Lecture 2: Dealing with Conflict

Stage 2 Session 7

Introduction to Management 1

Overview

• What is conflict at work and how does it manifest itself

• What happens when it arises?

• Thomas and Kilman Model of Conflict

• Conflict and personality type

2

Learning Outcomes of this lecture

• To understand how conflict manifests itself in organisations

• To understand the strategies to employ to meet it effectively, and how they relate to each other

• To appreciate further the consequences of these strategies

• To understand the link, or not, between conflict style and personality

4

Statements on Conflict to complete

• When I think of conflict I...

• When someone disagrees with me about something important I usually...

• I was brought up to deal with conflict by…

5

Definition of Conflict

Where the concernsof two people or parties

appear to be incompatible.

6

Assumptions about Conflict

• Inevitable• Result of interdependence and interaction• Source of growth, quality, good decision making,

creativity• When ineffective: Source of pain and destructiveness • When effective: Leads to change and empowerment • All may not be resolved, but all can be managed

Conflict: origins

• Conflict can exist at several levels:

– Intra-personal (e.g., personal dilemma)

– Inter-personal: one-to-one, one-to-several, several-to-one

– Inter-group

– Intercultural, international

• Usually results from one party sensing interference by another, then expressing antagonism.

• Shouldn’t necessarily be perceived as negative or “unhealthy”. Can be used positively to, e.g., effect change.

• Is pervasive in and between organizations - wherever multiple agendas exist.

8

Conflict originsSource Explanation

TRIVIA

Minor decisions with little long term impact, little impact of

outcomes on individuals

FACTS AND DATA

Inadequate information flow; uncertainties of operation;

disregard for contractual obligations.

METHODS AND

PROCESS

Alternative ways of reaching common goals; emphasis on

different use of resources.

ROLES AND

RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities undefined or confused; lack of accountability;

inappropriate organizational structure.

VISION AND

DIRECTION

Competing priorities over scarce resources; unclear vision or

direction.

BELIEFS AND

VALUES

Differences in motivations and beliefs about work, people,

management, and society.

Lad

der

of

Reso

luti

on

Easier

Harder

Note: The deeper the level of conflict and the longer it has gone on, the more difficult to resolve.

Conflict outcomes – they can be…

• Resolved, which are:

– Over (or look like being over);

– Have an outcome which is beneficial to the organization(s) concerned.

– The result of one party taking positive action.

• Extinct – gone, but not actively resolved.

• Continuing:

– Escalating (increasing severity)

– “Oscillating” - going on and on, but not increasing in severity.

Nature of relationship with other party(ies)

• “Anchored” vs “Distant”

• Anchored:

– Not necessarily warm or intimate.

– But parties interact a lot... “share the same space “.

– Often have a shared “sense of destiny”.

• Distant:

– Characterized by detachment and psychological distance, e.g. doctor: patient.

Questions

• How does the degree of being anchored in the relationship affect the likelihood of resolution?

• How does the degree of personality type affect your ability to deal with conflict?

The Conflict Process

E X H I B I T 14–1

Conflict and Performance in a VUCA world

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI)

• Initially a research tool developed in the 1970s

• Thomas’ theoretical refinement of Blake and Moulton’s Managerial Grid

• Leading measure of conflict-handling behavior

• Recently re-normed (gender, race/ethnicity, org level)

• Good reliability and validity data

• Now computerized and available from Consulting Psychologists Press

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Five Conflict Management Styles Thomas and Kilman

COMPETING COLLABORATING

COMPROMISING

AVOIDING ACCOMODATING

Uncooperative Cooperative

(Concern for others)

Assertive

Unassertive

(Concern

for self)

Competing

Style Works Doesn’t Work

COMPETING

• Speed

• Crises

• Adverse decisions (e.g.

discipline, cost-cutting)

• Protecting yourself from being

taken advantage of

• Little long term regard required

• Impacts the

relationship

• Resistance may be

manifested in many

different and subtle

ways…

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Collaborating

Style Works Doesn’t Work

COLLABORATING

• Combined efforts,

connectivity

• Gets commitment

• Working harder through

feelings in a relationship

• Flexibility to a degree is

important—you know you

don’t have the solution

• Time disallows

• Trivia

• Lack of desire – may

be a threat

16

Compromising

Style Works Doesn’t Work

COMPROMISING

• Backup to compete or collaborate

• When trade-offs are necessary—splits difference through speed or political necessity

• Scheduling

• Expedient solutions under time pressure

• Sub optimal solutions

• Involves strategic decisions and goals

• Breach of commitments previously reached

• Violates company policies, norms, goals

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Avoiding

Style Works Doesn’t Work

AVOIDING

• Trivia

• To delay

• Confrontation outweighs benefits –

may be damaging

• Problem does not

go away – most can

• May be frustrating

for others

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Accommodating

Style Works Doesn’t Work

ACCOMMODATING

• Deadlines required

• You’re wrong and you know it

• You’re outgunned

• Not important to you—very

important to other – no big

deal!

• Harmony is very crucial

• Taken advantage of—

projects, workload,

etc.

• Potential bad

direction, ideas

• Expectations/roles are

misunderstood

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Styles and Outcomes: Game Theory

• Compete I win/you lose

• Avoid I lose/you lose

• Accommodate I lose/you win

• Compromise I win a little/you win a little

• Collaborate I win/you win

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Choosing a Style:

• How important is the task and how important is the relationship?

• What is its nature?

• Degree of risk involved:– Personal (e.g., status, economic loss, self-esteem)

– Organizational (e.g., credibility, cultural norms, legal)

• Power and other differences. What range of styles are available to you in this context

“But it’s not in my nature….”

• Ability to influence in conflict is not a “special gift”:

– Conflict is a social interaction; learning how to interact with others is perfectly natural.

– The problem is usually a reliance on too narrow a range of tactics.

– Tactics can be learned - but it’s not always a comfortable process learning to apply them.

• Ability to handle conflict is not an unchangeable aspect of your “personality”:

– You do many things you’d prefer not to do.

– There is no known pathology called “unassertiveness”.

– There is no evidence of a link between “personality type” and effective handling of conflicts.

Tactical range is crucial not personality type

• Persuading

• Building case

• Challenging

• Allying

• Impression management – “stagecraft”

• Using structure

• Confronting

• Coercing

• Punishing

Questions regarding ‘styles’

• Personal ‘styles’ and the underpinning skills employed are one ‘lens’ on conflict handling – however they also raise other questions:

• T and K is primarily based upon a US perspective

• Context is always crucial – individual, organisational, and cultural

• Power is a crucial determinant of outcome

• National culture is an extremely strong context: Hofstede, Trompenaars (another lecture)

• Latest research on Neuro Leadership indicates that the biology of the brain will overide all other considerations, and our key drivers are fight/flight/freeze, and understanding that biological programming is crucial to managing conflict

Conflict is Impacted by ‘Culture’

• Male and Female Gender Socialization• Individualism – Collectivism• High Context – Low Context Communication• Low Power Distance – High Power Distance• Time as Monochronic or Polychronic perspectives:

– One thing at a time Many things at a time.

– Punctual Not punctual

– Low context inf. High context information

– Stick to the plan Change plan often

– Respect others Family, close friends come first

– Respect rules Rules can be change

• Uncertainty Avoidance – Uncertainty Acceptance• Verbal and Non-verbal Behavior

Conflict and Neuroscience

End of Lecture

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© Pearson College 2013