Conflict management

1. Conflict Management
Krishan K. Pandey (Ph.D.)
Professor & Director
Office of Doctoral Studies
O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat
Email: krishan.pandey@gmail.com; kkpandey@jgu.edu.in ;
webpage: www.krishanpandey.com ….

2. Working together
is not always a
easy Job…

4. What is conflict?
• An expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who
perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other
party in achieving their goals
OR
• A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has
negatively affected or about to affect something that the first party cares about

5. Consequences of conflict

6.  Functional conflict: works toward the goals of an
organization or group
 Dysfunctional conflict: blocks an organization or group from
reaching its goals
Functional & Dysfunctional Conflict

7. Functional conflict
 Constructive
 Increase information & ideas
 Encourages innovative thinking
 Unshackles different points of view
 Reduce stagnation

8. Dysfunctional conflict
 Tension, anxiety, stress
 Drives out low conflict tolerant people
 Reduce trust
 Poor decision because of withheld or distorted
 Reduce information

10. It is unhealthy when there is no conflict

11. We need diversity of opinion

12.  Rivalries in which one personor group competes
with another.
 Differences in information, beliefs, values,interests, or
desires.
 A scarcity of some resource.

13. Components of conflict

14. Good
Consequences
of Conflict

15. Increased Creativity

16. It forces people to clarify their
views

17. It can produce constructive
Social change

18. It gives people the opportunity to
test their capacities

19. •development of group and
organization cohesion

20. • Bad
Consequences
of Conflict

21. Violence

22. breakdown of relationships

23. polarization of views into static positions

24. A breakdown of
collaborative ventures

25. destruction of
communication

26. The cost of conflict
• Relationship costs

27. The cost of conflict
• Costs to the individual

28. The cost of conflict
• Costs to the company

29. Main
sources of
conflict
• The aggressive
or competitive
behaviour of
human beings

30. Main sources of conflict
• Competition for limited resources

31. Main sources of conflict
• Frustration

32. Main sources of conflict

33. Main sources of conflict
• Cultural influences

34. Main sources of conflict
• Misinformation, assumptions and
expectations

35. Attitude & Behaviour
Cycle
Your Attitudeaffects
affects
Your
Behaviour
My Attitude affects
My
Behaviour
affects

36. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict
Mode Instrument
The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument
assesses an individual’s typical behavior in conflict
situations and describes it along two dimensions:
assertiveness and cooperativeness. The
model has 5 conflict modes.
Competing, Accommodating, Avoiding,
Collaborating, Compromising.

37. Different Styles have
Different Goals
• Competing: The goal is to
win
• Accommodating : The goal
is to yield
• Avoiding: The goal is to
delay
• Collaborating: The goal is
multiple participation
• Compromising: The goal is
to find middle ground

38. To win
To yield
To delay
To find middle ground
Multiple participation

39. Collaboration: A win/win strategy based on problem solving where
the interests of all parties can be met. This approach results in
maintaining strong interpersonal or intergroup relationships while
ensuring that all parties achieve their interests.
Compromise: A mini-win/mini-lost strategy based on a solution that
partially satisfies the interests of the parties involved. This approach
results in the parties’ attempting to win as much as possible while
preserving the interpersonal or inter-group relationships as much as
possible.

40. Accommodation: A yield-lose/win strategy wherein one party yields
to the other party (or parties) to protect and preserve the relationships
involved.
Controlling: A win/lost strategy based on imposing a particular
preferred solution on the other party (or parties). This approach
results in sacrificing the interpersonal or intergroup relationship to
achieve a desired outcome, regardless of the consequences to the
other party (or parties).
Avoiding: A lose/lose strategy based on withdrawing and choosing
to leave the conflict. This approach results in abandoning both the
desired outcome and the relationships involved.

41. Two Dimensional Model of
Conflict

42. 5 ways to manage conflict
•Avoidance
•Competition (A)
•Accommodation (B)
•Compromise (C)
•Collaboration (D)

43. Conflict Continuum
I win, you lose (competition—A)
I lose or give in (accommodate—B)
We both get something (compromise—C)
We both “win”(collaborate—D)

44. Competing is effective:
• When quick decisive action is needed.
• When unpopular action must be taken on
important issues.
• When the issue is vital and the right course is
clear.
• To protect against people who take
advantage of noncompetitive behavior.
Competing

45. Accommodating is effective:
• When you are wrong, learning is
important, or demonstrating
reasonableness is critical.
• When creating goodwill is paramount.
• To build social credits for later use.
• To stop unproductive or damaging
competition.
• When harmony is important.
Accommodating

46. Avoiding is effective:
• When the issue is relatively trivial.
• When you know you can’t be satisfied.
• When the costs of conflict outweigh the
benefits of resolution.
• To allow “cooling off”.
• When it’s important to have more information.
• When others can resolve the issue more
effectively.
• When the conflict is tangential to something
more important.
Avoiding

47. Collaborating is effective:
• When it’s important that both sides be
integrated.
• When you want to learn and fully understand
others’ views.
• To merge different perspectives and insights.
• To gain commitment through consensual
decisions.
• To work through hard feelings that have
interfered with interpersonal relationships.
Collaborating

48. Compromising is effective:
• When goals are less important than avoiding
the disruption caused by more assertive
conflict resolution styles.
• When opponents have equal power
and commitment to mutually
exclusive goals.
• To temporarily settle complex issues.
• To quickly achieve an expedient solution.
• As a backup style when collaboration or
competition fails.
Compromising

49. Can Conflict be Managed ?
Conflict Management can be defined as “the opportunity to improve
situations and strengthen relationships”

50. Strategies to Resolve
Conflicts
• Assume you do not have all the
answers.
• Ask questions to understand
the other person(s).
• Be prepared to compromise or
make a deal.

51. Active listening
• Really listen to what they are saying
• Focus your attention on them
• Use non-verbal cues (e.g. nodding
the head)
• Paraphrase what they have said, to
show that you have understood.

52. These are all the same -

53. A piece of cheese!
A
B

54. How can conflict be
managed successfully?
Win-win conflict.
Both parties achieve their
desires.
Collaboration or problem solving
are forms of win-win conflict.

55. Reaching win-win

59. To Achieve Win/Win
Results
Gain participation from
everyone involved in the
conflict.
State the reason to work on a
solution.

60. Whatever style you use, here are some
basic skills for conflict resolution:
• Manage anger
• Listen actively
• Avoid assumptions
• Find something on which to agree
• Be cautious with criticism
• Negotiate
ConflictResolution