conflict
a process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party
conflict
ultimately based on perceptions; it exists whenever one party believes that another might obstruct its efforts, regardless of whether the other party actually intends to do so.
negative affects of conflict
fuels organizational politics; often stressful, which consumes personal energy and distracts employees from their work. It also increases job dissatisfaction, resulting in higher turnover and lower customer service.
benefits of conflict
energizes people to debate issues and evaluate alternatives more thoroughly. They probe and test each other's way of thinking to better understand the underlying issues that need to be addressed.
benefits of conflict
prevent organizations from becoming nonresponsive to their external environment. Differences of opinion encourage employees to engage in active thinking, and this often involves ongoing questioning and vigilance about how the organization can be more clos
benefits of conflict
increases cohesion within the team (see Chapter 8). People are more motivated to work together when faced with an external threat, such as conflict with people outside the team.
task conflict
occurs when people focus their discussion around the issue while showing respect for people with other points of view; debates the various alternatives and arguments
task conflict
disagreements about the task or decision, including what task should be performed, how should it be done, and who should perform the various task roles.
process conflict
encompasses the latter two parts�how the work should be done and who should perform the various task roles.
relationship conflict
focuses on characteristics of the people in the dispute.; occurs when someone tries to dismiss an idea by questioning the competence of the people who introduce or support that ideal someone uses status to defend a position
mutual
Relationship conflict reduces ____ trust because it emphasizes interpersonal differences that weaken any bond that exists between the parties
emotional
Employees with higher _____ intelligence and stability are better able to regulate their emotions during debate, which reduces the risk of escalating perceptions of interpersonal hostility.
cohesive
Relationship conflict is suppressed when the conflict occurs within a highly ____ team; The longer people work together, get to know each other, and develop mutual trust, the more latitude they give to each other to show emotions without being personally
norms
When team ____ encourage openness, team members learn to appreciate honest dialogue without personally reacting to any emotional display during the disagreements; might discourage team members from displaying negative emotions toward coworkers; also encou
manifest conflict
decisions and behaviors of one party toward the other
conflict episodes
range from subtle nonverbal behaviors to warlike aggression
sources of conflict
-1st part of model process; � Incompatible goals � Dierentiation � Interdependence � Scarce resources � Ambiguous rules � Poor communication
conflict perceptions and emotion
2nd part of model process
manifest conflict
3rd part of model process; Conflict-handling style � Decisions � Overt behaviors
conflict outcomes
4th part of model process; Positive: � Better decisions � Responsive firm � Team cohesion Negative: � Lower performance � More stress/turnover � Less coordination � More politics � Less team cohesion
incompatible goals, differentiation, interdependence, scarce resources, ambiguous rules, and communication problems.
six main conditions that cause conflict in organizational settings
goal incompatibility
occurs when the goals of one person or department seem to interfere with another person's or department's goals
differentiation
differences among people and work units regarding their training, values, beliefs, and experiences; two people or departments may agree on a common goal but have different beliefs about how to achieve that goal
intergenerational
Differentiation is usually a factor in ____ conflict.
merger
Differentiation also produces the classic tension between employees from two companies brought together through a _____
interdependence
conflict exists only when one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party
interdependence
Task ____ refers to the extent to which employees must share materials, information, or expertise to perform their jobs
pooled
Employees usually have the lowest risk of conflict when working with others in a ____ interdependence relationship
pooled
_____ interdependence occurs where individuals operate independently except for reliance on a common resource or authority.
sequential
The potential for conflict is higher in _____ interdependence work relationships, such as an assembly line
reciprocal
The highest risk of conflict tends to occur in ____ interdependence situations
reciprocal interdependence
employees have high mutual dependence on each other as well as higher centrality.
resource scarcity
each person or unit requiring the same resource necessarily undermines others who also need that resource to fulfill their goals.
ambiguous rules
the complete lack of rules
ambiguous rules
uncertainty increases the risk that one party intends to interfere with the other party's goals.
clear
When ___ rules exist, employees know what to expect from each other and have agreed to abide by those rules.
conflict
occurs due to the lack of opportunity, ability, or motivation to communicate effectively.
stereotypes
when two parties lack the opportunity to communicate, they tend to rely more on _____[ to understand the other party in the conflict.
diplomatic
some people lack the necessary skills to communicate in a ___, nonconfrontational manner.
relationship
___ conflict is uncomfortable, so people are less motivated to communicate with others in a disagreement.
problem solving
tries to find a solution that is beneficial for both parties.
win win orientation
people using problem solving believe the resources at stake are expandable rather than fixed if the parties work together to find a creative solution.
forcing
tries to win the conflict at the other's expense.
win lose orientation
when people use forcing; believe the parties are drawing from a fixed pie, so the more one party receives, the less the other party will receive.
avoiding
tries to smooth over or evade conflict situations altogether
avoidance
to steer clear of the coworkers associated with the conflict.
avoidance
to minimize discussion of the sensitive topic when interacting with the other person in the conflict
yielding
involves giving in completely to the other side's wishes, or at least cooperating with little or no attention to your own interests.
compromising
involves looking for a position in which your losses are offset by equally valued gains.
avoidin; yielding
You might typically engage in ___ or ____because disagreement makes you feel uncomfortable and is contrary to your self-view as someone who likes to get along with everyone.
compromising; forcing
prefer the ____ and ____ strategies because they reflect your strong need for achievement and to control your environment
problem solving
preferred when:
� Interests are not perfectly opposing
� Parties have trust, openness, and time to share information
� Issues are complex
Problems: Sharing information that the other party might use to his or her advantage
forcing
preferred when:
You have a deep conviction about your position
� Dispute requires a quick solution
� Other party would take advantage of more cooperative strategies
Problems:
Highest risk of relationship conflict
� May damage long-term relations, reducing
avoiding
preferred when:
� Conflict has become too emotionally charged
� Cost of trying to resolve the conflict outweighs the benefits
Problems:
� Doesn't usually resolve the conflict
� May increase other party's frustration
yielding
preferred when:
� Other party has substantially more power
� Issue is much less important to you than to the other party
� The value and logic of your position isn't as clear
Problems: Increases other party's expectations in future conflict episodes
compromising
preferred when:
� Parties have equal power
� Time pressure to resolve the conflict
� Parties lack trust/openness for problem solving
Problems: Suboptimal solution where mutual gains are possible
problem solving
improves long-term relationships, reduce stress, and minimize emotional defensiveness and other indications of relationship conflict
cultural
____ differences influence the preferred conflict-handling style
high; low
people from ___ collectivism cultures are motivated to maintain harmonious relations and, consequently, are more likely than those from ___ collectivism cultures to manage disagreements through avoidance or problem solving.
high collectivism cultures
where group goals are valued more than individual goals
collectivism
motivates harmony within the group but not necessarily with people outside the group.
superordinate goals
goals that the conflicting employees or departments value and whose attainment requires the joint resources and effort of those parties
companywide
By increasing commitment to ___ goals, engineering and marketing employees pay less attention to their competing departmental-level goals
constructive
As people develop common experiences and beliefs, they become more motivated to coordinate activities and resolve their disputes through ____ discussion
differentiation
One way to reduce ____ is to rotate key staff to different departments or regions throughout their career.
Johari Window
In the __ __ process, individuals disclose more about themselves so others have a better understanding of the underlying causes of their behavior
meaningful
_____ interaction potentially improves mutual understanding through the contact hypothesis, which says that we develop a more person-specific and accurate understanding of others by working closely with them
low; after
communication and understanding should be applied only where differentiation is sufficiently ___ or ___ differentiation is reduced.
high
If perceived differentiation remains ___, attempts to manage conflict through dialogue might escalate rather than reduce relationship conflict.
collectivist; high
people in ___ and ___ power distance cultures are less comfortable with the practice of resolving differences through direct and open communication
direct
___ communication is a high-risk strategy because it easily threatens the need to save face and maintain harmony.
create buffers, use integrators, combine jobs
Three ways to reduce interdependence among employees and work units are to ____ ____, ____ ____, and ____ ____
create buffers
mechanism that loosens the coupling between two or more people or work units. This decoupling reduces the potential for conflict because it reduces the effect of one party on the other
use integrators
employees who coordinate the activities of work units toward the completion of a shared task or project; reduces the amount of direct interaction required among diverse work units; communicate with each other indirectly; rely on referent power and persuas
combining jobs
a form of job enrichment and a way to reduce task interdependence; employees now have a pooled rather than sequential form of task interdependence
conflict
increasing amount of resources would reduce ___
rules; procedures
Conflicts that arise from ambiguous rules can be minimized by establishing ___ and ____
third party conflict resolution
any attempt by a relatively neutral person to help the parties resolve their differences.
arbitration, inquisition, mediation
three main third-party dispute resolution activities
arbitration
high control over the final decision, but low control over the process
inquisition
control all discussion about the conflict; high decision control because they determine how to resolve the conflict; high process control
mediation
high control over the intervention process; main purpose is to manage the process and context of interaction between the disputing parties; have little or no control over the conflict resolution decision
inquisitional
managers and other people in positions of authority usually adopt an ___ approach whereby they dominate the intervention process as well as make a binding decision
mediation
for everyday disagreements between two employees, the ___ approach is usually best because this gives employees more responsibility for resolving their own disputes
arbitration
When employees cannot resolve their differences through mediation, ____ seems to work best because the predetermined rules of evidence and other processes create a higher sense of procedural fairness
arbitration
preferred where the organization's goals should take priority over individual goals
negotiation
occurs whenever two or more conflicting parties attempt to resolve their divergent goals by redefining the terms of their interdependence.
distributive approach
negotiator believes those involved in the conflict must distribute portions from a fixed pie; win-lose orientation
integrative approach
negotiators believe the resources at stake are expandable rather than fixed if the parties work creatively together to find a solution; win-win orientation
distributive negotiation
most common when the parties have only one item to resolve, such as product price or starting salary
integrative negotiation
more common when multiple issues are open for discussion
preparation
know what you want, why you want it, and what power you have to get it
goals
Successful negotiators develop ___ about what they want to achieve from the exchange.
needs
successful negotiators reflect on what ___ they are trying to fulfill from their goals
initial, target, resistance
3 key positions of goal setting
initial offer
each party's opening offer to the other side
target point
realistic goal or expectation for a final agreement.
resistance point
the point beyond which you will make no further concessions
best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA)
comparison of how your negotiation goals might be achieved through some other means; represents the estimated cost to you of walking away from the relationship.
BATNA
Having more than one ____ to a negotiation increases your power.
negotiation
The most important specific ___ practices are to gather information, manage concessions, manage time, and build the relationship.
information
the cornerstone of effective negotiations
listen; ask questions
The most important practices for gathering information in negotiations are to ____ and ___ ___
fewer; smaller
Successful negotiators actually make ___ concessions and each concession is ___ than those of average negotiators
trust
keeps the parties focused on the issue rather than personalities, motivates them to return to the bargaining table when negotiations stall, and encourages the parties to engage in future negotiations
environment
It is easier to negotiate on your own turf because you are familiar with the negotiating ___ and are able to maintain comfortable routines
physical
The physical distance between the parties and formality of the setting can influence their orientation toward each other and the disputed issues
audience
anyone with a vested interest in the negotiation outcomes, such as executives, other team members, or the general public.
women; men
When it comes to negotiation, ____ tend to have poorer economic outcomes than do ___