This chapter discusses interpersonal behavior in organizations. It covers conflict, assertiveness, power, and politics. The key topics are: - Conflict can arise from disagreements over goals/methods, task interdependence, roles/rules, and personality differences. - Assertiveness involves expressing feelings and giving honest feedback. Different interpersonal orientations exist such as dominance. - Power is the ability to influence others and events. Types of power include personal, legitimate, expert, reward, and coercive power. - Organizational politics involves intentional behaviors to enhance influence through tactics like social exchange, alliances, and controlling information.

2. INTERPERSONAL
BEHAVIOR
Chapter Eleven

3. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
To Understand
The Nature and Types
of Conflict
Conflict Outcomes and
Resolution Strategies
Different Personality
Types
Assertive Behavior
 Interpersonal
Orientations and
Stroking
 Types of Power
 Organizational Politics
and Influence

4. Conflict In Organizations
THE NATURE OF CONFLICT
Conflict
 An interpersonal process that arises from
disagreements over the goals to attain or
the methods to be used to accomplish
those goals

5. Conflict In Organizations
THE NATURE OF CONFLICT
 Conflict can occur in any
situation in which two or more
parties feel themselves in
opposition.

6. Conflict In Organizations
THE NATURE OF CONFLICT
 Conflicts also arise due to task
interdependence, ambiguity of roles,
policies, and rules, personality
differences, ineffective communications,
the competition over scarce resources,
personal stress, and underlying
differences in attitudes, beliefs, and
experiences.

7. Conflict In Organizations
THE NATURE OF CONFLICT
Knowledge and understanding of
conflict and the methods for
resolving it are important.

8. Conflict In Organizations
LEVELS OF CONFLICT
Intrapersonal Conflict
Interpersonal Conflict
Intergroup Conflict

9. Conflict In Organizations
SOURCES OF CONFLICT
 Organizational
change
 Different set of values
 Threats to status
 Contrasting
perceptions
 Lack of trust
 Personality
clashes
 Incivility

10. Conflict In Organizations
EFFECTS OF CONFLICT
Advantages
 People are stimulated to search for
improved approaches that lead to better
results.
 It energizes them to be more creative and to
experiment with new ideas.
 Once-hidden problems are brought to the
surface, where they may be confronted and
solved.

11. Conflict In Organizations
EFFECTS OF CONFLICT
Disadvantages
 Cooperation and teamwork may deteriorate.
 At the individual level some people may feel
defeated, while the self-image of others will
decline and personal stress levels will rise.
 The motivation level of some employees will
be reduced.

12. Conflict In Organizations
A MODEL OF CONFLICT
 Conflict Outcomes
 Participant Intentions
 Resolution Strategies

13. Assertive Behavior
ASSERTIVENESS
Assertiveness
 The process of expressing feelings,
asking for legitimate changes, and giving
and receiving honest feedback.

14. Assertive Behavior
ASSERTIVENESS (Stages)

15. Assertive Behavior
INTERPERSONAL ORIENTATIONS
Interpersonal Orientations
 Dominant way of relating to people

16. Assertive Behavior
FACILITATING SMOOTH RELATIONS
Interpersonal Facilitation
 The capacity to focus on others’ personal
needs, sensitivities, and idiosyncrasies

17. Assertive Behavior
FACILITATING SMOOTH RELATIONS
 Building on emotional intelligence
 Learning about co-workers’
personal lives
 Making mental notes about
employee likes and dislikes, values,
interests, and preferences
&

18. Assertive Behavior
FACILITATING SMOOTH RELATIONS
 Monitoring other people’s degree of job
involvement, mood level, commitment,
and satisfaction
 Developing and applying their facilitative
skills in a variety of social settings

19. Assertive Behavior
STROKING
 Any act of recognition for
another
 May be positive, negative, or
mixed

20. Assertive Behavior
STROKING
Conditional Strokes
 Offered to employees if they perform
correctly or avoid problems
Unconditional Strokes
 Presented without any connection to
behavior

21. Assertive Behavior
STROKING
Interpersonal Orientation
Conflict
Resolution
Strategy
Probable
Behavior
I’m not OK — You’re not
OK
Avoidance
Non-
assertiveness
I’m not OK — You’re OK Smoothing
Non-
assertiveness
I’m OK — You’re not OK Forcing Aggressiveness
I’m OK — You’re OK Confronting Assertiveness

22. Power and Politics
POWER
 The ability to influence
other people and events

23. Power and Politics
Types of POWER
Personal Power
 Ability of leaders to develop followers
from strength of their own personalities

24. Power and Politics
Types of POWER
Legitimate Power
 Arises from the culture of society by
which power is delegated legitimately
from higher established authorities to
others

25. Power and Politics
Types of POWER
Expert Power
 Power that arises from a person’s
knowledge of and information about a
complex situation

26. Power and Politics
Types of POWER
Reward Power
 The capacity to control and administer
items that are valued by another
 Arises from an individual’s ability to give
pay raises, recommend someone for
promotion or transfer, or even make
favorable work assignments

27. Power and Politics
Types of POWER
Coercive Power
 The capacity to punish another, or at
least to create a perceived threat to do
so

28. Power and Politics
EFFECT OF POWER BASES
Resistance
Compliance
Commitment

29. Power and Politics
ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS
 Intentional behaviors that are
used to enhance or protect a
person’s influence and self-
interest while also inspiring
confidence and trust by others

30. Power and Politics
ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS
Four Key Dimensions:
 Socially astute
 Interpersonal influence
 Networks
 Sincerity

31. Power and Politics
INFLUENCE AND POLITICAL POWER
Social exchange implies that…
 “if you’ll do something for me, I’ll do
something for you.”
 Relies on the powerful norm of
reciprocity in society, where two people
in a continuing relationship feel a strong
obligation to repay their social “debts” to
each other

32. Power and Politics
INFLUENCE AND POLITICAL POWER
Tactic Used Example*
Social exchange In a trade-off the chief engineer helps
the factory manager get a new machine
approved if the manager will support an
engineering project.
Alliances The information system manager and
the financial vice president work
together on a proposal for a new
computer system.
Identification with
higher authority
The president’s personal assistant
makes minor decisions for her.*the following examples are used in the book

33. Power and Politics
INFLUENCE AND POLITICAL POWER
Tactic Used Example*
Control of
information
The research and development
manager controls new product
information needed by the marketing
manager.
Selective service The purchasing manager selectively
gives faster service to more cooperative
associates.
Power and status
symbols
The new controller arranges to double
the size of the office, decorate lavishly,
and employ a personal assistant.*the following examples are used in the book

34. Power and Politics
INFLUENCE AND POLITICAL POWER
Tactic Used Example*
Power plays Manager A arranges with the vice
president to transfer part of manager B’s
department to A.
Networks A young manager joins a racquetball
club.
*the following examples are used in the book