MANAGING CONFLICT
 

中国经济管理大学 名课教辅

“The more of this you do, the better you will get.”

I. Definition of conflict.
 
A. Conflict is a process that begins when someone perceives that someone else has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first person cares about.

B. Not all conflict within an organization is unhealthy, but conflict between and among people within an organization can quickly become counter-productive, divisive, and destructive if not properly managed.

II. Here are a few different views of conflict in organizations:

A. The traditional view assumed that all conflict was bad.

 1. Conflict was the result of poor communication, a lack of openness and trust between workers and management, and a failure on the part of managers to be responsive to the needs and aspirations of their employees.

2. A workplace without conflict was assumed to be a happy, productive workplace.

B. The human relations view, popular from the 1940s to the 1970s, assumed that conflict was a natural occurrence in all groups and organizations.  Industrial and labor psychologists rationalized its existence: it can’t be eliminated, it may even be beneficial.

C. The interactionist view, emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, actually encourages conflict on the grounds that without a minimum level of conflict, no organization can change, adapt, and survive the rigors of the marketplace.

III. Although conflict may develop over any number of issues or factors, here are five that seem to appear regularly in social psychology literature:

 A. Limited resources;

B. Values, goals, and priorities;

C. Poorly defined responsibilities;

D. Change;

E. Human drives for success.

IV. Sensing conflict in the workplace is important to the organization.

A. Each manager in a business must assume responsibility for identifying conflict within the work environment and using appropriate means for managing or resolving differences which are unhealthy to the life of the organization.

B. Here are some ways to sense day-to-day conflict in the workplace:

1. Try to visualize or imagine how your actions or those of others might cause, or are causing, conflict.

2. Give feedback because the amount, accuracy, and timeliness of information that you provide to an employee will help you understand his or her point of view.

3. Get feedback to find out what your associates are thinking and feeling; do not wait until the last minute to find out you have a problem.

4. Define expectations because managers often discover that as they define their expectations for employees in clear terms, they will receive information in return about what team members and associates expect.

5. Review performance regularly to reduce the opportunity for serious conflict and help to build stronger working relationships.

V. Both you and the organization you work for will benefit if you deal directly with conflict.

A. Your personal benefits might include:

  1. Stronger relationships.

  2. Increased self-respect.

  3. Personal growth and development.

 B. Benefits for the organization might include:

  1. Improved efficiency and effectiveness.

  2. Creative thinking.

  3. Synergy and teamwork.

VI. Kenneth Thomas’s view of conflict management cites five styles of conflict management based upon the concepts of cooperativeness and assertiveness.

 A. Competing involves people who are trying to satisfy their own interests at the expense of others involved.  This style involves people that are both assertive and uncooperative.

B. In collaborating, the intention is to solve the problem by clarifying differences rather than by accommodating various points-of-view.  This style involves people who are assertive but cooperative.

C. Avoiding is demonstrated when a manager chooses to withdraw from a situation in which conflict is likely.  This style involves people who are both unassertive and uncooperative.

D. Accommodating involves a manager who is willing to “give in” and “get along,” either to promote the goals of the other person or for the sake of group harmony.  This style involves people who are unassertive but cooperative.

E. Compromise occurs when each party to a conflict demonstrates a willingness to give up something in order to promote a solution.  This style involves people who are at the midpoint on both assertiveness and cooperativeness.

VII. To achieve many different goals and balance the continual tug of opposing values, you may have to demonstrate skill at each of the five styles of conflict management.  As you gather information and assess the situation, here are a number of additional, important considerations and suggestions:

1. Listen, listen, and then listen some more to discover what people are sensitive about.

2. Separate people from the problem.

3. Focus on the real reasons behind the demands, not the demands a negotiator makes.
4. Recognize and accept the feelings of the individuals involved.

5. Keep your own emotions in neutral.

6. Track the conflict to its source.

7. Communicate continually and frankly.

8. Get people together on the small stuff first.

9. Devise options for mutual gain.

10. Define success in terms of gains rather than losses.

11. Follow up on issues, definitions, discussions, data, and details with everyone involved.

12. Know when to cut your losses.