CONFLICT AND ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS

1. Lecture 18 CONFLICT AND ORGANIZATIONALPOLITICS

2. Sources of organizational conflict

3. Sources of organizational conflict • Intrapersonal • Interpersonal • Whetten and Cameron (1991) - four sources of interpersonal conflict: • Personal difference • Role incompatibility • Information deficiency • Environmental stress • Intragroup • Intergroup • Intraorganizational • Interorganizational

4. Sources of organizational conflict Add Figure 18.2 here

5. Sources of organizational conflict

6. Forms of organizational conflict • Individual • Sabotage • Ethical dilemmas • Interpersonal disputes • Work manipulation • Misuse of resources • Choice • Politicking and power • Rumour and gossip • Attitude • Absence and leaving • Group • Strikes and lock-outs • Work to rule • Work restriction • Factionalism

7. Consequences of conflict • Negative and positive force • Miller and Bedford (2003) suggest five steps to re-establish trust after it • has been broken by conflict: • Identify the core values • Bring the core values to life • Spell out the do and don’t aspects of each value • Weave values into the fabric of the organization • Ensure accountability and model the way • It can be argued that some conflict is necessary for optimizing performance

9. Perspectives on conflict Unitarianism Pluralism Marxist Labour process theory

10. Labour process theory • Nature of work relations within a specific system of production • Conflict between workers and managers is inevitable • Thompson and McHugh (1995) - consequences: • Work organizations are distinct from other organizations - the theory of capital • accumulation and labour process • Organizations are structures of control in the broadest sense of the term • Mechanisms to integrate economic, political, administrative and ideological structures • Organizational structures and processes involve political issues, decisions and choices • Contested rationality • Balance between control and resistance • Thompson (1989) - five core elements: • Labour as a unique commodity • Labour as a special focus of attention is capitalism • Capitalism forces minimization • Control as an imperative • Institutionalized conflict

11. Conflict and resistance • Resistance can arise as a result of management attempts to create reality and the frame of reference that employees are supposed to adopt • Salaman (1979) - dissension and dissatisfaction arise from hierarchical control • Collinson (1994) - • Resistance through distance • Resistance through persistence

12. Conflict handling strategies • Clarity and openness • Style and structure • Signals • Training and socialization • Procedure • Thomas (1976) - five generic conflict handling styles: • Smoothing or accommodating • Avoidance • Collaboration and problem solving • Competitive or authoritarian • Compromise

13. Politics within organizations Machiavelli The negative view of politics imposes a definition that considers it to be outside normal practice The more positive view regards it as an inevitable part of the need for individuals and groups to function in a collective context

14. Political strategies • Offensive strategies • Defensive strategies • Neutral strategies

15. Using political behaviour • Control of information • Control of communication channels • Use of outside specialists • Control over work and meeting agendas • Game playing • Impression and image management • Creating coalitions • Control over decision-making criteria

16. Managing office politics

17. Conflict and politics: an applied perspective Conflict is regarded by most managers as something to be avoided within their organization Politics by way of contrast can be seen as a means of sharing power among a number ofinterested groups and individuals Cliques, cabals and young Turks Political behaviour is encouraged to exist in situations where the formal roles and authority are unclear