1

AN ASSIGNMENT ON

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

for

Post Graduate Diploma in Management

(Tourism and Leisure)

(Approved by AICTE, Govt. of India)

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TOURISM AND TRAVEL MANAGEMENT,

A 35 & 36, Sector 62

Noida 201309 (UP) India

Submitted By Submitted To

Abhay Parihar Mr. Rinzing Lama

Akhil Gupta Assistant Professor IITTM Noida

Shubham Raikwar

Bidhu Bhushan Mishra

2

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Introduction

Students bring different ideas, goals, values, beliefs and needs to their teams and these

differences are a primary strength of teams. These same differences inevitably lead to conflict,

even if the level of conflict is low. Since conflict is inevitable, one of the ways in which faculty

members can help students improve their abilities to function on multidisciplinary teams is to

work with them to develop their understanding of conflict and their capabilities to manage and

resolve conflict.

Meaning of Conflict

The Latin word conflictus, a "striking together with force", implies disagreement,

discord, and friction among members of a group; interaction where words, emotions,

and actions "strike together" to produce disruptive effects.

Conflict is an unavoidable outgrowth of group life, for by entering into relations with

others we must negotiate and renegotiate our undertakings and our outcomes.

An expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive

incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving

their goals

A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively

affected or about to affect something that the first party cares about

Conflict is when two or more values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in

nature and haven't been aligned or agreed.

Group of people with Complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose,

performance and goals bring different ideas, values, and beliefs. These same differences

inevitably lead to conflict.

Conflict is when two or more people have differences in ideas/views and are not ready

to understand or accept each other’s ideas/views.

3

Characteristics of conflict

� Interpersonal conflict requires at least two people. (Conflict within one’s self, or

interpersonal conflict, generally is studied by psychologists. Communication

students and scholars are interested in communication between people. )

� Conflict inherently involves some sense of struggle or incompatibility or

perceived difference among values, goals, or desires.

� Action, whether overt or covert, is key to interpersonal conflict. Until action or

expression occurs, conflict is latent, lurking below the surface.

� Power or attempts to influence inevitably occur within conflicts. If the parties

really don’t care about the outcome, the discussion probably doesn’t rise to the

level where we call it a conflict. When people argue without caring about what

happens next or without a sense of involvement and struggle, it probably is just a

disagreement

Conflict Management

Conflict management seeks to limit the negative aspects and increase the positive

aspects of conflict by implementing certain strategies. It aims to enhance learning and

group outcomes

Conflict management is the principle that all conflict cannot necessarily be resolved

but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of non productive

escalation.

It involves skills related to conflict resolution, self awareness about conflict modes,

conflict communication skills and establishing a structure for management of conflict in

your environment.

Conflict management is defined as “the opportunity to improve situations and

strengthen relationships”

It helps to manage the conflict inside the organization.

Is the practice of being able to identify and handle conflicts sensibly, fairly, and

efficiently. Since conflicts in a business are a natural part of the workplace, it is

4

important that there are people who understand conflicts and know how to resolve

them.

Conflict might escalate and lead to non-productive results, or conflict can be beneficially

resolved and lead to quality final products. Therefore, learning to manage conflict is

integral to a high-performance team.

Conflict management is the principle that all conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved,

but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of non-productive

escalation. Conflict management involves acquiring skills related to conflict resolution,

self-awareness about conflict modes, conflict communication skills, and establishing a

structure for management of conflict in your environment.

Causes of conflict

� Conflicting of aims, goals, ideas, attitudes, behavior, styles, roles, perceptions,

resources, pressures

� Different interpretations, opinions, goals

� Differences regarding authority, authority, methodology, Ideological, behaviour

� Personal Values

� Unpredictable Policies

� Personality Clashes

� Management Style

� Lack of cooperation

� Competition

� Interest

� Competing Work and Family Demands

� Poor Relationship Skills

� Lack of Communication

� Fear

� Dishonesty

5

� Boundaries

� Negligence

Signs and Symptoms

� Backbiting

� Undermining activities

� Cloistering

� The blame game

� Tension

� Power brokering

� Withholding of information

� Sabotage

� No desire to communicate

� Work not done properly

� Disastrous meetings

� Failing productivity

� Failing productivity

� Bad tempers are evident

View of conflict

I. Traditional view

II. Human Relations view

III. Integrationist View

� Traditional view:

6

The belief that all conflicts are harmful and must be avoided

� Human relations view:

That belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group

� Integrationist view:

The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in group but that it is absolutely

necessary for a group to perform effectively

Types of conflict

Functional – works toward the goals of an organization or group.

� Constructive

� Increase information & ideas

� Encourages innovative thinking

� Unshackles different points of view

� Reduce stagnation

Dysfunctional – blocks an organization or group from reaching its goals

� Tension, anxiety, stress

� Drives out low conflict tolerant people

� Reduce trust

� Poor decision because of withheld or distorted

� Reduce information

Levels of Conflict

I. Organizational Conflict

II. Group Conflict

7

III. Individual Conflict

Organizational Conflict- (Within & between organization)

The discord that arises when goals, interests or values of different individuals

groups are incompatible and those people block or thwart each other’s efforts to

achieve their objectives.

Types of Organizational Conflict

1. Intra-organization Conflict - Conflict that occurs within an organization

Such a conflict occurs at interfaces of organization functions

It can occur along the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the organization

a. Vertical Conflict - Vertical conflict occurs between managers and subordinates

b. Horizontal Conflict- Horizontal conflict occurs between departments and work groups.

c. Line-Staff Conflict- It occurs when line and staff representative disagree over issues of

substance in their working relationships.

d. Role Conflict- The situation arises when the communication of task operations from

role-set members prove inadequate for the role holder.

There can be four types of role conflicts

i. Intrasender

ii. Intersender

8

iii. Interrole

iv. Person-role

2. Inter-organization Conflict- Conflict occurs between two or more organizations

The conflict is not similar to competition

For example: Conflict between suppliers and distributors, especially with the close links

now possible

Group Conflict- (Within & between group)

1. Intragroup conflict: conflict among members of a group early stages of group

development ways of doing tasks or reaching group’s goals

There are two types of conflict

• Relationship conflict

Relationship conflict exists when there are interpersonal incompatibilities among group

members, which typically includes tension, animosity, and annoyance among members

within a group

• Task conflict

Exists when there are disagreements among group members about the content of the

tasks being performed, including differences in viewpoints, ideas, and opinions.

2. Intergroup conflict: between two or more group

9

Overt expressions of tensions between goals or concerns of one group or those of

another group. There are opposing interests, group boundaries or group

differences involved. The conflict is directly or indirectly related to culture group

identies. Sources of this type conflict includes: Competing Goals; Competition of

Resources; Cultural Differences; Power Discrepancies; Assimilation vs. Preservation

of micro cultural identity.

Individual Conflict-(Within & between individual)

1. Interpersonal conflict-

Conflict occurs between two or more people It occurs due to differences in views

about what should be done It requires more efforts and more resources to get a

task done due to the conflict Differences in orientation to work and time in

different parts of an organization

• Pseudo-Conflict:- This type of conflict happens when people have

misunderstandings with each other. Sometimes two people perceive their goals as

incompatible, but in fact the goals are compatible. That is known as a pseudo

conflict. Pseudo conflict can be easily solved by clarification of information or

meaning.

• Simple Conflict:- This type of conflict occurs when people disagree about certain

issues. This can occur when each of two individuals knows what each other wants,

but neither can achieve their own goals without preventing the other from achieving

theirs.

10

• Ego Conflict:-This type of conflict is caused when personalities within a group clash.

It is essentially a struggle between two people that is characterized by name calling

and blaming. Ego conflict puts the other on the defensive and tends to ignore the

original issue.

2. Intrapersonal conflict-

Conflict occurs within an individual It is a threat to a person’s values It occurs

due to a feeling of unfair treatment It may occur due to multiple and

contradictory sources of socialization It is related to the conflict of people's

opinions, actions or characters and the feeling of unfairness.

• Approach conflict: an individual must choose among alternatives, each of which is

expected to have a positive outcome.

• Avoidance conflict: an individual must choose among alternatives, each of which is

expected to have a negative outcome.

• Avoidance conflict: an individual must decide whether to do something that has

both positive and negative outcomes.

Causes of Individual Conflict

a. Goal Conflict :It includes actual or perceived pressures from incompatible goals or

expectations of the following types :

� Approach-approach conflict

� Avoidance-avoidance conflict

� Approach-avoidance conflict

b. Role Conflict : Role conflicts occur when an individual is forced to take on separate and

incompatible roles. Role conflicts can occur when one person is torn between roles for

different organizations or when an individual is asked to perform multiple roles within one

11

organization. For instance, an employee with both worker and management roles in the

same department assumes the conflicting roles of supervisor and co-worker.

Causes of intra individual conflict

� Conflict due to frustration

� Goal Conflict

� Role Conflict – may be conflict between personality of the person and the

expectations of the role

Interpersonal Conflicts

� Sources of Interpersonal Conflicts

� Personal differences

� Information deficiency

� Environmental stress

Intergroup conflict

� Competition for resources

� Task interdependence

� Jurisdictional ambiguity

� Status struggle

Forms of Conflict

12

Task Conflict- Conflict regarding the goals and content of the work

Process Conflict-Occurs when the parties agree on the goals and content of work, but

disagree on how to achieve the goals

Relationship Conflict-Occurs when the parties have interpersonal issue.

Legal Conflict-Arise when there are different perceptions between the organizations.

Why Conflict Arises

Type “A” Personality vs Type “B Personality

Type ”A” Personality-

� Highly Competitive

� Strong Personality

� Restless when inactive

� Seeks Promotion Punctual

� Thrives on deadlines

� Maybe jobs at once

Type “B” Personality

� Works methodically

� Rarely competitive

� Enjoys leisure time

� Does not anger easily

� Does job well but doesn’t need recognition

� Easy-going

13

Stages of Conflict

� Conflict arises

� Positions are stated and hardened

� Actions, putting into action their chosen plan

Preventing Conflict

� Frequent meeting of your team

� Allow your team to express openly

� Sharing objectives

� Having a clear and detailed job description

� Distributing task fairly

� Never criticize team members publicly

� Always be fair and just with your team

� Being a role model

Assess positive and negative personality traits of people involved

Determine personality type

� Aggressive

� Submissive

� Assertive

14

Assess if people are introvert or extroverts...

� Review past conflicts

� Assess communication skills of those involved

� Read body language of participants

� Try to reduce conflict

� Realize that communication is colored by personal experience, beliefs, fear,

prejudices

� Try to be neutral

� Plan the timing and place of the conversation

� Realize that outside stress may add to confrontation

� Eliminate/reduce external interruptions

� Manage the language used

� Neutral vs. loaded words

� Reduce technical language

� Allow for cultural differences in language

� Words may have different meanings for different people…ask them to elaborate

Aids to Communication

� Listen Actively

� Relax

� Observe body language

15

� Develop interest in others interests

� Ask for clarification

� Plan what you are going to say

� Tailor words to person

� Determine the best timing

� Determine the best place

Personalities who cause conflict

� Aggressor

� Passive

� Absentee

� Error prone

� Negative attitude

� Chatterbox

� Do nothing

� Unreliable

� Time waster

� Resentful person

Consequences of Conflict

16

Positive Consequences of Conflict

� Increased Creativity

� Increases energy

� Clarifies ideas

� Increases understanding

� Improves ground rules

� Increased Effort

� Increased Diagnostic Information

� Increase Group Cohesion

Negative Consequences of Conflict

� Poor physical and mental health

� Wasted resources

� Poor performance and sidetracked goals

� Heightened self-interest

� Decreased productivity

� Lack of communication

17

� Negative emotions about teamwork

� Poor decision making

� Dysfunctional working relationships

� Impaired process improvement

Steps to resolve conflict

� Confrontation and Problem Solving

� Confront, Contain, and Connect for Anger

� Assure privacy

� Empathize than sympathize

� Listen actively

� Maintain equity

� Focus on issue, not on personality

� Avoid blame

� Identify key theme

� Re-state key theme frequently

� Encourage feedback

� Identify alternate solutions

� Give your positive feedback

� Agree on an action plan

Conflict Management

Constructive Conflict

� Growth occurs

� Problems are resolved

� Unifies a group

� Enhances productivity

� Increases commitment

Destructive Conflict

� Leads to negativism

18

� Diminished resolutions

� Group division

� Decreases productivity

� Lessens satisfaction

Conflict is destructive when it

� Takes attention from important activities

� Undermines morale or self-esteem

� Polarizes people and groups

� Jeopardizes teamwork

� Leads to negative behavior

� Creates stress

Conflict is constructive when it

� Identifies and clarifies important issues

� Solves problems

� Results in “something for everyone”

� Causes authentic communication

� Leads to sharing information

� Encourages cooperation

� Builds/strengthens interpersonal skills

How Do You Cope With Conflict?

Five strategies exist for coping with conflict

19

1. Avoidance - (Low assertive and low cooperation)

Skills

� Ability to withdraw

� Ability to side step

� Ability to leave things unsolved

� Sense of timing

2. Competition (High assertiveness and low cooperation)

Competing skills

� Arguing and debating

� Using rank

� Asserting your opinions

� Standing your ground

� Stating your position clearly

3. Accommodation (Low assertiveness and high cooperation)

Accommodating skills

� Forgetting your desires

� Selflessness

� Ability to yield

� Obeying orders

4. Compromise (Moderate assertiveness and moderate cooperation)

20

Compromising skills

� Negotiations

� Finding a middle ground

� Assessing value

� Making concessions

5. Collaboration (High assertiveness high cooperation)

Collaborating skills

� Active listening

� Non threatening confrontation

� Identifying concerns

� Analyzing input

Resolution Styles

Avoidance (LOSE—LOSE) steering clear of and denying the existence of the conflict and

disagreement.

Accommodate (WIN—WIN) letting the other person decide totally what the resolve is to

be.

Compete (WIN—LOSE) aggressively pursuing ways to win from my own perspective.

Compromise (LOSE—LOSE) looking after both parties interests.

Collaborate (WIN—WIN) assertively looking after my interests but equally concerned with

the interests of the other person.

21

Three Assumptions in Disagreement

1. Lose-Lose: everyone loses when people try to work out their disagreements.

2. Win-Lose: someone wins and someone loses; the best that can be hoped for in

disagreements.

3. Win-Win: everyone can win.

Conflict Identification

Productive

� Team reaches decisions

� Cooperative climate

� Disagreement is a common problem

� Commitment to team goals

� High esprit de corps

� Disagreement on issues only

� Members listen

Unproductive

� Team is deadlocked

� Competitive climate

� Disagreement is win-lose

� Commitment to individual goals

� No esprit de corps

� Members see own views

22

� Personal attacks

Therefore Conflict Is ?

� 1.Within ( personal individualistic can lead to frustration and depression if not

managed well)

� 2. Family, ( breakups, fights, and unhealthy atmosphere within, depression among

the siblings and tendency to reach for psychological soothers like the drugs etc)

� 3.Organization. ( this leads to industrial unrest loss of production and loss of

employee morale and finally attrition

TWO MAJOR TYPES OF CONFLICT

� Disputes Of Right", where people or groups are entitled by law, by contract, by

previous agreement or by established practice to certain rights. Disputes of right will

focus on conflict issues such as employment contracts, legally enforceable matters

or unilateral changes in accepted or customary practices. A dispute of rights is,

therefore, usually settled by legal decision or arbitration and not by negotiation.

� "Disputes Of Interest", where the conflict may be a matter of opinion, such as

where a person or group is entitled to some resources or privileges (such as access

to property, better working conditions, etc). Because there is no established law or

right, a dispute of interest will usually be solved through collective bargaining or

negotiation.

Effects Of Conflict In An Organization

� Stress

� Absenteeism

� Staff Turnover

� Demotivation

23

� Non-Productivity

� Hindrance To The Growth Or Proper Functioning Of Any Organization

� Increases Attrition

� Creates Unmanageable Behavior Resulting In Mob Fury.

Five-Step Model for Managing Conflict

� Analyze the Conflict

� Determine the Management Strategy

� Pre-Negotiation

� Negotiation

� Post-Negotiation

Conflict Management Techniques

Check Back Your Key to Delegation Success

• The Three F’s

� Feel

� Felt

� Found

Problem-Solving:

Face-to-Face meeting of the conflicting parties for the purpose of identifying problems

and resolving them for open discussion.

Subordinate Goals:

Creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the cooperation of each of the

conflicting parties.

Expansion of Resources:

24

• When the conflict is caused by the scarcity of her resource ex: money promotion

opportunities etc. It is here that the office can create a win-win solution.

Avoidance:

• This is indicated by withdrawal from or suppression of the conflict.

Smoothing:

• This results from playing down differences while emphasizing common interest between

conflicting parties.

Altering the Human Variable:

• The method of using behavioral change techniques, such as human relation training to

alter attitudes and the behavior that can cause conflicts.

Authoritative Command:

• Management uses its formal authority to resolve the conflict. It then communicates its

desires to the parties involved.

Compromise:

• Each party needs to give up some of the requests to the other.

Constructive vs. Destructive Communication

Constructive Communication

� Validation of each other

� Sensitive listening

� Dual perspective

� Recognize other’s concerns

� Seek clarification

� Infrequent interruptions

� Focus on specific issues

� Compromises and contracts

25

� Useful meta communication

� Summarizing the concerns for both partners

Destructive Communication

� Disconfirmation of each other

� Poor listening

� Preoccupation with self

� Cross-complaining

� Hostile mind reading

� Frequent interruptions

� Everything is thrown in

� Counterproposals

� Excessive meta communication

� Self-summarizing

Conclusion

Individuals should understand their own personal triggers to better deal with conflict

situations in the workplace.

Group members should think about other group members early on to identify privately

those individuals and behaviors that may push their buttons.