Interpersonal and Structural Approach to Conflict Management

1. Republic of the Philippines
LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
MAIN CAMPUS
Sta. Cruz, Laguna
GRADUATE STUDIES AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Course Code : EM 506
Course Title : Human Behavior in Organization
Professor : Dr. Ma. Victoria Cabigan
Reporter : Cherrymay C. Molde
Topic : Interpersonal Approach to Conflict Management
: Structural Approach to Conflict Management

3. INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
It occurs when a person or group of
people frustrates or interferes with
another person's efforts at achieving
a goal.

4. Reasons Why Interpersonal Conflict Occur
Personality differences
Perceptions
Power and status differences
Scare resources
Clashes of values and interest

5. Types of Interpersonal Conflict
Pseudo Conflicts and Real Arguments Conflict happens when two people want different things
and can neither come to an agreement nor get what they
want without the other person.
Policy Conflicts Policy conflicts are disagreements about how to deal with a
situation that affects both parties.
Value Conflicts No two people have the exact same set of
personal values.
Ego Conflicts In an ego conflict, losing the argument
would damage the person's sense of self-
esteem.

6. Approaches to Conflict Management

7. Widrawal
People physically or psychologically remove
themselves from the conflict
Example
Catch phrase: “I will think about it tomorrow.”
Pro: Doesn’t sweat the small stuff, delays must be
useful
Con: It builds up and then blows, important issues
don’t get dealt with, it can take more energy to
avoid then deal at times.

8. Accomodating
People attempt to satisfy others’ needs while
neglecting their own
Example
Catch phrase: “It’s ok with me, whatever you want.”
Pro: Can preserve harmonious relationships, can
admit there is a better way
Con: Can lead to resentment by not getting your
needs met, can diminish your influence, martyr
instance

9. Competing
Style is power-oriented mode that is high in
assertiveness and low in cooperativeness.
Example
Catch phrase: “My way or the highway.”
Pro: Decisive, assertive, addresses personal needs
Con: Can damage relationship, shuts other down

10. Compromising
People attempt to resolve conflict by providing
some satisfaction for both parties
Example
Catch phrase: “Let’s make a deal.”
Pro: Fixes things quickly, satisfies needs of both
parties, finds temporary settlements to complex
issues, has backup strategy when competition or
collaboration fails
Con: Can play games, bypass longer-term solutions,
compromises found may be dissatisfying and may
need to be revisited

11. Collaborating
People try to fully address the needs and issues of
each party and arrive at a solution that is mutually
satisfying
Example
Catch phrase: “Two heads are better than one.”
Pro: Finds the best solution for everyone, which
leads to high commitment, higher creativity in
problem solving, team-building
Con: Takes time and energy; if applied to all conflicts
it can be draining and unnecessary

12. When interpersonal conflict gets too destructive, calling in a
mediator would help so as to have it resolved.
Mediator
An uninvolved third party
serves as neutral and
impartial guide,
structuring an interaction
that enables that
conflicting parties to find
a mutually acceptable
solution to their
problems.

13. Mediating Conflict Using Communication Skills
1. The people need to agree to work with you.
2. Help the people identify the real conflict.
3. Maintain your neutrality.
4. Keep the discussion focused on the issues.
5. Work to ensure equal air time.
6. Focus the discussion on solutions not blame.
7. Make sure both parties fully understand and support the agreed-upon solution.
8. Establish an action plan and follow-up.

14. STRUCTURAL CONFLICT
Structural conflicts are caused by forces
external to the people in dispute. Limited
physical resources or authority, geographic
constraints (distance or proximity), time (too
little or too much), organizational changes,
and so forth can make structural conflict seem
like a crisis.

15. Structural Approaches to Conflict Management
1.Emphasizing Super ordinate Goals
-Emphasizing common objectives not conflicting sub-goals
-Reduces goals incompatibility and differentiation

16. 2.Reducing Differentiation
-In values, attitudes, and experiences (e.g. Move employees around to different jobs)
-Emphasize the companies culture

17. 3.Improve communications/understanding
Employees understand and appreciate each other’s view through communication

18. 4. Reducing Interdependence
Create buffers:
- any mechanism that loosens the coupling
between two or more people
Use integrators:
- employees who coordinate the activities between
two or more people
- humans buffer
Combining Jobs:
- both jobs and a form of job enrichment and a
way of reducing task interdependence

19. 5. Increase Resources
-Increase the amount of reassures available
-Duplicate resources

20. 6.Clarifying Rules and Procedures
-Establishing rules and procedures
-Clarify roles and responsibilities

21. It is not what they do to you; it's what you do
to you...
You are the creator of your own reality, and
so you are not in jeopardy. You do not need
to control the behavior of others in order for
you to thrive. Your attention to things that
you think they do that keeps you from your
thriving is, in fact, what keeps you from your
thriving... It is not what they do to you; it's
what you do to you in fear of what you think
that they will do to you.
---Abraham