Chapter 12 Nelson & Quick

Conflict and Negotiation

Copyright ©2005 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved.

Nature of Organizational Conflict

Conflict -

any situation in which incompatible goals, attitudes, emotions, or behaviors lead to disagreement or opposition between two or more parties

Functional Conflict -

a healthy, constructive disagreement between two or more people

Dysfunctional Conflict -

an unhealthy, destructive disagreement between two or more people

Consequences of Conflict

Positive Consequences

Leads to new ideas Stimulates creativity

Negative Consequences

Diverts energy from work Threatens psychological well-being Wastes resources Motivates change Promotes organizational vitality Creates a negative climate Helps individuals & groups establish identities Breaks down group cohesion Serves as a safety valve to indicate problems Can increase hostility & aggressive behaviors

Causes of Conflict in Organizations

Structural Factors

• Specialization • Interdependence • Common resources • Goal differences • Authority relationships • Status inconsistencies • Jurisdictional ambiguities

Personal Factors

• Skills & abilities • Personalities • Perceptions • Values & ethics • Emotions • Communication barriers • Cultural differences

Globalization & Conflict Cultural differences & individual differences increase the potential for conflict

Forms of Conflict in Organizations

Interorganizational Conflict -

conflict that occurs between two or more organizations

Intergroup Conflict -

conflict that occurs between groups or teams in an organization

Interpersonal Conflict -

conflict that occurs between two or more individuals

Intrapersonal Conflict -

conflict that occurs within an individual

Forms of Conflict in Organizations

Interrole Conflict -

a person’s experience of conflict among the multiple roles in his/her life

Intrarole Conflict -

conflict that occurs within a single role, such as when a person receives conflicting messages from role senders about how to perform a certain role

Person–role Conflict -

conflict that occurs when an individual is expected to perform behaviors in a certain role that conflict with his/her personal values

Client

An Organizational Member’s Role Set Inside the organization

Supervisor Superior

Superior role senders

Supplier Focal Role Colleague

Peer role senders

Potential employee Employee 1 Employee 2 Employee 3 Employee’s colleagues

Employee role senders Boundary of the organization SOURCE: J. C. Quick, J. D. Quick, D. L. Nelson, & J. J. Hurrell, Jr.

Preventative Stress Management in Organizations

, 1997. Copyright © 1997 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission.

Power Relationships in Organizations

Types of Power Relationships Behavioral Tendencies & Problems

Equal vs. equal Suboptimization    High vs. low Control vs. autonomy  Motivation problems

Examples of Interventions

through rules style High vs. middle vs. low Role conflict, role ambiguity, stress Concessions Doubletalk SOURCE: W. F. G. Mastenbroek,

Conflict Management and Organizational Development

, 1987. Copyright John Wiley & Sons Limited. Reproduced with permission.

rewards

Defense Mechanisms

Aggressive Mechanisms Fixation -

an individual keeps up a dysfunctional behavior that obviously will not solve the conflict

Displacement -

an individual directs his or her anger toward someone who is not the source of the conflict

Negativism -

a person responds with pessimism to any attempt at solving a problem

Defense Mechanisms

Compromise Mechanisms Compensation -

an individual attempts to make up for a negative situation by devoting himself/herself to another pursuit with increased vigor

Identification -

an individual patterns his or her behavior after another’s

Rationalization -

a compromise mechanism characterized by trying to justify one’s behavior by constructing bogus reasons for it

Defense Mechanisms

Withdrawal Mechanisms Flight/Withdrawal -

entails physically escaping a conflict (flight) or psychologically escaping (withdrawal)

Conversion -

emotional conflicts are expressed in physical symptoms

Fantasy -

provides an escape from a conflict through daydreaming

Win –Lose versus Win–Win Strategies

Strategy

Competitive Cooperative

Dept. A Dept. B Organization

Lose Lose Win Win– Lose Win Lose Win– Lose Lose Lose Win

Ineffective Techniques for Dealing with Conflict

Nonaction Character Assassination Conflict Due process Nonaction Secrecy Administrative Orbiting

Effective Techniques for Dealing with Conflict

Superordinate Goals Confronting & Negotiating

Conflict

Expanding Resources Changing Structure Changing Personnel

Approaches to Negotiation

Distributive Bargaining -

the goals of the parties are in conflict, and each party seeks to maximize its resources

Approaches to Negotiation

Integrative Negotiation -

focuses on the merits of the issues and seeks a win –win solution

Conflict Management Styles

Avoiding -

deliberate decision to take no action on a conflict or to stay out of a conflict

Accommodating -

concern that the other party’s goals be met but relatively unconcerned with getting own way

Competing -

satisfying own interests; willing to do so at other party’s expense

Conflict Management Styles

Compromising -

each party gives up something to reach a solution

Collaborating -

arriving at a solution agreeable to all through open & thorough discussion

Conflict Management Styles

Assertive Competing Collaborating Assertiveness (Desire to satisfy one’s own concerns ) Compromising Unassertive Avoiding Accommodating

SOURCE: K. W. Thomas, “Conflict and Conflict Management,” in M. D. Dunnette,

Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology

, (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1976), 900. Used with permission of M. D. Dunnette.

Uncooperative Cooperative Cooperativeness (Desire to satisfy another’s concerns )

Creating a Conflict-Positive Organization

Take stock to reward success and learn from mistakes Value diversity and confront differences Conflict Positive Seek mutual benefits, and unite behind cooperative goals Empower employees to feel confident and skillful

3 Organization Views of Conflict Competitive conflict Belittle differences Suspect Seek win –lose situation Blame SOURCE:

The Conflict-Positive Organization

by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.

3 Organization Views of Conflict Avoidance of conflict Evade differences Despair Reduce risks Withdraw SOURCE:

The Conflict-Positive Organization

by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.

3 Organization Views of Conflict Positive conflict Take stock Value diversity Seek mutual benefit Empower SOURCE:

The Conflict-Positive Organization

by Tjsovold, © 1991. Reprinted by permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.