A definition of conflict

• Conflict: process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about.

• Traditional view of conflict: belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided.

• Interactionist view of conflict: belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is also an absolute necessity for a group to perform effectively.

• Functional conflict: conflict that supports the goals of the group and improves its performance.

• Dysfunctional conflict: conflict that hinders group performance.

Types and loci of conflict

• Three types of conflict

  • Task conflict: conflict over content and goals of the work.

  • Relationship conflict: conflict based on interpersonal relationships.

  • Process conflict: conflict over how work gets done.

• Three types of conflict loci

  • Dyadic conflict: conflict that occurs between two people.

  • Intra-group conflict: conflict that occurs within a group or team.

  • Inter-group conflict: conflict between different groups or teams.

The conflict process

• Conflict process: process that has five stages - potential opposition or incompatibility, cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior and outcomes.

  • Stage 1: Potential opposition or incompatibility

  • Stage 2: Cognition and personalization

    • Perceived conflict: awareness by one or more parties of the existence of conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise.

    • Felt conflict: emotional involvement in a conflict that creates anxiety, tenseness, frustration or hostility.

  • Stage 3: Intentions

    • Intentions: decisions to act in a given way.

    • Competing: desire to satisfy one’s interests, regardless of the impact on the other party to the conflict.

    • Collaborating: situation in which the parties in a conflict each desire to satisfy fully the concerns of all parties.

    • Avoiding: desire to withdraw from or suppress a conflict.

    • Accommodating: willingness of one party in a conflict to place the opponent’s interests above their own.

    • Compromising: situation in which each party to a conflict is willing to give up something.

  • Stage 4: Behavior

    • Conflict management: use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict.

  • Stage 5: Outcomes

Negotiation

• Negotiation: process that occurs when two or more parties decide how to allocate scarce resources.

• Bargaining strategies

  • Distributive bargaining: negotiation that seeks to divide up a fixed amount of resources; a win/lose situation.

    • Fixed pie: belief that there is only a set amount of goods or services to be divvied up between the parties.

  • Integrative bargaining: negotiation that seeks one or more settlements that can create a win/win solution.

• The negotiation process

  • Preparation and planning

    • BATNA: the best alternative to a negotiated agreement; the least the individual should accept.

  • Definition of ground rules

  • Clarification and justification

  • Bargaining and problem-solving

  • Closure and implementing

• Third-party negotiations

  • Mediator: neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated solution by using reasoning, persuasion and suggestions for alternatives.

  • Arbitrator: third party to a negotiation who has the authority to dictate an agreement.

  • Conciliator: trusted third party who provides an informal communication link between the negotiator and the opponent.

  • Consultant: impartial third party, skilled in conflict management, who attempts to facilitate creative problem solving through communication and analysis.