List the sources of conflicts that occur in schools. Describe role conflict and provide a practical example of role conflict in a school situation. List a number of strategies that are commonly used to manage conflict.

1. SADI
2022-2023
Chapter 7:
Managing Conflict in
Today’s Schools
Course: Educational Administration and Leadership
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1

2. Learning Outcomes
 Offer a definition of conflict as it
applies to practicing the art of
leadership in schools.
 Write a description of the nature
and types of conflict that occur in
schools.
 List the sources of conflicts that
occur in schools.
 List the ways individuals respond
to conflict in schools and give a
practical example of each.
 Describe role conflict and
provide a practical example of
role conflict in a school situation.
 List a number of strategies that
are commonly used to manage
conflict.
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3. What is Conflict?
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• Putnam and Poole
(1987) define
conflict as “the
interaction of
interdependent people
who perceive opposition
of goals,aims,and views,
and who see the other
party as potentially
interfering with the
realization of these
goals” (p. 352).
• Conflict is a pervasive
part of the human
experience, and at work it
can manifest as a lack of
cooperation, exclusion,
insults, bullying, anger, and
many other behaviors and
emotions.

4. • is characterized by consultative
interactions, a focus on the issues,
mutual respect, and useful give-
and-take; constructive or
cooperative conflict (Denise
& Angelo, 2022)
• There is a win–win attitude and
harmony exists.
 It facilitates the
accomplishment of goals by
members of the organization
and/or generates new insights
into old problems
Dysfunctional Conflict
Functional Conflict
The Nature of Conflict in Schools
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• Refers to disagreements that
threaten or diminish an
organization’s interests ((Denise
& Angelo, 2022)
• occurs when discussions are
focused on individuals and when
individuals adopt inflexible
positions on key issues.
 There is a win–lose attitude,
which produces hostility that
can negatively affect a faculty
to the extent that their
productivity is disrupted.
Denise, B, S. & Angelo K. (2022) Management: a practical
introduction (10th ed). NY, Mcgraw-Hill Education.

5. Functional Conflict:
can foster several desirable outcomes
 Open-mindedness.
◦ When conflict is functional, people speak up, others listen, which in
turn can increase engagement.
 Increased understanding and strengthened relationships.
◦ Feeling understood, even when views differ, cultivates respect and
empathy.These of course facilitate productive problem solving.
 Innovation.
◦ Working through conflicts in a positive manner pushes people to
consider different views than they would otherwise, which often
results in new and better processes and outcomes.
 Accelerated growth.
◦ Functional conflict results in change—a break from the status
quo—and improves performance .
Denise, B, S. & Angelo K. (2022) Management: a practical introduction (10th ed). NY, Mcgraw-Hill
Education.

6. Dysfunctional Conflict:
 Absenteeism.
 Conflict is a major driver of people not showing up.
 Turnover.
 Lack of fairness, bullying, or other forms of disrespect and incivility cause
people to quit altogether.
 Unionization.
 Again, a lack of fairness can be costly and motivate employees to organize
to combat poor treatment and practices.
 Litigation.
 If conflict is not dealt with effectively internal to the organization, many
employees will seek legal remedies which are often expensive not only in
terms of money, but also time and reputations.
• A primary reason we study and manage conflict is
because of its costs due to:
Denise, B, S. & Angelo K. (2022) Management: a practical introduction (10th ed). NY, Mcgraw-Hill
Education.

7. The Nature of Conflict in Schools
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• Ms. Devine, a teacher at Walton High School, requested a 3-day
leave of absence to attend a religious conference.
• The principal denied the request, advising her that he was denying
the request because the annual achievement tests were scheduled
for the following week, and students needed her to lead them in a
review.
 After being denied leave, Ms. Devine contacted the teacher’s
union and filed a grievance, stating that her religious rights
had been violated. News of the complaint spread throughout
the school and divided the faculty.The school climate became
disruptive before the annual achievement tests were to be
administered.
Example of
Functional
Conflict
Example of
Dysfunction
al Conflict
• A school leader has responsibility for shaping the school’s
educational programs. In order for this to occur, the leader may
find it necessary to make changes in teacher assignments, the
curriculum, and/or existing instructional materials.
• When these changes are presented to the faculty, some members
who do not support them might become motivated to seek other
program ideas as an alternative in the decision-making process.
 As a result of divergent points of view, the organization
benefits; new ideas surface and individuals are motivated.
Thus, decision making is enhanced.

8. Sources of Conflict in Schools
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Conflict
• can occur within a faculty member,
between faculty members, or
among faculty members of a
particular grade level.
• can also be experienced between
groups, within the larger faculty, between
the school and the central office
leadership, between school personnel
and parents, or between the faculty of
one school and the faculty of another
school.

9. The Context and Content of Conflict
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The type of conflict that occurs in schools can be
differentiated in two ways.
• Refers to the issues over which the
conflict occurs.
Context
Content:
• Refers to the type of conflict that occurs.
• Conflict occurs in three contexts
1) Interpersonal: Conflict between
individuals within a group or
organization
2) Intergroup: Conflict between two
groups within a larger social
system
3) Interorganizational: Conflict
between two organizations

10. Interpersonal and Intergroup
Conflict
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• Interpersonal and
intergroup conflict
can be observed,
to some extent, in
all organizations
because these
types of conflict
are seen as a
natural part of
social
relationships.

11. Conflict might emerge because of
the following reasons
a) Competition for scarce resources.
 Decisions have to be made regarding who will receive space in a
given building, who will receive the new computers, or who will be
assigned the last period as his or her planning hour.
b) A desire for autonomy.
 When teachers, administrators, and parents are so committed to a
program or activity (e.g., allocating booster club funds, directing the
senior play, facilitating curriculum planning) that they lay claim to it
and want total autonomy over its operations. If there is interference
with the activity, conflict occurs.
c) Divergence in views and/or goals.
 If individuals in the primary division of a school have different views
teaching approach to reading—whole language or phonics—and
cannot agree on which of these approaches to use.
d) Social factors.
 Schools consist of a group of individuals who have different
personalities. (e.g., as these individuals interact in order to complete
tasks).

12. Intrapersonal and Intragroup Conflict
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• Intrapersonal conflict occurs within an individual.The
individual is at odds with him- or herself because of
uncertainty about what action to take regarding a
particular issue or an internal struggle over competing
goals.
 The principal of Clark High School has spent 2 years
working with the faculty and community toward
establishing a set of long-range goals for the school.
 The goals have been developed, and sufficient
progress has been made toward their attainment.
However, because of his success at Clark, at the
end of his second year, the superintendent offers
him a position in the central office.
 If he accepts the position, he would have
developmental responsibilities for the
district’s curriculum, as well as receive a
sizable increase in pay.
Example

13. Intrapersonal and Intragroup Conflict
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• Intragroup conflict occurs when there are
divergent opinions within a group on a
particular issue.
 If some senior members of the
faculty supported the desire of
members of the senior class to
hold the after-prom party at a
local nightclub,
 and other faculty members
want to have the event in the
school gym.
Example

14. THE CONTENT OF CONFLICT
• According to Barge
(1994), conflict
content refers to the
issues over which
the conflict occurs, of
which there are two
fundamental types.
◦ Substantive conflict: is
related to the issues,
ideas, and positions of a
conflict.
• Affective, or social
conflict: concerns the
emotional aspects of the
problem,which may affect
interpersonal relationships
among members of the
faculty (e.g.power,status,
role development,or
personality issues).
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15. • Affective,
or social
conflict:
Example
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• Substantive
conflict:
Example
 A team of teachers who are discussing curriculum.
 Several teachers are engaged in a discussion
about the merits of a curriculum, program.
 The teachers have different ideas about the
content of the curriculum, and they take
different positions regarding the
appropriate grade level that the curriculum
should serve, as well as the amount of
instructional time that should be allotted for
its use.
 Emotions are involved as individuals strive to
achieve their own preferred outcome, which, if
achieved, will deny another person his or her
desired outcome, thus producing hostility.
 Such is the case when individuals engage in a
struggle for control of a group or express
concern about the attitude that an individual
brings to the group.
The Content of Conflict

16. How Individuals Respond to
Conflict
• The content of an
issue, whether it is
substantive or
affective, can
influence the
behavior of
individuals in schools,
encouraging them to
respond in a reactive
or proactive manner.

17. How Individuals Respond to
Conflict
• The Reactive Response:
individuals respond to a
particular conflict by
attempting to escape or avoid a
perceived unfair environment
or occurrence.
The Proactive Response:
individuals and/or groups display
behavior in an effort to promote
justice and create fair treatment and
equitable distribution of resources
when they do not exist in quantities
that are sufficient for everyone.
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18. How Individuals Respond to Conflict
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• The Reactive
Response:
example
• Ex. If a principal acquires new computers and
distributes them to select members of the faculty
with the expectation that other faculty members
would continue to use old and somewhat out-of-
date computers,
 Such individuals may feel that unfair and
inequitable treatment exists across all school
personnel.
• The
Proactive
Response:
Example
• Individuals who observe inequity in the treatment
of school personnel with regard to the reward system
and/or the distribution of resources sometimes
proactively strive to create an equitable distribution
system.
 Such action is taken because these
individuals feel a positive change in the
distribution system is ultimately in the best
interests of all parties.

19. The Reactive Response:
 Martin (1981) asserts that certain
reward distribution patterns in
schools could encourage
individuals to make certain social
comparisons, which would further
inform leader behavior
regarding the feelings of his or
her followers.
 When social comparisons are
made, they can lead to
followers feeling a sense of
deprivation and resentment,
causing a variety of reactions,
ranging from depression to
the outbreak of riots.
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20. Role Conflict
 School leaders and their followers
face conflicts and pressures, not only
because of change but also because
of the roles and expectations that
people hold for them and the
expectations that they hold for
themselves.
 Individuals and groups, inside and
outside of the schoolhouse, also have
expectations for the school in terms
of the goals that the school is
expected to achieve and the roles
that various individuals and groups
are expected to play in achieving
those goals.
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21. Role Expectations for the School Leader
 Formal role:
 is defined in the form of
a job description and is
governed by school
policies.
 Informal role:
 Individuals and groups
who hold expectations for
the leader.
• Together, the formal and informal expectations
comprise a behavioral definition that characterizes how
different individuals and groups affiliated with the
school believe the leader should perform in a given
situation.
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22. MR. VATH VARY
Developing an understanding of expectations and diagnosing conflict
can enhance the ability of leaders to anticipate and assess the reactions
of others to their behavior.The expectations that influence can vary in
direction, clarity, and intensity.
Direction
 refers to the extent to which school leaders
and faculty are in agreement on a particular
issue, program, activity, or problem.
Clarity
• refers to how well expectations are
communicated.
 When expectations are not clearly
communicated, role ambiguity becomes a factor,
making it difficult for leaders to determine the
behavioral expectations that others hold for them.
The intensity of a conflict refers to the depth of interest
and/or concern that an individual or group has
regarding the issue.The magnitude of the feelings
determines the intensity of the conflict.
Intensity
Role Expectations for the School Leader

23. The Leader’s Expectations for Self
• Self-expectations are influenced by how
leaders perceive that they should
behave and may be more important than
the expectations of others in
determining the decisions that they
make in a given situation.
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• In addition to the formal and informal
expectations of others, leaders must
understand and address the expectations that
they hold for themselves.

24. What is Conflict management?
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Conflict management: is the process of
resolving and minimizing disagreements that
result from perceived or real differences.
 A conflict has been managed
when its cognitive barriers
have been changed to
agreement;
 The parties involved reach a
level of commitment that
enables the barriers of the
conflict to be removed and
allows for a dissipation of the
forces that caused the initial
stress.

25. • Approaches
to conflict
management
• A win–win
orientation: both
parties achieve
some or all of
their desired
goals
• A win–lose
orientation: only
one party clearly
achieves the
desired goal.
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Conflict Management

26. MR. VATH VARY
The Contingency Approach to Conflict Management
• Diagnosing a
conflict in order
to identify
optimal ways of
managing it
under the given
conditions
• The primary objective of school
leaders is to first determine
whether a conflict really exists;
• If it does, the conflict should be
diagnosed, various
management strategies
reviewed, and the strategy that
will lead to an effective solution
should be selected.
• Leaders are able to identify a
conflict management Strategy
that will obtain the optimal
results under the prevailing
conditions

27. What is Conflict management?
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1. Avoidance:
 The leader has a desire to maintain a rational climate and copes with
the conflict by avoiding it completely.
 The issues are so minimally important to the leader that investing the
time and resources necessary to resolve the conflict appears to be
unwise. The desire for peaceful coexistence and the avoidance of a
hostile aftermath are given priority.
2. Smoothing:
 The leader has a desire to maintain positive
interpersonal relationships.
 In so doing, disagreements and differences of
opinions on substantive issues are minimized.
3. Withdrawing:
 provides the individuals with an opportunity to reflect on
and rethink the issue. In some instances, the relationship
among the individuals involved is more important than
the issue itself and resolving the conflict.

28. What is Conflict management?
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4. Bargaining:
• Moderately concerned for both the task and the relationship. The parties must
voluntarily agree to use a problem-solving approach. -no loser-winner) A solution
to the conflict is reached as a result of both parties making concessions.
5. Power struggle.
• A little concerned for interpersonal relationships, yet for task
accomplishment.
• Power and force are used to break down the opposition and win,
regardless of the consequences to the defeated party.
6. Problem solving:
• A collaborative approach in an attempt to achieve the best solution
to the conflict.
7. Forcing:
• Achool leaders have to take a firm position and insist that a specific
action is taken.
• Ex. if someone is needed to direct the senior play and it is a
tradition that the senior play is directed by someone in the drama
department, then it may be necessary for the school leader to
appoint a drama teacher to direct the play regardless of the
teacher’s wishes.

29. MR. VATH VARY
Human Needs Theory
Human
Needs
Theory
Strategies
• Conflict resolution must take into account the
needs of individuals and groups, as well as the
organizational changes that must occur if schools
are to enhance the academic achievement of all
students.
 Members of the faculty must recognize the
importance of relationships and come to an
understanding that conflict stems from a breakdown
in relationship.
• Understanding the content of the conflict;
• Effective communication;
• Active listening:
 Listening to individuals allows them to
express themselves and share their point
of view, giving them an opportunity to
vent and to share their preference(s).

30. Active
listening
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 If an angry parent enters the school office, the school leader can minimize conflict
in the conference that necessarily must occur by allocating a set time frame and
managing the dynamics through collaborative communication.
 The conference can be started by allowing the parent time to express him- or
herself without interruption.
 If other individuals are involved in the conference (e.g., teachers), they can be asked
prior to the meeting not to interrupt the parent; this is the parent’s time.
 As the parent speaks, the leader can provide the parent with nonverbal clues that
indicate an interest in what the parent is saying and the value of the parent’s point
of view by validating it with appreciation and attention to its meaning.
 During this venting period, school leaders might also inquire as to how they can
provide assistance, what is expected of them, and how their role is perceived.
 After the parent has finished, there will be sufficient time for school personnel to
express themselves, during which time the parent can be asked not to interrupt.

31. Leader Behavior
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In managing conflict, it is critical for school leaders to
identify and exhibit behaviors that tend to best minimize
conflict(s) in their schools.
8 Effective Conflict Management Behaviors
1. Avoid taking what people say personally.
2. Remain in control of self and the situation.
3. Avoid getting defensive and making defensive
comments.
4. Seek a change in behavior in oneself and in
others involved.
5. Keep in mind that the focus of the
conversation should be on the problem, not on
individuals.
6. Identify the real issues and recognize who
stands to lose and who stands to win. Seek to
identify the truth.
7. Bring closure to the issue.

32. • If the leader expresses
his or her ideas,
concerns, and feelings
in a positive manner and
is willing to compromise,
there is a much greater
possibility that the
outcome will be fair and
equitable.
• If a teacher is frequently late
for her school
responsibilities, a
nonjudgmental,
nonthreatening comment
from the leader might be:
• “I get nervous about the
safety of the students
when you are late.”
What behavior would you like to see
changed?
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Leader Behavior

33. Leader Behavior
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It is the behavior of individuals that
causes conflict.Therefore, what school
leaders are seeking is a change in
behavior.
 Focus of the conversation should
be on the problem, not the
individuals;
 not to point fingers or cast blame
but rather to isolate the cause of
the conflict
When addressing a conflict
between faculty members,

34. • There is no one best approach
to conflict management
• If the approach selected is not appropriate for
the situation, not only will the conflict remain
unresolved, but it is likely to be exacerbated.
• Problem-solving approach is the most
effective
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Leadership for Today’s Schools

35. MR. VATH VARY
Summary
• Conflict can be defined as “the interaction of
interdependent people who perceive opposition of
goals, aims, and views, and who see the other party as
potentially interfering with the realization of these goals”
• Conflict often occurs in today’s schools as a result of
change and the need for people to work in harmony.
• One can strive toward optimal management by communicating
effectively, making decisions with the involvement of
appropriate individuals, and selecting appropriate conflict
management strategies.