Think about a conflict episode at your workplace between two parties about whom you have some knowledge.

Think about a conflict episode at your workplace between two parties about whom you have some knowledge. What ever the antecedent conditions which allowed the conflict to arise? How did the two parties respectively perceive the conflict situation ? How was the conflict managed ? Explain?
Ans: Conflict in some form and degree is a part and parcel of virtually every part of human life and organizations are no exceptions to this. It is an aspect of organizational functioning that is frequently apparent to even a casual observer. Conflict is so Important dysfunctional aspect of organization that it has drawn attention from management thinkers to analyze its processes, causes, and measures to eliminate or to modify it to be used for better organizational functioning

Antecedent conditions which allowed Conflict to arise

(1). Dysfunctional Aspect of Conflict: While the positive aspects of conflict are few and limited, negative aspects are many and serious. Conflict to the extent of healthy competition may produce better results but beyond that it may be destructive for example, conflict between management and works has led the closure of many organizations or has turned them in to loss-making units. Similarly conflict between live or staff or Interdepartmental conflict creates a lot of problems in the organization. In entered conflict may create following problems:

1. Dis equilibrium in organization
2. Stress and Tension
3. Diversion of Energy

2). Individual level conflict: The analysis of conflict may start at individual level because organization is composed of individuals and many Conflicts may arise at this level. Though there should be two parties to the conflict, it may arise within on individual because of lack of smooth progression of the need drive goals and roles. Thus there may be goal conflict and role conflict within an individual. Besides, there may be Interpersonal conflict when two Individuals Interact.

Goal Conflict: Goal Conflict occurs at individual level when an individual faces the problem of choosing among two or more goals which are naturally competing in some way Existence of mutually competing goals may leed to three possible alternatives approach conflict, approach avoidance conflict and avoidance- avoidance conflict.

Role Conflict: A role is a set of expectations people have about the behavior of a of a person in a position.



Role Ambiguity

(i) Organizational Positions
(ii) Personal characteristics

(3). Interpersonal Conflict: Interpersonal Conflict Involves two or more Individuals rather than only one individuals with different goals or roles. It arises due to Interpersonal Interactions. Such Interactions take place between superior and subordinate between two functional specialists, two Protenionals and so on. Since people interact in two types of relationships vertical relationships and horizontal relationships such a conflict may take in there two dimensions.

These are due to
(i) Nature of Person
(ii) Situational variables

(4) Inter group Conflict : Groups exists in every organization both at formal as well as at Informal level. There may be conflict within the group or conflict among groups. The first kind of conflict is mostly interpersonal. Therefore, Inter group conflict becomes more important form of group conflict. Inter group conflict arise because of Interaction of various groups. There are various factors which determine Inter group relationships. They may either create harmonizing situation or conflicting situation among groups. These factors are as follows:

1. In compatible Goals
2. Resource sharing
3. Task Interdependence
4. Absorption of uncertainty
5. Attitudinal sets
6.Joint Decision making process.

Conflict Management:

Conflict beyond certain level is dysfunctional. Therefore, an attempt should be made to develop organizational producers and practices through which organization functions in coordinate way and reducing conflict. However, if conflict generates in the organization for whatever the reason, management should take effective steps to resolve it. Thus, there can be two approaches of managing conflict: Preventive measures and curative measures. In Preventive measures, attempts are made to create situations in which conflict does not take place while curative measures derl with resolving conflict amicably so that its dysfunctional aspect is minimized. Such preventive and creative measure may be taken in terms of establishment of common goals, change in structural arrangement, and conflict-resolution actions. Application of these techniques will depend on the nature of ensures of conflicts in the organizations. Thus if the conflict is not dysfunctional but it is leading to healthy competition, it can be even encouraged. However, it is unlikely that a conflict is constructive in the absence of proper organizational climate. A major part of organizational climate as relevant to conflict management is built through common goals and proper structured arrangement.