What is a Conflict?

Conflict is defined as a clash between individuals arising out of a difference in

thought process, attitudes, understanding, interests, requirements and even
sometimes perceptions. A conflict results in heated arguments, physical
abuses and definitely loss of peace and harmony.

Conflicts can either be within one person, or they can involve several people
or groups. Conflicts arise because there are needs, values or ideas that are
seen to be different, and there is no means to reconcile the dispute.

Conflict in a workplace setting can be a normal part of doing business. In some

cases, conflict that is managed properly can be beneficial, as when it fosters an
environment of healthy competition. However, conflict may also have a
detrimental effect. As a manager or business owner, you need to be aware of
potential sources of conflict within your work environment.

Sources of Conflict
(i) Change

Implementation of new technology can lead to stressful change. Workers who

don’t adapt well to change can become overly stressed, which increases the
likelihood of conflict in the workplace.

(ii) Interpersonal Relationships

When different personalities come together in a workplace, there is always

the possibility they won’t mesh. Office gossip and rumors can also serve as a
catalyst for deterioration of co-worker relationships.

(iii) Supervisor vs. Employee

Just as co-worker personalities may not mesh, a supervisor and employee can
also experience conflict. A supervisor who is seen as overbearing or unfair can
rub an employee the wrong way, which makes the working relationship more
difficult.
(iv) External Changes

When the economy slides into a recession or a new competitor swoops in and
steals some of a company’s market share, it can create tension within the
company. This stress can lead to conflict between employees and even
between upper levels of management.

(v) Poor Communication

Companies or supervisors that don’t communicate effectively can create

conflict. For example, a supervisor who gives unclear instructions to
employees can cause confusion as to who is supposed to do what, which can
lead to conflict.

(vi) Subpar Performance

When a worker in a department is not “pulling his weight,” it can lead to

conflict within the department, perhaps even escalating into a confrontational
situation. A supervisor who fails to acknowledge or address the situation can
add fuel to the fire.

(vii) Harassment

Harassment in the workplace can take many forms, such as sexual or racial
harassment or even the hazing of a new employee. Companies that don’t have
strong harassment policies in place are in effect encouraging the behavior,
which can result in conflict.

(viii) Limited Resources

Companies that are looking to cut costs may scale back on resources such as
office equipment, access to a company vehicle or the spending limit on
expense accounts. Employees may feel they are competing against each other
for resources, which can create friction in the workplace.
 Types of Conflict
Conflict is classified into the following four types:
1. Interpersonal Conflict
Interpersonal conflict refers to a conflict between two individuals. This occurs
typically due to how people are different from one another.

It can result from different personalities or differing perspectives on how to

accomplish goals as We have varied personalities which usually results to
incompatible choices and opinions. Apparently, it is a natural occurrence
which can eventually help in personal growth or developing your
relationships with others. In addition, coming up with adjustments is
necessary for managing this type of conflict. However, when interpersonal
conflict gets too destructive, calling in a mediator would help so as to have it
resolved.

• A common example of a person vs. person interpersonal

conflict scenario at work could include a male subordinate who doesn't
believe that a female leader is capable of giving orders or that she
should be giving orders.

2. Intrapersonal Conflict

Intrapersonal Conflict occurs within an individual. The experience takes place

in the person’s mind. Hence, it is a type of conflict that is psychological
involving the individual’s thoughts, values, principles and emotions. This
conflict arises out of your own thoughts, emotions, ideas, values and
predispositions. It can occur when you are struggling between what you “want to
do” and what you “should do.” Interpersonal conflict may come in different
scales, from the simpler mundane ones like deciding whether or not to go
organic for lunch to ones that can affect major decisions such as choosing a
career path. Furthermore, this type of conflict can be quite difficult to handle if
you find it hard to decipher your inner struggles. It leads to restlessness and
uneasiness, or can even cause depression. In such occasions, it would be best
to seek a way to let go of the anxiety through communicating with other
people.
Example:Ria is hiring a new member for her sales team. She interviews
several candidates and feels strongly that three would make excellent sales
representatives, but she can’t decide which one to hire. She delays hiring for a
month as she considers the hiring decision.

3. Intragroup Conflict

Intragroup conflict is a type of conflict that happens among individuals within

a team. The incompatibilities and misunderstandings among these individuals
lead to an intragroup conflict. It is arises from interpersonal disagreements
(e.g. team members have different personalities which may lead to tension) or
differences in views and ideas (e.g. in a presentation, members of the team
might find the notions presented by the one presiding to be erroneous due to
their differences in opinion). This may involve interpersonal discord,
psychological tension, or physical violence. Within a team, conflict can be
helpful in coming up with decisions which will eventually allow them to reach
their objectives as a team. However, if the degree of conflict disrupts harmony
among the members, then some serious guidance from a different party will
be needed for it to be settled.

 An example of intragroup conflict would be members of a marketing

group debating about the best way to launch a new product. If the group
was experiencing intergroup conflict, the marketing team may argue
with the technology development team about the launch.

4. Intergroup conflict

• Intergroup conflict refers to disagreements that exist between two or

more groups and their respective members.

• However, this can also reflect any type of formal or informal

disagreements between varying groups such as political parties or
activist groups.

• Intergroup conflict takes place when a misunderstanding arises among

different teams within an organization. In addition, competition also
contributes for intergroup conflict to arise. There are other factors
which fuel this type of conflict. Some of these factors may include a
 rivalry in resources or the boundaries set by a group to others which
establishes their own identity as a team.

• Example: The marketing team at an e-commerce company is promoting

an all-new initiative that should help increase the average order value of
every order by 15%. They create a timeline and notify customers of the
launch date. However, the web developers in charge of creating and
implementing the new functionality on the website are behind on
schedule, despite their best efforts. The web developers are frustrated
because of unrealistic deadlines and the marketing department is
frustrated about delaying the launch.

Traditional and Modern Approaches to Conflict

The Traditional View on Organizational Conflict

The traditional view on organizational conflict is the earliest. It was first

developed in the late 1930s and early 1940s, with the most linear and simple
approach towards conflict.

According to the traditional view, any conflict in an organization is outright

bad, negative and harmful. Although conflicts are of different types, but the
traditional view only sees conflict as dysfunctional and destructive. It suggests
that organizational conflict must be avoided by identifying the malfunctioning
causes.

Moreover, the traditional view on organizational conflict identifies poor

communication, disagreement, lack of trust among individuals and the failure
of managers to be responsive to their employees’ needs as the main causes
and reasons of organizational conflict.

The Modern View on Organizational Conflict

In the Modern view, an organization or group with no conflict is more likely to
become static, non-responsive, inflexible and unadaptable. It states that a
minimum level of conflict is actually beneficial for the group, because it
maintains a certain level of creativity, self-evaluation and competition among
the individuals. All these things result in increased group performance, more
creative solutions to problems and better outcomes.
However, do note that even the modern view does not claim that every type of
conflict is beneficial and healthy. It clearly states that only the functional and
constructive forms of conflict help the group, while the dysfunctional or
destructive forms of conflict should be avoided.