Conflic and Negotiation

13 CONFLICT AT WORK

CHAPTER SCAN

Conflict at work is normal and inevitable, yet many people are unskilled at managing it. This chapter describes functional and dysfunctional conflict, and reviews the major causes of conflict in organizations. Defense mechanisms are natural reactions to interpersonal conflict. Both effective and ineffective techniques for managing conflict are described. Conflict management styles include avoiding, competing, accommodating, compromising, and collaborating.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

AFTER READING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE FOLLOWING:

1. Diagnose functional versus dysfunctional conflict.

2. Identify the causes of conflict in organizations.

3. Identify the different forms of conflict.

4. Understand the defense mechanisms that individuals exhibit when they engage in interpersonal conflict.

5. Describe effective and ineffective techniques for managing conflict.

6. Understand five styles of conflict management, and diagnose your own preferred style.

key words

Chapter 13 introduces the following key terms:

conflict

functional conflict

dysfunctional conflict

jurisdictional ambiguity

interorganizational conflict

intergroup conflict

intragroup conflict

interpersonal conflict

intrapersonal conflict

interrole conflict

intrarole conflict

person–role conflict

fixation

displacement

negativism

compensation

identification

rationalization

flight/withdrawal

conversion

fantasy

nonaction

secrecy

administrative orbiting

due process nonaction

character assassination

superordinate goal

distributive bargaining

integrative negotiation

THE CHAPTER SUMMARIZED

I. THINKING AHEAD: “Green Business” Stirs Things Up

II. THE NATURE OF CONFLICTS IN ORGANIZATIONS

Conflict is any situation in which incompatible goals, attitudes, emotions, or behaviors lead to disagreement or opposition between two or...