Intergroup conflict occurs between two or more groups within an organization that do not share the same goals. It can involve disagreement, discord, or even violence. Common causes of intergroup conflict include differences in goals, perceptions, and demands for specialists between groups. There are two main types of intergroup conflict: task conflict, due to differing aims or standards, and relationship conflict, involving personal views and attitudes. Managing intergroup conflict requires acknowledging it, allowing grievances to be aired, and using negotiation or mediation to resolve issues constructively.

1. Republic of the Philippines
President Ramon Magsaysay State University

2. Intergroup Conflict
 disagreement or confrontation between two or
more groups and their members, such as
between work departments, entire companies,
political parties, or nations.
 may involve interpersonal discord, psychological
tension, or physical violence.
 occurs between different groups within a larger
organization or those who do not have the same
overarching goals.

3. What causes intergroup conflict?
 One of the most prominent reasons for
intergroup conflict is simply the nature of the
group.
 Other reasons may be work interdependence,
goal variances, differences in perceptions,
and the increased demand for specialists.
 Also, individual members of a group often play a
role in the initiation of group conflict.
Ex. The definition of intergroup is something that
deals with two or more collections of different
people. An example of something intergroup is a
type of meeting involving two different ethnic
groups.

4. Types of Intergroup Conflict
Task conflict
 Conflict that occurs due to
differing aims or an inability to
meet the group's standards
Relationship conflict
 involve issues relating to
personal views, attitudes,
beliefs, and personality traits.

5. Characteristics
Competitiveness: Similar to a lack
of resources, competitiveness for
respect or esteem between the
groups will often lead to conflict when
the project is based on collective
work.
Superiority Belief: If one group feels
that they are superior to another
group, it will often result in conflict.

6. DYNAMICS OF
INTERGROUP CONFLICT
• Social identity theory posits that individuals
tend to classify themselves and others into
various social categories.
• “causes individuals to compare their in-
group–with out-group and to perceive the
in-group as preferable, even in the
absence of intergroup conflict.
• Perceived in-group–out-group similarity
can be threatening,

7. Behavioural and Perceptual
Changes
• When intergroup conflict of win–lose orientation occurs,
the groups become more cohesive.
• Team conformity and loyalty to the group increase,
• win–lose intergroup conflict creates significant distortions
in the judgment and perceptual processes of the
conflicting groups.
• Two types of errors occur that tend to magnify the
differences between groups and escalate the conflict,
The two groups fail to see the similarities in their solutions
and see only the differences between their solutions.
The other kind of perceptual error relates to the belief of
the in-group members that their solutions are superior to
those of the out-group.

8. Decision Process
• Differences among in-group members are no longer
tolerated,
• This suppression of intra-group conflict blocks the
process that could lead to effective solutions.
• The groups establish the means of negotiation, which
are usually;
• bargaining,
• ultimatums, and
• nonnegotiable demands
• Contacts with other group(s) become;
• formal,
• rigid, and
• carefully defined.

9. How will you deal with intergroup conflict?
Take the lead in an intergroup conflict
resolution strategy by:
1. Acknowledging that a conflict has surfaced.
Reiterating the purpose and goals of the
teams.
2. Allowing both sides to air their grievances
so that everyone understands the full nature of
the conflict.

10. 3. Nonviolent, constructive conflict
resolution is often achieved through
negotiation, which involves
communication and bargaining by the
parties themselves, or mediation, in which
a third party helps the parties to negotiate
a settlement.

11. Belief domains that contribute to
Intergroup Conflict
1.Superiority: At an individual level, this
belief revolves around a person's
enduring conviction that he or she is
better than other people in important
ways.
2. Injustice: At the individual level, this
belief revolves around perceived
mistreatment by others, and/or the world
at large.

12. 3. Vulnerability: At the individual level,
vulnerability refers to a person's belief
that he or she is perpetually in harm's
way.
4. Distrust: At the individual level, this
belief focuses on the presumed intent
of others to cause harm and/or exhibit
hostility.

13. 5. Helplessness: At the individual
level, helplessness focuses on the
belief that even carefully planned and
executed actions will fail to produce
the desired outcome. When taken at
the group level, it translates into a
collective mindset of powerlessness
and dependency.

14. MANAGING INTERGROUP
CONFLICT
Sources
System Differentiation
• Task Interdependence: three categories of
interdependence;
1. Pooled interdependence refers to a situation where
the groups are relatively independent of each other,
2. Sequential interdependence exists where the output
of one unit becomes the input of another unit, as in the
case of automobile assembly line activities,
3. Reciprocal interdependence, the outputs of one
group become the input of other groups, in any direction.

15. • Dependence on Scarce Resources
– the greater the perceived dependence on
common resources, the greater is the possibility
of intergroup conflict.
• Jurisdictional Ambiguity
– purchasing and production or between line and
staff
• Relationship Between Line and Staff
– the success of staff depends on the acceptance of
their ideas by the line. But the success of line does
not necessarily depend on the staff advice, which
line can have when it pleases.

16. Interventions
Process
• Interventions are useful when the intergroup
conflict is strategic rather than frictional or minor.
• Two intervention strategies for managing
intergroup conflict,
– problem solving (help the members of two groups to
learn the integrating style to handle their differences),
and
– organizational mirroring ( appropriate when more
than two groups are having problems in working
together)

17. Intergroup Problem Solving
• Blake and Mouton (1984) have discussed the
following conventional approaches to the
resolution of intergroup conflict,
1. Cooperation by edict.
2. Negotiations.
3. Leadership replacement.
4. Personnel rotation.
5. Structural solutions.
6. Liaison persons.
7. Flexible reporting relationships.
8. Mediation and arbitration

18. Organizational Mirroring
• This intervention is designed to improve the
relationship among three or more groups,
• Requires careful planning and management
through an efficient consultant is required,
• This intervention is suitable where the
solution of an interface problem requires the
collaboration of several work-related groups,

22. References:
1. Brookes, Peyton. “Benefits of Collaboration and
Teamwork.” Bizfluent
2. “Intergroup Conflict in the Workplace.”
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