Conflict- causes and strategies.pptx

THis is a marketing ppt. Use it to understand a lot more about conflict strategies etc.

1. Conflict- causes and Strategies Aaron Abhilash Assistant Professor NMIMS Hyderabad

2. According to SR Robbins “Conflict is a process in which an effort is purposefully made by a person or unit to block another that result in frustrating the attainment of others goals or furthering of his or her interests.”

3. Conflict can be defined as a difference that exists between needs, values, and interests of individuals or groups in an organization. Conflict is any situation in which two or more parties feel themselves in opposition. It is an interpersonal process that arises from disagreements over the goals or the methods to accomplish those goals. Conflict can be constructive, and it can be destructive. The distinction is based on how the conflict is managed. There are both advantages and limitations for the conflict. Conflict can happen within an individual, between the individuals, in a group etc.

4. Causes of the conflicts Scarcity of resources: People require resources or means to perform their tasks, duties and responsibilities. If the resources are limited, the competition would be high. In a competitive environment, conflict easily arises, because every one would be trying for the same resource which is actually not sufficient. Example: Law students and Engineering students having a conflict when trying to book the one and only seminar room in the college at the same time.

5. Task interdependence: If there is interdependence on each other in the work process, then the expectations on one another exist in a team Since the performance levels are not uniform among the employees, the unmet expectations can lead to conflict. Example: Manager wants his subordinate to prepare a report for his meeting and failure from employee end to do so will lead to conflict.

6. Goal difference: The goal is the basis for organizational performance. All activities of the individuals concentrate on achieving predetermined goals. Therefore, if individuals in the same group initiate different goals it may cause conflict among group members. Because of the goals, the priorities also differ among the individuals.

7. For example, a sales manager’s bonus may be tied to how many sales are made for the company. As a result, the individual might be tempted to offer customers “freebies” such as expedited delivery in order to make the sale. In contrast, a transportation manager’s compensation may be based on how much money the company saves on transit. In this case, the goal might be to eliminate expedited delivery because it adds expense. The two will enter into the conflict until the company resolves the conflict by changing the compensation scheme

8. Lack of role clarification: People of a company perform various roles that are interrelated to one another. The absence of role exposition among people generates conflict. It can create role conflict. For example, role conflict between production and marketing managers. Thus, it is necessary to make a proper division of work and delegation of authority on the basis of responsibility.

9. Poor communication: Communication is the means of exchanging guidance, instructions, and suggestions between the members of the organization. The poor communication system in the organization creates the problem of exact transformation of information among the group members, which leads to conflict among them. Thus, there must a two-way communication system in order to make proper communication.

10. Organizational changes: Changes in organizational structure, division of work, authority and responsibility , etc. are essential to cope with environmental changes. Such changes can change the job liability, status, position, and authority of the people in the group. It can change the formal relationship and job responsibility of group members. This also may be one of the reasons for conflict among group members of the organization.

11. Misunderstanding: Misunderstanding is one of the major causes of conflict in the organization. When employees do not understand their tasks, roles, and responsibilities conflict arises. Due to this, they may not complete their tasks as the manager expected from them. It may be due to poor communication from manager to employees.

12. Personal differences: Personal differences are the fundamental causes of interpersonal conflict in the organization. The differences occur in the individual due to various reasons such as family background, values, attitudes, traditions, culture, education, and socialization process. Personality differences create conflict among people. It affects on emotions of individuals.

13. Information deficiency: Communication breakdown is one of the reasons for conflict. The lack of close communication and transformation of rigid information create misunderstanding among the people. It creates the problem of distrust and conflict. Therefore, it is essential to communicate the right information at the right time to the related persons.

14. Organisational structure:

15. Conflict resolving strategies

16. Kenneth W. Thomas and Ralph H. Kilmann studied workers and their routine conflicts in the workplace. Over time, they were able to observe a pattern of ways in which people resolved conflict; most methods could be distilled down to five core methods. These five options formed the basis of the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Model Instrument and the Thomas Kilmann Conflict Resolution Model. The model has two approaches, also known as “dimensions”: assertiveness and cooperation.

17. Conflict Resolution Strategy #1: Avoiding Avoiding is when people just ignore or withdraw from the conflict. They choose this method when the discomfort of confrontation exceeds the potential reward of resolution of the conflict. While this might seem easy to accommodate for the facilitator, people aren’t really contributing anything of value to the conversation and may be withholding worthwhile ideas. When conflict is avoided, nothing is resolved but it may also gives mental comfort which is lacked when entered into conflict. This approach can be used for minor conflicts or when we are not directly linked to conflicting situation.

18. Conflict Resolution Strategy #2: Competing This strategy is marked by High assertiveness and low cooperativeness. Competing is used by people who go into a conflict planning to win This method is characterized by the assumption that one side wins and everyone else loses. It doesn’t allow room for diverse perspectives into a well informed total picture. Competing might work in sports or war, but it’s rarely a good strategy for group problem solving. If both the parties are of equal stance, then the problem will never be resolved.

19. Conflict Resolution Strategy #3: Collaboration Collaboration strategy is marked by high assertiveness and high cooperation from both the parties. Here the parties listen to one another and try to understand the other version. They will be adamant on their “opinion” in the conflict but at the same time, they also give weightage to others opinion as well. This will lead to best of the results because the opinions of both can be discussed and the best alternatives or decisions can take which is acceptable to both Here, both the parties are satisfied at the end of the process and some cohesion, trust and interdependence can be seen

20. Conflict Resolution Strategy #4: Accommodating Accommodating is a strategy where one party gives in to the wishes or demands of another. They’re being cooperative but not assertive . This may appear to be a gracious way to give in when one figures out s/he has been wrong about an argument. It’s less helpful when one party accommodates another merely to preserve harmony or to avoid disruption. Like avoidance, it can result in unresolved issues. Too much accommodation can result in groups where the most assertive parties commandeer the process and take control of most conversations.

21. Conflict Resolution Strategy #5: Compromise This strategy involves mid level of assertiveness and cooperation from both the parties This happens mostly when a third party enters the conflict or voting is done and majority is respected. This is like a partial win-win situation in a conflict. Both the parties have to give up on their demands, put down some of their opinions in order to arrive at a resolution.