Definition

  • Interaction of interdependent people who perceive incompatible goals, aims, and values and who see the other party as potentially interfering with the realization of these goals.
  • 3 "I's" of Conflict: Interaction, Interdependence, Incompatible goals
    • The reason conflict exists

Levels of Organizational Conflict

  • Intergroup Conflict: Aggregates of people within an organization (e.g. work teams, departments) as parties in the conflict
  • Interorganizational Conflict: A dispute between two or more organizations

Phases of Conflict

1) Latent conflict: the conditions are ripe for conflict because of the three "I's" (i.e. different personalities)

2) Perceived conflict: one or more of the parties believes that incompatibilities and interdependence exist

3) Felt conflict: parties begin to formulate strategies about how to deal with the conflict (i.e. should I go to my boss; talk to the other party; avoid)

4) Manifest conflict: strategies and goals are enacted in communication (i.e. filed a grievance with HR; confronted the opposing party)

5) Conflict aftermath: short- and long-term consequences - what did the conflict do to the relationship?

Factors Influencing Conflict

Personal Factors
  • Personality
  • Gender
Frames
  • Perceptions of self
  • Perceptions of other
  • The conflict
Relational Factors
  • Trust
  • Power
  • Relationship Salience
Cultural Factors
  • Face
  • Individualism-Collectivism
  • Direct – Indirect communication

Creative Commons License This text was adapted by Saylor Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensor.

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