1. -BY
SREEKANTH SHASTRY V

2. Contents
 Introduction
 Power and its sources
 Strategies to acquire power
 Process of power
 Conflict and its sources
 Changes due to conflict
 Strategies for resolving conflict
 Case study
 Conclusion
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3. Introduction
Power plays a role in most conflicts. Conflict is likely to
ensure from the fact that power consists of the ability of
one person or group to get others to do what they would
not otherwise wish to do.
A great deal of behaviors within industrial organizations,
consists of struggles by functional departments and
economic interest groups for resources, prestige and
rewards.
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4. Contd…
 What organizations may seem, at a distance, to be
based on some type of formal analysis of their best
strategies.
 Organizational “decisions” are more often the outcome
of internal struggles, compromises, partial defeats,
diverse interpretations of selectively perceived
evidence, outcomes that may not be optimal for the
economic benefits or even the survival of the
organization and with which none of its members may
feel particular satisfaction.
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5. Contd…
 Managing organizations is basically conflict resolution. If
there is no conflict, there is no management role.
Management is to resolve conflicts in resources, time,
money and policy in clear, understandable and creative
ways.
 The balance of power between managers and
subordinates often causes significant problems in the
workplace. Empowerment is matching an employees
authority with the employees responsibility. And, at the
same time, empowerment maintains the structured
direction needed in complex organizations.
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6. Power and its sources
Power
 power is the rate at which work is
or energy is converted…!!
 possession of controlling influence
OR
 possession of the qualities (especially mental
qualities) required to do something or get something
done;
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7. Contd…
 These are a few different ways observed which, are
the commonly used types in business organization:
 Reward power
 Expert power
 Legitimate power
 Referent power
 Coercive power
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8. Strategies for acquiring power
Strategies that individuals or
groups use to acquire power are as
follows
1. CONTRACTING
2. CO-OPTING
3. COALEASING
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9. The process of power: How it influences behaviour
 The process of influencing
is divided into 3 categories
1. COMPLIANCE
2. IDENTIFICATION
3. INTERNALIZATION
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10. Conflict and its sources
 An open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)
 A state of opposition between persons or ideas or interests
 Go against, as of rules and laws
 Dispute: a disagreement or argument
about something important…
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11. Sources of conflict
Conflict in organisations occur due to
1. GOAL INCOMPATIBILITY
2. DESCION MAKING REQUIREMENTS
3. PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS
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12. Changes due to conflict
When conflict exists in organisation we
can see changes in two areas
CHANGES WITHIN GROUPS
1. Cohesiveness increases between
members
2. Group becomes more task oriented
3. Increased emphasis on organization
4. Leadership becomes more
autocratically based
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13. Contd…
CHANGES BETWEEN CONFLICTING
GROUPS
1. Hostility and negative attitude increases
2. Negative stereotype becomes dominant
3. Communication between group
decreases
4. The other group activities are closely
monitored
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14. Strategies for resolving conflicts
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15. Contd…
There are 4 strategies which are
employed to minimise and resolve
conflict in organisation
1. Avoidance
2. Confrontation
3. Defusion
4. Power intervention
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16. CASE STUDY: Power & Conflict
Management in IBM
 IBM is an international computer hardware, software and
services company
 The head of this organisation was John Akers. During his
reign IBM faced a lot of problems ,It seemed that inter
politics within the organisation due to conflicts between
groups and individual overshadowed what should have been
their directive: THE CUSTOMER 16

17. Contd…
 IBM also faced serious problems in developing software due
to conflict between the groups and individual. This internal
debate became so political that projects never seemed to be
complete
 These internal conflict problems overshadowed the
company's beliefs in excellence, customer dissatisfaction,
and respect of individual , eventually blinded them to
change in the industry
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18. Contd…
 All the above reasons accounted for IBMs huge
loss of stock and competitive advantage in
market which was overcome with new leadership
of Louis.V.Gerstner.Jr who made architectural
changes in the organisation in an effort to employ
powerful new technology and competitiveness
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19. Contd…
 The architectural changes include
1. Implementation of new management system ALPHA
WORKS
2. All business units were made to work together and
think about the customer first
3. Banned profit taking between divisions on
ideas,copyrights,names and others intellectual
property
4. Lower level managers were given more control
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20. Contd…
These new changes made by GERSTNER Jr helped IBM
to Resolve the internal conflict.
Analyse the market to develop solutions, components
and assets that can be altered to fit the customers
environment and requirements at both technical and
business levels.
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21. CONCLUSION OF THE CASE STUDY
GERSTNER framed an organisational structure and
leadership style in such a way that it created a basic
compatibility between authority, organistion and
human personality because of which they were able to
resolve conflict and enjoy some success and
competitive advantage.
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22. Conclusion
 Conflict is a regrettable, but inevitable, part of organizational life.
 Power can resolve conflicts at situations, as well as arise conflicts if
used inappropriate.
 Healthy conflict is a part of everyday life. Unhealthy conflict
leads to issues being disregarded and unresolved and the conflict
taking on a life of its own, becoming the centre of all thoughts and
actions.
 It can damage people, destroy reputations, limit relationship
fragment organizations.
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23. References
 http://www.nationalschool.gov.uk/downloads/TransformationNovember2007_
edit.pdf.
 http://www.ifuw.org/training/pdf/conflict-facilitator-2001.pdf
 http://www.jstor.org/pss/2229051
 http://www.beyondintractability.org/articlesummary/10133/
 http://www.questia.com/reader/action/nextPage/100809954
 http://www.questia.com/library/book/power-and-conflict-in-organizations-by-
elise-boulding-robert-l-kahn.jsp
 Text Books on Human Resources Management (unnoted)
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