Conflict is a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected or is about to negatively affect something that the first party cares about.

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Concept of Conflict
It is a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected or is
about to negatively affect something that the first party cares about.
For example, Mr. X is taking preparation for his semester final exam and in the same room Mr. Y
is listening song in full volume. Mr. X is feeling that his preparation for the exam is hampered for
Mr. Y. Here a conflict arises because Mr. X is caring about his study.
Levels of Conflict
1. Personal Conflict: Here the conflict is within the person. There are different forms of
personal conflict. These are as follows:
a) Person-role conflict: Whenever strong pressures from one’s colleagues run counter to
one’s values or beliefs. For example, Mr. X, SP of Narayanganj, asks his junior officer
to corrupt but his junior officer is corruption averse. Then person-role conflict arises.
b) Inter-sender variety: Whenever different demands in a role cannot be met
concurrently. For example, Mr. X desires to watch a movie but he is to study for exam.
So he cannot meet the two needs concurrently. Either he can watch movie or take
preparation for the exam.
c) Inter-role conflict: When a person is to do different tasks simultaneously belonging in
different organizations. For example, as a student Mr. X is to come to school regularly
to attend the class but as he belongs to a family, he has a role as a son or as a brother.
Today he could not take his mom to hospital as he had a class at that time. So, coming
in class he thinks that if he need not come to school, he could take his mom to hospital.
Thus inter- role conflict arises.
2. Interpersonal Level: Here an individual comes into conflict with others. For example, Mr.
X is taking preparation for his semester final exam and in the same room Mr. Y is listening
song in full volume. Mr. X is feeling that his preparation for the exam is hampered for Mr.
Y. Here a conflict arises because Mr. X is caring about his study.
3. Intergroup Conflict: Intergroup Conflict is conflict between or among groups. For
example, in debating one party stands against another party’s opinion.

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4. Inter-organizational Conflict: Conflict is between or among organizations. For example,
Robi Axiata and GP have a conflict in providing service. When one charges 0.60 poisha
per minute call another charges .10 poisha per on 10 seconds pulse.
5. International Conflict: Conflict is between or among nations. For example, with
Rohingya issue, there is a conflict between Bangladesh and India.
Causes of Conflict
1. Individualistic Characteristics
a. Personality: There is some evidence that personality characteristics can generate
conflict. For example, Mr. X is risk aversive and Mr. Y is risk taker. They opine
differently in investing in Stock Purchase.
b. Values: People with different values have conflict with one another. For example,
Individuals with moral values have a conflict with individuals who have no morality.
c. Goals: Turning to goals, we find several aspects of these will initiate conflict. For
example, Mr. X’s goal is to outperform than Mr. Y. Hence they apt to come into conflict
with another.
d. Stress and Anger: Stress produces a tenseness in the individual, a tenseness that can
boil over into conflict with another. Anger runs a similar route. For example, Mr. X has
stress over getting retrenchment from his job that creates tenseness.
e. Desire for Autonomy: An individual’s desire for autonomy will generate conflict, but
only when it is pitted against another’s need. For example, I will help my colleague at
my free time but not at my business.
2. Individualistic Factors
a. Perceptual Interface: A primary force in this grouping is the perception that the other
has high goals. This perception typically generates conflict because the party expects
that other’s success in attaining her goals will be costly to the party’s own goals.
For example, Both Group A and Group B arranged a football match. Each strives to
win the game. Here one party’s win will be costly to the other party’s goals.
b. Communications: The effects of communications are double edged. Low
communication results in low knowledge of others and may underpin coordination
difficulties. These difficulties lead to conflict. Likely, extensive communication
between parties is agreed to be a ripe source for misunderstanding and results in
conflict. For example, Rafi made a group with his five class mates who have low

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communications with one another. That’s why they cannot coordinated their
assignments task.
c. Behavior: Blocking of the person’s goals, outcomes or aspirations is apt to generate
conflict. For example, Hasan wants to be a businessman but his parents force him to be
a doctor.
Effects of conflict
1. Effects on Individuals: The effects of conflict on individuals are anger, hostility,
frustration, tension, stress, feel guilty.
2. Interpersonal Relationship
a. Perceptual Interface: Since the opponent in conflict is viewed as blocking a person’s
goals and thereby generating conflict. After conflict, attitudes towards the opponent
generally become more negative.
For example, Hasan wanted to be a banker but his mother wants him to be a doctor.
So, attitudes towards his mother become more negative.
b. Communications: Both the quality and amount of communication may change as a
result of conflict. As for quality, the communication tends to be more hostile.
c. Behavior: The overt interactions between the disputants are the most visible aspect of
conflict. These can lead to some actions such as avoiding others, threats, physical force,
harming others,coercion, disorder and protest.
d. Structure: When the conflict occurs between groups or organizations, we are likely to
see effects within their structures such as shifts in leadership to a more autocratic style.
The structural relationship between groups also changes as a result of conflict. There is
decreased interdependence and coordination between groups.
e. Issues: When people, groups or firms move into conflict, simple issues become
complex; few issues begin to give rise to a host of others. Clarity falls victim to
misunderstandings that cloud the issues. Disputes become more difficult to resolve as
tradeable issues become matters of principle.
f. Resolutions and residues: Conflict produces resolution which may be in the form of an explicit
or tacit agreement. Likewise, there can be explicit and tacit deadlocks or simple tolerance of
the conflict and opponent. The outcomes can be both sides benefitting or one side benefitting
at others expense.

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With or without resolution, conflict can produce very negative residues. The parties can suffer
from frustration, mutual distrust, lack of commitment or physical harm.
Conflict Escalation and De-escalation
Escalation: Conflict escalation is the process by which conflicts grow in severity over time. This may refer
to conflicts between individuals or groups in interpersonal relationships, or it may refer to the escalation of
hostilities in a political or military context. In systems theory, the process of conflict escalation is modeled
by positive feedback.
De-escalation:De-escalation refers to behavior that is intended to escape escalations of conflicts. It may
also refer to approaches in conflict resolution. Escalations of commitment are often hard from spiraling out
of proportions without specific measures being taken.