Conflict
Management
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Part # 1
Why does a
conflict happen?

The growth in organizational interdependencies,
the shift to collaborative team-based structures,
increased diversity, and heightened environmental
uncertainty all have the potential to result in
substantially higher degrees of organizational
conflict.
Sources
Callanan, Gerard A. & Perri, David F.: Teaching Conflict Management
Using a Scenario-Based Approach.
Amason, 1996; Amason, Thompson, Hochwarter & Harrison, 1995.

Conflict
Frustration
Aggressiveness
Anger
Stress
Change

In relation to stress there are two key hormones at work in
our brains, adrenaline and cortisol. At low levels cortisol
helps our brains function optimally by facilitating thought
and cognition.
In response to a stressor, soaring cortisol levels paired
with a boost of adrenaline can literally paralyze the
brain’s critical abilities. In this stressed state we no longer
focus on the task at hand, but instead we shift our focus
and attention to the stressor which results in sub par
performance of our task. In addition to how we respond,
prolonged stressful states can actually negatively affect the
way we learn and intake information. Furthermore, stress
lowers our body’s ability to fight off illness because our
immune systems weaken with our hormonal surges.
Source: http://social-brain.com/2009/06/03/the-neuroscience-of-stress/

Part # 2
What kind of conflict
are you faced with?

Conflict
Examples of topics
type
Conflict Company purpose.
of goals
and Company strategy.
methods
Processes and structures.

Conflict
Problems
type
Conflict of Distribution of scarce resources.
interests
Examples
Money, for example wages.
Space, e.g. offices.
Time, e.g. for meetings.

Conflict
Examples of topics
type
Value Culture.
conflict
Religion.
Political conviction.

Conflict
Example of problem
type
Personal Lack of trust, for example
conflict between:
buyer and seller.
employee and manager.

Part # 3.A
How do you
manage a conflict?
Part A:
Five strategies

Assertive behaviour
2 1
Competing Cooperating
3
Compromising
5 4
Escaping Adapting
Source: Adapted from Blake & Mouton (1964) Cooperative behaviour

Strategy # 1
Cooperating

When a win-win solution is very important.
When it is important to merge ideas and
knowledge from people with different views.

The collaborative style is usually recognized as
the preferred approach to conflict resolution
Source: McShane & Von Glinow, 2003, p. 396

What to do
A. Forgive
B. Communicate effectively.
C. See the problem as an opportunity, for example
to learn something about the other person.

Effective
communication
Dominating Passive
communication communication

Aggressive Effective Passive
communication communication communication
”You” ”I” “One”
language language language

Ask open questions
What do you need?
How do you feel about..?
When did...?
Where did..?
Who..?
Why did..?

Example of perception differences
regarding looking a person
straight in the eyes
Italy vs. South Korea

Source
Sclavi, Marianella: ”The role of play and humor in creative conflict management.”
Negotiation Journal, April 2008.

An elderly Italian mother superior repeatedly demanded
a young South Korean nun to face her and look her
straight in the eyes.
But in the Korean culture it is considered a sign of
extreme disrespect for a young person, especially a
woman, to look straight into the eyes of an older person.
The young nun avoided doing as ordered, which irritated
the mother superior and made her suspicious.
Source
Sclavi, Marianella: ”The role of play and humor in creative conflict management.”
Negotiation Journal, April 2008.

The young Korean nun did not explain her discomfort to
the old Italian mother superior, because to do so would
embarrass her even more. In a conflict, a young woman
can – in the South Korean culture – not have the ”last
word” and cannot tell an elder that she should ”know
better”.
Source
Sclavi, Marianella: ”The role of play and humor in creative conflict management.”
Negotiation Journal, April 2008.

Strategy # 2
Competing

When the 2 parties have different goals and
cannot talk to each other.
When you want to satisfy your own interests –
no matter what impact it will have on the conflict.

What to do
Focus on the problem and what
people need, not the person.
Use a moderator / facilitator / mediator.

Strategy # 3
Compromising

When the cooperating strategy or
competing strategy were not successful.
When parties are under time pressure,
need a result, and do not want to make a
relationship worse.

What to do
Use a moderator / facilitator / mediator

Find bargaining zone
Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/6672392/Conflict-Management-and-Negotiation-826

Strategy # 4
Adapting

When the other person is more right than you are.
When the conflict is more important for the other
person than for you.
When you prefer peace – compared to what you
could maybe win through a conflict.

Strategy # 5
Escaping

When a temporary break is necessary, for
example to calm down.
When it is necessary to collect more information
to reach a solution.
When it is very important not to hurt feelings.
When other people are more competent to
solve the problem.

What to do
Ignore conflict by
avoiding confrontation

Part # 3.B
How do you
manage a conflict?
Part B:
10 ideas to prevent stress

Idea # 1
Set goals

Idea # 2
Find challenges that are right for YOU
This includes the ability to say ”yes” and ”no”

Source: http://lateralaction.com/articles/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi/

Performance
Effective
problem solving
Creative Exhaustion
Frustration
problem solving
Irrational
Low self problem solving
confidence High self
confidence Low self
Fatigue confidence
Unsatisfaction Satisfaction
Illness
Working pressure

Idea # 3
Prepare for your assignments

Idea # 4
Concentrate right now

Idea # 5
Think positively

Idea # 6
Change things that need to be
changed and easily can be changed

Idea # 7
Accept things which are difficult to change
and that increase your level of stress

Idea # 8
Do sports regularly
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Idea # 9
Eat healthy food
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Idea # 10
Get some sleep
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