Conflict and Negotiation in the Workplace – Chapter 11
”optimal conflict” perspective conflict
organizations are most effective when employees the process in which one party perceives
experience some level of conflict, but become less that its interests are being opposed or
negatively affected by another party
effective with high levels of conflict
Negative consequences Positive consequences
• lower performance • better decision making
• high stress, dissatisfaction, and turnover − tests logic of arguments
• less information sharing and coordination − questions assumptions
• increased organizational politics • more responsive to changing environment
• weakened team cohesion • stronger team cohesion (conflict between
(conflict among team members) team and outside opponents)
Task and Relationship Conflict
task conflict relationship conflict
people focus their discussion around the people focus on characteristics of other
issue while showing respect for people who individuals, rather than on the issues, as the
have other points of view source of conflict
Three conditions minimize the level of relationship conflict
1. emotional intelligence and emotional stability
→ better emotion regulation during debate, which reduces risk of escalation
2. cohesive team
→ the longer people work together and know each other, the more latitude they give to
each other to show emotions without being personally offended
3. supportive team norms
e.g. openness
Model of Conflict Process
Conflict outcomes
Positive
Sources of conflict - better decisions
Manifest conflict - responsive firm
- incompatible goals
- team cohesion
- differentiation Conflict perceptions - conflict-handling style Negative
- interdependence and emotions - decisions - lower performance
- scarce resources - overt behaviors - more stress
- ambiguous rules
- less coordination
- poor communication - more politics
- less team cohesion
Sources of conflict
Six main conditions that cause conflict in organizational settings
1. Incompatible goals
goals of one person or department seem to interfere with another person’s goals
2. Differentiation
differences among people and work units regarding their training, values, beliefs, and experiences
e.g. different belief about how to achieve a goal
”optimal conflict” perspective conflict
organizations are most effective when employees the process in which one party perceives
experience some level of conflict, but become less that its interests are being opposed or
negatively affected by another party
effective with high levels of conflict
Negative consequences Positive consequences
• lower performance • better decision making
• high stress, dissatisfaction, and turnover − tests logic of arguments
• less information sharing and coordination − questions assumptions
• increased organizational politics • more responsive to changing environment
• weakened team cohesion • stronger team cohesion (conflict between
(conflict among team members) team and outside opponents)
Task and Relationship Conflict
task conflict relationship conflict
people focus their discussion around the people focus on characteristics of other
issue while showing respect for people who individuals, rather than on the issues, as the
have other points of view source of conflict
Three conditions minimize the level of relationship conflict
1. emotional intelligence and emotional stability
→ better emotion regulation during debate, which reduces risk of escalation
2. cohesive team
→ the longer people work together and know each other, the more latitude they give to
each other to show emotions without being personally offended
3. supportive team norms
e.g. openness
Model of Conflict Process
Conflict outcomes
Positive
Sources of conflict - better decisions
Manifest conflict - responsive firm
- incompatible goals
- team cohesion
- differentiation Conflict perceptions - conflict-handling style Negative
- interdependence and emotions - decisions - lower performance
- scarce resources - overt behaviors - more stress
- ambiguous rules
- less coordination
- poor communication - more politics
- less team cohesion
Sources of conflict
Six main conditions that cause conflict in organizational settings
1. Incompatible goals
goals of one person or department seem to interfere with another person’s goals
2. Differentiation
differences among people and work units regarding their training, values, beliefs, and experiences
e.g. different belief about how to achieve a goal
