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Conflict MGT Notes

A unit in business management

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12 views3 pages

Conflict MGT Notes

A unit in business management

Uploaded by

Anthony
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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BBR 3202 INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Conflict management is the practice of being able to identify and handle conflicts
sensibly, fairly, and efficiently. It is the process of dealing with (perceived)
incompatibilities or disagreements arising from, for example, diverging opinions,
objectives, and needs.

Conflict refers to some form of friction, disagreement, or discord arising within a group
when the beliefs or actions of one or more members of the group are either resisted by
or unacceptable to one or more members of another group. Conflict can arise between
members of the same group, known as intragroup conflict, or it can occur between
members of two or more groups, and involve violence, interpersonal discord, and
psychological tension, known as intergroup conflict. Conflict in groups often follows a
specific course. Routine group interaction is first disrupted by an initial conflict, often
caused by differences of opinion, disagreements between members, or scarcity of
resources. At this point, the group is no longer united, and may split into coalitions. This
period of conflict escalation in some cases gives way to a conflict resolution stage, after
which the group can eventually return to routine group interaction once again.

CONFLICT MGT STYLES/STRATEGIES

Collaborating:
This conflict management style produces the best long-term results, but it is frequently
the most difficult and time-consuming to achieve.The needs and desires of each party
are considered, and a win-win solution is found so that everyone is satisfied.
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This frequently entails all parties sitting down together, discussing the conflict, and
negotiating a solution together. The collaborating conflict management style is used
when it is critical to maintain all parties' relationships or when the solution itself will have
a significant impact.

Competing:
The competing conflict management style rejects compromise and does not give in to
the opinions or desires of others. One party is adamant about how they believe a
situation should be handled and will not back down until they get their way.
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This can be in situations where morals require a specific course of action, when there
isn't time to try a different solution, or when an unpopular decision must be made. It can
quickly resolve disputes, but it has a high risk of lowering morale and productivity.

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Avoiding:
This conflict management style seeks to reduce conflict by ignoring it, removing the
conflicting parties, or evading it in some way. Team members who are in disagreement
can be removed from the project, deadlines pushed, or people reassigned to other
departments.
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If a cool-down period would be beneficial or if you need more time to consider your
stance on the conflict itself, this can be an effective conflict resolution style. However,
avoidance should not be used in place of proper conflict resolution; putting off conflict
indefinitely can and will lead to more (and larger) conflicts down the road.

Accommodating:
The accommodating conflict management style is all about putting the needs of the
other party ahead of one's own. You let them 'win' and have their way. Accommodation
is used when you don't care as much about the issue as the other person, if prolonging
the conflict isn't worth your time, or if you believe you're wrong.
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This option is about keeping the peace, not putting in more effort than is necessary, and
knowing when to pick your battles. While it may appear to be a weak option,
accommodation can be the best way to resolve a minor conflict and move on to more
important issues. This style is highly cooperative on the resolver's part, but it can lead to
resentment.
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5. Compromising:
This conflict management style seeks a middle ground by asking both parties to give up
some aspects of their desires in order to reach an agreement. This style is sometimes
referred to as "lose-lose," because both parties will have to give up a few things in order
to reach an agreement on the larger issue.
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When there is a time constraint or when a solution simply needs to happen rather than
be perfect, this is used. Compromise can breed resentment, especially when used
excessively as a conflict resolution tactic, so use it sparingly.

What Is Conflict Theory?

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Conflict theory, first developed by Karl Marx, is a theory that society is in a state of
perpetual conflict because of competition for limited resources.

Conflict theory holds that social order is maintained by domination and power, rather
than by consensus and conformity. According to conflict theory, those with wealth and
power try to hold on to it by any means possible, chiefly by suppressing the poor and
powerless. A basic premise of conflict theory is that individuals and groups within
society will work to try to maximize their own wealth and power.

 Conflict theory focuses on the competition among groups within society over
limited resources.
 Conflict theory views social and economic institutions as tools of the struggle
among groups or classes, used to maintain inequality and the dominance of the
ruling class.
 Marxist conflict theory sees society as divided along lines of economic class
between the proletarian working class and the bourgeois ruling class.
 Later versions of conflict theory look at other dimensions of conflict among
capitalist factions and among various social, religious, and other types of
groups.

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