Team Conflict Management Shiqi Wu National University Understanding that a conflict could be good or bad for the group, depending on the type of the conflict, is the first step in managing conflicts for the team, or for the group. It is important for the group leader, and for the entire group, to develop a strategy for managing their conflicts, in order to ensure that the group is bay to stay objectively fixated on their goals, and that the relationship between the members is able to inspire loyalty, collaboration, and the much essential team spirit in all of the members. For this reason therefore, the following is a research paper on managing team conflicts. In writing the research paper, I will read the class course text, and other scholarly sources which will act as the secondary sources of information. What is a Group Conflict? Conflict is defined as the process through which, we perceive other people to have acted in a manner that does not safeguard our self-interests. Group conflict refers to such a disagreement when it arises amidst the group members. Formed in order to achieve similar goals, a group refers to an association of typically more than two people, brought together by the need to see a project reach completion, or to achieve certain things which are called goals, and which are the common unifying factor for all the team members. In order to attain group goals, it is important to have clearly defined objectives, and to have a well-defined means for managing the wrangles that may arise in the group for one reason or another. These wrangles are then called the group conflicts, and they can be dangerous if they are not handled soon enough. Types of Conflicts In a group setting, and in typically any other kind of a setting where a conflict can occur, there can be two kinds of conflicts. These are; healthy or unhealthy conflicts (Münster, 2007). These groups of conflicts become an important tool later on, when we are interested in finding a solution for the conflict beign faced. Caused by different reasons, the two kinds of conflicts are different. The healthy kind of conflicts is caused by different approaches to tasks by the team member (Floyd, 2000). This is a healthy conflict since, its solution typically ends up beign beneficial to the team members. It ends up bringing them closer, as they attempt to find solutions to the problem at hand. On the other hand, an unhealthy conflict is one that arises from personal sources, and which is typically a little bit more dangerous and more difficult to address as compared to the healthy kind of a conflict. With an unhealthy conflict, it is more difficult to contain it since, it requires addressing issues to do with the personal nature of the people, and motivating them to be more trusting in the other people (Simons, 2000). In so doing, the response to this kind of a conflict is not only complicated, but also takes up much time. Left unresolved however, this kind of a conf ...

1. Team Conflict Management
Shiqi Wu
National University
Understanding that a conflict could be good or bad for the
group, depending on the type of the conflict, is the first step in
managing conflicts for the team, or for the group. It is
important for the group leader, and for the entire group, to
develop a strategy for managing their conflicts, in order to
ensure that the group is bay to stay objectively fixated on their
goals, and that the relationship between the members is able to
inspire loyalty, collaboration, and the much essential team spirit
in all of the members. For this reason therefore, the following is
a research paper on managing team conflicts. In writing the
research paper, I will read the class course text, and other
scholarly sources which will act as the secondary sources of

2. information.
What is a Group Conflict?
Conflict is defined as the process through which, we
perceive other people to have acted in a manner that does not
safeguard our self-interests. Group conflict refers to such a
disagreement when it arises amidst the group members. Formed
in order to achieve similar goals, a group refers to an
association of typically more than two people, brought together
by the need to see a project reach completion, or to achieve
certain things which are called goals, and which are the
common unifying factor for all the team members.
In order to attain group goals, it is important to have clearly
defined objectives, and to have a well-defined means for
managing the wrangles that may arise in the group for one
reason or another. These wrangles are then called the group
conflicts, and they can be dangerous if they are not handled
soon enough.
Types of Conflicts
In a group setting, and in typically any other kind of a
setting where a conflict can occur, there can be two kinds of
conflicts. These are; healthy or unhealthy conflicts (Münster,
2007). These groups of conflicts become an important tool later
on, when we are interested in finding a solution for the conflict
beign faced. Caused by different reasons, the two kinds of
conflicts are different. The healthy kind of conflicts is caused
by different approaches to tasks by the team member (Floyd,
2000). This is a healthy conflict since, its solution typically
ends up beign beneficial to the team members. It ends up
bringing them closer, as they attempt to find solutions to the
problem at hand.
On the other hand, an unhealthy conflict is one that arises
from personal sources, and which is typically a little bit more
dangerous and more difficult to address as compared to the
healthy kind of a conflict. With an unhealthy conflict, it is more
difficult to contain it since, it requires addressing issues to do
with the personal nature of the people, and motivating them to

3. be more trusting in the other people (Simons, 2000). In so
doing, the response to this kind of a conflict is not only
complicated, but also takes up much time. Left unresolved
however, this kind of a conflict leads to a situation where the
social relationship among the team members is broken, shown
by the lack of a good communication, and lack of trust in the
group members.
Importance of Group Conflict
Instead of ignoring any group conflict, it is sometimes
important to look forward to a group conflict, looking past the
conflict itself, and looking at the impact that the conflict is
going to have on the group in the end. This is because, group
conflicts are often solved, or create the need to be solved. The
process of solving the group conflicts, leads to a situation
whereby, the group members have to work on their
communication, and brainstorm on ideas, in order to find the
perfect point from which to address the issue at hand.
For this reason therefore, the group conflicts create an avenue
for the team members to reiterate on their objectives both as an
individual, and a group, come up with new and more creative
ways to solve the problem or the problems they are facing, and
finally, brush up on their social relationship and
communication. At the end of the day, this is a good thing for
the group.
Managing Group Conflicts
Once they occur, group conflicts need to be looked into
immediately, before they become cancerous to the group,
inhibiting the normal group operations, and spoiling the
relationship that the members have with one another almost
completely. Understanding the source of the conflict, and the
nature of the conflict, allows for the creation of strategies to
solve this problems promptly. Therefore, it is important for the
group and team leaders, or the concerned personnel, to
understand the conflict from all of its dynamics, before
attempting to solve problems they do not fully understand yet.
Managing group conflicts, refers to the strategies which

4. the people can follow, in order to come up with solutions to a
conflict. Depending on the nature of the conflict, the team
members may decide to follow any of the following approaches,
in seeking a solution. Avoiding the problem, and hope that it
will go away, some of the members being overly
accommodating to the ideas by the other members, lessening the
effect of the opposition to a common line of argument,
confronting the problem head on, accepting to have everyone in
the team make a compromise of their needs and wants, in order
to find common ground, or allowing for the seeking of a
solution which will satisfy the needs of each and every team
member, through collaboration.
Of the five approaches, collaboration is essentially the best
and the strongest in terms of the likelihood that it will be
successful. It is important to have an allowance whereby, each
and every team member understand what is at stake, understands
the problem clearly, and has a clear understanding of that which
needs to be done. In so doing, the team members are more likely
to welcome the idea of sitting down, talking it out,
understanding what everyone wants, and then coming up with a
solution which will integrate all the diverse needs of the team
members, while still maintain the need for objectivity in dealing
with the conflicts (Van Knippenberg, 2007).
Managing conflicts then requires that the team members,
have a clear plan, for how they will deal with conflicts once
they arise. One thing that is of essential importance, is
communication, and the team environment. The team leaders are
tasked with ensuring that the communication that their teams
identify with, is one which allows the team to identify the
problem early enough, before it becomes too late to make a
solution which as any kind of a lasting effect. Then, the team
members should be in a position whereby, they are able to have
a kind of an environment that allows for the expression of
disagreements. The only way a solution to a problem can be
developed, is if the problem is fully understood. This requires
that all the different aspects of the problem be fully understood,

5. so as to have a kind of a system that is able to develop very
strong solutions. Such an environment can be developed by
emphasizing on the need for respect among the team members,
and accommodation of the ideas of every team member.
To develop the kind of trust in the group that is necessary
for conflict resolution, it may sometimes call for the use of an
external mediating party, which is neutral to the situation
described, and therefore won’t take any sides in the matter over
the other side. Doing this requires that the group have complete
openness, so that the mediator understands the facts of the
conflict. In addition, the members should be open minded so
that, the suggestions for solving the problems they are facing
can be received and acted on accordingly.
The mediator is one way of solving the conflict. The
mediator can also be involved in the negotiating process of
conflict resolution. However, the same negotiation process can
be carried out by other members within the team, who have
some experience with resolving conflicts as they arise.
The negotiation process of conflict management, refers to
the process during which, the two or more sides involved in the
conflict, exchange offers and make suggestions, for how the
problem they are facing, can be solved in a manner that sees to
it that all their needs are well taken care of. For the negotiation
process, it helps to have a win-win attitude since, it is then
possible to look forward to the kind of a solution that helps all
the parties involved in the argument being faced (Class text, pg
199).
The need of a negotiation process, is to come up with
integrative win-win opportunities, which the sides of the
conflict can be comfortable agreeing with. Integrative win-win
suggestions are more palatable, as compared to their
compromise win-win suggestions. With compromise win-win
suggestions, the group or team does not get the input of other
team members, and the solution does not generally appeal to all
those concerned. With an integrative suggestion however, all
the team members leave the table happy at the solutions which

6. are arrived at.
The negotiation process of conflict management is mainly
composed of five stages, which all point to one thing.
Disregarding of the humans as people, but in terms of their
positions in the conflict, and then, addressing the issues as
pertains to looking towards finding the best solutions to help
the situation. Following the right steps, conflict management
should be able to provide a solution to all kinds of conflicts that
a group might face, structuring the solution in such a way that,
it ends up fostering team work, and instilling a team spirit in all
the members. Such a team spirit is essential for group
performance (Jehn, 2001).
Summary
The five stages of the conflict management negotiation
process are; separating the people from the problem, putting
more focus on the shared interests, brainstorming to come up
with very many options which can all be used to approach the
conflict, objectively analysing the options, and finally, trying
again and again until the conflict is resolved. At the very least,
improving on communication is a good way, of ensuring that the
team is able to bravely face its problems, and provide for a
means through which all the problems encountered can be
handled efficiently. Group conflicts can be beneficial to the
team, if the team learns how to resolve all the problems in a
manner that allows the group to improve on its performance,
and also, upgrade on the social relationships of the people
involved. Understanding the nature of the conflict is also
important in the determination of the best approach towards the
problems being faced.
References
Münster, J. (2007). Simultaneous inter-and intra-group
conflicts. Economic Theory, 32(2), 333-352.
Simons, T. L., & Peterson, R. S. (2000). Task conflict and
relationship conflict in top management teams: the pivotal role
of intragroup trust. Journal of applied psychology, 85(1), 102.

7. Jehn, K. A., & Mannix, E. A. (2001). The dynamic nature of
conflict: A longitudinal study of intragroup conflict and group
performance. Academy of management journal, 44(2), 238-251.
Floyd, S. W., & Lane, P. J. (2000). Strategizing throughout the
organization: Managing role conflict in strategic
renewal. Academy of management review, 25(1), 154-177.
Van Knippenberg, D., & Schippers, M. C. (2007). Work group
diversity.Annu. Rev. Psychol., 58, 515-541.