Conflict and Negotiation

S. Robbins

Conflict
A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something the first party cares about. Has Positive side Negative side

Range of conflicts
Incompatibility of goals Differences over interpretations of facts Disagreements based on behavioral expectations, and the like.

Transitions in conflict thought

Traditional views The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided. Human relation views Conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group and that it need not be evil but rather has the potential to be a positive force in determining group performance. The interactionist views The conflict can be a positive force but some conflict is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively.

The traditional view of conflict

All conflict was bad and viewed negatively Used synonymously with violence, destruction and irrationality Conflict was harmful and was to be avoided. Its consistent with the attitudes that prevailed about group behavior in the 1930s and 1940s.

Reasons for the conflict

Poor communication Lack of openness Lack of trust between people Failure of the managers to be responsive to the needs and aspirations of their employees. These malfunctions has to be corrected to improve the group and organizational performance.

Human relations view of conflict

Its a natural occurrence in all groups and organizations Conflict was inevitable Human relations school advocates acceptance of conflict. At times it benefits a group performance HR view dominated from 1940s to mid 1970s.

Interactionist view of conflict

Encourages conflict on the grounds that a harmonious, peaceful, tranquil, and cooperative group is prone to becoming static, apathetic, and nonresponsive to needs for change and innovation Encourages group leaders to maintain an ongoing minimum level of conflict enough to keep the group viable, self critical and creative.

Forms of Interactionist Conflict

Functional Conflict
Conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its performance

Dysfunctional Conflict
Conflict that hinders group performance

What differentiates functional from dysfunctional conflict ? Explained by 3 types of conflicts.

2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 15-9

Types of Interactionist Conflict

Task Conflict
Conflicts over content and goals of the work Low-to-moderate levels of this type are FUNCTIONAL

Relationship Conflict
Conflict based on interpersonal relationships Almost always DYSFUNCTIONAL

Process Conflict
Conflict over how work gets done Low levels of this type are FUNCTIONAL 2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.
15-10

Types of conflict
Relationship conflicts
Friction and interpersonal hostilities increase personality clashes and decreases mutual understanding which hinders the completion of organizational tasks.

Process conflict
Intense arguments about who should do what become dysfunctional when they create uncertainty about task roles, increase the time to complete tasks and lead to members working at cross purposes.

Task conflict
Low to moderate levels has a positive effect over group performance because it stimulates discussion of ideas and helps better performance.

The conflict process

The conflict process has 5 stages - Potential opposition or incompatibility - Cognition and personalization - Intentions - Behavior - Outcomes.

The Conflict Process

Stage I: Potential Opposition or Incompatibility
Communication
Semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and noise

Structure
Size and specialization of jobs Jurisdictional clarity/ambiguity Member/goal incompatibility Leadership styles (close or participative) Reward systems (win-lose) Dependence/interdependence of groups

Personal Variables
Differing individual value systems Personality types
2009 Prentice-Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Exhibit 15-1 15-13

Potential opposition or incompatibility

First step Presence of conditions that creates opportunities for conflict to arise and surface. - Communication- The potential for conflict increases when there is too much or too little communication takes place. An increase in communication is functional up to a point, where up on it is possible to over communicate, with a resultant increase in the potential for conflict.

Contd.,
Structure Size and specialization acts as stimulants of conflict Tenure and conflicts are inversely related Greater the ambiguity greater is the potential for conflict to emerge. (increase the intergroup fighting for resources and territory. Interdependency one group tries to gain over the other and there is conflict.

Personal variables
To work with people with whom you took an immediate disliking Potential for conflict Personality, emotions and values. Individuals who are highly authoritarian and dogmatic. Emotions annoy other colleagues and there will be tension filled atmosphere.

Stage ii Cognition and personalization

If the conditions in stage - i negatively affects something that one party cares about then the potential for opposition or incompatibility becomes actualized in second stage. Perceived conflicts Felt conflicts

Stage - ii
It is where the conflict issues become defined. Parties decide what the conflict is about This settlements of conflicts is it delineates the set of possible settlements. Emotions play a major role in shaping perceptions

Stage ii emotions contd.,

Negative emotions
Produce oversimplification of issues Reduction in trust Negative interpretation of other partys behavior

Positive feeling
Tendency to see potential relationships among the elements of a problem Takes broader view of the situation Develop more innovative solutions

Stage iii Intentions

Intentions intervene between peoples perceptions and emotions and their overt behavior. Intentions are decisions to act in a given way. You have to infer the others intent to know how to respond to others behavior

Intentions contd.,
Dimensions - Cooperativeness The degree to which one party attempts to satisfy other partys concern - Assertiveness The degree to which one party attempts to satisfy his/her concern

Intentions contd.,
Conflict handling intentions
- Competing (Assertive uncooperative) - Collaborating (Assertive cooperative) - Avoiding (Unassertive uncooperative) - Accommodating (unassertive cooperative) - Compromising (mid range between assertiveness and cooperativeness)

Stage iv - Behavior
Conflict becomes visible Includes the statements, actions, and reactions made by the conflicting parties. These are the overt attempts to implement each partys intentions. These behaviors have a stimulus quality that is separate from intentions As a result of miscellaneous or unskilled enactments, overt behaviors sometimes deviate from original intentions.

Conflict intensity continuum

Annihilatory conflict
- Overt effort to destroy the other party - Aggressive physical attacks - Threats and ultimatums - Assertive verbal attacks - Overt questioning and challenging of others - Minor disagreements or misunderstandings

No conflict

Conflict intensity continuum

All conflict exist some where along this continuum At the lower part of the continuum are conflicts characterized by subtle, indirect, and highly controlled forms of tension. Conflict intensities escalates as they move upwards along the continuum until they become highly destructive. Conflicts that reach the upper ranges of continuum are always dysfunctional. Those which confine to the lower range of continuum are functional.

Conflict management techniques

Conflict is dysfunctional De- escalate Conflict is too low Needs to be increased

Conflict stimulating techniques

Communication Bringing in outsiders Restructuring the organization Appointing a devils advocate

Conflict stimulating techniques

Communication Using ambiguous or threatening messages to increase conflict levels Bringing in outsiders Adding employees to a group whose back grounds, values, attitudes, or managerial styles differ from those of present members Restructuring the organization Realigning work groups, altering rules and regulations, increasing interdependence, and making structural changes to disrupt the status quo. Appointing a devils advocate Designating a critic to purposely argue against the majority positions held by the group

Conflict resolution techniques

Problem solving Super ordinate goals Expansion of resources Avoidance Smoothing Compromise Authoritative command Altering the human variable Altering the structural variables

Conflict resolution techniques

Problem solving Face to face meeting of the conflict parties for the purpose of identifying the problem and resolving through open discussion. Super ordinate goals Creating a shared goal that cannot be attained with out the cooperation of each of the parties. Expansion of resources If scarcity of resources is the cause (money, promotion, space) expansion of the resources solves the conflict.

Conflict resolution
Avoidance Withdrawal from or suppression of the conflict. Smoothing Playing down differences while emphasizing common interests between the conflicting parties. Compromise Each party to the conflict gives up something of value. Authoritative command Resolving using formal authority and then communicating its desires to the parties

Conflict resolution
Altering the human variables Using behavioral change techniques such as human relations training to alter attitudes and behaviors that cause conflict. Altering the structural variables Changing the formal organization structure and the interaction patterns conflicting parties through job redesign, transfers, creation of coordinating positions, and the like.

Outcomes
The action-reaction interplay between the conflicting parties results in - Functional outcome- Conflict results in improvement in groups performance. Or - Dysfunctional- Hinders groups performance.

Functional outcomes
Conflict is said to be constructive if it - improves the quality of decisions, - Stimulates creativity and innovation - Encourages curiosity and interest among group members. - Provides a medium through which problems can be aired and tensions can be released - Fosters an environment of self evaluation and change.

Conflict can improve

The quality of decision making by allowing all points particularly that are unusual or held by the minority, to be weighed in important decisions. It is an antidote for groupthink It challenges the status quo and increases the probability that the group will respond to change.

Dysfunctional outcomes
Uncontrolled opposition breeds discontent, which acts to dissolve common ties and eventually leads to the destruction of the group. Reduce group effectiveness.

Dysfunctional outcomes contd.,

More undesirable consequences can be - Retarding of communication - Reduction in group cohesiveness - Subordination of group goals to the primacy of infighting among members At the extreme it can bring group function to a halt and potentially threaten group survival.

Creating functional conflictsOne common ingredient in organizations that successfully create functional conflict is

Reward dissent and punish conflict avoiders.