Chapter 10 - Conflict

Compromise

- The major problem with compromise is you miss out on the optimal solution - People often compromise because they are lazy and it's an easy way out

Stages of Conflict

-Antecedent conditions o Set the conditions for the conflict -Perceived conflict o Substantive (issues of substance, no emotions) or emotional differences are sensed -Felt conflict o Tension creates motivation to act -Manifest conflict o Addressed by conflict resolution or suppression

TedTalk - The power of believing you can improve

-Growth mindset ~happens when you ask questions and are present

QUIZ QUESTION (3 different teams emphasize different goals, may create conflict) If things are set up properly, the previous information is a waste of time...why?

-If we are in a high performance org, the following has happened: -Clear definition of the story -Clear definition of the role of organization -Clear definition of the roles of the individuals in the organization

Conflict resolution

-Situation in which the underlying reasons for a given destructive conflict are eliminated o Ask questions to understand the other person's point of view o Listen

QUIZ QUESTION: If the organization is properly structure, what happens, and why? (when talking about ridding culture)

1. Absolute clarity within the organization of the goal of the org. a. Helps with the clarity within the divisions

8 Basic reasons for organizational conflict (youtube video)

1. Conflicting resources 2. Conflicting styles a. Different ways people do work 3. Conflicting Perceptions a. Different realities 4. Conflicting Goals a. (one of the more pervasive causes of conflict) 5. Conflicting Pressures a. "poor planning on your part does not constitute pressure on mine" ? 6. Conflicting Roles a. "too many cooks spoil the broth" 7. Different personal values a. Boss asks employee to go against their ethical beliefs 8. Unpredictable policies a. Confusion and conflict can occur when policies are unpredictable

3 fundamental rules for problems

1. Deal with it right away 2. Make sure you are dealing with the correct problem 3. Whose problem is it

How can conflict be managed?

1. Managed interdependence -Decoupling or taking action to eliminate or reduce the required contact between conflicting parties 2. Appeal to common goals -Focusing the attention of potentially conflicting individuals and teams on one mutually desirable conclusion 3. Upward referral -Problems are moved from the level of conflicting individual or teams and referred up the hierarchy for more senior managers to address

Intergroup conflict

Conflict between different groups or teams

Felt conflict

Conflict experienced as tension that motivates the person to take action to reduce feelings of discomfort.

Culture and Conflict

Culture and cultural differences must be considered for their conflict potential

Dysfunctional conflict

Destructive to an individual or team

Manifest conflict

Expressed openly in behavior

What is one thing you would do to take care of the 8 reasons for organizational conflict?

Go over goals, roles, and norms

Emotional conflict

Interpersonal difficulties that arise over feelings of anger, mistrust, dislike, fear, resentment

Line-staff conflict

Involves disagreements between line and staff personnel over who has authority and control over decisions on matters such as budgets, technology, and human resource practices

What may be a way to resolve conflict that isn't ending by yourself?

Mediator

Domain ambiguities

Occur when individuals or teams lack adequate task direction or goals

Power or value asymmetries

Occur when interdependent people or teams differ substantially from one another in stays and influence or in values

Task and workflow interdependencies

Occur when people or units are required to cooperate to meet challenging goals

Role ambiguity conflicts

Occur when the communication of role expectations is unclear or upsetting in someway

Interorganizational conflict

Occurs among groups in an organization.

Vertical conflict

Occurs between levels and commonly involves supervisor-subordinate and team-leader disagreements over resources, goals, deadlines, or performance results

Horizontal conflict

Occurs between persons or group working at the same hierarchical level

Interpersonal conflict

Occurs between two or more individuals in opposition to each other -Can be casued by rivalries, personality differences

Intrapersonal conflict

Occurs within the individual because of actual or perceived pressures from incompatible goals or expectations

Functional conflict

Results in constructive, positive benefits to individuals, the team, or the organization

Two different types of conflict

Structural - havent set up structure correctly Legitimate- ex. argument over a budget issues

Causes of conflict

Vertical Horizonal Line-staff

When is conflict good?

When it is constructive. When it results in positive results for the company

Resource scarcity

When resources are scarce, working relationships are likely to suffer

perceived conflict

When the antecedents become the basis for substantive or emotional differences between people or groups.

Conflict takeaway:

When using conflict as a productive tool, when it starts to get personal, that's when you lose hope of ever getting something out of it

Great managers

deal with conflict right away

Conflict antecedents

establish the conditions from which conflicts are likely to emerge

Substantive Conflict

o A fundamental disagreement over ends or goals to be pursued, and the means for their accomplishment ~Constructive conflict occurs here

Potential benefits of functional conflict

o Brings important problems to the surface so they can be addressed o Causes decisions to be carefully considered o Increases amount of information used for decision making o Provides opportunities for creativity

Potential outcomes of dysfunctional conflict

o Diverts energies o Hurts group cohesion o Promotes intersperonal hostilities o Creates a negative environment o Can decreas job performance and satisfaction o Can contribute to absenteeism and turnover

TedTalk: Why conflict is a good thing

watch ted talk video again for takeaways

TedTalk: Dare to Disagree

Ø Joe was in the medical device industry Ø Joe's issue was just like groupthink, he didn't want to raise the issue up because he didn't want conflict but as soon as he did, other people also spoke up about the issue Ø When bringing up conflict, start with the questions -Well boss, what happens if this device has issues that could cause problems? Would that bring up a law suit? -The best way to get better answers is to ask questions ~Stay away from telling...ask questions