Lecture-6 Resolution of Interpersonal Conflict

Interpersonal Conflict results from clashes in personalities, values or both. Unlike structural conflict which arises from the jobs and departments within an organization, interpersonal conflict is caused by the individuals holding those jobs and working in those departments.

Interpersonal Conflict- Resolution Approaches:

A manager cannot change a persons personality or basic values. These fundamental traits and deep- seated beliefs can usually be changed only through a time consuming therapeutic process. It is possible for a manager to help an employee to modify behavioral consequences of his personality and values. The following behavioral approaches to conflict resolution can be effective if used by a knowledgeable manager. Counseling Modifying Behavior Image Exchanging Defusing Emotions Improving Communication Creating Super Ordinate Goals Using Principled Negotiation

01: Counseling:

The provision of assistance and guidance in resolving personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties, especially by a professional is called counseling. The following guidelines may obey a manager in the case of resolving interpersonal conflict. These are as given below: 1. The manager should listen to the employee in a patient, friendly, but intelligently critical manner. 2. 1 The manager should not display any kind of authority Md. Zahid Hossain Bhuiyan, Lecturer in Management, IIUC-DC

3. 4.

The manager should not give advice or moral admonition The manager should not argue with the employee

5. The manager should talk or ask questions only under certain questions : To help the employee talk

To relieve any of the employees fears or anxieties that may be affecting his or her relationship with the manager To praise the employee for describing his or her thoughts and feelings accurately To direct the discussion to some topic that has been omitted or neglected To discuss implicit assumptions, if this is advisable

Sex difference between manager and employee may complicate the counseling approach. As is well established in both the scientific and popular literatures, men and women have different communicating styles. Men tend to be less interested in discussing many topics that interest women, such as relationship; men also tend to be less interested in small talk; finally men tend to interpret the soft, tentative speaking styles that talk that are characteristic of many women as evidence that what women are saying is not that important. To change these perception female mangers should do the following counseling to male employees: 1. Be succinct and avoid long-winded stories

2. Organize your thoughts before delivering them so that message can be easily understandable 3. Pay attention to voice tone, intonation and pitch, varying these will tend to make men more attention 4. Make eye contact

5. Speak appropriately; a business meeting is not the place for a family anecdote unless it serves a definite purpose Cultural differences between manager and employee may also complicate the counseling relationship.

Md. Zahid Hossain Bhuiyan, Lecturer in Management, IIUC-DC

02: Modifying Behavior:

Behavior modification is the shaping of another persons behavior by controlling the consequences of that behavior. The father of behavior modification stated that, Behavior is a function of its consequence. Most behavioral scientist believe that human behavior is rational, self-serving, and goal directed. The goal of our behavior is to satisfy our needs. If managers understand the fundamentals of behavior modification, they can shape their subordinates behavior without getting involved in personality issues or deep-seated values. Behavior modification is based on the following principles: Continuous Reinforcement: It means that a manager responds with rewards or punishments every time can employee performs a certain behavior. For example, suppose an employee tends to be late returning from breaks. Manager could continuously reinforce acceptable behavior by praising this employee whenever he or she is not late or continuously punish unacceptable behavior by scolding that person whenever he or she is late. Intermittent reinforcement: it means that a manager responds to an employees behavior either randomly or at some regular frequency (e.g., every fourth or fifth occasion) with rewards or punishments. For example, if an employee is late returning from break, the manager would scold that person only sometimes. If the employee returns on time, the manager would praise that persons only occasionally.

03: Image Exchanging:

Image exchanging is a behavioral techniques used to reveal the perceptions of each party in a conflict. These essential elements of this technique are the exchange of perceptions, or images, about the people engaged in the conflict. The steps involving image exchanging are listed below: 1. The individuals involved in the conflict describe their own image and that of the other person. 2. The individuals exchange both sets of descriptions

3. Each person lists the behavior or behaviors that probably led the other persons to arrive at these images.

Md. Zahid Hossain Bhuiyan, Lecturer in Management, IIUC-DC

The individuals discuss the written responses and decide how they can reduce the discrepancy between self-image and the image held by the other person. Realistic goals are set to improve the relationship, reduce conflict and increase cooperation.
4.

5.

The individuals exchange lists.

04: Defusing Emotions:

Interpersonal conflict is difficult to reduce when its entwined with anger and hostility. A particularly nasty word or behavior causes the other side to reciprocate. This in turn spurs the first party to respond with further intensity. This spiral will continue until either the participants or a mediator stops it. Escalating conflict tends to produce seemingly irrational behavior. Instead of trying to achieve mutual goals, participants focus on getting even with the other side. Ultimately the desire to get even can be costly for the organization.

05: Improving communication:

The life partner of good relationship at work is free and open communication, and effective managers make this one of their primary responsibilities. The key to effective communication is not talking more or better but listening better and trying to understand more. Talking is less probably essential to becoming a better communicator, but the weakest link in the communication process is receiving information, not sending it. Communication can be improved by the following ways: 1. Only one person can talk at any particular time

2. The person responding to a remark must be able to paraphrase that remark accurately before attacking it. 3. 4.
5.

No personal attacks or criticisms are permitted If you need to criticize someone, criticize yourself

Speak to be understood, not to win points because this is not debating session.

06: Creating Super-Ordinate Goals:

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A super ordinate goal is a goal that is highly desired by each party but one which cannot be
Md. Zahid Hossain Bhuiyan, Lecturer in Management, IIUC-DC

either party acting alone. Naturally, managers will use less dramatic super ordinate goals to resolve interpersonal conflicts between subordinates.

07: Using Principled Negotiation:

The tenets of principled negotiation are inherent in several of the interpersonal conflict resolution approaches. Defusing emotions is tantamount to separating people from issues, improving communication is incorporated in principled negotiation, tenets of the degree to which each party is knowledgeable and willing to communicate; and counseling and creating super-ordinate goals are paths for inventing options for mutual gain.

Md. Zahid Hossain Bhuiyan, Lecturer in Management, IIUC-DC