Conflict can be positive if well-managed and functional, causing moderate intensity that stimulates cooperation and creativity, while dysfunctional conflict hurts performance. The document outlines types and causes of conflict, structural and integrative approaches to resolution, conflict management styles involving cooperation and assertion, and views on conflict that have evolved from avoiding it, to recognizing its inevitability, to understanding some conflict can aid group performance.

1. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
12–1

2. How can we deal positively with conflict?
 Conflict.
– A disagreement between people on:
• Substantive issues regarding goals and tasks,
allocation of resources, distribution of rewards,
policies and procedures, and job assignments.
• Emotional issues arising from feelings of anger,
distrust, dislike, fear, and resentment, as well as
personality clashes.
– Conflict that is well managed can help
promote creativity and high performance.
2

3. Types of conflict
 Functional conflict.
– Moderately intense conflict.
– Constructive and stimulates people toward
greater work efforts, cooperation, and
creativity.
 Dysfunctional conflict.
– Low-intensity and very high-intensity conflict.
– Destructive and hurts task performance.
3

4. Figure 15.3 The relationship between conflict and performance.
4

5.  Causes of conflict:
– Role ambiguities.
– Resource scarcities.
– Task interdependencies.
– Unresolved prior conflicts.
5

6. Structural Approaches for resolving conflict
 Structural approaches for resolving
conflicts:
– Appealing to superordinate goals.
– Making more resources available.
– Changing the people.
– Altering the physical environment.
6

7.  Integrative devices for resolving conflicts:
– Using liaison personnel, special task forces, cross-functional teams,
or a matrix organization.
– Changing reward systems.
– Changing policies and procedures.
– Training in interpersonal skills.
7

8. Conflict Management Styles
 People’s conflict management styles
reflect different combinations of
cooperative and assertive behavior.
– Cooperativeness is the desire to satisfy the
other party’s needs and concerns.
– Assertiveness is the desire to satisfy one’s
own needs and concerns.
8

9. Figure 15.4 Alternative conflict management styles.
9

10.  Conflict management styles:
– Avoidance (withdrawal).
• Uncooperative and unassertive.
– Accommodation (smoothing).
• Cooperative and assertive.
– Competition (authoritative command).
• Uncooperative and assertive.
– Compromise.
• Moderately cooperative and assertive.
– Collaboration (problem solving).
• Cooperative and assertive.
10

11.  Conflict management styles:
– Lose-lose conflict.
• Management by avoidance or accommodation.
– Win-lose conflict.
• Management by competition and compromise.
– Win-win conflict.
• Management by collaboration.
11

12. THREE VIEWS EVOLVED REGARDING
CONFLICT
1. Traditional view of conflict
 The views that all conflict is bad and must be avoided.
2. Human relations view of conflict
 The view that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group.
3. Interactionist view of conflict
• The vies that some conflict is necessary for a group to perform effectively.
12