Stéphanie MITRANO-MÉDA
Organisational Behaviour
week 6: conflict in organisations

Today’s Group presentations
! Individual & group
$
decision making & ethics Conflicts in organisations
present in week 7
present in week 4
" Organisational %
environment Learning and motivation
present in week 5 present in week 8
#
Organisational structure
& Power, politics &
influence
present in week 6
present in week 9
2 groups to present

Types of conflict

High
Functional / dysfunctional conflicts
Organisational
outcomes
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Low Moderate High Conflict
Brown (1983) level

High
Functional / dysfunctional conflicts
Organisational
outcomes
Positive
Neutral
dysfunctional
&
Negative unproductive
Low Moderate High Conflict
Brown (1983) level

High
Functional / dysfunctional conflicts
Organisational
outcomes functional
Positive
&
useful
Neutral
dysfunctional
&
Negative unproductive
Low Moderate High Conflict
Brown (1983) level

High
Functional / dysfunctional conflicts
Organisational
outcomes functional
Positive
&
useful
Neutral
dysfunctional dysfunctional
& &
Negative unproductive disruptive
Low Moderate High Conflict
Brown (1983) level

Levels of conflicts
Intra-personal
Inter-personal
Inter-group

Levels of conflicts
approach-approach
I love I love
salads burgers
Intra-personal
Inter-personal
Inter-group

Levels of conflicts
avoidance-avoidance
I hate I hate
salads burgers
Intra-personal
Inter-personal
Inter-group

Levels of conflicts
approach-avoidance
I don’t like
salads but it’s I love
Intra-personal healthy burgers but
it’s fatenning
Inter-personal
Inter-group

Levels of conflicts
Intra-personal
Inter-personal
Inter-group

Levels of conflicts
relationship conflict
Intra-personal
Inter-personal
le
ib s
Inter-group at tie
p i
i om al
nc son
p er

Levels of conflicts
task conflict
Intra-personal
Inter-personal
ns
io t
Inter-group at en
ct em
pe re
ex ag
d is

Levels of conflicts
group cohesion
Intra-personal
Inter-personal
Inter-group
coping with external threats

Levels of conflicts
antagonism
Intra-personal
we vs. they
Inter-personal
Inter-group
stereotypes &
negative communication

Intra-organisational conflicts
Vertical
Horizontal
Line-sta!
er e
ow enc
p r
d if fe
Role

Intra-organisational conflicts
Vertical
Horizontal
Line-sta!
ov er
te ces
pe r
Role om sou
c e
r

Intra-organisational conflicts
Vertical
Horizontal
Line-sta! ce
en n
lu tio
nf a
i s
ct ani
re rg
Role di o
on

Intra-organisational conflicts
Vertical
Horizontal
Line-sta!
ib le
at es
p i
om vit
nc ti
i c
Role
a

Handling conflicts

Strategies to resolve interpersonal conflicts
assertiveness competing
Concern
for self
cooperativeness
Concern
for others

competing

competing
+ Exercise own power
- Alienates others

competing
Quick decisive actions needed
Unpopular actions needed
When you know you’re right
Against bullies

Strategies to resolve interpersonal conflicts
assertiveness competing
Concern
for self
avoiding
cooperativeness
Concern
for others

avoiding

+ No energy or time
expenditure
- Less creative problem
avoiding solving

Trivial issue
Delaying action
Avoiding disruption
avoiding Cooling down

Strategies to resolve interpersonal conflicts
assertiveness competing
Concern
for self
avoiding accommodating
cooperativeness
Concern
for others

accommodating

accommodating
+ Viewed as supportive
No aggressivity
- Loss of power
No contribution

accommodating
If you are wrong
Issue more important to others
To build social credits
To minimize loss
To alow learning from mistakes

Strategies to resolve interpersonal conflicts
assertiveness competing
Concern
for self
compromising
avoiding accommodating
cooperativeness
Concern
for others

compromising

+ Both sides win
something
Peace
- No one completely
satisfied
compromising

When goals are
important
When power is equal
Temporary settlement
Solution under time
pressure compromising

Strategies to resolve interpersonal conflicts
assertiveness competing collaborating
Concern
for self
compromising
avoiding accommodating
cooperativeness
Concern
for others

collaborating

collaborating
+ Both sides win
Long term solution & relationship
Creativity
- More time needed
Loss of autonomy

collaborating
When both concerns important
To gain commitment
To find integrative solution
To merge insights

Strategies to resolve interpersonal conflicts
assertiveness competing collaborating
Concern
for self
compromising
avoiding accommodating
cooperativeness
Concern
for others

Organisational conflict management
Formal roles
- Bu!ers (excess resources)
- Ombudsmen (representative)
Informal roles
- Managers

Managerial intervention objectives
Efficiency
Resolve the conflict quickly.
Effectiveness
Choose optimal solution.
Satisfaction
Outcome satisfying all parties.
Fairness
Outcome perceived as fair.

Negotiation

Negotiation
Distributive Integrative
Fixed amount of resources Variable amount of resources
to be divided to be divided

Negotiation
Distributive Integrative
Fixed amount of resources Variable amount of resources
to be divided to be divided
Win-lose motivation Win-win motivation

Negotiation
Distributive Integrative
Fixed amount of resources Variable amount of resources
to be divided to be divided
Win-lose motivation Win-win motivation
Opposed interests Convergent interests

Negotiation
Distributive Integrative
Fixed amount of resources Variable amount of resources
to be divided to be divided
Win-lose motivation Win-win motivation
Opposed interests Convergent interests
Short-term relationship Long-term relationship

Principled negotiation
! Find superordinate goals
" Separate people from problem
# Focus on interests, not positions
$ Invent options for mutual gain
% Insist on objective criteria

Culture & conflicts

Hofstede’s
parameters Individualism
10
0
Power
Masculinity 80 distance
60
40
20
USA
China
SwEden
France
Long-term
orientation
Risk taking
High Context

Next week’s individual assignment subject
! Perceptions, attitudes &
%
Conflicts in organisations
personality
hand in week 7
hand in week 3
" Individual & group &
decision making & ethics Learning and motivation
hand in week 8
hand in week 4
# Organisational ' Power, politics &
environment influence
hand in week 5 hand in week 9
$ Organisational structure
( Leadership
hand in week 6 hand in week 10

Suggestions for individual assignment
Read chapter 5 in SNN.
• Do the test (p144) to determine your own
conflict handling style, and comment on
situations when it is useful and when it is not
appropriate (with concrete examples).
• Do the case study (p146) answering to the
manager’s memo.
• Reflect about your own experience of today’s
simulation.

Next week’s group assignment subject
! Individual & group
$
decision making & ethics Conflicts in organisations
present in week 7
present in week 4
" Organisational %
environment Learning and motivation
present in week 5 present in week 8
#
Organisational structure
& Power, politics &
influence
present in week 6
present in week 9
2 groups to present each week

Suggestions for group assignment
Read chapter 5 in SNN.
• Role play a conflict and di!erent ways
to handling it.
• Present a report about handling
conflicts in di!erent countries.

further
Chapter 5
reading
about
today’s
Chapter 6
lecture

Chapter 3
preparng
for
next week Chapters
3&5