The document discusses conflict management, defining conflict as a perception between parties and outlining three views: traditional, interactionist, and resolution-focused. It delves into various forms of conflict such as task, relationship, and process conflicts and describes the stages of the conflict process from potential opposition to outcomes. Additionally, it explores the interplay of power and politics within organizations, political strategies for acquiring power, unethical political behaviors, and guidelines to mitigate the negative impacts of organizational politics.

1. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

2. WHAT IS CONFLICT?
• CONFLICT IS A PERCEPTION
PARTY A PARTY B
• PARTY A PERCEIVES SOMETHING
ABOUT PARTY B
• THIS SOMETHING IS NEGATIVE
• NEGATIVE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT
PARTY A CARES FOR

3. THREE VIEWS ABOUT CONFLICT
• TRADITIONAL VIEW OF CONFLICT
- Denoted by violence, destruction and irrationality
• THE INTERACTIONIST VIEW OF CONFLICT
- A harmonious, peaceful group will become static and
unresponsive to needs for change and innovation
-Functional conflict supports the goal of the group
-dysfunctional conflicts hinders goal of the group
• RESOLUTION FOCUSED VIEW OF CONFLICT
- The discussion that having or not having conflict is useless.
One should discuss how to “manage” conflict.

4. Forms of conflict
• Task conflict
This relates to content and goals of the work
• Relationship conflict
This focuses on interpersonal relationships
• Process conflict
Relates to how the work gets done

5. THE CONFLICT PROCESS
• STAGE 1
POTENTIAL OPPOSITION OR INCOMPATIBILITY
Appearance of conditions which might create opportunities
for conflict to arise.
Conditions are grouped into three categories:
i) Communication
ii) Structure
iii) Personal variables

6. THE CONFLICT PROCESS
• STAGE 2
COGNITION AND PERSONALIZATION
- Perceived conflict
Awareness of the conflict should be there
- Felt conflict
Emotional involvement including feelings of anxiety,
tension, frustration etc.

7. • STAGE 3
INTENTIONS
An intervening stage between people’s perceptions and
overt behavior.
COMPETING, COLLABORATING, AVOIDING,
ACCOMODATING, COMPROMISING

8. • Stage 4:
Behavior
-The behavior stage includes the statements, actions and
reactions made by the conflicting parties usually as overt
attempts to implement their own intentions.

10. • Stage 5
OUTCOMES
-Functional outcomes
An antidote for group think.
Higher order goals
Yes people employed by GM
-Dysfunctional outcomes

11. • Political implications of power:
There is evidence of inverse relation between power &
politics. Managers who lack power must rely on politics.
If there is a lack in political skill, then that might not lead
to acquiring power.
So power & politics are intertwined.

12. • Political perspective of power in organization:
Four postulates of power:
i) Organizations have coalitions that compete for
resources, energy & influence
ii) Various coalitions will seek to protect their
interests
iii) Unequal distribution of power has dehumanizing
effects
iv) Exercise of power in organization means
exercise of power within the larger social system

13. Organizations tend to get political where there
are:
i) Resources
ii) Decisions
iii) Goals
iv) Technology & external environment
v) Change
If there is a threat to the status of the powerful
or encouragement of those who wish to gain
power, there will be more politics.

14. • Political Strategies for power acquisition:
i) Information strategy
ii) Financial incentive strategy
iii) Constituency building strategy
Reindeer game:
Where a limited circle are authorized to gain access to
power

16. Political tactic derived from research
• Pressure tactics
• Upward appeals
• Exchange tactics
• Coalition tactics
• Ingratiating tactics
• Rational persuasion
• Inspirational appeals
• Consultation tactics

17. • OTHER STRATEGIES
i) Maintain alliances with powerful people
ii) Embrace or demolish
iii) Divide and rule
iv) Manipulate classified information
v) Make a quick showing
vi) Collect and use IOU’s
vii) Avoid decisive engagement
viii) Attacking & blaming others
ix) Progress one step at a time
x) Wait for a crisis
xi) Take counsel with caution
xii) Be aware of resource dependence

18. One study identified that out of 10 most unethical
activities, 3 were related to politics.
i) Making arrangements with vendors for personal gains
ii) Allowing differences in pay based on friendships
iii) Hiring, training & promoting personal favorites rather
than those who are most qualified

19. • Following guidelines can be used to overcome the
negative impact that organizational politics can have
on the ethics of the organization:
i) Keep lines of communication open
ii) Role model ethical & non-political behaviors
iii) Be wary of game players acting only in their own self-
interests.
iv) Protect individual privacy interests
v) Always use the value judgment “is this fair?”