SBenegaL

Category: Organizational Behavior

  • Effective Conflict Management Technique

    In the last byte, we looked at some ineffective techniques in managing conflicts. In today’s byte, we look at some techniques that have been found to be effective.

    It is not that all techniques to manage conflict are ineffective. There exists some effective conflict management technique and here is a list of few:
    1. Superordinate Goals
    2. Expanding resources
    3. Changing Personnel
    4. Changing Structure
    5. Confronting and Negotiating
    It would be apt to get into this discussion a bit deeper and we shall do it over the next few blogs.

  • Ineffective Conflict Management Techniques

    In the last byte, we began our discussion on conflict management strategies and techniques that could be adopted. In today’s byte, we discuss briefly about ineffective techniques. 

    We begin with listing these ineffective techniques and what they indicate:
    1. Nonaction – doing nothing in hopes that a conflict will disappear
    2. Secrecy – attempting to hide a conflict or an issue that has the potential to create conflict
    3. Administrative Orbiting – delaying action on a conflict by buying time
    4. Due process nonaction – A procedure set up to address conflict that is so costly, time consuming, or personally risky that no one will use it.
    5. Character Assassination – An attempt to label or discredit an opponent.
    Of the above, is has been noticed that nonaction is not a good technique, and that conflicts don’t go away, but the people involved react with frustration. Similarly, administrative orbiting could also lead to frustration and resentment. Secrecy on the other hand could be seen as leading towards political activity by employees who hope to uncover the secret. Character assassination could backfire and make the individual who uses it appear dishonest and cruel.

  • Conflict Management Strategies

    In the last byte, we looked at the withdrawal response as defensive
    mechanism. In today’s byte, begin our discussion on conflict management
    strategies and techniques. 
    To understand let’s begin with two situations to understand the discussion:
    Situation 1: Two departments of an organization let’s assume an insurance
    company – sales department and claims team. If these two departments are in
    conflict with each other over a budget allocation, the claims manager could ask
    for a cut in sales training staff, while the sales department could look for a
    cut in the claims personnel. In such a conflict situation which emerges to be
    dysfunctional it is the organization that looses overall.
    Situation 2: The two departments choose to have a functional approach and
    eventually decide to cut a minimum number of members in each of the departments
    and this could prove to be a better situation for an organization.
    Situation 1 is indicative of a competitive approach to conflict management
    while the second situation is indicative of cooperative approach. The
    competitive approach is based on the assumption of a win-lose situation and
    could include the following – a dishonest communication, mistrust, and a rigid
    position. The cooperative approach is based on the possibility of a win-win situational
    and includes openness, honest communication, trust and most importantly a
    belief that whole might be much greater than the sum of parts.

  • Withdrawal Defense Mechanisms

    In the last byte, we looked at compromise class of defense mechanisms. In today’s byte, we look at withdrawal as a means of defense in case of conflict. 

    The following table we summarize the various withdrawal defense mechanisms

  • Compromise Defense Mechanisms

    In the last byte, we looked the aggressive defense mechanisms. In today’s byte, we look at the Compromise defense mechanisms. 

    The following table summarizes the various defense mechanisms.


  • Aggressive Defense Mechanisms

    In the last byte, we looked at the power relation in organizations and the interventions that could be considered. In today’s byte, we look at the aggressive mechanisms that act as a defense mechanism.

    Conflicts often arise within the context of a performance appraisal session. People do not react well to negative feedback – when individuals are frustrated, as they commonly are in interpersonal conflicts – they respond through many classes of defense mechanism. 

    The first of this class of reactions is the aggressive defense mechanisms. The following table provides an overview of the same.

  • Power Networks 2

    In the last byte, we looked at the concept of power-networks – we could summarize the discussion on the power relationships and the intervention using the following diagram.





  • Power Networks

    In the last byte, we looked at the ways to deal with intrapersonal conflicts. In today’s byte, we begin our discussion on the interpersonal conflicts and specifically focus on the power networks.
     
    To effectively manage interpersonal conflicts one would benefit by understanding power networks in organizations, defense mechanisms exhibited by individuals and ways to cope with them. The emphasis in today’s byte is on the power networks.
     
    There could be three forms of organization power networks:
    • equal vs. equal
    The focus in this form is on the win-loose kind of an approach to problems, one tries to maximize its power at the expense of others. This form of conflict could lead to low self-esteem, and other distress symptoms. Improving the coordination between parties could help manage these conflicts.
    • high vs. low
    This form of conflict entails the person with a higher power trying to control the others and the person with lower power trying for more autonomy. Typical symptoms include – job dissatisfaction, low organizational commitment, turnover etc. Coaching and Counseling are found to be effective.
    • high vs. middle vs. low
    This is typically experienced by middle managers. Improved communication amongst parties can reduce the role conflict and the ambiguity. Training is also found to be very effective.

  • Managing Interpersonal Conflicts

    In the last byte, we looked at the various forms of conflict. In today’s byte, we look at how one could manage the various intrapersonal conflicts.
     
    The source of Intrapersonal conflicts resides primarily within an individual and thus intrapersonal conflict can be managed with careful self-analysis and diagnosis of the situation. There are 3 particular actions that can help prevent or resolve these conflicts:
    1. When seeking a new job, one would benefit by finding out as much as possible about the values of the organization. The differences between the organizational and individual values are often the source of person-role conflicts. The better the fit, the more the satisfaction and commitment and less likely to leave the organization.
    2. Role analysis is a good tool. Through Role analysis the person who has such conflicts could ask the role senders what is expected – this reduces the ambiguity.
    3. Political skills can help buffer the negative effectives of stress that stems from role conflicts.  Negotiating role expectations when conflicts occur using the political skills
    All the above forms of conflict can be managed; the first step is really understanding the many forms.
     
    We shall move on next to discuss interpersonal conflict handling.

  • Forms of Organizational Conflicts

    In the last byte, we looked at how globalization has begun affecting conflicts in organizations. In today’s byte, we look at the various forms of conflict in an organization.
     
    We could group conflicts into the following forms:
    • Interorganizational Conflicts – this refers to conflicts that occur between two or more organizations
    • Intergroup Conflicts – this refers to conflicts that occur between groups or teams in an organization
    • Intragroup Conflict – this refers to conflicts that occur within groups or teams
    • Interpersonal Conflict – this refers to conflict that occurs between two or more individuals
    • Intrapersonal Conflict – this refers to the conflict that occurs within an individual
    • Interrole Conflict – this refers to the conflict a person experiences amongst the multiple roles in his or her life
    • Intrarole Conflict – this refers to the conflict that occurs within a single role, such as when a person receives conflicting messages from role senders about how to perform a certain role
    • Person-role Conflict – this refers to conflicts when an individual is expected to perform behaviors in a certain role that conflict with his or her personal values