Leader: Maria Karen Deliola
Members:
Alcantara, Jijo Micaiah
Cruz, Allen Dave
Esteban, John Carlo
Galaria, Ma. Teodora
Macapagal, John Mark
Malabanan, Paola Joy
Palad, Lovely Joy
Sadac, Michel Raffin
Sangalang, Philip Christopher
Seriosa, Helen
CONFLICTS
Conflicts arise when the interests of people do not
coincide.
Conflicts may also arise when the interests of people
are similar but opposed to each other
At least two parties are involved in a conflict
It may occur between individuals, between groups,
between the individual and the organization, and
between organizations.
Conflict is part of organizational life.
THE NATURE OF CONFLICT
Conflict is a relationship – It occurs between at least
two persons, groups, organizations, or nations.
Conflicting parties generally find themselves in
disagreement over one or more of four areas:
a. Facts. The present situation or problem
b. Goals. What should be done or accomplished.
c. Methods. The best way to accomplish the goals.
d. Values. Principles, qualities, and concepts about
what is desirable in the long term that influence judgment
and perception about facts, goals and methods.
Conflict requires energy – It takes human effort maintain,
escalate or e-escalate.
Management of agreement is related to management of
conflict. Total agreement on everything is impossible and
may even be undesirable.
TWO VIEWS OF CONFLICT
1. CLASSICAL VIEW
- Conflict has been viewed as dysfunctional and
unnecessary.
- It disturbs peace and harmony to people
- It is deemed to be caused by management
failure to apply sound management techniques.
- It is assumed to be unavoidable
- In this view, optimal organizational
performance requires the absence of conflict.
2. CONTEMPORARY VIEW
- Conflict is seen inevitable.
- It can have both functional and dysfunctional
outcomes.
- The way to deal with conflict is to regulate it so
it does not get out of control.
- Some moderate level of conflict has to be
permitted to achieve optimal organizational
performance.
Underlying assumptions about conflict
CLASSICAL VIEW CONTEMPORARY VIEW
It is avoidable. It is inevitable
It is caused by management It arises from conditions which
errors in designing and are inherent in organizations:
managing organization. competition for limited rewards,
Results from breakdown in goal differences and so on.
It results from individual and
communication and lack of
trust and understanding group differences such as
between individuals as well as education, training and
experiences.
groups. It enhances ad inhibits
It disrupts operations and
organizational performance in
prevents optimal performance. varying degrees.
Optimal organizational Optimal organizational requires a
performance requires the moderate level of conflict.
removal of conflict.
CONFLICT IN ORGANIZA TION
The seed of conflict are sown when an organization
differentiates into groups and departments in order to
interact more effectively with its environment.
Groups will have different goals and different ways of
achieving them.
Group members compared themselves with other
members of the group.
A “we-they” attitude develops, with “we” being seen
as superior to or better than “they”.
TWO INGREDIENTS OF CONFLICT:
1. Observable differences between the parties or
principals involved.
2. Perception that the achievement of goals of one
party may be blocked by the other party.
Conflict behavior would be characterized by overt
expressions of hostility between the parties and
deliberate interference with each other’s activities.
CONFLICT OUTCOMES
Conflict can have both destructive and constructive
outcomes for the organization.
James A. F. Stoner – suggests that the net impact of
conflict depends on the following factors:
1. The Level of Conflict – Moderate level of conflict
have far more potential for constructive outcomes.
Too much conflict leads to so much chaos and
disruption. Too little conflict leads to complacency.
2. Organizational Structure and Climate – The more
open the structure and climate are to changes, the
more beneficial conflicts are likely to be. If the
organization rigidly resists changes, the conflicts may
never be resolved.
Functional Conflict Outcome
Awareness Need Adaptation
To Problem-
Conflict Of Resolve solving
Change Or
Problem Problem Innovation
Dysfunctional Conflict Outcome
•Coordination
Inability Failure
To
•Tension •Impairment Stagnation
•Communications Of
Conflict Confront of
Breakdown Decline
Conflict Decision
Making
3. How Conflict is Managed – A manager’s skill in
conflict diagnosis and management will largely
influence which outcome eventually occurs. Managers
may, depending on the situation, opt to stimulate,
resolve, or prevent conflict.
Skills of A Manager in Conflict
a. The ability to diagnose the nature and sources of the
conflict.
b. The ability to initiate confrontation and discussion
with the conflicting parties.
c. The ability to engage in active listening so as to hear
all points of view.
d. The ability to choose the right approach toward the
conflict resolution.
Benefits and Costs of Conflict
The management of conflict requires an appreciation of its
potential benefits and costs. By eliminating conflict, a
manager forgoes its benefits. On the other hand, by
ignoring conflict, costs are incurred.
BENEFITS OF CONFLICT
1. Development of Energy and Enthusiasm
-Conflict is energizing
-Face with opposition, people seek new and higher
levels of achievement.
-They become more enthusiastic to perform
better than before.
2. Diagnostic Value
- Conflict provides a means for early detection of problems
before they get out of hand.
3. Generation of New and Creative Solutions
- Conflict triggers a search for new and creative solution to
problems.
- The protagonists are exposed to different views and
perspectives about problems.
- They are stimulated to work out innovative approaches to
challenges and opportunities.
4. Focus on Task
- Conflict serves to stimulate participants to work hard to accomplish
the task at hand.
- Overall goals of the organizations are achieved when the
departments do their jobs well.
5. Feedback
- Conflict provides feedback to the protagonists.
- They may have a distorted perception of themselves, or they may
overestimate their own skills and ability.
- Conflict serves to regulate perceptions to
keep them closer to reality.
COSTS OF CONFLICT
1. Tension and Anxiety
- Conflict induces tension and anxiety
- The resulting stress can cause emotional and
physical fatigue that lead to a decline in productivity.
2. Real Cause may be Overlooked or Ignored
- While conflict reflects symptoms, there is risk
that underlying causes may be glossed over.
- Symptoms may ne mistaken for root causes.
- Conflict may only go underground and
continue.
3. Rigidity in Position
- People in dispute may become more rigid in holding their position
rather than being more flexible.
-During conflict, people’s judgment is altered and they may not see
the merit of other points of view.
4. Decline in Cooperation and Teamwork
- The protagonists may concentrate on defeating the other party,
thus making the cooperation and teamwork lesser.
- Communication between parties breaks down
- Secrecy replaces openness and the drive to compete overcomes
the need to cooperate.
5. Loss of Self-esteem
- This is true when results do not quite measure
up to expectations.
- Self-image which may have been held so
highly is injured.
SOURCES OF INTERGROUP CONFLICT
Both the environment of the organization and
technology shape the nature of relationships among
subgroups and the extent of interdependence that is
necessary.
The environment of the organization basically
determines how many groups there should be, what
their goals are, as well as their composition in terms
of different qualities of people required.
Environment & technology together primary define
the dimensions of intergroup relationships that lead
to conflict.
Dimensions of Interdepartmental
Relationship
1. Differences in Goals
-Each group or department will have its own goals.
- Disagreement may arise over what one’s department’s
goal should be from the point of view of other department.
2. Task Independence
- Departmental units require materials,
resources, information, or services to perform
their respective tasks effectively.
- Two kinds of interdependence
1. Sequential interdependence
2. Reciprocal interdependence
3. Resource Interdependence
- The units compete with each other for their
own share of organization’s resources. – money,
materials, men, office or factory space.
- Units would want as much resources as they
could obtain their tasks well.
4. Incentive and Reward System
- The incentive and reward system affects the way
subgroups relate with one another.
- When department are rewarded primarily on fulfillment of
departmental goals, conflict among department is greater.
5. Task Ambiguity
- There is lack of clarity as to how a task is to be done or who
is to perform it in the organization.
- The absence of guidelines or policies in these areas arouse
confusion and provoke arguments.
6. Differences in Personal Background and Traits
- The various tasks in the organization will require
people with different education, training, skills, attitudes
and experience. Thus, they tend to look at things
differently.
- Trait differences can also lead to conflict.
7. Differences in Power and Status
-Those units whose contributions are regarded ]
as to more important tend to gain high power and
status.
EFFECT OF CONFLICT ON GROUPS
The effects of conflict in groups manifest themselves
through changes in the behavior of members.
Conflict induces changes in the perceptions,
attitudes, and behaviors of the protagonists in
significant ways.
The changes are systematic and they supply a means
for detecting the presence of intergroup conflict even
in instances when the conflict has gone underground.
Behavioral Dynamics Within and
Between Groups
a. What Happens Within Each Group?
- The structure becomes more formal and the
leadership becomes more autocratic.
- There is an increased emphasis on task
accomplishment rather than interpersonal
`relationships.
- Conformity is stressed.
2. What Happens to Relations Between Groups?
- The relationship between the competing groups
deteriorates.
- Hostility toward the rival group increases/.
- Communication decreases and becomes very
selective.
- Members only listen to statements that support
is own position
- Members overestimate their own strength and
skills and minimize those of the other group.
3. What Happens to the Winning Group?
- Tension is released and every member feels
happy.
- There is a little desire to re-examine its own
performance and, possibly improve them.
- Autocratic structures are relaxed and the group
becomes more concerned with the needs of the
members.
4. What Happens to the Losing Group?
- The members deals with the reality of failure
either by denying or distorting them.
- Rather than accepting defeat, they tend to look
for scapegoats and excuses.
- The members also experience increased tension
and conflict among themselves.
- Cohesion, cooperation, and concern for
member’s needs diminish.
5. What Happens to Negotiators Between Groups?
- The negotiators often experience substantial
conflict in having dual roles: being a good member
and a good negotiator.
- He requires a large measure of objectivity.
- If their group loses, representatives often feel
guilty and responsible.
- They encounter difficulty in re-entering their
respective groups and often are also looked upon
scapegoats.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES
1. Use of Authority – An executive may opt to impose
a solution to resolve or suppress conflict by invoking
higher authority.
2. Avoidance – To resolve conflict, a manager may
choose to separate the contending parties away
from each other.
3. Smoothing –The manager plays down the
magnitude of the conflict.
4. Compromising – Conflict may be resolved through
face-to-face negotiations between the protagonists.
5. Problem-solving – The protagonists meet to discuss
the problems and issues related to the conflict.
6. Third-Party Mediation – A third-party is invited to
mediate the conflict.
7. Intergroup Training – The groups are required to
attend a training seminar and/or workshop outside
the work place. The objective is for the groups to
learn more about themselves and about each other.
CONFLICT PREVENTION STRATEGIES
1. Emphasis on Total Organizational Effectiveness
– The achievement of overall organizational goals
and effectiveness should be stressed so that
departmental goals do not become the only ones to
be pursued.
2. Communication Among Groups – Group contacts
should be encouraged.
3. Rotation of Members – Frequent rotation of
members among departments promotes mutual
understanding.
4. Avoiding Win-Lose Situations – Groups should
never be put in the position of intense competition
for the same organizational resources and rewards
since, ultimately, this will force one group to be the
looser.
Certain Management Practices which also tends
to reduce the level of conflict in organizations
a. Management by Objective (MBO) where superiors
and subordinates jointly set objectives and
standards.
b. Objective performance evaluation
c. Rational promotion and compensation policies
d. Management Information Systems (MIS) where
information is stored, retrieved, and disseminated
effectively.
e. Quality Control Circles (QCC’s)
"Commitment in the face of conflict
produces character."
Mark Twain
"Not everything that is faced can be
changed. But nothing can be
changed until it is faced.“
James Baldwin
Thank you for listening.
