Conflict and Resolution

Conflict

and

Negotiation

Chapter 15

MNGT 5590-2R Organization Behavior Myra S. Williams

20 April 2010

What is a Conflict?

 Can be regarded as disagreement or hostility

between individuals or groups in the organization. It may even mean rivalry or competition or may be viewed as the perception of disagreement in the individuals.

 It is a process in which an effort is purposefully

made by one person or unit to block another that results in frustrating the attainment of the other’s goals or the methods to furthering of his or her interests.

Causes of Conflict

Incompatible Goals Differentiation Scarce Resources

• One party’s goals perceived to interfere with other’s goals • Different values/beliefs • Explains cross-cultural and generational conflict • Motivates competition for the resource

• Creates uncertainty, threatens goals Ambiguous Rules • Without rules, people rely on politics

Communication Problems

• Increases stereotyping • Reduces motivation to communicate • Escalates conflict when arrogant

Causes of Conflict (cont.)

Personalities (MBTI)

• Organizational conflict is sometimes traced to “personalities.” This is one person differing with another based simply on how he or she feels about that person.

Instrument that can help an individual or team develop awareness of their preferred approaches to conflict and offer opportunities to identify alternative methods that may increase the likelihood of performance improvement.

MBTI Pairs

 Identifies personality traits that have an

impact on interpersonal dynamics and conflict triggers.  Identifies an individual’s preferred choices in four sets of contradicting pairs:

 Introversion – Extroversion

 Sensing – Intuition  Thinking – Feeling  Judging – Perceiving

How MBTI Pairs Handle Conflict? Thinking – Feeling

Thinking (T) – Will take an objective and

information driven approach by focusing on:  What the conflict is about – the facts  Opinions and...