RELATIONSHIP CONFLICT IS

DYSFUNCTIONAL CONFLICT

Conflict and relationship conflictA process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected or is about to affect something that the first party cares about.

Relationship conflict relates to the interpersonal relationship conflict within the organization.

1. Differences in philosophies, race, class, gender, communication styles, dress styles

2. Unrecognized differences

3. Unmet psychological needs

4. Change and, even more stressful, sudden change can bring about fear, anxiety and conflict

5. Loss such as job loss, divorce, or death can bring about so much fear and anxiety, it can cause conflict, scapegoating, and misplaced anger

6. Ignoring our own basic needs and the basic needs of others

7. Overpopulation and population density denies people enough space to live and promotes competition

8. Competition over jobs, promotions, places on a team, sibling rivalry, girlfriends and boyfriends

9. Moralism which is projecting our own moral standards onto others which occurs because being right is fundamental to our sense of selves

10. Power struggles when people in hierarchal political, military, educational, and corporate organizations foster authoritarian control, monopolize decision-making, and rule unfairly.

11. Third party assistance during conflict is weak.

ORGANISATIONAL TASKSEXAMPLE-1

Edwin thinks his supervisor, Sally, is not giving him good leads for his sales job. Instead of discussing his concern with Sally, he starts publicly criticizing her management abilities, saying she is biased and that she is causing sales revenue to fall. He tries to boycott assignments, projects and create a negative impression of Sally on the other co-workers. It is found that the sales revenue fell due to the economic slowdown in the market and as Edwin was not productive for the company, as a cost-cutting measure he was subsequently removed.

In a marketing departmental staff meeting, Alice makes a remark that some employees are not doing their share of the work. Tony, who thinks he is a slower worker than most, is offended and stays upset for the rest of the day. He replays what Alice said over and over and talks about it to co-workers. But he never asks Alice about the remark, maintains a grudge and ignores her except when absolutely necessary. They are assigned to present the company’s profile for a merger, in which Tony tries to overpower Alice and she becomes aggressive as Tony tries to do Alice’s part. The presentation thus, went out of sync and the company lost the merger deal leading to no bonuses for either of them.

ORGANISATIONAL TASKSEXAMPLE-2

Shirley and Abdul both work for a software development company. The manager of the new product division was originally the leader of the project team for which she interviewed and hired Abdul. Shirley, another project team member, also interviewed Abdul, but strongly opposed hiring him for the project because she thought he was not competent to do the job.Seven months after Abdul was hired, the manager left the project to start her own company and recommended that Abdul and Shirley serve as joint project leaders. Shirley agreed reluctantly? With the stipulation that it be made clear she was not working for Abdul. The General Manager consented; Shirley and Abdul were to share the project leadership.Within a month Shirley was angry because Abdul was representing himself to others as the leader of the entire project. She deliberately gave false data and misleading information in the project.

ORGANISATIONAL TASKSEXAMPLE-3

Dhirubhai Ambani, credited with bringing Indian investors to the stock market, started Reliance Commercial Corporation with a paltry rs 15k. When he passed away in 2002, Reliance Industries had a gross turnover of US $15 billion. After he passed away, his intestate, his two sons, Mukesh and Anil entered into a highly publicized battle for the control of group companies. The conflict between the siblings came out in the open in November 2004 when Mukesh Ambani talked about his differences with his brother to the media. The row between the siblings had its origins in the redefinition of the roles of CMD, vice chairman and MD in the board. The issue was temporarily solved after the intervention of their mother Kokilaben Ambani. It was eventually decided that the brothers would run their company separately. Still, their were reports of the issue in 2008 on sale of gas, and also in 2010 for agreements preventing them to enter into the same sector.

ORGANISATIONAL TASKSEXAMPLE-4

ORGANISATIONAL TASKSEXAMPLE-5

The conflict between workers and management at Hero Honda plant in Gurgaon in 2005 and the subsequent police involvement caused a stir in India. The conflict began in December 2004 after a manager allegedly slapped a worker who was said to be engaged in organizing a union within the plant. Tensions simmering between the management and workers erupted into long-drawn-out strike after 4 workers expressed solidarity within their colleague were dismissed and 15 others were temporarily suspended on charges of insubordination. The official explanation for the dismissals was "undisciplined behavior in factory". Nearly all the workers responded to the dismissals by going on strike on June 2005. By the end of June the management sacked 1000 workers and locked out the strikers.

On 26th July 2005, without provocation, police allegedly attacked 2000-3000 workers protesting outside the Honda plant and 300-800 workers were said to be injured. Videos of conscious workers being attack by the police lead to national uproar. The losses to Honda on account of the strike were reported to be to the tune of approximately Rs 1.2 billion. According to media reporters, all dismissed workers was re-hired under the condition that they sign a declaration that they would abstain from further strike and demands. The Honda strike created a diplomatic tension between India and Japan as well as raised concerns in the automobile sectors about repercussions on further foreign investment.