OB: Conflict

The lecture explores the intertwined nature of conflict and negotiation, emphasizing that not all conflict is detrimental and can be constructive. It discusses the conflict process model, outlining how perceptions and emotions can lead to manifest conflict and its outcomes, both positive and negative. Positive conflict can enhance decision-making and team dynamics, while negative conflict can cause stress and hinder performance. The lecture also covers conflict sources like incompatible goals and communication problems, and conflict management styles such as avoiding, compromising, and problem-solving. It highlights the role of third-party interventions like mediation, arbitration, and inquisition in conflict resolution.

• Conflict and negotiation are distinct but often intertwined subjects.
• Not all conflict is detrimental; constructive conflict can be beneficial.
• Viewing negotiation as a collaborative opportunity can lead to more favorable and satisfying outcomes.

"Not all conflict is bad, and sometimes we want to foster constructive or supportive conflict."

• Highlights the idea that conflict can be beneficial if managed correctly.

"If we view negotiation as an opportunity to collaborate on a win-win or integrative solution to overcome conflict, we're more likely to have a favorable outcome and a pleasant experience."

• Emphasizes the importance of perspective in negotiation, suggesting a collaborative approach leads to better results.

• Conflict arises when one party perceives opposition or negative effects from another party.
• Modern management encourages fostering certain types of conflict for positive outcomes.
• The conflict process model is causal, with sources leading to perceptions and emotional reactions, resulting in manifest conflict and outcomes.

"Conflict is the process in which one party simply perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party."

• Defines conflict as a perception issue where only one party needs to feel opposed.

"Management thinking about conflict has evolved over the years... to the modern period in which we actually foster conflict of a certain kind."

• Describes the evolution of conflict management, highlighting the shift towards encouraging constructive conflict.

• Positive outcomes, also known as constructive, cognitive, or functional conflict, lead to improved decision-making and team dynamics.
• Focus should be on issues, not parties, to enhance problem recognition and solution identification.
• Positive conflict can increase cohesiveness and responsiveness.

"Positive outcomes are sometimes known as constructive outcomes or alternatively cognitive outcomes or even as functional conflict."

• Explains the interchangeable terms for positive conflict outcomes.

"Positive outcomes results in better decisions... and it can even increase cohesiveness amongst the parties of the conflict."

• Details the beneficial effects of positive conflict on decision-making and team cohesion.

• Negative outcomes, referred to as socio-emotional, affective, or dysfunctional conflict, divert energy and resources, causing stress and decreased performance.
• Negative conflict can lead to increased turnover, organizational politics, and information distortion.

"Negative conflict outcomes are sometimes called socio-emotional or similarly they're referred to as affective... and also they're known as dysfunctional conflict."

• Lists the synonyms for negative conflict outcomes.

"This can also increase turnover and organizational politics can rear their ugly head whenever a negative conflict outcome is present."

• Describes the detrimental effects of negative conflict on organizational dynamics.

• Emotional intelligence is crucial for regulating emotions and interpreting others' emotions as information.
• Cohesive teams experience less negative conflict due to increased trust and understanding.
• Supportive team norms discourage negative emotional displays and promote honest dialogue.

"One is emotional intelligence... we should be better able to regulate our emotions and we should be able to view others' emotions as information."

• Highlights the role of emotional intelligence in minimizing negative conflict.

"Cohesive team members tend to engage in negative conflict much less frequently."

• Explains the importance of team cohesion in reducing negative conflict.

"Supportive team norms... might even discourage the display of negative emotions."

• Discusses the impact of team norms on managing conflict effectively.

• Incompatible Goals: Conflict arises when one party's goals interfere with another's. A resolution can be sought by emphasizing a superordinate goal that both parties can agree upon.

  • Example: Two employees needing the photocopy machine at the same time for their TPS reports can agree to split the task to meet the organization's larger goal of timely submissions.

  "One party's goals are perceived to interfere with another party's goals, and this of course can sometimes be overcome by simply emphasizing a superordinate goal."

  • The idea is to align conflicting goals with a higher, shared objective to mitigate conflict.

• Differentiation: Differences in values or beliefs, often seen in cross-cultural or intergenerational settings, can lead to conflict. Developing common experiences and intermingling teams can help bridge these differences.

  "Baby Boomers can't understand why it is that young people are tweeting in the workplace... whereas the younger generation may not understand some of the values of hard work and a work ethic."

  • Highlights the generational gap in workplace values and communication styles, suggesting integration as a solution.

• Task Interdependence: High levels of task interdependence can lead to conflict. Creating buffers to decouple dependencies can help reduce this conflict.

  "High levels of task interdependence often result in conflict... buffers that decouple dependents can help reduce the conflict associated with task interdependence."

  • Suggests managing dependencies in tasks to minimize conflict potential.

• Scarce Resources: Competition for limited resources can cause conflict. This often overlaps with incompatible goals and task interdependence.

  "The motivation to compete for a resource can cause conflict if you need that photocopy machine by five o'clock and somebody else is on it."

  • Emphasizes the role of resource scarcity in generating workplace competition and conflict.

• Ambiguous Rules: Unclear rules create uncertainty and can lead to reliance on politics rather than merit. Clarifying rules can reduce ambiguity and the associated conflict.

  "Without rules, people simply rely on politics... clarifying the rules ahead of time helps overcome ambiguity and reduces politics and therefore reduces conflict."

  • Advocates for clear, transparent rules to minimize political maneuvering and conflict.

• Communication Problems: Poor communication, whether due to arrogance, jargon, or stereotyping, can lead to conflict. Effective communication is crucial for understanding and reducing conflict.

  "Poor communication is an issue in the workplace all the time... communication is a vital issue in the workplace."

  • Stresses the importance of clear and effective communication to prevent misunderstandings and conflict.

• Axes of Conflict Management: The model for managing conflict involves understanding the degree of cooperativeness (horizontal axis) and assertiveness (vertical axis) in conflict situations.

  "In this particular model, we'll discuss various ways to manage conflict... on the horizontal axis we have the degree of cooperativeness."

  • Introduces a framework for assessing and managing conflict through cooperativeness and assertiveness.

• Conflict management styles are characterized by varying levels of cooperativeness and assertiveness.
• Cooperativeness is the degree to which one wishes to maintain a relationship with the other party.
• Assertiveness represents the desire to win in a conflict situation.
• Different styles are suited for different scenarios and desired outcomes.

• Low cooperativeness and low assertiveness.
• Used when socio-emotional or negative conflict is high.
• Does not resolve the conflict and may lead to long-term frustration.

"I don't care about you, I don't care what happens with the issue at hand, I don't care, and you walk away."

• This quote illustrates the essence of the avoiding style, where neither relationship maintenance nor conflict resolution is prioritized.

• Mid-level cooperativeness and assertiveness.
• Necessary when mutual gain is unlikely, both parties have equal power, and quick resolution is needed.
• Results in a "good enough" solution, often overlooking better solutions.

"The compromising style may be necessary when there is little hope for mutual gain, when both parties have equal power, and when both parties need to settle their differences very quickly."

• The quote emphasizes the circumstances under which compromising is the most viable approach, highlighting its practical application in time-sensitive situations.

• Low cooperativeness and high assertiveness.
• A win-at-all-costs approach, where one party wins and the other loses.
• Does not prioritize maintaining relationships.

"I must win, and you must lose. This is a zero-sum game here."

• This quote captures the essence of the forcing style, focusing on victory for one party without regard for the relationship.

• High cooperativeness and assertiveness.
• Seeks a true win-win solution, optimal outcomes for all parties.
• Requires communication to identify common ground and mutually beneficial solutions.

"Problem solving may be necessary when a true win-win solution is possible... communication is key in this style."

• The quote underscores the importance of communication in achieving a win-win outcome, highlighting the collaborative nature of problem solving.

• High cooperativeness and low assertiveness.
• Prioritizes maintaining relationships even at personal cost.
• Often used when the other party has significantly more power.

"I love you so much, I'll do everything that you ask, and I don't really care about football anyway."

• This quote exemplifies the yielding style, where personal desires are sacrificed to maintain harmony in the relationship.

• Conflict exists when at least one party perceives it.
• Becomes manifest or actual conflict when both parties recognize it.
• Manifest conflict can escalate if not managed properly.

"Only one party needs to perceive conflict for it to exist, and when it becomes obvious to both parties, it then becomes manifest or actual conflict."

• This quote explains the transition from perceived to actual conflict, highlighting the potential for escalation when conflict is recognized by both parties.

• The conflict escalation cycle refers to a feedback loop where poor decisions and inappropriate behaviors amplify emotions, leading to more maladaptive conflict styles and worsening outcomes.
• Negative conflict outcomes arise when conflicts spiral out of control, often requiring intervention to de-escalate the situation.

"This feedback loop is what we call the conflict escalation cycle; this is where things spiral out of control, sometimes leading to negative conflict outcomes."

• The quote explains the cyclical nature of conflict escalation, where poor decisions and behaviors exacerbate the situation, potentially resulting in harmful outcomes.

• Adopting an appropriate conflict style, such as yielding or agreeing, can prevent negative conflict outcomes.
• Manifest conflict, when managed properly, can help de-escalate the conflict escalation cycle.

"Maybe it's a yielding, maybe it's a yes honey I would love to mow the yard... this particular manifest conflict can help de-accelerate the conflict escalation cycle."

• The quote illustrates how adopting a compliant or agreeable style can mitigate conflict escalation by reducing tension and fostering cooperation.

• Third-party intervention can be essential when conflict cycles spiral out of control, requiring an external party to mediate or arbitrate.
• The level of control given to the third party varies in terms of decision-making and process management.

"Sometimes we have to seek the help of a neutral third party... the horizontal axis is the level or degree of decision control that we give the third party."

• The quote highlights the necessity of third-party intervention in conflict resolution and the varying degrees of control that can be granted to the third party.

• Mediation involves low decision control but high process control, where the mediator facilitates information exchange without making decisions.
• Mediators help parties reach their own decisions, fostering empowerment and ownership of the resolution.

"Mediation has very low decision control... the mediator does not make the decision but has high process control."

• The quote clarifies that mediators guide the conflict resolution process without imposing decisions, allowing parties to find mutually agreeable solutions.

• Inquisition involves high decision and process control, where the inquisitor decides the outcome and manages the process.
• This method is exemplified by judges in criminal courts or bosses in workplace disputes.

"The Inquisitor controls both the process and the decision... this could be a criminal court judge in a criminal court."

• The quote describes the authoritative role of the inquisitor, who dictates both the process and the final decision in conflict resolution.

• Arbitration features high decision control but low process control, where the arbitrator makes the decision based on pre-agreed information.
• Common in labor-management disputes, arbitration can be binding or non-binding.

"In the arbitration role, the Arbiter has very high decision control and very low process control."

• The quote explains the arbitrator's role in making decisions based on predetermined information, highlighting the structured nature of arbitration.

• The effectiveness of third-party interventions depends on the situation, with mediation generally being the most effective in organizational settings.
• Mediation empowers employees to create their own solutions, fostering psychological ownership and long-term resolution.

"In organizational settings, Inquisition is usually the least effective method, and mediation is usually the best method."

• The quote emphasizes the preference for mediation in workplaces due to its empowering nature, contrasting it with the less effective inquisition method.

• Positive or functional conflict outcomes should be prioritized to prevent socio-emotional or dysfunctional conflict.
• Constructive conflict management can lead to successful resolutions and long-lasting relationships.

"The moral of this story is to keep your conflict outcomes positive or functional and avoid socio-emotional or affective or dysfunctional conflict."

• The quote underscores the importance of maintaining positive conflict outcomes to ensure successful and harmonious interactions in the workplace.