Conflict arises from contradictory interests between opposing groups and involves differences in opinions or goals. There are several types and levels of conflict including individual, interpersonal, group, and organizational. Conflict can be functional in promoting analytical thinking or dysfunctional in reducing trust. Different conflict management styles include avoiding issues, competing to win at all costs, compromising to find partial solutions, accommodating other positions, and collaborating to find mutually agreeable solutions. The most effective style depends on the specific situation and involves understanding different perspectives.

1. Conflict Management

2. Conflict
• Conflict is associated with situations that involve contradictory
interest between two opposing groups.
• Appearance of difference, difference of opinions, of interests.
• A process that begins when one party perceives that another party
has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something
the first party cares about.
• Disagreement between two or more individuals or groups trying to
gain acceptance of its view over others.

3. Features of conflict
• Not able to choose among the available course of action
• Conflicting perceptions, values and goals
• Series of events
• Must be perceived by the parties

4. Transitions in conflict thought
• The Traditional view
Conflict was considered totally bad and was to be avoided.
• The Human relations view
Management should be concerned with avoiding conflict if possible and
resolving it as soon as possible
• The Interactionist view
Group leader must allow some conflicts to happen in the group, so that
the group may remain self critical & creative.

5. Types of Conflict

6. Functional vs. Dysfunctional

7. Functional and dysfunctional conflict
FUNCTIONAL CONFLICTS
• Release of tension
• Analytical thinking
• Group cohesiveness
• Competition
• Challenge
• Identification of weakness
• High quality decisions
DYSFUNCTIONAL CONFLICTS
• High employee turnover
• Tensions
• Dissatisfaction
• Climate of distrust
• Conflict as a cost

8. Conclusion-optimum level of conflict

9. Levels of conflict
• Individual / intra-individual level conflict
• Interpersonal conflict
• Group level conflict
• Organization level conflict

10. Intra-individual conflict
• Unacceptability
• Incomparability
• Uncertainty

11. Individual experiences three types of conflict
with in himself:
Frustration- aggression, withdrawal, fixation, compromise
Goal conflict- approach-approach conflict, approach-avoidance
conflict, Avoidance –avoidance conflict
Role conflict- role ambiguity, role conflict, role overload

12. Interpersonal conflict
• Personal differences
• Information deficiency
• Role incompatibility
• Environment stress

13. Group level conflict
• Intragroup conflict
• Intergroup conflict

14. Organizational conflict
• Conflicts at individual level, group level or inter group level are all
inherent in the organization level conflict.
• Between seller and buyer organization
• Interdependent organizations.

15. Causes of conflict
• Communicational Aspects of conflict
• Behavioral aspect of conflict
• Structural aspect of conflict

16. Causes of Team Conflict:
External Issues
• Competing for scarce resources
• Lack of information sharing
• Lack of clear direction
• Others working on same issue

17. Causes of Team Conflict
Team Member Issues
• Performance issues
• Behavior problems (absenteeism, late work, not doing what promised)
• Work quality problems

18. Causes of Team Conflict:
Team Member Issues
• Interaction/Communication Issues
• Schedule conflicts
• One member taking over
• Conflict between members
• Disagreeing over responsibilities
• Differing values, attitudes, or personalities

19. Conflict:
When to call the boss
• External issues - almost always
• Team performance issues
• use strategies for conflict management and attempt to resolve
• if no immediate and sustained improvement, ask the boss for facilitation
assistance

20. Conflict:
When to call the boss
• Team interaction/ communication issues
• require immediate facilitation, inform boss and discuss next steps together

21. Conflict Process

22. Conflict Management
• Preventive measures
Establishing common goals
Reduction in interdependence
Reduction in shared resources
Trust and communication
Coordinating
Exchange of personnel/ role reversal
Use of superior authority
Reorganization of groups

23. Curative Measures
• Conflict resolution model
• Avoidance
• Competing
• Collaboration
• Accommodating
• Compromise

24. Conflict Management Styles

25. Accommodating
People who accommodate are unassertive and very
cooperative.
• Give in during a conflict
• Acknowledge they made a mistake/decide it was no
big deal
• Put relationships first, ignore issues, and try to keep
peace at any price
• Effective when the other person or party has a better
plan or solution

26. Avoiding
People who avoid conflict are generally unassertive and uncooperative.
• Avoid the conflict entirely or delay their response instead of voicing
concerns
• Can create some space in an emotional environment
• Not a good long-term strategy

27. Collaborating
Collaborators are both assertive and cooperative.
• Assert own views while also listening to other views
and welcoming differences
• Seek a “win-win” outcome
• Identify underlying concerns of a conflict
• Create room for multiple ideas
• Requires time and effort from both parties

28. Competing
People who approach conflict in a competitive way assert themselves
and do not cooperate while pursuing their own concerns at another’s
expense.
• Takes on a “win-lose” approach where one person wins and one
person loses
• Does not rely on cooperation with the other party to reach outcome
• May be appropriate for emergencies when time is important

29. Compromising
Compromisers are moderately assertive and
moderately cooperative.
• Try to find fast, mutually acceptable solutions to
conflicts that partially satisfy both parties
• Results in a “lose-lose” approach
• Appropriate temporary solution
• Considered an easy way out when you need more
time to collaborate to find a better solution

30. Methods to deal with conflicts
• Competition (win-lose situation)
• Accommodation (win-win situation)
• Avoidance (lose-lose situation)
• Compromise (lose-lose situation)
• Collaboration (win-win situation)

31. Which one is best?
There is no BEST way to handle conflict. Each conflict is different and
requires a different response.
As a society, we teach:
“Two heads are better than one.” (Collaborating)
“Kill your enemies with kindness.” (Accommodating)
“Split the difference.” (Compromising)
“Leave well enough alone.” (Avoiding)
“Might makes right.” (Competing)

32. Conclusion
• Different conflict management styles may be used when faced with
different situations.
• Knowing yourself and fully understanding each situation will help you
understand the conflict management style needed.
• Try a scenario-based approach to test the effectiveness of different
approaches to specific situations.

33. Which Conflict Style Is Best?
• Use compromise
• When goals are important
but not worth the
effort/disruption of more
assertive approach
• Use collaboration
• When concerns are too
important to be
compromised
• When objective is to merge
insights, gain commitment
• When have the time
• Use avoidance
• When an issue is trivial
• To temporarily delay, allow
emotions to cool
• Use accommodation
• When you find you
are wrong
• As a favor, build relationship
• Use competition
• When quick, decisive action
vital
• When don’t trust opponent

34. You can decide...
• Understanding the impact of your family and community on your
ideas about conflict can allow you to make decisions about how you
deal with conflict now
• We are our history
• We make our history