Week 5
Lecture 5: managing conflict
Conflict
Conflict is ‘a feeling, a disagreement, a real or perceived
incompatibility of interests, inconsistent worldviews, or a set of
behaviours’ (Mayer, 2000:3).
It is the state of disagreement or misunderstanding, resulting from
the actual or perceived dissent of needs, beliefs, resources and
relationship between the members of the organization
At the workplace, whenever, two or more persons interact, conflict
occurs when opinions with respect to any task or decision are in
contradiction.
Conflict is linked to the inner processes of people and their
relationship with the environment and is an inevitable part of
organisational life (Jones & George, 2003).
Nature of conflict
Conflict, or at least the propensity for it, is considered inherent to the
human condition
It is inevitable, particularly in the dynamic arena of healthcare with
its hierarchical organisation and complex care issues and dilemmas.
Conflict is not necessarily bad.
Results of conflict are not predetermined
Conflict is a process of polarisation and receding opportunity
Fundamental biological forces that are not only genetic, but
hormonal, neurological, physical, and even evolutionary in nature
influence human behaviour at work (Colarelli & Arvey2015)
Relationship-based conflict
, A. Intrapersonal conflict is internal discord and conflict occurring within
the individual, which can manifest from role confusion for example.
B. Interpersonal conflict arises between two or more people with
differing views or goals, which may lead to harassment and stress
(pseudo, value, fact conflict etc.
C. Intergroup conflict involves two or more teams who, for example, do
not share the same organisational goals.
Group conflicts are different in that they are usually of a high complexity
as they involve highly divergent assumptions, expectations, and purposes.
Organizational conflicts
Causes
1. Organizational structure
2. Task independence
3. Limited resources
4. Incompatible goals
5. Personality differences
6. Communication problems
Types
1. Relationship Conflict: The conflict arising out of interpersonal tension
among employees, which is concerned with the relationship
intrinsically, not the project at hand
2. Task Conflict: When there is a discord, among members regarding
nature of work to be performed is task conflict
3. Process Conflict: Clashes among the team members due to the
difference in opinions, on how work should be completed, is called
process conflict.
Marxist conflict theory
Society is in a state of perpetual conflict because of competition for limited
, resources.
Central tenets of conflict theory are the concepts of social inequality, the
division of resources, and the conflicts that exist among different socio-
economic classes. Marxist conflict theory sees society as divided along
lines of economic class between the proletarian working class and the
bourgeois ruling class.
Marx theorized that the bourgeoisie, a minority within the population,
would use their influence to
oppress the proletariat,
the majority class.
Conflict theory is based
on a pyramid
arrangement in
terms of how goods and
services are distributed in society. At the top of the pyramid is a small
group of elites that dictate terms and conditions to the larger portion of
society because they have an outsized amount of control over resources
and power.
Realistic group conflict theory (Sherif 1966)
Competition between groups for finite resources leads to intergroup
stereotypes, antagonism, and conflict
Such competition creates incompatible goals for members of
different groups because one group's success in obtaining those
resources prevents the other group from obtaining them.
Conflicts of interest lead to the development of ingroup norms that
foster negative reactions to the outgroup, backed by punishment and
rejection of those ingroup members who deviate from those norms
Three phases of this theory
Lecture 5: managing conflict
Conflict
Conflict is ‘a feeling, a disagreement, a real or perceived
incompatibility of interests, inconsistent worldviews, or a set of
behaviours’ (Mayer, 2000:3).
It is the state of disagreement or misunderstanding, resulting from
the actual or perceived dissent of needs, beliefs, resources and
relationship between the members of the organization
At the workplace, whenever, two or more persons interact, conflict
occurs when opinions with respect to any task or decision are in
contradiction.
Conflict is linked to the inner processes of people and their
relationship with the environment and is an inevitable part of
organisational life (Jones & George, 2003).
Nature of conflict
Conflict, or at least the propensity for it, is considered inherent to the
human condition
It is inevitable, particularly in the dynamic arena of healthcare with
its hierarchical organisation and complex care issues and dilemmas.
Conflict is not necessarily bad.
Results of conflict are not predetermined
Conflict is a process of polarisation and receding opportunity
Fundamental biological forces that are not only genetic, but
hormonal, neurological, physical, and even evolutionary in nature
influence human behaviour at work (Colarelli & Arvey2015)
Relationship-based conflict
, A. Intrapersonal conflict is internal discord and conflict occurring within
the individual, which can manifest from role confusion for example.
B. Interpersonal conflict arises between two or more people with
differing views or goals, which may lead to harassment and stress
(pseudo, value, fact conflict etc.
C. Intergroup conflict involves two or more teams who, for example, do
not share the same organisational goals.
Group conflicts are different in that they are usually of a high complexity
as they involve highly divergent assumptions, expectations, and purposes.
Organizational conflicts
Causes
1. Organizational structure
2. Task independence
3. Limited resources
4. Incompatible goals
5. Personality differences
6. Communication problems
Types
1. Relationship Conflict: The conflict arising out of interpersonal tension
among employees, which is concerned with the relationship
intrinsically, not the project at hand
2. Task Conflict: When there is a discord, among members regarding
nature of work to be performed is task conflict
3. Process Conflict: Clashes among the team members due to the
difference in opinions, on how work should be completed, is called
process conflict.
Marxist conflict theory
Society is in a state of perpetual conflict because of competition for limited
, resources.
Central tenets of conflict theory are the concepts of social inequality, the
division of resources, and the conflicts that exist among different socio-
economic classes. Marxist conflict theory sees society as divided along
lines of economic class between the proletarian working class and the
bourgeois ruling class.
Marx theorized that the bourgeoisie, a minority within the population,
would use their influence to
oppress the proletariat,
the majority class.
Conflict theory is based
on a pyramid
arrangement in
terms of how goods and
services are distributed in society. At the top of the pyramid is a small
group of elites that dictate terms and conditions to the larger portion of
society because they have an outsized amount of control over resources
and power.
Realistic group conflict theory (Sherif 1966)
Competition between groups for finite resources leads to intergroup
stereotypes, antagonism, and conflict
Such competition creates incompatible goals for members of
different groups because one group's success in obtaining those
resources prevents the other group from obtaining them.
Conflicts of interest lead to the development of ingroup norms that
foster negative reactions to the outgroup, backed by punishment and
rejection of those ingroup members who deviate from those norms
Three phases of this theory
