Unit 11 Flashcards
Define conflict and debate its positive and negative consequences in the workplace.
Conflict is the process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party. The earliest view of conflict was that it was dysfunctional for organiza- tions. Even today, we recognize that conflict sometimes or to some degree consumes productive time, increases stress and job dissatisfaction, discourages coordination and resource sharing, undermines customer service, fuels organizational politics, and erodes team cohesion. But conflict can also be beneficial. It is known to motivate more active thinking about problems and possible solutions, encourage more active monitoring of the organization in its environment, and improve team cohesion (where the conflict source is external)
Distinguish task from relationship conflict and describe three strategies to minimize relation- ship conflict during task conflict episodes.
Task conflict occurs when people focus their discussion around the issue while showing respect for people with other points of view. Relationship conflict exists when people view each other, rather than the issue, as the source of conflict. It is apparent when people attack each other’s credibility and display aggression toward the other party. It is difficult to separate task from relationship conflict. However, three strategies or conditions that minimize relationship conflict during constructive debate are: (1) emotional intelligence of the participants, (2) team cohesion, and (3) supportive team norms.
Diagram the conflict process model and describe six structural sources of conflict in organizations
The conflict process model begins with the six structural sources of conflict: incompatible goals, differentiation (different values and beliefs), interdependence, scarce resources, ambiguous rules, and communi- cation problems. These sources lead one or more parties to perceive a conflict and to experience conflict emotions. This, in turn, produces manifest conflict, such as behaviours toward the other side. The conflict process often escalates through a series of episodes.
Outline the five conflict handling styles and discuss the circumstances in which each would be most appropriate
There are five known conflict handling styles: problem solving, forcing, avoiding, yielding, and compromising. People who use problem solving have a win–win orientation. Others, particularly forcing, assume a win–lose orientation. In general, people gravitate toward one or two preferred conflict handling styles that match their personality, personal and cultural values, and past experience.
The best style depends on the situation. Problem solving is best when interests are not perfectly opposing, the parties trust each other, and the issues are complex. Forcing works best when you strongly believe in your posi- tion, the dispute requires quick action, and the other party would take advantage of a cooperative style. Avoidance is preferred when the conflict has become emotional or the cost of resolution is higher than its benefits. Yielding works well when the other party has substantially more power, the issue is less important to you, and you are not confident in the logical soundness of your position. Compromising is preferred when the parties have equal power, they are under time pressure, and they lack trust.
Apply the six structural approaches to conflict management and describe the three types of third-party dispute resolution.
Structural approaches to conflict management include emphasizing superordinate goals, reducing differentiation, improving communication and understanding, reducing interdependence, increasing resources, and clarifying rules and procedures. Third-party conflict resolution is any attempt by a relatively neutral person to help the parties resolve their differ- ences. The three main forms of third-party dispute resolution are mediation, arbitration, and inquisition. Managers tend to use an inquisition approach, although mediation and arbitration are more appropriate, depending on the situation.
Describe distributive and integrative negotiations and outline strategies skilled negotiators use to claim value and create value.
Negotiation refers to decision-making situations in which two or more interdependent parties attempt to reach agreement. When negotiator goals run in opposite directions they find themselves in a distributive situation, and when their goals are not fully incompatible they are in an integrative situation. Effective distributive strategies include making ambitious opening offers and managing the concession-making process. In an integra- tive situation, value can be created by gathering information, sharing information, asking questions to understand a counterpart’s perspective, and building the relationship
