This document discusses power and conflict in organizational settings. It defines power as the ability to influence others and notes that power comes from both formal positions and informal characteristics. There are various sources of power including reward, legitimate, coercive, expert, and referent powers. Conflict arises from differences in goals, perceptions, and interests between individuals and groups. Conflict can occur at the individual, interpersonal, intergroup, and organizational levels. Both functional and dysfunctional conflicts are explored as well as strategies for managing conflicts through prevention, resolution, and simulation.

1. Power and Conflict

2. Introduction
• Power plays a role in most conflicts. Conflict is
likely to ensure from the fact that power
consists of the ability of one person or group
to get others to do what they would not
otherwise wish to do.
• A great deal of behaviors within industrial
organizations, consists of struggles by
functional departments and economic interest
groups for resources, prestige and rewards.

3. Power
• Power is the rate at which work is or energy is
converted…!!
• possession of controlling influence OR
• possession of the qualities (especially mental
qualities) required to do something or get
something done
• The capacity to exert influence over others
• Control over the behavior of others

4. Bases of Power
• Informal Power refers to the power that
comes from an individual’s unique
characteristics. These are the most effective
because personal skills, traits and knowledge
influence personal power.
• Formal Power refers to the power that
establishes because of the individual’s
position in an organization.

5. Distinction between Power and
Authority
• Nature
• Association with Position
• Relationship
• Flow
• Pervasiveness
• Responsibility
• Formal/Informal

6. Sources of Power
• Reward power
• Legitimate power
• Coercive power
• Expert power
• Referent power
• Charismatic power

7. Power Tactics
• Bargaining
• Competition
• Co-optation
• Coalition
• Pressure
• Control over Information
• Control over Communication Channels

8. Conflict
• Conflict is the appearance of difference of
opinions, of Interests
• The presence of friction between opposing
parties, which lends energy and investment to
the interaction; once differences are
experienced as friction-producing, they are
transformed into an experience of conflict.

9. • Occurs when individuals are not able to
choose among the available alternatives
• Occurs when two or more individual have
difference in their perception, values and
goals.
• It is a dynamic process
Nature of Conflict

10. • Facts
• Goals
• Methods
• Values
• Expectations
• Requirements
Sources of Conflict

11. Levels of Conflict
• Individual Conflict
• Organisational Conflict
• Interorganisational Conflict

12. • Intraindividual conflict arises because of
incongruency between individual goals and
organizational goals and other situations
where there is widespread uncertainty and
scarcity of acceptable alternatives.
• Role Conflict
• Goal Conflict
Intra Individual Conflict

13. • Interpersonal conflict arises from differences
between the choices made by different
individuals in the organization.
Interpersonal Conflict

14. Causes of Interpersonal Conflict
• Informational Factors
• Difference in Perceptions
• Difference in Value Systems
• Scarcity of Resources
• Difference in Status
• Divergent Roles

15. Intergroup Conflict
• Conflicts between different groups in the
organization are known as intergroup
conflicts.

16. Causes of Intergroup Conflict
• Joint Decision Making
– Sharing of Resources
– Interdependency
– Need for Coodination
• Difference in Goals
• Difference in Perceptions
• Task Ambiguity
• Difference in Work Orientation
• Organisational Reward System

17. Strategies for Managing Conflict
• Conflict Simulation
– Reorganisation
– Use of Informal Communication
– Encouraging Competition
– Bringing in Outsiders

18. Strategies for Managing Conflict
• Conflict Prevention
– Reducing Interdependence
– Rotation of Personnel
– Establishing Superordinate Goals
– Creation of Mutual Trust and Communication
– Creation of Liaison Groups

19. Strategies for Managing Conflict
• Conflict Resolution
– Compromise
– Smoothing
– Problem Solving
– Dominance or Confrontation

20. • The conflicts which support the goals of the group and
improve its performance are known as functional
conflicts.
• Release of Tension
• Creative Thinking
• Creation of Challenge
• Stimulation for Change
• Group Cohesiveness
• Awareness
• Identification of weaknesses
• Better Decisions
Functional Conflicts

21. • The conflicts which hinder the group
performance are are known as dysfunctional or
destructive conflicts.
• Higher Tension
• Low Productivity
• Creation of Distrust
• Goal Conflict
• Loss of Dynamic Staff
• Weaking of Organisation
Dysfunctional Conflicts