Seminar Objectives

Recognize functional and dysfunctional conflict

Understand the causes of conflict in organizations
Know your preferred styles for handling conflict
Learn how to effectively collaborate in a conflict
situation
“Get your facts first, then you
can distort them as you
please.”
Mark Twain
 Conflict
Conflict occurs whenever disagreements exists
in a social situation over issues or substance
and/or emotional antagonism.
Substantive conflicts involve disagreements
over such things as group goals, the allocation
of resources, distribution of rewards, policies
and procedures, and assignment of the roles.
Emotional conflicts result from feelings of
anger, trust, dislike, fear and also from
personality clashes.
Functional and Dysfunctional
Conflict
Functional conflict contributes to the achievement of
the goals of the group or the organization. Functional
conflict should be nurtured, if not encouraged.
Dysfunctional conflict impedes the organization from
accomplishing its goals. Dysfunctional conflict
should be reduced or removed.
The Nature of Conflict May
Change
Conflict that is functional in one group or
organization may be dysfunctional in another group
or organization.
Or the nature of the conflict requirements of a group
or organization may change with time.
 “Honest disagreement is often
a good sign of progress.”
Gandhi
Traditional Views: assumed that conflict is
bad,

The human relations views: Conflict is

accepted as natural occurrence in all groups
and organization,

The Interactionist View: encourage conflict

to keep the group alive, self-critical and
creative
 Levels of Conflict
Intra-personal

Inter-personal

Inter-group

Inter -organization
Conflict caused by frustration
Need Drive Barrier Goal
Cells of Walk to Stuck Incentive
deprived the water Door
water
Frustrat
ion
 Goal Conflict
Approach-Approach Conflict: individual is
motivated to approach two or more positive but
mutually exclusive goals

Approach-Avoidance Conflict: individual is

motivated to approach a goal and at the same time
motivated to avoid it.

Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict: individual is

motivated to avoid two or more negative but
mutually exclusive goals.
 Role Conflict
The person and the role
conflict: conflict between
person’s personality and
role

Intra-role conflict:
contradictory expectations
about a given role

Inter-role conflict:
difference in requirements
of two or more roles
 Interpersonal Conflict
•Personal Differences

•Information Deficiency

•Role Incompatibility

•Environmental Stress
Inter group conflict
Competing for Resources

Task Interdependence

Diverse Objectives

Jurisdictional Ambiguity

Status Struggle
 Organizational Conflict
Vertical Conflict (Hierarchal Conflict)

Horizontal Conflict ( Functional Conflict)

Line-Staff Conflict

Formal-Informal Conflict
Sources of Conflict
How do people respond to conflict?
Lippitt’s Conflict Management Grid
Cooperative
Uncooperative

Unassertive Assertive
Source: Lippitt, Gorden (1982). Organizational Renewal: A holistic Approach to
Organizational Development. Egglewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall .
Styles of Conflict Management
Approach Objective Your Posture Supporting Rationale Likely Outcome

Forcing Get your way. “I know what’s right. It is better to risk You feel vindicated, but
Don’t question my causing a few hard other party feels
judgment or authority.” feelings than to defeated and possibly
abandon a position you humiliated.
are committed to.
Avoiding Avoid having to deal “I’m neutral on that Disagreements are Interpersonal problems
with conflict. issue. Let me think inherently bad because don’t get resolved,
about it.” they create tension. causing long-term
frustration manifested in
a variety of ways.
Accommodating Don’t upset the other “How can I help you feel Maintaining harmonious Other person is likely to
person. good about this relationships should be take advantage of you.
encounter? My position our top priority.
isn’t so important that it
is worth risking bad
feelings between us.”
Styles of Conflict Management
Approach Objective Your Posture Supporting Rationale Likely
Outcome

Compromising Reach an “Let’s search for a Prolonged conflicts distract Participants

agreement quickly. mutually agreeable people from their work and become
solution.” engender bitter feelings. conditioned to
seek an
expedient,
rather than
effective
solution.
Collaborating Solve the problem “This is my position. The positions of both parties Participants
together. What is yours? I’m are equally important find an
committed to finding the (though not necessarily effective
best possible solution.” equally valid). Equality solution.
emphasis should be placed
on the quality of the
outcome and the fairness of
the decision-making.
Competition (Win-Lose) Avoidance (No Deal)
 Quick decisive action • Trivial issues
 Important issues • Little chance of satisfaction
 Unpopular actions • Disruption outweighs benefits
 Vital issues
• Gain perspective
 People who take
• Gathering information
advantage
• Resolve by others
• Tangential or symptomatic
Collaboration (Win-WIn) issues
• Important concerns
• To learn Accommodation (Lose-Win)
• Merge insights • Show reasonableness
• Gain commitment • Less important issues
• Work through • Build social credits
feelings
• Minimize loss
Compromise (Lose-Lose) • Harmony and stability
• Important, but not worth • Allowing to learn from mistakes
disruption
• Opponents committed to
mutually exclusive goals
• Achieve temporary
settlement
• Expedient solution
• Backup approach
What is your conflict mode?
 Conflict Management In Schools

t w e re
Wh a u r
yo es ? Conflict
rie n c
expe
 Causes of Conflict
Board-Principal Conflict Principal-Board Conflict
 Trying to be administrators; overstepping  Not treating board members alike
authority  Not informing the board members of
 Making promises as board members public concerns
individually 

Not providing adequate financial data or
Involving themselves in labor relations or adequate information
budgetary minute 
 Not doing their "homework" and failing to
Using poor public management practices
prepare for meetings  Making public statements before
 Not following procedures for handling informing the board
complaints  Failing to be open and honest with the
 Not keeping executive session information board
confidential  Not providing alternatives in an objective
 Failing to act on sensitive issues manner
 Failing to be open and honest with the  Not adjusting to the new reality of an
principal involved board
 Making decisions based on preconceived  Not support the board - lack of loyalty
notions  Springing surprises at meetings
 Not supporting the principal - lack of loyalty  Having hidden agendas
“Let us never negotiate out of fear
but let us never fear to
negotiate.”
John F. Kennedy
Negotation
A process in which two or more parties exchange goods or
services and attempt to agree on the exchange rate for
them.
The terms negotiation and bargaining are used
interchangeably.
Two Bargaining Strategies:
Distributive bargaining
Integrative bargaining
Distributive Bargaining
Distributive bargaining is a process in which one
gains at the cost of other.
It is a win – loose strategy
The essence of distributive bargaining is
negotiating over who gets what share of a fixed
pie
When engaged in distributive bargaining, one’s
tactics focus on trying to get one’s openent to
agree to one’s specific target point to get it as
close as possible
Integrative Bargaining
Integrative bargaining is a problem solving approach
in which one or more settlements exist that can create
a Win-Win solution.
This bargaining is preferable to distributive
bargaining because it builds long-term relationship
and facilities working together.
Each party leave bargaining table being happy.
Role of Personality Traits
Evidence shows
no significant direct effect on bargaining or
negotiation outcomes
Therefore…
Concentrate on
The issues
The situational factors in each bargaining episode
Not your opponent and his or her characteristics
Cultural Differences in Negotiations
Negotiating styles vary among national cultures
Cultural context significantly influences...
The amount and type of preparation for bargaining
The relative emphasis on task versus interpersonal
relationships
The tactics used
Where the negotiation should be conducted
Improving Negotiation Skills
Research Your Opponent
Begin with a Positive Overture
Address the Problem,
Problem Not the Personalities
Pay Little Attention to Initial Offers
Emphasize Win-win Solutions
Create an Open and Trusting Climate
Reaching Consensus Through Collaboration

 Avoid arguing over individual ranking or position. Present a position

as logically as possible.
 Avoid "win-lose" statements. Discard the notion that someone must
win.
 Avoid changing of minds only in order to avoid conflict and to achieve
harmony.
 Avoid majority voting, averaging, bargaining, or coin flipping. These
do not lead to consensus.
 Treat differences of opinion as indicative of incomplete sharing of
relevant information, keep asking questions.
 Keep the attitude that holding different views is both natural and
healthy to a group.
 View initial agreement as suspect. Explore the reasons underlying
apparent agreement and make sure that members have willingly
agreed.
Guidelines for Effective Collaboration
Initiator
1. Maintain personal ownership of the problem.
2. Succinctly describe your problem in terms of behaviors,
consequences and feelings (“When you do X, Y happens, and I
feel Z.”) Use a specific incident to explore the root causes of a
problem.
3. Avoid making accusations and attributing motives to the
respondent.
4. Specify the expectations or standards that have been violated.
5. Persist until understood.
6. Encourage two-way interaction by inviting the respondent to
express his or her perspective and ask questions.
7. Don’t “dump” all your issues at once. Approach multiple issues
incrementally. Proceed from simple to complex, easy to hard.
8. Appeal to what you share (principles, goals, constraints).
Guidelines for Effective Collaboration
Respondent
1. Respond appropriately to the initiator’s emotions. If necessary,
let the person “blow off steam” before addressing substantive
issues. If the emotions are inappropriate, interject ground rules
for collaborative problem solving.
2. Establish a climate for joint problem solving by showing genuine
concern and interest. Respond empathetically, even if you
disagree with the complaint.
3. Avoid justifying your actions as your first response.
4. Seek additional information about the problem. Ask questions
that channel the initiator’s remarks from general to specific and
evaluative to descriptive statements.
5. Focus on one issue, or one part of an issue, at a time.
6. Agree with some aspect of the complaint (facts, perceptions,
feelings, or principles).
7. Ask the initiator to suggest more acceptable behaviors.
8. Agree on a remedial plan of action.
 Guidelines for Effective Collaboration
Mediator
1. Acknowledge that conflict exists and treat it seriously. Do not belittle the
problem or chide the disputants for not being able to resolve the conflict
on their own.
2. Construct a manageable agenda by breaking down complex or multiple
issues. Help disputants distinguish central from peripheral elements.
Begin working on one of the easier components.
3. Do not take sides. Remain neutral regarding the disputants as well as the
issues as long as violation of policy is not involved.
4. Focus the discussion on the impact the conflict is having on performance
and the detrimental effect of a continued conflict.
5. Keep the interaction issue oriented, not personality oriented. Also, make
sure that neither disputant dominates the conversation.
6. Help disputants keep their conflict in perspective by identifying areas of
agreement or common viewpoint.
7. Help disputants generate multiple alternatives in a nonjudgmental manner.
8. Make sure that both parties are satisfied with the proposed resolution and
committed to implementing it.
“Jaw-jaw is better than war-war.”
Harold Macmillan

Thank You