{"id":447,"date":"2019-04-09T16:52:12","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T16:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=447"},"modified":"2024-04-24T22:48:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T22:48:51","slug":"what-is-conflict","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/chapter\/what-is-conflict\/","title":{"raw":"What Is Conflict?","rendered":"What Is Conflict?"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Define conflict<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe word \u201cconflict\u201d tends to generate images of anger, fighting, and other ugly thoughts that leave people bruised and beaten. Conflict isn\u2019t uncommon in the workplace, and it isn\u2019t always good. But it isn\u2019t always a bad thing, either. Let\u2019s talk a little bit about what conflict is and how we think about it.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright wp-image-487\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4052\/2019\/04\/09205704\/silhouette-3141264.png\" alt=\"two individuals pulling a rope in opposite directions \" width=\"350\" height=\"230\" \/>Conflict is a perception\u2014meaning it only really exists if it\u2019s acknowledged by the parties that are experiencing it. If Teresa and Heitor have a heated discussion about the path the company should take to win more customers, but they walk away from the disagreement unfazed and either don\u2019t think about the issue again or think the issue is resolved, then no conflict exists. If Teresa and Heitor both walk away feeling that their ideas weren\u2019t heard by the other, that the other is wrong, that the other needs to come around to a better point of view .\u00a0.\u00a0. then conflict exists.\r\n\r\nTeresa\u2019s and Heitor's situation could be viewed as a competition rather than conflict. Some people use competition and conflict interchangeably; however, while the terms are similar, they aren't exactly synonymous. Competition is a rivalry between two groups or two individuals over an outcome that they both seek. In a competition there is a winner and a loser. Teresa might want to attract more customers by a direct mail campaign and Heitor may be championing a television campaign. They may be competing for a finite amount of marketing budget, and if Heitor's idea is rewarded, then he is the competition\u2019s winner. Teresa is the loser. They may shake hands after the fact, shrug it off and go on to compete another day.\r\n\r\nConflict is when two people or groups disagree, and the disagreement causes friction. One party needs to feel that the other\u2019s point of view will have a negative effect on the final outcome. Teresa may feel strongly about direct mail campaigns because she\u2019s done several with great results. Heitor may feel television is the way to go because no one reads their mail anymore\u2014it just gets thrown out! Each of them may feel that the other\u2019s approach is a waste of the marketing budget and that the company will not benefit from it. Teresa will jump in and prevent Heitor from trying to further his goal for television advertising, and Heitor will do the same to Teresa.\r\n\r\nConflict can be destructive to a team and to an organization. Disadvantages can include:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Teams lose focus on common goals<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Winning eclipses any other goals of the group<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Judgement gets distorted<\/li>\r\n \t<li>There is a lack of cooperation<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Losing members lack motivation to continue participation<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nBut if managed well, conflict can be healthy and spark creativity as parties try to come to consensus. Some of the benefits of conflict include:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>High energy<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Task focus<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Cohesiveness within the group<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Discussion of issues<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThere has been plenty of conflict over how conflict is viewed in the workplace over the years. Just like our concept of teams, our concepts of managing people and how they\u2019re motivated, our concepts of stress in the workplace have changed as we\u2019ve learned.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>PRactice Question<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/75960324-7f65-47d6-8962-287cc07c4e4d\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Traditional View<\/h2>\r\nEarly in our pursuit of management study, conflict was thought to be a dysfunctional outcome, a result of poor communication and lack of trust between co-workers. Conflict was associated with words like violence and destruction, and people were encouraged to avoid it at all costs.\r\n\r\nThis was the case all the way up until the 1940s, and, if you think about it, it goes right along with what we thought we knew about what motivated people, how they worked together and the structure and supervision we thought we needed to provide to ensure productivity. Because we viewed all conflict as bad, we looked to eradicate it, usually by addressing it with the person causing it. Once addressed, group and organization would become more productive again.\r\n\r\nMany of us still take the traditional view\u2014conflict is bad and we need to get rid of it \u2013 even though evidence today tells us that\u2019s not the case.\r\n<h2>The Human Relations View<\/h2>\r\nSince the late 1940s, our studies of organizational behavior have indicated that conflict isn\u2019t so thoroughly bad. We came to view it as a natural occurrence in groups, teams and organizations. The Human Relations view suggested that, because conflict was inevitable, we should learn to embrace it.\r\n\r\nBut they were just starting to realize, with this point of view, that conflict might benefit a group\u2019s performance. These views of dominated conflict theory from the late 1940s through the mid-1970s.\r\n<h2>The Interactionist View<\/h2>\r\nIn the Interactionist View of conflict, we went from accepting that conflict would exist and dealing with it to an understanding that a work group that was completely harmonious and cooperative was prone to becoming static and non-responsive to needs for change and innovation. So this view encouraged managers to maintain a minimal level of conflict, a level that was enough to keep the group creative and moving forward.\r\n\r\nThe Interactionist View is still viable today, so it\u2019s the view we\u2019re going to take from here on as we discuss conflict. We know that all conflict is both good and bad, appropriate and inappropriate, and how we rate conflict is going to depend on the type of conflict. We\u2019ll discuss types of conflict next.","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Define conflict<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>The word \u201cconflict\u201d tends to generate images of anger, fighting, and other ugly thoughts that leave people bruised and beaten. Conflict isn\u2019t uncommon in the workplace, and it isn\u2019t always good. But it isn\u2019t always a bad thing, either. Let\u2019s talk a little bit about what conflict is and how we think about it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-487\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4052\/2019\/04\/09205704\/silhouette-3141264.png\" alt=\"two individuals pulling a rope in opposite directions\" width=\"350\" height=\"230\" \/>Conflict is a perception\u2014meaning it only really exists if it\u2019s acknowledged by the parties that are experiencing it. If Teresa and Heitor have a heated discussion about the path the company should take to win more customers, but they walk away from the disagreement unfazed and either don\u2019t think about the issue again or think the issue is resolved, then no conflict exists. If Teresa and Heitor both walk away feeling that their ideas weren\u2019t heard by the other, that the other is wrong, that the other needs to come around to a better point of view .\u00a0.\u00a0. then conflict exists.<\/p>\n<p>Teresa\u2019s and Heitor&#8217;s situation could be viewed as a competition rather than conflict. Some people use competition and conflict interchangeably; however, while the terms are similar, they aren&#8217;t exactly synonymous. Competition is a rivalry between two groups or two individuals over an outcome that they both seek. In a competition there is a winner and a loser. Teresa might want to attract more customers by a direct mail campaign and Heitor may be championing a television campaign. They may be competing for a finite amount of marketing budget, and if Heitor&#8217;s idea is rewarded, then he is the competition\u2019s winner. Teresa is the loser. They may shake hands after the fact, shrug it off and go on to compete another day.<\/p>\n<p>Conflict is when two people or groups disagree, and the disagreement causes friction. One party needs to feel that the other\u2019s point of view will have a negative effect on the final outcome. Teresa may feel strongly about direct mail campaigns because she\u2019s done several with great results. Heitor may feel television is the way to go because no one reads their mail anymore\u2014it just gets thrown out! Each of them may feel that the other\u2019s approach is a waste of the marketing budget and that the company will not benefit from it. Teresa will jump in and prevent Heitor from trying to further his goal for television advertising, and Heitor will do the same to Teresa.<\/p>\n<p>Conflict can be destructive to a team and to an organization. Disadvantages can include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Teams lose focus on common goals<\/li>\n<li>Winning eclipses any other goals of the group<\/li>\n<li>Judgement gets distorted<\/li>\n<li>There is a lack of cooperation<\/li>\n<li>Losing members lack motivation to continue participation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But if managed well, conflict can be healthy and spark creativity as parties try to come to consensus. Some of the benefits of conflict include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>High energy<\/li>\n<li>Task focus<\/li>\n<li>Cohesiveness within the group<\/li>\n<li>Discussion of issues<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There has been plenty of conflict over how conflict is viewed in the workplace over the years. Just like our concept of teams, our concepts of managing people and how they\u2019re motivated, our concepts of stress in the workplace have changed as we\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>PRactice Question<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_75960324-7f65-47d6-8962-287cc07c4e4d\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/75960324-7f65-47d6-8962-287cc07c4e4d?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_75960324-7f65-47d6-8962-287cc07c4e4d\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Traditional View<\/h2>\n<p>Early in our pursuit of management study, conflict was thought to be a dysfunctional outcome, a result of poor communication and lack of trust between co-workers. Conflict was associated with words like violence and destruction, and people were encouraged to avoid it at all costs.<\/p>\n<p>This was the case all the way up until the 1940s, and, if you think about it, it goes right along with what we thought we knew about what motivated people, how they worked together and the structure and supervision we thought we needed to provide to ensure productivity. Because we viewed all conflict as bad, we looked to eradicate it, usually by addressing it with the person causing it. Once addressed, group and organization would become more productive again.<\/p>\n<p>Many of us still take the traditional view\u2014conflict is bad and we need to get rid of it \u2013 even though evidence today tells us that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n<h2>The Human Relations View<\/h2>\n<p>Since the late 1940s, our studies of organizational behavior have indicated that conflict isn\u2019t so thoroughly bad. We came to view it as a natural occurrence in groups, teams and organizations. The Human Relations view suggested that, because conflict was inevitable, we should learn to embrace it.<\/p>\n<p>But they were just starting to realize, with this point of view, that conflict might benefit a group\u2019s performance. These views of dominated conflict theory from the late 1940s through the mid-1970s.<\/p>\n<h2>The Interactionist View<\/h2>\n<p>In the Interactionist View of conflict, we went from accepting that conflict would exist and dealing with it to an understanding that a work group that was completely harmonious and cooperative was prone to becoming static and non-responsive to needs for change and innovation. So this view encouraged managers to maintain a minimal level of conflict, a level that was enough to keep the group creative and moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>The Interactionist View is still viable today, so it\u2019s the view we\u2019re going to take from here on as we discuss conflict. We know that all conflict is both good and bad, appropriate and inappropriate, and how we rate conflict is going to depend on the type of conflict. We\u2019ll discuss types of conflict next.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-447\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>What Is Conflict?. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Freedom Learning Group. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Specific attribution<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Untitled. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: mohamed Hassan. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Pixabay. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/silhouette-relationship-conflict-3141264\/\">https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/silhouette-relationship-conflict-3141264\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/cc0\">CC0: No Rights Reserved<\/a><\/em>. <strong>License Terms<\/strong>: Pixabay License<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":17,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"What Is Conflict?\",\"author\":\"Freedom Learning Group\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc-attribution\",\"description\":\"Untitled\",\"author\":\"mohamed Hassan\",\"organization\":\"Pixabay\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/silhouette-relationship-conflict-3141264\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc0\",\"license_terms\":\"Pixabay License\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"4a80fe33-44f4-42bd-b2cf-c261e5698d89, 47f90c7b-1206-445b-bb32-3481ccd53904","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-447","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":32,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2169,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/447\/revisions\/2169"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/32"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/447\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=447"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=447"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-organizationalbehavior\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}