Ch. 7: Managing Conflict
Integrative solution to conflicts
1. Separate the people from the problem 2. Focus on the shared interests of all parties 3. Develop many options that can be used to solve the problem 4. Evaluate the options using objective criteria 5. Try again
Confrontation
a reaction to conflict that involves acting aggressively and trying to win is one way to deal with a conflict
Accommodation
a reaction to conflict that involves giving up your position in order to be agreeable and being cooperative, but costing the team the value of your opinions and ideas
Avoidance
a reaction to conflict that involves ignoring the problem by doing nothing at all, or de-emphasizing the disagreement
Compromise
a reaction to conflict that involves the balance the goals of each participant and the relations among the teams is for everyone to "give in" a little
Personality differences
consistent long-term phenotypic behavioral differences among individuals
Productive conflicts
team members focus cooperatively on solving the problems
Abilene paradox
the tendency of people to resist voicing their true thoughts or feelings in order to please others and avoid conflict
Defensive avoidance
ignoring or avoiding conflicts rather than trying to manage them
Collaboration
o A reaction to conflict that involves searching for solutions that satisfy everyone o Requires both cooperativeness and respect for others' positions o Alternative solution that allows everyone to win o Greater commitment to decisions o Best when equal status and time to work through the problem o Time consuming and difficult
Unproductive conflicts
o About emotions and personalities o The team tries to resolve these conflicts with one side trying to dominate the other
Conflict about relationship issues require
o An agreement o Periodic checks on how well the agreement is working o Opportunities to redefine the agreement
Conflict resolution approaches
o Avoidance o Accommodation o Confrontation o Compromise o Collaboration
Constructive controvery
o Commitment to helping each other o Requires high degree of trust and psychological safety o Cultivate an environment that is open and tolerant of diverse viewpoints
Unhealthy sources of conflict
o Competition over power, rewards, and resources o Conflict between individual and team goals o Poorly run team meetings o Personal grudges from the past o Faulty communications
Misconceptions of conflict
o Conflict is bad and should be avoided. o Misunderstandings by team members cause conflict. o All conflicts can be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.
Conflict management styles
o Cooperative o Competitive
Try again
o Creative solutions are difficult to develop. Practice brings about success. o Teams do not always resolve their conflicts, but they do try to manage conflicts while working through their various tasks. o Establish monitoring criteria to ensure that agreements are kept. o Discuss ways in which the team can deal with similar issues in the future.
Develop many options that can be used to solve the problem
o Creatively try to generate alternatives that provide mutual gains for both sides. Separate generation of ideas from selection of alternatives. o Look for areas of shared interest. Invent multiple solutions as well as solutions to parts of the problem. o Practice viewing the problem from alternative perspectives.
Preparing for conflicts
o Develop approaches to identify conflicts early on --- regularly conduct group process evaluations o Support constructive controversy --- encourage participation from all members o Psychologically safe environment for disagreements and conflict --- address task conflicts without creating unwanted emotional problems within the team --- address conflicts in a collaborative fashion rather than to avoid them o Develop cooperation and trust-building o Develop team contracts --- identify how to handle difficult situations o Develop norms --- reduce the destructive impact of conflicts when they occur
Evaluate the options using objective criteria
o Develop objective criteria to use as a basis for decisions. Define what fair standards and fair procedures to use to resolve the conflict. Agree on these principles before agreeing on a solution. o Talk through the issues in order to eliminate unimportant issues. Discuss important differences, searching for the common points on each side. o Focus on solutions to which both sides can agree. Do not give in to pressure.
Relationship conflict
o Distracts members from the task and consumes the emotional resources of the team o Detrimental regardless of the type of task a team is performing o Often does not overly disrupt the team's performance o Hurts performance only when the task requires interdependent actions
Healthy sources of conflict
o Focus on task issues o Legitimate differences of opinion about the task o Differences in values and perspectives o Different expectations about the impact of decisions
Focus on the shared interests of all parties
o Focus on the issues, not on positions. o Identify how each side can get what it wants. Determine the issues that are incompatible between the two sides. Recognize that both sides have legitimate multiple interests. o Have each side identify and rank its goals in the conflict.
Cooperative conflict management style
o Focuses on developing collaborative solutions that are good for the individual and the team o Encourages communication and the exploration of alternative approaches to solving problems
Competitive conflict management style
o Focuses on what is good for the individual o Discourages communication
Conflict due to intergroup dynamics
o Grounded in theories of social identity and self-categorization o A tendency for members of teams and organizations to have conceptions of "us" and "them" o In-group favoritism o Discrimination, poor evaluations, and negative attitudes toward outgroup members o Marginalize some members while privileging others
Conflicts due to personality differences or personal relations
o Grudges stemming from past losses o Misinterpretations about another person's behavior o Faulty communication
Preventative measures when managing workplace conflict
o Have clearly defined, accessible job descriptions o Create a framework that clearly states norms of unacceptable behavior o Maintain a level playing field where concerns of all are taken into account o Root out the real nature of the conflict o Separate the problem from the person o Listen to both sides o Make participants aware of consequences o Record and review the situation o Create an energized atmosphere where differences are respected and appreciated o Pick your battles
Conflict is normal
o Lack of conflict may be a problem --- Unhealthy agreement --- Domineering leader --- Routine o Defensive avoidance o Impacts depend on team's stage of development o Conflict management, not conflict resolution
Conflict due to social factors
o Leader who has poor facilitation skills o Poor team norms o Lack of productivity
Sources of conflict
o May arise from many sources, including confusion about people's positions, personality differences, legitimate differences of opinion, hidden agendas, poor norms, competitive reward systems, and poorly managed meetings o Healthy vs. Unhealthy
Virtual team conflicts
o More likely to occur because of miscommunications o Harder to resolve o Stop sending electronic messages advocating your position or expressing your emotions o Requires leader intervention o Requires a face-to-face meeting
Conflict problems
o Negative emotion and stress o Interference with communication o Diverting attention from task o Damage cohesion o Winners/losers o Relationship conflicts o Determined by emotional intensity of the conflict
Separate the people from the problem
o Negotiations must deal with both the issues and the relationship, but these two factors should be separated. o Diagnose the cause of the conflict. Identify what each side in a conflict wants; make sure each side clearly understands the issues. o Encourage both sides to recognize and understand their emotions. Ask them to view the conflict from the perspective of the other side and practice active listening.
Conflict benefits
o New approaches and ideas o Motivates understanding o Better decisions o More creativity o Enhanced organizational commitment o Determined by emotional intensity of the conflict
Task conflict
o Occurs when people performing nonroutine tasks differ about what is the best approach o Usually has a positive effect on team performance o Can lead to relationship conflict unless there is trust
Process conflict
o Occurs when people performing routine tasks have differences over how the team is managing the tasks or coordinating the role assignments of the members o Often related to feelings of inequity about the distribution of resources and responsibilities among team members
Outside mediators or facilitators
o Operate by gaining trust among participants, managing hostilities, developing solutions to conflicts, and gaining commitment to the solutions from participants o Help control the communications between people on both sides of the conflict to ensure courtesy and respectful communication o Create controlled opportunities for each side to express their views and listen to and acknowledge the other side's perspective o Find a common ground
Causes of conflict
o Poor communication o Incomplete, incorrect, or ambiguous information o Multiple levels and channels of reporting o Weak or autocratic management style o Cultural, social, or personal differences o Inappropriate use of authority o A lack of, or too much, recognition and reward, leading to perceptions of unfairness
Conflict in work teams
o Relationship conflict o Process conflict o Task conflict
Facilitating conflict
o Requires developing trust o Outside mediators helpful when issues become too emotional
Conflict
o The process by which people or teams perceive that others have taken some action that has a negative effect on their interest o A normal part of a team's life o A healthy sign
Negotiating conflicts
o Win-lose perspective --- Incompatible interests o Win-win perspective --- Satisfying both sides is possible --- Improves ongoing relationships --- Develop integrative agreements
