Managing conflict - جامعة آل البيت · PDF filea The PDQDJHU¶VUROHLV to create a work environment where conflict may be used as a conduit for growth, innovation, and productivity

Managing conflict

Eight week

Prepared by, Dr. Mohammad Barahemah

Introduction

Conflict: is generally defined as the internal or external discord that results from differences in ideas, values, or feelings between two or more people.

Because managers have interpersonal relationships with people having a variety of different values, beliefs, backgrounds, and goals, conflict is an expected outcome.

Conflict is also created when there are differences in economic and professional values and when there is competition among professionals.


Cont.

The current sociological view is that organizational conflict should be neither avoided nor encouraged, but managed.

The manager’s role is to create a work environment where conflict may be used as a conduit for growth, innovation, and productivity.

When organizational conflict becomes dysfunctional, the manager must recognize it in its early stages and actively intervene so that subordinates’ motivation and organizational productivity are not adversely affected.


Cont.

Conflict resolution, or problem solving, appears to be learned less frequently through developmental experiences and instead requires a conscious learning effort.

Indeed, recent incidents of violence in schools and among work group shave led corporations and schools to develop programs to teach workers and students how to deal with conflict (Ezarik,2001;James,2001).

These efforts to reduce conflict violence leads one to believe that the skills necessary to manage conflict effectively can be learned


Quantitative and Qualitative nature of the conflict

Too little conflict results in organizational stasis, whereas too much conflict reduces the organization’s effectiveness and eventually immobilizes its employees.

Conflict also has a qualitative nature. A person may be totally overwhelmed in one conflict situation, yet be able to handle several simultaneous conflicts at a later time. The difference is in the quality or significance of that conflict to the person experiencing it.

Although quantitative and qualitative conflicts produce distress at the time they occur, they can lead to growth, energy, and creativity by generating new ideas and solutions.


Learning exercise:

Thinking and Writing about Conflict

Do you generally view conflict positively or negatively?

Does conflict affect you more cognitively, emotionally, or physically?

Do you believe that you have too much or too little conflict in your life?

Do you feel like you have control over the issues that are now causing conflict in your life?


CATEGORIES OF CONFLICT

Intergroup conflict occurs between two or more groups of people, departments, or organizations.

An example of intergroup conflict might be two political affiliations with widely differing or contradictory beliefs.


Intrapersonal Conflict

occurs within the person. It involves an internal struggle to clarify contradictory values or wants.

For managers, intrapersonal conflict may result from the multiple areas of responsibility associated with the management role.

Being self-aware and conscientiously working to resolve intrapersonal conflict as soon as it is first felt is essential to the leader’s physical and mental health.


Interpersonal Conflict

also known as “horizontal violence” happens between two or more people with differing values, goals, and beliefs.

A recent study suggests that interpersonal conflict is a significant issue confronting the nursing profession, especially for new graduates. Because this interpersonal conflict generally is not reported or managed, consequences include absenteeism from work and turnover.

This horizontal violence drains nurses of vitality and undermines institutional attempts to create a satisfied nursing workforce.”


Workplace aggression

is any act of physical assault, threatening, or coercive behavior that occurs in a work setting and causes physical or emotional harm.

Worldwide, nurses are three times more likely than any other service occupational group to experience workplace violence.

Keeping everyone safe is a serious responsibility one that demands unwavering attention from managers and administrators. While not all workplace aggression is avoidable, research shows that a significant proportion is preventable.


THE CONFLICT PROCESS

Stage I: latent conflict, implies the existence of antecedent conditions, such as short staffing and rapid change.

In this stage, conditions are ripe for conflict, although no conflict has actually occurred. Much unnecessary conflict could be prevented or reduced if managers examined the organization more closely for antecedent conditions.

For example, change and budget cuts almost invariably create conflict. Such events, therefore, should be well thought out so interventions can be made before the conflicts created by these events escalate.


Stage II:

the second stage: perceived conflict.

Perceived or substantive conflict is intellectualized and often involves issues and roles.

The person recognizes it logically and impersonally as occurring. Sometimes conflict can be resolved at this stage before it is internalized or felt.


Stage III:

The third stage is felt conflict.

Occurs when the conflict is emotionalized. Felt emotions include hostility, fear, mistrust, and anger.

It also is referred to as affective conflict. It is possible to perceive conflict and not feel it (i.e., no emotion is attached to the conflict, and the person views it only as a problem to be solved).

A person also can feel the conflict but not perceive the problem (i.e., he or she is unable to identify the cause of the felt conflict).


Stage IV:

In the fourth stage, manifest conflict, also called overt conflict, action is taken.

The action may be to withdraw, compete, debate, or seek conflict resolution.

There are many reasons individuals are uncomfortable with or reluctant to address conflict. These include fear of retaliation, fear of ridicule, fear of alienating others.

Indeed, people often learn patterns of dealing with manifest conflict early in their lives, and family background and experiences often directly affect how conflict is dealt with in adulthood.


Cont.

In addition, gender appears to play a role in how we respond to conflict.

Traditionally, men are socialized to respond more aggressively to conflict while women are more apt to try to avoid conflicts or to pacify them.

Thomas (2003a) suggests that this is because anger is often a confusing emotion for women as it is often intermingled with hurt and disillusionment despite efforts to objectify conflicts.


Stage V

The final stage in the conflict process is conflict aftermath.

There is always conflict aftermath, positive or negative. If the conflict is managed well, people involved in the conflict will believe their position was given a fair hearing.

If the conflict is managed poorly, the conflict issues frequently remain and may return later to cause more conflict.


Figure 1: The conflict process.


Latent conflict

Felt conflict

Perceived conflict

Manifest conflict

Conflict resolution or conflict management

Conflict aftermath

Managing Conflict

The optimal goal in resolving conflict is creating a win–win solution for all involved.

This outcome is not possible in every situation, and often the manager’s goal is to manage the conflict in a manner that lessens the perceptual differences that exist between the involved parties.

A leader recognizes which conflict management or resolution strategy is most appropriate for each situation.


Cont.

The choice of the most appropriate strategy depends on many variables, such as the situation itself, the urgency of the decision, the power and status of the players, the importance of the issue, and the maturity of the people involved in the conflict.


Compromising

In compromising, each party gives up something it wants.

Although many see compromise as an optimum conflict resolution strategy, this may result in a lose–lose situation because either or both parties perceive they have given up more than the other and may, therefore, feel defeated.

For compromising not to result in a lose–lose situation, both parties must be willing to give up some-thing of equal value. It is important that parties in conflict not adopt compromise prematurely if collaboration is both possible and feasible.


Competing

The competing approach is used when one party pursues what it wants at the expense of the others.

Because only one party wins, the competing party seeks to win regardless of the cost to others. Win–lose conflict resolution strategies leave the loser angry, frustrated, and wanting to get even in the future.

Managers may use competing when a quick or unpopular decision needs to be made. It is also appropriately used when one party has more information or knowledge about a situation than the other.


Cooperating

Cooperating is the opposite of competing. In the cooperating approach, one party sacrifices his or her beliefs and allows the other party to win. The actual problem is usually not solved in this win–lose situation.

Accommodating is another term that may be used for this strategy. The person cooperating or accommodating often collects IOUs from the other party that can be used at a later date.

Cooperating and accommodating are appropriate political strategies if the item in conflict is not of high value to the person doing the accommodating. Sullivan (2004) suggests that sometimes it is advisable to lose a battle if the payoff helps you to win the war.


Smoothing

Smoothing is used to manage a conflict situation. One person “smoothes’’ others involved in the conflict in an effort to reduce the emotional component of the conflict.

Managers often use smoothing to get someone to accommodate or cooperate with another party. Smoothing occurs when one party in a conflict attempts to compliment the other party or to focus on agreements rather than differences.

Although it may be appropriate for minor disagreements, smoothing rarely results in resolution of the actual conflict.


Avoiding

In the avoiding approach, the parties involved are aware of a conflict but choose not to acknowledge it or attempt to resolve it.

Avoidance may be indicated in trivial disagreements, when the cost of dealing with the conflict exceeds the benefits of solving it, when the problem should be solved by people other than you, when one party is more powerful than the other, or when the problem will solve itself.

The greatest problem in using avoidance is that the conflict remains, often only to reemerge at a later time in an even more exaggerated fashion.


Collaborating

Collaborating is an assertive and cooperative means of conflict resolution that results in a win–win solution.

In collaboration, all parties set aside their original goals and work together to establish a supraordinate or priority common goal.

In doing so, all parties accept mutual responsibility for reaching the supraordinate goal. Although it is very difficult for people truly to set aside original goals, collaboration cannot occur if this does not happen.


Common Causes of Organizational

Conflict

Poor communication

Inadequately defined organizational structure

Individual behavior (incompatibilities or disagreements based on differences of temperament or attitudes)

Unclear expectations

Individual or group conflicts of interest

Operational or staffing changes

Diversity in gender, culture, or age


Strategies a manager to deal with

organizational conflict

Confrontation.

Many times, subordinates inappropriately expect the manager to solve their interpersonal conflicts. Managers instead should urge subordinates to attempt to handle their own problems.

Managers should, however, recommend face-to-face communication for resolving conflicts as e-mails, answering machine messages, and notes are too impersonal for the delicate nature of negative words since.


Third-party consultation.

Sometimes managers can be used as a neutral party to help others resolve conflicts constructively.

This should be done only if all parties are motivated to solve the problem and if no differences exist in the status or power of the party’s involved.

If the conflict involves multiple parties and highly charged emotions, the manager may find it helpful to bring in out-side experts to facilitate communication and bring issues to the forefront.


Behavior change.

This is reserved for serious cases of dysfunctional conflict.

Educational modes, training development, or sensitivity training can be used to solve conflict by developing self-awareness and behavior change in the involved parties.


Responsibility charting.

When ambiguity results from unclear or new roles, it is often necessary to have the parties come together to delineate the function and responsibility of roles.

If areas of joint responsibility exist, the manager must clearly define such areas as ultimate responsibility, approval


Structure change.

Sometimes managers need to intervene in unit conflict by transferring or discharging people.

Other structure changes may be moving a department under another manager, adding an ombudsman, or putting a grievance procedure in place.

Often increasing the boundaries of authority for one member of the conflict will act as an effective structure change to resolve unit conflict. Changing titles and creating policies also are effective techniques.


Soothing one party.

This is a temporary solution that should be used in a crisis when there is not time to handle the conflict effectively or when the parties are so enraged that immediate conflict resolution is unlikely.

Waiting a few days allows most individuals to deal with their intense feelings and to be more objective about the issues (Smith,2003).

Thomas (2003b) suggests eschewing retaliatory hostility by using relaxation techniques or meditation to defuse the immediate anger. Regardless of how the parties are soothed, the manager must address the underlying problem later or this technique will become dysfunctional.


Negotiation

Negotiation in its most creative form is similar to collaboration and in its most poorly managed form may resemble a competing approach.

During negotiation, each party gives up something, and the emphasis is on accommodating differences between the parties.

Most negotiators want to win more than they lose, but negotiation becomes destructively competitive when the emphasis is on winning at all costs.

A major goal of effective negotiation is to make the other party feel satisfied with the outcome. The focus in negotiation should be to create a win–win situation.


Before, During, and After the

Negotiation

Before Negotiation.

1.Be prepared mentally by having done your homework.

2.Determine your starting point, trade-offs, and bottom line.

3.Look for hidden agendas, both your own and the parties with whom you are negotiating.


During negotiation

1.Maintain composure.

2.Role model good communication skills (speaking and listening), assertiveness, and flexibility.

3.Avoid using destructive negotiation techniques but be prepared to counter them if used against you.


Destructive Negotiation Tactics

Ridicule, the goal in using ridicule is to intimidate others involved in the negotiation.

Ambiguous or inappropriate questioning

Flattery, the person who has been flattered may be more reluctant to disagree with the other party in the negotiation, and thus his or her attention and focus are diverted.

Rapidly and aggressively taking over and controlling the negotiation before other members realize what is happening.


Strategies commonly used by leaders during

negotiation:

Use only factual statements that have been gathered in research.

Listen carefully, and watch nonverbal communication.

Keep an open mind,

Try to understand where the other party is coming from.

Always discuss the conflict.

Try not to be labor how the conflict occurred or to fix blame for the conflict.

Be honest.

Start tough so that concessions are possible.

Delay when confronted with something totally unexpected in negotiation.

Never tell the other party what you are willing to negotiate totally.

Know the bottom line but try never to use it.

f either party becomes angry or tired during the negotiation, take a break.


After negotiation

1.Restate what has been agreed upon, both verbally and in writing.

2.Recognize and thank all participants for their contributions to a successful negotiation.


ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Mediation, which uses a neutral third party.

Arbitration, is a binding conflict resolution process where the facts of the case are heard by an individual who makes a final decision for the parties in conflict.

final offer approach, the conflicted parties reach agreement on as many issues as possible.

Ombudspersons, their function is to investigate grievances filed by one party against another and to assure that individuals involved in conflicts understand their rights


Leadership Roles

1.Is self-aware and conscientiously works to resolve intrapersonal conflict.

2.Addresses conflict as soon as it is perceived and before it becomes felt or manifest.

3.Seeks a win–win solution to conflict whenever feasible.

4.Lessens the perceptual differences that exist between conflicting parties and broadens the parties’ understanding about the problems.

5.Assists subordinates in identifying alternative conflict resolutions.

6.Recognizes and accepts the individual differences of staff.

7.Uses assertive communication skills to increase persuasiveness and foster open communication.

8.Role models honest and collaborative negotiation efforts.


Management Functions 1.Creates a work environment that minimizes the antecedent conditions for

conflict.

2.Appropriately uses legitimate authority in a competing approach when a quick or unpopular decision needs to be made.

3.Whenappropriate,formally facilitates conflict resolution involving subordinate

4.Accepts mutual responsibility for reaching predetermined supraordinate goals.

5.Obtains needed unit resources through effective negotiation strategies.

6.Compromises unit needs only when the need is not critical to unit functioning and when higher management gives up something of equal value.

7.Is adequately prepared to negotiate for unit resources, including the advance determination of a bottom line and possible trade-offs.

8.Addresses the need for closure and follow-up to negotiation.

9.Pursues alternative dispute resolution when conflicts cannot be resolved using traditional conflict management strategies.


Website for Marquis:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/29076138


Documents

Managing conflict - جامعة آل البيت · PDF filea The PDQDJHU¶VUROHLV to create a work environment where conflict may be used as a conduit for growth, innovation, and productivity