Conflicts and Harmony In Society and Work Organization

Definition of conflict
Like the other behavioral terms the term conflict has also acquired divergent meanings. In simple sense conflict is a tension or collision or disagreement. Following are some of the definition on conflict Chung and megginson have define conflict as the struggle between incompatible or opposing needs, wishes, ideas, interest, or people. Conflict arises when individual or groups encounter goals that both parties cannot obtain satisfactorily. Thomas has defined conflict as process that begains when one one party has negatively affected or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about According to Kolb & Bartinek conflict can be disagreement, the presence of tension , or some other difficulty within or between two or more parties. Conflict can be public or private , formal or informal , or be approached rationally or irrationally.

General observations on conflict

Conflict is unavoidable. In a fallen world, the only way to avoid conflict is to avoid interaction with other people! It is both unbiblical and nave to be shocked by conflict in the church. Conflict is often a sign of health. Consider the following reasons why this is the case.
o

Conflict over how to best achieve our mission demonstrates spiritual commitment and vitality. Groups that have no conflict over this issue are apathetic.
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Conflict is important in creating the tension necessary for creative problem-solving and accelerated learning. God often uses the pressure of conflict to further his purposes When we work through conflict successfully, our relationships are usually deepened and strengthened. Conversely, relationships that avoid conflict remain superficial at best, ripe for division at worst. Conflict can expose sinful attitudes that require firm discipline. God sometimes uses conflict to cleanse the church of ungodly people

Conflict is a fact of life. It is a natural mechanism, occurring on a daily basis. Conflict can be both constructive and destructive (Meyer, 1989). Constructive aspects of conflict include:

opening issues to cooperative discussion; opportunity to solve a problem; improved understanding between individuals or groups; encouragement for people to grow; increased productivity; improved morale and self-esteem; and release of pent-up resentment, emotion, and anxiety.

Destructive aspects of conflict include:

diversion of energy from important tasks and issues; barriers to cooperation, understanding, and action;

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decreased productivity; deepened differences; destroyed morale and self-esteem; nonproductive behavior like name calling; and prevention of healthy discussion of differences.

Healthy vs. unhealthy conflict Unhealthy conflict is the result of sinful lusts, including bitterness, selfish ambition, and envy/jealousy. Conversely, healthy conflict is motivated by a humble desire to glorify God and serve . In light of this fact, the following contrasts are helpful in distinguishing healthy conflict from unhealthy conflict. Cooperative vs. competitive: In cooperative linkage, I can only attain my goals if you succeed in attaining yours (e.g., team sports). In a competitive linkage, I can only attain my goals if you fail to attain yours (e.g., individual sports). Cooperation encourages perception of similarity of attitudes, which leads to the tendency to avoid coercion and use persuasion. Competition encourages an approach to conflict which seeks to win, and is willing (consciously or by omission) to see the other parties suffer loss in the process. Home group leaders and workers should be involved in cooperative linkage. Unfortunately, we sometimes discover that a competitive attitude has taken hold, thereby bringing in a different dynamic in conflict. For example, workers may have conflict over who should follow up a new person in the home group. In a cooperative linkage, the keys to resolve this conflict may include what will be best for the new person, where the new person wants to go,

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which ministry spheres need bolstered, etc. In a competitive linkage, the desire to build one's own kingdom is the bottom line. Issues-oriented vs. sin-driven: An issues-oriented conflict focuses on the problem at hand and how to solve it preemptively. A sin-driven conflict is rooted in hurt feelings or unrighteous ambitions. These two kinds of conflict are often interrelated. Conflict over issues may give rise to sin-driven conflict. I may allow my pride to be pricked because I didn't get my way. I may choose to harbor bitterness over real or perceived harshness in how others disagreed with me. I may choose to be threatened because others disagreed with my decision. I may give way to suspicion or bitterness because my leaders did not nominate me for Servant Team. But sin-driven conflicts often disguise themselves as issue-oriented conflicts. Rather than admit that I am embittered or rivalrous, I may continue to bring up criticisms over the quality of the teaching, the character weakness of a leader, etc. The tip-off that this is actually a sin-driven conflict is that as fast as one issue is resolved, another one pops up.

How conflict is different from competition Like conflict, competition occurs when two or more parties engage in activities that are in Some sense incompatible. Since both parties cannot win the

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success of one prevents the other from achieving success. Though conflict and competition seem the same they differ in the degree of self interest displayed by each side. The same distinguish one from other. Competition does not involve direct action by one party to interfere with the activities of the other. But in case of conflict, one party tries to prevent or inhibit the success of other. This difference can be exampled by a sport example. Track events are examples of competition rather than conflict because each runner attempts to run faster than others but no one is allowed to trip or interfere with the others. In contrast game of football and hockey involve both conflict and competition because each terms act directly to interfere with the activities of the other. Conflict designed to destroy other parties is not uncommon in organizations. Price war involves conflict between organizations, with one company trying to drive its competitors out of business. Conflict between union and management is also common in modern organizations.

Types of Conflicts:

Conflicts and Harmony In Society and Work Organization

Conflicts can take on any of several different forms in an organization. It can occur within an employee, between individuals or groups, and across organization. Thus, the different types of conflicts are: intrapersonal, interpersonal, inter group and inter organizational conflicts. It is important to note that the prefix intra means within, whereas inter means between. A brief description of each of these follows: Intrapersonal Conflicts: When conflict occurs within an individual, it is called intrapersonal conflict. It emerges as a result of conflicting role taken by the individual. One such type of conflict many employees experience is work/home conflict, in which their role as worker clashes with their role as spouse or parent. For example, when a child gets sick at school, the parent often must leave work to care for the child. Interpersonal Conflict: Conflict between two or more people is called interpersonal conflict. Individual differences create interpersonal conflicts. attitudes. Wide differences are noticed between people in terms of personalities, perceptions, values and

Inter group Conflict:

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When conflict occurs between groups or teams, it is known as inter group conflict. Such conflict emerges when one group sets out to undermine the other, gain power, and improve its image. Conflicts also arise from such causes as different viewpoints, group loyalties, and competition for resources. Such group conflicts have negative consequences like aggression, hostile, and prejudice toward the other group. But, some group conflicts can be constructive also. Conflict can have predictable effects within each group, such as increased group cohesiveness, increased focus on tasks, and increased loyalty to the group. Inter organizational Conflict: Conflict that occurs between two or more organizations is called inter organizational conflict. Such conflict may include conflict between organizations pursuing similar objectives, conflict between government agency and organization and conflict between head office and manufacturing unit. Competition among organizations also can spur inter-organizational conflict.

Sources of conflict:

Conflicts and Harmony In Society and Work Organization

Conflict can arise from a variety of sources. They can be classified into two broad categories: Structural factors, which stem from the nature of the organization and the way in which work is organized and personal factors, which arise from differences among individuals.

Conflict

Structural factors Specification Interdependence Common Resources Goal Differences Authority Relationships Status Inconsistencies Jurisdictional Ambiguities

Personal Factors Skills & Abilities Personalities Perception Values and ethics Emotions Communication barrier Cultural differences

The structural factors and the personal factors are also called as the external factors and the internal factors respectively. The most important of these are, now, discussed here under. Specialization: When jobs are highly specialized, employees experts at certain tasks. For example, in case of a software company, while there is one specialist for data bases, another for statistical packages, and yet another for expert systems. As the highly specialized people have little awareness of the tasks of the tasks that others perform, such a case leads to conflict among the specialists. Interdependence:
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Interdependence occurs when two or more groups depend on each other to accomplish their tasks. Depending on other people to work done is good when the process works smoothly. However, when a problem arises, it The becomes easy to blame other party, and as such, conflict escalates. potential of conflict increases as the degree of interdependence increases. Three types of task interdependence have been identified: i. Pooled Interdependence: A condition of pooled interdependence occurs with additive tasks when the performance of different groups is simply combined or added together to achieve the overall performance. ii. Sequential Interdependence: It occurs when the task of one group cannot be completed unless the preceding group has completed its task. For example, in case of assembly line manufacturing, the products must first pass through department A before they can proceed to department B.

III. Reciprocal Interdependence: Such interdependence also occurs with conjunctive tasks when each group depends upon the performance of each of the other group. While A

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group depends upon B and C, B & C groups depend upon each other and as well as A. Reciprocal interdependence can be seen in hospitals where various departments like the X-ray unit, the blood laboratory, the nursing unit, the emergency centre, and the anesthesiology staffs all depend on each other to provide skilled patient care. Goal Differences: Sometimes different work groups having different goals have incompatible goals. For example, in a cable television company, the salespersons goal was to sell as many new installations as possible. This created problem for the service department, because its goal was timely installations. Jurisdictional Ambiguities: It refers to the presence of unclear lines of responsibility within an organization. Recall, have you ever contacted your own University administration for some problem and had you been asked to go to different people and departments? The sources or causes of conflicts just discussed are external or structural in nature. There are other conflicts also that come from differences among individuals, also called personal/internal sources or causes of conflict.

Skills and Abilities: Work force in an organization/department is composed of people with varying levels of skills and abilities. Such diversity in skills and abilities leads

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to conflict, especially when jobs are interdependent. Workers may find it difficult to work with a new boss, fresh from University knowing a lot about managing people but unfamiliar with the technology they are working. Perception: Like personality, differences in perceptions can also lead to conflict. One area in which perceptions can differ may be the perception of what motivates employees. Managers, for example, usually provide what they think employees want rather than what employees really want. Values and Ethics: People also hold different beliefs and adhere to different value system. Older workers, for example, value company loyalty and probably would not take a sick day when they were not really sick/ill But, the younger workers, valuing mobility, may take a sick day to get away from work. Emotion: The moods of the people can also be a source of conflict in the work place. Problems at home often spill over into the work arena, and the related moods can be hard for others to deal with.

Communication Barriers:

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Communication barriers such as physical separation and language can create distortions in messages, and these, in turn, can lead to conflict. Value judgment also sometimes servers as barriers.

Aspects of Conflicts:
The conflict is inevitable in organizations. Hence, this poses a question whether the conflict is good or bad for an organization. In other words, the management needs to know what are the good or bad aspects, if any, of conflict in organization. Based on this, conflicts are characterized by having two aspects, namely, functional and dysfunctional conflicts. Both are as follows,

Functional Conflict: Conflicts that support the goals of the group and improve its performance are known as functional conflicts. Studies have suggested that some conflicts not help but may be a necessary condition for creativity/improvement. Following are some of the positive or functional aspects of conflicts that may occur in organizations: . Conflicts bring cohesiveness in groups. . Conflicts motivate group members to have concern for organization. . Conflict breeds creativity among the members. . Conflicts promote change. . Conflicts lead to high quality decisions. As mentioned earlier, there is a close relationship between conflict and organizational performance. Moderate or optimum level of conflict contributes to high organizational performance. On the contrary, both extremely low or extremely low or extremely high level of conflicts adversely affect organization performance. Bounding also recognizes that some optimum level of conflict
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and associated personal stress and tension are necessary for progress and productivity, but he portrays conflict primarily as a potential and social cost. Dysfunctional Conflict: The destructive forms of conflict that hinder group performance are called dysfunctional conflicts. Such conflicts hinder or destroy the achievement of organizational or group goals. The performance of an organization tends to deteriorate when conflict becomes too great. In Universities, for example, intense conflict destroys the working relationships between members and seriously reduces the level of organizational performance. Reflects the relationship between conflict between conflict and organizational performance Organisational performance is low when level of conflict is either of extremely low or extremely high. When level of conflict is low at point A, performance is low because of a lack or arousal and stimulation. When conflict is at too high level at point C, it causes inadequate coordination and cooperation. In consequence, the performance tends to decline. When conflict is at an optimum level, at point B on the curve, organizational performance becomes the maximum. This is because of sufficient conflict to stimulate new ideas and a creative search for solutions to the problems. The line of demarcation between functional and dysfunctional is neither clear nor precise. As a matter of fact, no one level of conflict can be considered as acceptable or unacceptable under all conditions and cases. The fact remains that the type and level of conflict that creates healthy and positive contribution toward one groups goals today may, in another group or in the same group at another time, be regarded as highly destructive or dysfunctional.

Conflict process
Having learnt sources and types of conflicts, it seems pertinent t know how conflict develops or escalates. Pondy developed a process model of conflict
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which is very useful in understanding how conflict starts and different stages it goes through. Pondys model of the conflict process, what he terms, conflict episode, is adapted and portrayed in the following figure, wherein he delineates the five stages involved in conflict episode. These are: latent conflict, perceived conflict, felt conflict, manifest conflict, and conflict aftermath.

Latent Conflict

Conflict Aftermath

Perceived Conflict

Felt Conflict

Manifest Conflict

Conflict Resolution

Latent Conflict: In the latent stage, factors or antecedents exist in the situation which can become potential forces to induce conflict. These can be, for example, competition for scarce resources, communication barrier, divergence of subunit
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goals, and role ambiguities.

For instance, if resources are limited in an

organization and there are demands for different kinds of resources such men, material and money from various sections in the organization, such situational factors are very much conflict-inducing. Perceived Conflict: Sometimes conflict may be perceived when latent conditions are not in existence in the system. Such a situation arises when one party perceives the other to be likely to frustrate hi/her goals. Let it be clarified with an imaginary example. Suppose, the production manager hears the marketing manager saying that he requires more sales persons to achieve the set target for the year 199899. As the production manager also requires more mechanists to step up production, he perceives the likelihood of a conflict developing between him and the marketing manager. This is because, given the limited resources of organization, if more sales personal are hired, less money will be available to hire more mechanics for the production division. Felt Conflict: Emotional involvement in a conflict creating anxiety, tenseness, frustration, and hostility is known as felt conflict. It is that stage when the conflict is not only perceived but actually felt and cognized. In the above example, when the Chairman fixed a meeting of the heads of the department to discuss resource allocation, both the mangers may literally feel the impact of impending confrontation between them in the forthcoming meeting because of the likely powerful exchange of words and sentences between them. Manifest Conflict:

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This is the stage where conflicts become visible. In this stage, the two confronting parties engage themselves in behaving different forms such as open aggression, apathy, sabotage, withdrawal, and perfect obedience to rules, In other words, the behaviors of the conflicting parties includes the statement, actions, and reactions to each other.
Conflict Aftermath: The action-reaction-resolution interplay between the confronting parties results in certain consequences. Whether the consequence will be positive, or say, functional or negative, or say, dysfunctional depends upon how the conflict is resolved. If the conflict is genuinely resolved to the satisfaction of all the parties involved in conflict, it will result in positive consequence. On the other hand, if the conflict is merely; suppressed but not resolved, it will still have residual tension left in the parties which will serve as basis for latent conflict for the next conflict episode. As our model demonstrates, the conflict aftermath is a direct function of the results of the conflict resolution styles adopted and exercised to manage conflict in a given situation of an organization.

Styles of conflict management

Thomas has classified conflict management styles into five styles: avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, and collaborating. of these follows Following graphs these five conflict management styles using these two dimensions. A brief description

Assertive

Conflict Management

Unassertive Uncooperative Cooperativeness (Concern for others ) cooperative 16

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Competing

Collaborating

Compromising

Avoiding

Accommodating

Avoiding: Avoiding is a style low on both assertiveness and cooperativeness. Avoiding is a deliberate decision to sidestep a conflict issues, postpone addressing it till later or withdraw from a conflicting situation. In certain situations, it may be appropriate to avoid a conflict. For example, when parties are much angry and need time to cool down, it may be best to use avoidance. Avoiding conflict can be very functional when the issue involved in the conflict is trivial. However, research shows that overuse of this style results in negative evaluations from others in the workplace. Here is an example of the avoiding style of conflict management in use. The head of a large MNC stayed regularity in a posh five star hotel. On one such trip, he forgot to remove the Do Not Disturb sign from his door when he left for work in the morning. He came back late at night to find his room as he had left it: the sheets unchanged, the breakfast tray still there, and the room unswept. The sign on the door was intact.

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His reaction? He charged down to the reception, sign in han and proceeded to scream the hotel down. When the receptionist said that they were merely following his instructions, he got even more agitated, saying that i.e. could have died in his room, and nobody wouldve disturbed him. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control, when the hotels General Manager stepped in. Within minutes, he had pacified the charged executive, apologizing profusely instead of arguing with him. He then put him in a better room till his room was made up, and sent him dinner. Suitably mollified, the guest was soon tucking into his food all anger forgotten, and the staff heaved a sigh of relief. Accommodating: A style in which one is concerned that other partys goals be met but relatively unconcerned with getting ones own way is called accommodating. In this style, one party is willing to self-sacrifice in the interest of the other party. Over reliance on accommodating has their danger. If manager In addition, constantly defers to others, others may lose respect for him. met. In turn, he/she may lose self-esteem.

accommodating manager may become frustrated as his/her own needs are never

Competing: This type of style is characterized by high assertion and low cooperation. In this style, one tries to meet ones goals at the other partys expense. Much reliance on competing strategy may be dangerous because one who does so may become reluctant to admit even when he/she is wrong. He/she may find himself/herself surrounded by people who ar afraid to disagree with him/her.

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Compromising: The compromising style is intermediate on both the assertive and cooperative dimensions. Each party tries to give up something to reach a solution to the conflict. A typical give and take policy dominates the behavior of the conflicting parties. Compromises are often made in the final hours of union management negations, when time is of the essence. Compromising becomes an effective style when efforts toward collaboration have failed.

Collaborating: Collaborating style is marked by both high assertiveness and cooperativeness. Collaborating involves attempts to satisfy the needs of both the parties. Thus, it is based on win-win style. In this style, a creative solution usually emerges because of the joint efforts of both the parties who are keen on both gaining from the situation without hurting the other.

Uses of five styles of Conflict Management: Conflict Appropriate Inappropriate situation When one of the other

Handling Style situation Competing 1. When quick, decisive action is

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vital (e.g., emergencies) 2. On important issues where unpopular actions need implementing (e.g., cost cutting, enforcing unpopular rules, discipline). 3. On issues vital to company welfare when you know you are right. 4. Against people who take advantage of noncompetitive Collaborating behavior. 1. To find an integrative solution when both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised. 2. When your objective is to learn. 3. To merge insights from people with different perspectives. 4. To gain commitment by incorporating concerns into consensus. 5. To work through feelings that

styles an

would unloving

serve way.

better, or when used in Remember: This style may promote hostility and relationships damages

When God's goals are ignored in favor of the goals of the people, or when it fails to deal with the underlying causes for the conflict.

have interfered with a relationship. Compromising 1. When goals are important, but When it may lead to not worth the effort or potential manipulation, disruption of more assertive modes. halfhearted solutions, recurring 2. When opponents with equal commitments, power are committed to mutually inadequate exclusive goals. 3. To achieve settlements to compiled issues: 4. To arrive at expedient solutions
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and temporary controversies.

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under time pressure. 5. As a backup when collaboration or competition is unsuccessful. Avoiding 1. When an issue is trivial, or more important issues are pressing. 2. When you perceive n9o chance of satisfying your concerns. 3. When potential disruption outweighs the benefits of resolution. 4. To let people cool down and regain perspective. 5. When gathering information supersedes immediate decision. 6. When other can resolve the conflict more effectively. 7. When issues seem tangential or symptomatic of other issues. Accommodatin g 1. When you find you are wrong to allow a better position to be heard, to learn, and to show your reasonableness. 2. When issues are more important to others than to yourself to satisfy others and maintain cooperation. 3. To build social credits for later issues. 4. To minimize loss when you are outmatched and losing. 5. When harmony and stability are
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For important issues. In these conflicts, or avoiding stems from self-protection laziness.

For important issues. In these conflicts, we may loving. rationalize as accommodation

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especially important. 6. To allow employees to develop by learning from mistakes.

Deep and Sussman (1990) offer 10 guidelines for resolving conflicts.

Listen to the other person's assertions. Ask questions to clarify the other person's position. Don't get angry. Accept the person's right to disagree with you. Communicate your position clearly and thoroughly. Focus on issues and behaviors rather than on emotions and personalities. Discuss the present. Focus on the future. Take responsibility for your role in the conflict. Summarize apparent needs and desires of both parties. Be creative in exploring options and in finding an equitable solution.

Keep the lines of communication open. Agree to talk about problems more openly in the future.

Social Harmony

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Harmony is absence of conflict. As a member of system/organization, one does not always have the freedom to do as one likes to do according to the dictates of ones conclusions. Even within the family lots of adjustment is called for daily. Reconciling the divergent pulls in social relationship is an eternal source of conflict. These conflicts assume disturbing dimensions. Social harmony is ushered in when the society as an organization is competent enough to resolve the contradictions and the conflicts arising out of competition. Inside organizations it is the dog-eat-dog principle which operates having to prove that one is better than everyone else either by doing better than other or by showing the defects of another. Dilemmas abound in life, both personal and societal, it is the ethic-morality strand of the society that irons out the conflict to bring about social harmony. Harmony with environment Harmony with environment is required to maintain a healthy, natural lifestyle, taking responsibility for and control of their health and their life through natural healing methods. Locating and shaping spaces in harmony with both the physical and the spiritual environment is required to empower the harmonious interaction between person and place. The color and form (part of our environment) enriches the spirit and soul, it stimulates an environment that contributes to the health and well-being of the occupants. It's a home with a healthy indoor climate that allows the house to breath, and the mind and spirit to flourish in an environment as free as possible of chemicals. LIFE abhors silence. Its voice is not a cry; it is a song. In order to hear this song, one must listen to the life that is within and without. Life teaches harmony and brotherhood. Ultimately, the study of life is valuable if a human being acquires a profounder conviction in the fact of universal brotherhood. It is spiritual knowledge of the One Self and One Life within each and all that is the key to the mystery of life. In order to acquire spiritual knowledge one must look within and without.

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With the help of YOGA, meditation man (manager) tries to purify himself within, tries to eliminate dust of anxieties, stress, depression from his mind and tries to achieve tranquility so that he can work in present and with more concentration and achieve his targets efficiently. Thus practicing these activities he truly and only concentrates on his body and his work, but at the same time man cannot ignore the environment he is living in. As he concentrates on himself to realize his targets, he has to get harmonize with the environment for the same. He has to get adjust with the people around him, his family, his home, his office environment, his boss, subordinates, nature around etc. It would mean making some quite fundamental changes in our attitudes towards each other, if we were really to think of ourselves as indispensable elements of nature. So that it would have positive impact on his actions. His mind, ideas will flourish in harmonized environment. He could also maintain healthy and natural lifestyle. Harmonizing with environment will result into getting along with people, so that managers will not face any oppositions in his work, and thus will not get any pressures, depression, stress, jealousy, anxiety, overwork which are route cause of all negative happenings. Need for hour is for the intuitive leader who can gather personnel round a shared vision, which gives meaning to their work. Such a vision takes into account the inter-relationships every management decision is bound to have today not only with the immediate surroundings but also with the state of the world as a whole on account of the increasing globalization of the economy and of communications. Such a leader will take into account not only the turbulence of the environment today, its unpredictability and uncertainty, but also the innate inertia of the organization which militates against its adjusting rapidly to the environmental changes. Therefore to adopt changes, in order to be in accord with surrounding, Harmony with Environment is necessary.

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