CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 1+2

1. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 1+2

2. Elements of conflict

3. DEFINITION • Conflict is an expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce rewards and interference from the other party in achieving their goal.

4. Interpersonal Conflict Elements of conflict: • An expressed struggle • Perceived incompatible goals • Perceived scarce rewards • Interference • Interdependence

5. a) Expressed Struggle • It is through communicative behaviour that conflict is recognised, expressed experienced and managed. • Conflict is often identified when one partyopenly disagreeswith the other. • Sometimes an interpersonal struggle is expressed by avoidance.

6. b) Perceived Incompatible Goals • Opposing goals are a fact of life. • Not all goals are incompatible. • c) Perceived Scarce Rewards • When rewards are perceived as scarce, an expressed struggle may be initiated. • Some rewards that are scarce or seen as scarce are love, promotion, jobs, respect, care, positions, money, power, self-esteem and land.

7. Perceived Scarce Rewards • Love • Promotion • Jobs • Respect • Care • Positions

8. Money • Power • Self-esteem • Land

9. d) Interference • Clarifies for the conflicting parties that the conflict is engaged. • Exists because we are interdependent on one another. • e) Interdependence • Conflicting parties engage in an expressed struggle and interfere with one another because they are interdependent. • Each person’s choices affect the other because conflict is a mutual activity. • In all conflicts, interdependence carries elements of competition and cooperation.

10. Interdependence • carries elements of: • competition • cooperation • Most relationships move back and forth between degrees of independence and interdependence

11. While still in competition with each other for promotions, they also must define for themselves a workable relationship that enhances desired goals for both of them. • At times, there will be an emphasis on “me” [what I want / my separateness], while at other times, “we” [our nature as a unit] - becomes the focus of attention.]

12. List one element of positive conflict and one element of negative conflict. • Positive conflict • Encourages change or allows for clarification of ideas. • Negative conflict • Does not encourage communication and carries with it resentment and stress.

13. Scenario 1: Two friends may both be avoiding each other and are aware that they are engaging in avoidance because both think, “I don’t want to see him for a few days because of what he did.” • Element of conflict: Expressed struggle

14. Scenario 2: The head cashier of a company said, “All our problems would be solved if we could just get some carpet, since everyone’s feet get tired; we’re the ones who have to stand up all day. But management won’t spend a cent on us.” Her statement of incompatible goals was clear: carpet vs. no carpet. • After some probing, another goal emerged. She began to talk about how no one noticed when her staff had done good work and how the “high-ups” only noticed when lines were long and mistakes were made. • She then said, “How about some compliments once in a while? No one says anything nice. They don’t even know we’re here.” • Her stated goals have changed to include not only the carpet, but self-esteem and increased notice by management – a significant deepening of the goal statement. Both goals are real, carpets and self-esteem. But the first goal may be incompatible with the management’s desire, while the second may not. • Element of conflict: Perceived incompatible goals

15. Scenario 3: Close friends often think that if their best friend likes someone else too, then the supply of affection available to the original friend will decrease. This may or may not be so, but the perception that affection is scarce may well create genuine conflict between the friends. • Element of conflict: Perceived scarce rewards

16. Scenario 4: Often, children fight with one another over the perceived scarcity of their teacher’s attention. Or they fight with the teacher, resulting in a gain of that resource – attention. The child would rather get negative attention than none at all. • Element of conflict: Perceived scarce rewards

17. Scenario 5: You refuse to cooperate with your housemate. • Element of conflict: Interference

18. Scenario 6: Your parents do not send you the money you are expecting. • Element of conflict: Interference

19. Types of ConflictCONFLICTS arises when opinions, values, expectation or needs differ.

20. Both constructive conflict and destructive conflict can be classified into four types. They are: • Internal Conflict • Within the individual • Needs not met • Unable to accept a particular experience or feeling the situation generates • Caused by internal emotions

21. External Conflict • Between people • Can cause incidents with others • Misunderstandings and bad feelings • Uncomfortable with person(s) concerned

22. Realistic Conflict • Can be resolved if parties are willing • Can produce positive results • Acknowledges opposing interests/needs • Realistic conflict management may lead to better relationships

23. Unrealistic Conflict • Cannot be resolved since parties are not open to change • No room for negotiation • Based on differences in values and attitudes • Arises from ignorance, traditions and prejudice

24. Activity • Work in pairs and share with the tutorial group an interpersonal conflict found in one of the following situations: • a) In a family b) Between two students c) Between worker and superior

25. Types of Conflict • Identify the type of conflict arising from each situation below. • Ah Seng and Benny have very different personalities but they manage to work things out. • John expects all his colleagues to be meticulous because he is a perfectionist.

26. Types of Conflict • Mary and Siew Ling are not on speaking terms because of a small misunderstanding. • A job interviewer believes arts students tend to be creative while engineering students tend to be pragmatic. • Ali has difficulty explaining to his grandparents the lifestyle of teenagers today.

27. Approaches to Conflict

28. Many people regard conflict as a battle to win or a situation to avoid

29. Communication is essential in conflict resolution

30. Benefits of Conflict • Engaging in conflict can have positive effects on relationships and organisations • Conflict fosters an awareness that problems exist. • Conflict raises awareness of what is important to individuals.

31. Discussing conflicting views can lead to better solutions and clarifications ofimportant problems and issues. • Challenging old assumptions can lead to changes in outdated practices andprocesses.

32. Conflict leads to authentic communication – helps people to “be real”, for example, it motivates them to participate. • Conflicts helps individuals develop understanding and learn how to recogniseand benefit from their differences.

33. Conflict becomes destructive when it hampers productivity, lowers morale, causes more and continued conflicts and causes inappropriate behaviours.

34. Destructive Conflict • The conflict isn’t the problem – it is when conflict is poorly managed that is the problem.

35. The term conflict management implies that conflict is not an “on” or “off” phenomenon • Conflict-handling behaviour is not a static procedure. It is a process that requires flexibility and continual evaluation to be truly productive and effective.

36. Communication behaviour is at the root of both creating and managing conflict. • Communication creates conflict. • Communication reflects conflict. • Communication is the vehicle for the destructive or productive management of conflict.

37. To handle conflicts more productively, we can consider the following five ‘A’s which integrate both conflict theory and interpersonal communication skills: • a. Assessment • b. Acknowledgement • c. Attitude • d. Action • e. Analysis

38. ASSESSMENT • During this initial stage, allow yourself time to calm and to evaluate the situation • You need to determine the true source of the conflict and gather appropriate information or documentation

39. Assess the points you are willing or unwilling to compromise on and what the other party wants. • Make a preliminary determination of the appropriate conflict-handling behaviour for the situation, for the relationship, and for the environment

40. Communication styles of conflict-handling behaviour • Avoiding • Accommodating • Competing • Compromising • Collaborating

41. Avoiding • We often avoid when we don’t want to get involved or we decide it’s not worth the effort to pursue. It’s important to “pick your battles” since they can’t all be fought and won. Avoiding is an appropriate conflict-handling style to use if you are too busy with more important concerns and if your relationship with the other party is unimportant.

42. Avoiding/Withdrawing • A turtle is a symbol for the avoiding style because it can avoid everything by pulling its head and legs into its shell to get away from everyone.

43. Accommodating • a. When one party in a conflict genuinely does not care about the outcome of the conflict. • b. When you find yourself in conflict over a fairly unimportant issue. • c. When you do not want to strain your relationship with the other party.

44. Accommodating • A chameleon is a symbol of the accommodating style because it changes its color to match the color of its environment. By doing so, the chameleon fits quietly into its environment.

45. A person who chooses competing as a conflict-handling style will • Put his interest before anyone else’s interest. • Maximise reaching one’s own goals or getting the problem solved at the cost of the other party’s goals or feelings.

46. Competing • A lion can be a symbol of a competitive style. The lion’s roar helps the lion satisfy its interest.

47. Compromising • When individuals compromise in order to resolve a conflict, they are willing to “give and take” with others. They may find some middle ground and work out an agreement or solution that is partially satisfactory to both parties, but completely satisfactory to neither.

48. Compromising • A zebra can be a symbol for the compromising style. Its unique look seems to indicate that it didn’t care if it was a black horse or a white horse, so it “split the difference” and chose black-and-white stripes.

49. Collaborating • Collaboration occurs when parties cooperatively work together until a mutually agreeable solution is found

50. When individuals collaborate, they are interested in seeing that everyone’s wants are met fully. • They tend to consider themselves a team. • They work creatively and are solution-oriented.