HANDLING CONFLICT

AND OVERCOMING
OBSTACLES
Dr Catherine McCauley-Smith
Senior Lecturer in Leadership

 Conflict is inevitable in groups and organizations.

Mutual agreement is possible in any conflict situation if

people are willing to negotiate in authentic ways.

Conflict can be uncomfortable, but is not necessarily
unhealthy or bad.
The question is, How can we manage conflict and
produce positive change?
Communication plays a central role in handling conflict.

 Intrapersonal
o Discord that occurs within an individual
o Involves dynamics of personality

Interpersonal
o Disputes that arise between individuals

o This is the conflict type addressed in Chapter 9

Societal
o Clashes between societies and nations

Conflict is a felt struggle between two or more

interdependent individuals over perceived
incompatible differences in beliefs, values, and
goals, or over differences in desires for
control, status, and connectedness.

 Struggle
o Opposing forces coming together
Interdependence
o Leaders and followers need each other.
o How much influence do I want? How much am I willing to accept?
Feelings
o Emotional arousal within both parties
o Array of emotions including anger, sadness, or disconnection
Differences
o Differences in beliefs, values, goals, or in desire for control, status,
and connectedness

Content and Relationship Dimension

of Messages
Content
o Objective, observable aspects
o What the message is about
o Ex.: Please stop texting at work

Relationship
o Indicates how the two parties are affiliated
o Determines how the content dimension should be

interpreted

Content Conflicts
Center on differences in beliefs and values, or

goals
Belief conflicts occur when others viewpoints are
incompatible with our own.
o

Ex.: PETA

Value conflicts occur when others values are

incompatible with our own. Goal conflicts occur

where individuals have different goals.

 Procedural Conflict
o When individuals differ on how to reach a goal

Substantive Conflict
o When individuals differ on what the goal should be

Also known as personality clashes

Center on issues of esteem, control, or affiliation
Esteem is one of the major human needs:
o We desire to have an effect on our surroundings and to be

seen as worthy of respect.

o When our esteem needs arent met, we experience relational
conflict.
o At the same time, others want their own esteem needs
satisfied.
o If either party feels they are receiving insufficient validation, a
clash develops.

 Control issues are common in interpersonal

conflict.
o Each of us desires to have an impact on others.
o Having control increases our feeling of potency and

minimizes feelings of helplessness.

o When we see others hindering us or limiting our control,

conflict often results.

o Each of us seeks different levels of control.
o Control needs may vary from one time to another.

 Affiliation is the need to feel included in our relationships, to

be liked and to receive affection (Schutz, 1966).

o If our needs for closeness are not satisfied in our relationships,

we experience feelings of conflict.

o We each vary in our need for affiliation.
o When others behave in ways that are incompatible with our own

desires for warmth and affection, feelings of conflict emerge.

o Ex.: football coach and one of his players

Relational issues are often bound to content issues during

conflict.

 Principled negotiation emphasizes

deciding issues on their merits rather than

through competitive haggling or excessive
accommodation.
Four principles focus on basic elements
of negotiation: people, interests, options,
and criteria.

 Conflicts have a people factor and a problem

factor that need to be separated.

This is not easy, because they are entangled.
By separating them we are able to recognize
the others uniqueness and needs.
It enables us to be attentive to our
relationships and work together to mutually
confront the problem.

 Positions represent our stand or perspective in a

particular conflict.
Interests represent what is behind our positions.
Interests often relate to basic human concerns
such as belonging, recognition, control, economic
well-being, etc.
Concentrating on interests helps opposing parties
address the real conflict.
Ex.: class attendance policy

 Humans naturally see conflict as an either-or

proposition; we either win or lose.

This principle frames conflict as a win-win.
Parties need to brainstorm and search hard

for creative solutions to conflict.

Where do parties interests overlap?
By being sensitive to others interests we can

make it easier for them to be satisfied.

.

 Objective criteria help parties view conflict with an

unbiased lens.
Objective criteria can take many forms:
o
Precedent
o
Professional standards
o
What a court would decide
o
Moral standards
o
Tradition
o
Scientific judgment
Ex.: salary negotiation

Managing Conflict: Differentiation

Differentiation defines the conflict & requires
individuals to explain their positions.
Focuses on individuals differences rather than
on similarities
Occurs in the early phases of conflict
Differentiation is useful because it:
o Focuses the conflict
o Gives credence to both parties interest
o Depersonalizes the conflict

Fractionation is a technique of breaking down

large conflicts into smaller, more manageable
pieces.
Helpful because:
It reduces the conflict by paring it down to a

smaller, less-complex conflict.

It gives focus to the conflict.
It facilitates a better working relationship

between participants in the conflict.

Managing Conflict: Face Saving

Consists of messages that individuals express

to each other to maintain their positive selfimages during a conflict.

Allows a person to acknowledge the others
point of view without offending them.
Makes conflicts less threatening and helps
participants feel they have handled
themselves appropriately.

Kilmann & Thomas Conflict Styles

A conflict style is a patterned response that people use when

approaching conflict.
Conflict styles vary along two dimensions: assertiveness and
cooperativeness.
o Assertiveness refers to attempts to satisfy ones own concerns
o Cooperativeness represents attempts to satisfy the concerns of others

The Thomas-Kilmann model identifies five conflict styles.

A persons individual style is usually a combination of these

five different styles.

Avoidance Style
This style is low on both cooperativeness and

assertiveness.
Advantages of the style:
o When an issue is trivial
o When potential damage from the conflict would be too great
o Can provide a cooling-off period

Disadvantages of the style:

o Usually counterproductive, leads to stress and further conflict
o Static approach, does nothing to solve problems

Competition Style
This style is high on assertiveness but low on

cooperativeness.
Essentially a win-lose approach
Advantages of the style:
o Useful when quick, decisive action is needed
o Can generate creativity
o Challenges participants to make their best efforts

Disadvantages of the style:

o Results in a winner and a loser
o May create an unstable situation and hostile communication
o Is essentially disconfirming, failing to recognize the needs of
others

Accommodation Style
This style is high on cooperativeness and low on

assertiveness.
Individuals confront problems by deferring to others.
Advantages of the style:
o Allows people to move away from uncomfortable feelings aroused by

conflict
o Can work when the issue is more important to one party than another or if
harmony in the relationship is the most important goal

Disadvantages of the style:

o In effect it is a lose-win strategy
o The accommodator sacrifices his or her own values and goals to maintain
smooth relationships
o Need for harmony may override the need to find an optimal solution

Compromise Style
This style is moderate on both cooperativeness

and assertiveness.
Advantages of the style:
o Requires attending to ones goals as well as others
o Works best when other styles have failed or arent suitable
o Can force an equal power balance between parties

Disadvantages of the style:

o Doesnt go far enough in resolving conflict
o Can become as easy way out
o Neither side may be completely satisfied

Collaboration Style
This style is high in both assertiveness and cooperativeness.
Ideal style because it confronts conflict and then uses it to

produce positive outcomes

Advantages of the style:
o Both sides win
o Communication is satisfying
o Relationships are strengthened
o Negotiated solutions are more cost-effective in the long run

Disadvantages of the style:

o Demands energy, hard work, and shared control
o Takes time to identify areas of agreement and select mutually
satisfying solutions

Summary
Interpersonal conflict is inevitable.
If managed in appropriate ways, conflict can be constructive.
Conflict occurs on two levels: content and relationship.
One approach to resolving conflict is the Method of Principled Negotiation,

which focuses on people, interests, options, and criteria.

Three practical communication approaches to resolving conflict are

differentiation, fractionation, and face-saving.

Finally, researchers have found that people approach conflict using five

styles: avoidance, competition, accommodation, compromise, and

collaboration.
Managing conflict effectively leads to stronger relationships among

participants and more creative solutions to problems.

 It is not uncommon for individuals to be unclear

or confused about their goals.

Sometimes the goal is unknown, obscure, or
hidden among competing goals.
When goals are not apparent, people are less
likely to be successful.
Leaders need to make goals clear.
If goal is vague Clarify it
o If goal is embedded among other goals
Identify it
o

 Ineffective performance results from unclear directions

from leaders.
Directions that are vague, confusing, rambling,
imprecise, or incomplete can have a debilitating effect on
individuals.
o People lose the capacity to move forward
o Group members feel lost; they do not know how to reach

their goal
Leaders must define the path to the goal.
Individuals vary in their need for direction.
GPS metaphor

Obstacle Three: Low Motivation

Hundreds of articles have been written in an attempt

to explain human motivation.

Path-goal leadership incorporates expectancy theory
as a way to motivate others.
o Expectancy Theory suggests people will be more

motivated when the effort they put into a task leads to

an expected outcome that they value.
o This occurs when individuals:
feel competent
get what they expect
value what they do

 Solution: Give relevant support.

Let people know that they are competent.
Make sure the outcome people expect from their

effort is achievable and will likely occur.

Help others see the value in their work
performance through monetary rewards, positive
personal feedback, or special achievement
awards.

Obstacle Four: Complex Tasks

When the task is unstructured, ambiguous, or

complex, it creates an obstacle for individuals.

Some may feel overwhelmed in these
situations.
When leaders simplify complex tasks, it helps
others feel more competent about their work.

 When the task is complex the leader

needs to be directive and clarify the path

to the goal.
Directive leaders give others instruction,
including:
o What is expected of them
o How it is to be done
o Timeline for when it should be completed
o Setting clear performance standards

Sometimes the obstacle is simplicity.

o
o

Simple, repetitive tasks can negatively affect motivation.

There is little excitement about doing the same job over and
over; simple tasks become dull.

 Solution: Give support and nurturance

o It is important for leaders to use a supportive

styleIt provides what is missing by giving

nurturance when group members are
engaged in boring tasks.
o Social support can take a variety of forms and

it shows care for the well-being of the worker.

 Having a voice in what happens is very

important to people.
o People want to fit in.
o By expressing their thoughts & opinions, individuals

feel like they are making a contribution to the group.

Leaders should use a participative style to

address the issue of low involvement.

o Leaders invite others to share in the ways and means

of getting things done. They create a climate that is

open to new and diverse opinions.

 Some people do not work well because they do not feel

challenged by what they are doing.

o Without challenge, people find work uninteresting.
o As a result, they work less or quit & find something more

challenging.
Leaders should adopt an achievement-oriented style of

leadership.
o Challenge individuals to perform at the highest level.
o Set standards of excellence & challenge others to meet

them.

Summary
Challenges and difficulties will always be

present for people in the workplace.

Effective leaders help individuals define their

goals and the paths they wish to take to meet

those goals.
Four leadership styles can be used to help

people overcome obstacles: directive,

supportive, participative, and achievement
oriented.