Conflict Resolution
the process of ending a conflict
Conflict management
broader than conflict resolution; refers to optimal use of conflict to advance the team towards its goal
- does not imply resolution
- can refer to stimulation of productive conflict
- involves thinking about the potential constructive functions of conflict as well as dysfunctions
3 main competencies of conflict management
- understand the causes of conflict
- distinguish types and stages of conflict
- know and apply methods of managing conflict appropriate to different types of stages
Causes of Team Conflict
- role ambiguity among team members
- disagreements over goals (b/c of lack of clarity of goals)
- scarcity of critical resources (i.e. staff, equipment)
- Differences in perceived status or rank
- Interdependency (have to rely on each other and sometimes things do not go as planned)
- Personal issues (i.e. individual attributes and personal characteristics)
Types of Team Conflict
- Relationship
- Process
- Task
* process and task are types of productivity conflict whereas relationship conflict is les sproductive*
What is a Relationship Conflict?
- conflict over personal or social issues not related to the team task
- “emotional” or “affective” conflict
- decreases effectiveness of the team (less productive because conflict is more personality-based)
- best handled outside of the team, privately
What is Task Conflict?
- conflict over the content of the work that the team is doing (disagreement over appropriate therapy, tasks, and goals)
- inevitable and is necessary to create a climate where members feel free to disagree with each other
- ability to disagree allows for trust to develop since they will not face social detriments by disagreeing
- considered depersonalized “cognitive conflict”
- focused on merits of ideas, plans, and therapies
- allows everyone to be on the same page about content of the team’s work
What is Process Conflict?
- conflict over the way the work of the team is being done
- role ambiguity is central to this conflict
- can be a source of positive conflict if working through conflict better establishes roles and responsibilities
What two types of conflict fall under Substantive Conflict and why?
- task conflict & process conflict
- because they are both conflicts based on the substance of the team’s work
What is the most and least productive types of conflict?
- most productive: task conflict
- least productive: relationship conflict
Why is Task Conflict especially important?
- it is necessary to create a climate where members feel free to disagree with each other –> builds trust among members because there are not social detriments to disagreeing
- allows everyone to be on the same page about ideas and work
What is the relationship between conflict and team effectiveness?
Medium level of conflict ensures high team effectiveness –> too high or too low = low team effectiveness
T/F: Relationship Conflict can be a source of positive conflict
False; relationship conflict is not related to the team task and reduces team effectiveness
T/F: Scarcity of critical resources is central to Process Conflict
False; role ambiguity is central to Process Conflict
What are the Stages of Conflict?
- Anticipation: thinking about a potential conflict
- Awareness: sensing that a situation is moving towards conflict, acknowledging that it exists
- Discussion: confirms that conflict exists amongst multiple team members
- Dispute: attempting to find a solution to resolve conflict
What are the 5 Conflict Management Methods?
- Avoidance
- Accommodation
- Collaboration
- Compromise
- Competition
What is Avoidance and why is it bad for healthcare teams?
- Avoidance: not addressing the source of conflict, letting the situation continue because most people find conflict threatening and prefer to ignore it to preserve harmony on the team
- can cause issues to be revisited multiple times and cause buildup of negative feelings
What is Accommodation and who does it involve?
- Accommodation: one party in the conflict gines in to another party
- resolution is made between two individuals, does NOT involve entire team