Conflictive and Conflict-management Behavior

Manifest behavior is the action resulting from perceived and/or felt conflict. At this stage, a conscious attempt is made by one party to block the goal achievement of the other party. Such behavior may range from subtle, indirect and highly controlled forms of interference to more open forms of aggressive behavior like strikes, riots and war.

Most conflict-handling behaviors are displayed in several forms like resignation and withdrawal, appeasement and compromise, confrontation and collaboration, etc. These behaviors are often referred to as conflict management styles and stem from the strategies of conflict stimulation or conflict resolution. In a later section, we shall discuss in greater detail some of these modes of conflict management. I was talking with owner of Motels in California, he says that conflicts require special attention and need to be taken care smartly. It is not easy to just suppress it with force or money.

Aftermath

The interplay between different forms of overt conflict behavior and conflict handling strategies of stimulation or resolution influence the consequences. These consequences (in terms of performance of the group, the level of satisfaction and quality of relationship in the involved parties, change of structure and policies etc.) in turn influence the antecedent conditions and probability of future conflict. Customer relationship management software helps company to take care of before and after sales activities happen with the customer.  Sometimes the aftermath sows the seeds of yet another conflict episode in which case the entire process is repeated.

Potential Antagonism 

The first stage is the presence of antecedent conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise. They need not necessarily lead to conflict and may be present in the absence of conflict as well. You may refer to this stage as the source of conflict and in a later section we shall have a fuller discussion on these antecedent conditions which might prepare the ground for the onset of the second stage. Some of these antecedent conditions which we shall discuss refer to scarcity of resources, heterogeneity of members and diversity of goals, values, perception; degree of dependence between groups; insufficient exchange of information, etc. I was talking with one faux wood blinds and vertical blinds manufacturing company owner, he says that antagonism is something which require mature actions other wise it convert into conflicts.

Cognition and Personalization

The antecedent conditions may or may not lead to conflict. They must be perceived as threatening if conflict is to develop. The situation may be ignored if it is seen as minimally threatening. Moreover, if a conflict is perceived, it does not mean that it is personalized (“felt conflict”). However, if feelings are generated, they tend to influence perception of the conflict. It is at the felt level, when individuals become emotionally involved and parties experience feelings of threat, hostility, fear or mistrust. Owner of Motels in California says that it happen with their staff many times. They need to handle it smartly and wisely.

Life is a never ending process of one conflict after another. Remember the time when you were a small child and had to choose between a tricycle and a cricket set or say, a set of dolls and new frock for a birthday present. That was probably your first exposure to a conflict situation. Of course, this is a simplistic example of a conflict, but has life been the same since? Probably not. Think back and recall how each succeeding conflict in your life over the years has been increasingly complex.

You have just observed that beginning within an individual, conflict ca be found on several levels. The nature of intrapersonal conflict is of very high significance and the knowledge of mechanisms available to resolve it is immensely important in improving personal effectiveness. In this Unit, however, our focus will be on interpersonal, intragroup and intergroup conflicts as these types directly influence effectiveness of an organization.

For a conflict to exist it must be perceived by the parties to it. If no one is aware of a conflict then it is generally agreed that no conflict exists. Still, does a mere awareness of opposing goals, or differences of option, or antagonistic feelings imply that there is a conflict? It would be easier for you to understand conflict, if you view it as a dynamic process which includes antecedent conditions, cognitive states, affective states and conflicting behavior.

Today we are going to discuss on two another types of organization conflict and which are the conflict between groups within an organization and conflict between organizations.

Conflict between Groups within an Organization

Inter group conflicts are one of the most important types of conflict to understand, as typically, an organization is structured in the form of several interdependent task-groups. Some of the usually chronic conflicts in most of the organizations are found at this level, e.g., Union vs. Management, one Union vs. Another Union; one functional area like production vs. another functional area like maintenance; direct recruits vs. promotees, etc. The newly emerging field of Organizational Politics has started systematically investigating such types of conflict and in a later section on the effects of conflict we shall give examples of what happens to groups when their conflicts are not solved. Conflicts between two unites like manufacturing of roller shades and woven wood shades and blinds selling department, communication gape might be the cause of conflicts between two groups within organization.

Conflict between Organizations

Conflict between organizations is considered desirable if limited to the economic context only. The laisses-faire economy is based on this concept. It is assumed that conflict between organizations leads to innovative and new products, technological advancement, and better services at lower prices. However, in this Unit we shall refrain from probing into this macro-level conflict. When a paperless officer is there and they are doing term life insurance business, conflict is desirable but it should not convert into individual fights or ego conflicts.

As a apart of our talk on organization we are talking on different types of conflict which occurs in any organizations frequently. Today we are going to talk on one important factor and which is a part of organizational conflict and that is a conflict between an individual and a group.

These types of intragroup conflicts arise frequently due to an individual’s inability to conform to the group norms. For example, most groups have an idea of a “fair day’s work” and may pressurize an individual if he exceeds or falls short of the group’s productivity norms. If the individual resents any such pressure or punishment, he could come into conflict with other group members.

Usually, it is very difficult for an individual to remain a group-member an at the same time, substantially deviate from the group norm. So, in most cases, either he conforms to the group norm or quits (or is rejected by) the group. Of course, before taking any such extreme step, he or the other group members try to influence each other through several mechanisms leading to different episodes of conflicts (much to the delight of the researchers in this field called Group Dynamics).

Conflict between Individuals

Conflict can also take an interpersonal form. Conflict between individuals takes place owing to several factors, but most common are personal dislikes or personality differences. When there are only differences of opinion between individuals about task-related matters, it can be construed as technical conflict rather than interpersonal conflict. Of course, technical and interpersonal conflicts may influence each other due to role-related pressures. For a blinds store, the sales manager may put the blame for low sales volume on the production manager for not giving on time production of roller shades and woven wood shades. Because of that they were not able to meet the schedule task for sales. This may start disliking the production manger as an incompetent person. It is often very difficult to establish whether a conflict between two parties is due to manifest rational factors, or it emanates from hidden personal factors.

Conflicts between an Individual and a Group 

These types of intragroup conflicts arise frequently due to an individual’s inability to conform to the group norms. For example, most groups have an idea of a “fair day’s work” and may pressurize an individual if he exceeds or falls short of the group’s productivity norms. If the individual resents any such pressure or punishment, he could come into conflict with other group members.

We will discuss briefly about conflicts between an Individual and a group in next post.

A survey suggests that the modern manager spends over 20% of this time handling one form of conflict or the other. Top and middle level managers in the same survey has pointed out the importance of conflict management skills. We hope that the knowledge you will gain from this Unit will equip you better to manage conflict situations more deftly at you workplace.

Today we will discuss some type of organizational conflict.

Conflict within an Individual 

You can locate conflict at various levels. There could be conflict within oneself-the intrapersonal conflict. Basically, there are three types of such conflicts. You may have an excellent job offer in a city you are not wiling to go to. In such a case, you are attracted to and repelled by the same object-an approach-avoidance conflict. Similarly you may be attracted to two equally appealing alternatives like seeing a movie or going for a picnic-an approach-approach conflict. You may also be repelled by two equally unpleasant alternatives like the threat of being dismissed if you fail to report against a friendly colleague who is guilty of breaking the organization’s rules-an avoidance-avoidance conflict. We will discuss some other types of conflict in our next post.

Conflict has always been widespread in society but it is only recently that it has generated a lot of interest and has been the focus of research and study. We are living in the age of conflict. Everyday the choices available to us regarding any decision are increasing in number. You may have wanted to become a manager, an entrepreneur or a computer scientist. On the other hand, your father might have wanted you to become a doctor, a lawyer or a chartered accountant. Thus you faced a conflict not only at an intrapersonal level, in term of the various choices confronting you, but also at an interpersonal level-your choice vs. your father’s choice of a career for you.

Conflict is not confined at the individual level alone but is manifesting itself more and more in organizations. Employees have become more vociferous in their demands for a better deal. Various departments in an organization face a situation full of conflicts due to a number of reasons like goal diversity, scarcity of resources or task interdependence etc. for example in blinds manufacturing organization one department Woven wood shades and another department is Roller shades blinds. Both departments employee fight with each other for promotional advertisement of their product.

Management today is faced with the awesome responsibility of ensuring optimum levels of growth and productivity in an environment that is full of conflicting situations.

With Organization Conflict we can learn:

1. Recognize different types of conflicts
2. Describe the process of a conflict
3. Computer and contrast different views about conflict
4. Appreciate functional and dysfunctional consequences of conflict
5. Identity the sources of conflict
6. Decide when and how to stimulate conflict
7. Diagnose which conflict resolution strategy to use and when.

Life is a never ending process of one conflict after another. Remember the time when you were a small child and had to choose between a tricycle and a cricket set or say, a set of dolls and new frock for a birthday present. That was probably your first exposure to a conflict situation. Of course, this is a simplistic example of a conflict, but has life been the same since? Probably not. Think back and recall how each succeeding conflict in your life over the years has been increasingly complex.

Conflict is theme that has occupied the thinking of man more than any other with the exception of God and love. Conflict has always been widespread in society but it is only recently that it has generated a lot of interest and has been the focus of research and study. We are living in the age of conflict.

In our last post we have discussed for Pre arrival, Encounter and Metamorphosis as part of culture and ethos in briefly. Pre arrival a stage of socialization which screens the values, attitudes and expectations of people before joining an organization. Encounter is a stage of socialization when a person explores the difference between his expectations and reality. Metamorphosis a stage of socialization where adaptation and changes take place.

For a very few persons, the metamorphosis stage may remain incomplete or unsuccessful. These people, as yet, have not been able to “accept” the OC and thereby remain non-conformist. This phenomenon is likely to result in atypical behavior. Sometimes they continue to ‘fight’ the system, at least for some more time, with zeal and enthusiasm. A larger number are likely to alienate them to soothe their feelings of disappointment.

Ethos is a Character and value of an individual or of a group. Sometimes an organization, anxious to break away from its stifling OC, may choose to deliberately appoint people without subjecting them to metamorphosis stage so that they bring organizational change. We shall take up the issue and strategy of bringing organization change in a separate unit.

blinds, roller shades, woven wood shades