How can functional conflict be managed

Level five - Polarization At this level the conflict has reached a critical level that in almost every case leads to unresolved conflicts and severely damaged relationships.

Justice and fairness encourages positive attitudes and facilitates conflict management, Rahim et al. Rahim et al. Distributive justice focuses on in which extent the employees believe that outcomes from a decision are fair according to Rahim et al. Procedural justice on the other hand looks at the fairness of the procedures leading to a decision and the fairness in the outcomes.

The third category, interactional justice focuses on how employees receive information about the decisions and how they are treated by supervisors. Even though theorists and researchers claims that the different forms of justice is hard to separate from each other, the research by Rahim et al. Moreover the research also showed that cooperative conflict management styles were strongly related to organizational justice, Rahim et al.

Bodtker et al. The source for conflicts is according to Bodtker et al. Furthermore Bodtker et al. The participants may also have different level of emotional involvement in the conflict, therefore the commitment of resolving the conflict may differ.

Moreover to resolve a conflict one must identify and deal with all these elements, otherwise the attempt of managing the conflict will be unsuccessful. What's more the potential of being able to transform the conflict elements are depending on the complexity of the conflict, the number of issues and actors are contributing to more possibilities for transformation. Although according to Bodtker et al. In this case Bodtker et al. Identify the conflict elements, emotions, behaviours and contradictions.

Transformation — Changing the orientation of the conflict and making the different parties aware of the elements. Solution — Changing the elements allows transformation of the conflict direction, which leads to the solution becoming apparent. It is tool that measures how a person sees their own behaviour; the answers are then compared with the opinions from colleagues and managers.

Runde and Flanagan explain that the behaviour is measured through questionnaires that focus on frequency of a certain behaviour and involvement in certain situations. The results are then used to get an overview of which behaviour a person tend to use more frequently. When the conflict is emotion oriented, perspective taking advocates that one tries to understand how the other person feels about his or her viewpoint and the conflict.

Runde and Flanagan expresses that perspective taking demands that one makes the effort of putting oneself in others position and to look at conflicts from different viewpoint than just your own. Finally the biggest obstacle to deal with when it comes to perspective taking according to Runde and Flanagan is that it is only the opposing party in the conflict that can tell you if the perspective taking that you are using actually works.

By using this technique one should be able to create a map were argumentation weaknesses can be exposed and explored. Hoffmann , p. Hoffmann, , p. When explaining this method further, Hoffmann , p. A simplified definition is provided through the following example brought forward by Hoffmann , p. If we do not know about Napoleon, we can only guess whether it is the name of a lethargic person. Figure 4, Collateral knowledge Hoffmann, , p.

Furthermore Hoffmann , p. Finally Changing our ways of thinking and making people more open-minded is at times crucial for conflict resolution, this is why LAM should be considered a valuable tool according to Hoffmann , p. The process is divided into four different steps that are taking the conflict closer to a solution.

The first step is to identify the issues that are the source for the conflict and to collect the different perceptions to get a clear overview over to conflict. The second step applies a collection of assessment criteria that links the conflict to destructive effects on the relationships within the team. Based on this criteria the conflict can be connected to formal procedures like for example poor routines, in-flexibility and bad scheduling according to Vaaland , p.

Next step is make the participants realize and get a view of what has to be done to develop the relationship. Vaaland , p. The final stage of this model brought forward by Vaaland , p. According to Vaaland , p. The first option is to attempt to narrow the gap between the participants by eliminating contradictions, or alternatively put focus on straightening out the confusion and misunderstandings or finally try to control the extent and impact of the issues.

Additionally Vaaland , p. In addition Tjosvold et al. The positive effects of conflict management are according to DeChurch et al.

Also there is potential innovativeness and development of ideas possibilities that will be lost when team members tend to avoid confronting each other. DeChurch et al. However the results of the research made by DeChurch et al. Donohue , p. Further Donohue , p.

Effective communication is according to Donohue , p. Fulmer et al. When negotiations become more complex and when the outcome is uncertain the cognitive ability becomes even more essential according to Fulmer et al. An example brought forward is when negotiations have integrative possibilities, when the negotiators tend to look for as much of the share of the outcome as possible; this enhances the creativity of the negotiators.

Furthermore Fulmer et al. The ability to both predict behaviour, outcomes, to analyze emotions and control emotions both in self and others gives the negotiator great possibilities. Additionally Fulmer et al.

In contrary Murtoaro et al. Therefore Murtoaro et al. According to Murtoaro et al. Murtoaro et al. The approach is based on three main areas; game theory, decision analysis and behavioural decision theory which are all based on rational decision making. Game theory is a tool for analyzing decision making, for example when the involved parties are to make decisions independently, but combine these choices to determine earnings for both parties.

The decision alternatives that parties can choose are all part of a strategy, which enables the search for complete strategies. However the weakness with the game theoretical analysis is according to Murtoaro et al. Conversely, decision analysis is based on breaking down a decision in bits and pieces, in which earned dividend is not affected by the other parties' choices.

Continuously the choices and events examined with respect to risks and probabilities. These factors are then ranked as a basis for making the most beneficial decision. The third main area is the behavioural decision theory which basically is a tool for predicting the behaviour of the opposing parties.

Moreover Murtoaro et al. When a project takes the wrong direction, it is very usual for schisms being built up between the parties. In the end it often comes up to that neither customers nor contractors benefits from the outcome. Furthermore Murtoaro et al. This underlines that each party has a limit for what is an acceptable outcome. The problem though that is highlighted by Murtoaro et al. In figure 2 below Murtoaro et al. Figure 5, Key stages of the negotiation analysis approach, Murtoaro et al.

Depending on our personalities, confidence, styles etc we all approach conflict differently. One example is put forward by Desivilya et al. Concern is also taken to team membership and conflict culture that has been developed within organizations and project teams. Furthermore Aritzeta et al. Chapter 2. Runde and Flanagan explain the conflict triggering events as hot buttons and provide through the retaliatory cycle an overview of the way that conflict escalates.

The third major area that has been explored in the theoretical framework is how to resolve conflicts in an effective way. A number of theories about how conflicts can be managed have been brought forward, for example Runde and Flanagan presents the CDP tool that is used to measure behaviour through feedback. Perspective taking that advocates reflection and LAM that exposes argumentation weaknesses and enables argumentation mapping is other examples of conflict management tools that have been presented in chapter 2.

Chapter 3 will present a methodology for how to analyse and evaluate theories and methods brought forward in theoretical framework for conflict management within project teams. Further it addresses the way data has been collected, reliability of the data, and the way it has been analyzed. Research limitations will also be highlighted, and what considerations that has been given to ethics and morality.

Figure 1 below illustrates a simplified overview of the structure and the research steps of this dissertation: Figure 6, Methodology Structure 3. As an ethnographic addition to the research, interviews with project team members will contribute with experiences about how to solve and manage conflicts. The data gathered from literature and interviews are analyzed and evaluated. Hypotheses and theories are compared thoroughly and related to each other.

Information on the project team members experience was gathered through interviews were the experiences was analyzed and related to the theories that are highlighted from the literature review, in an attempt to explore the management of conflicts further. The topic conflict management was picked because it could bring further knowledge on both a professional and private level.

The proposal was during the autumn designed and narrowed down to the research questions presented in chapter 1. In January of the search for valuable end reliable articles and books started. After reading up on the subject the theoretical framework was written, containing thoroughly picked out material from chosen literature.

The next step was to design a methodology for the research which is presented in this chapter. During the spring of interviews was conducted with project team members, contributing with their experiences of conflict management.

The findings from the literature and the interviews were then analysed and interpreted with the objective of finding a pattern for effective conflict management. A grounded theory research is required to develop a theoretical base for this study and to back up findings. Berg , p. Moreover Berg , p. The interviewer also holds the flexibility to make clarifications and add information during the interview.

Additionally qualitative one-on-one interviews adds more opportunities for reflection according to Silverman , p. Qualitative research through interviews will provide insight in various industries and different perspectives on conflict management and the possible outcomes of functional conflicts. Furthermore it will offer both a reflective analysis and rigorous data. All the literature used for this dissertation has been in textual form, either through books or printed articles.

Conducted interviews have been recorded to be able to go through it again afterwards. The international journal of conflict management is a member of and subscribes to the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics and is published through the IPMA International Project Management Association, Therefore the topic for this dissertation has been narrowed down, see chapter 1. The literature is reviewed from the perspective of the research issues and with the research questions in mind.

To enrich the research it is essential that a large amount of literature connected to the research questions is reviewed to get an overview of the problem areas and different approaches to conflict management. Literature used is carefully selected and the credibility of the sources is ensured.

The analysis chapter interprets the data collected in the theoretical framework and through the interviews. By explaining and analyse the data collected one can relate it to the research questions according to Hart , p.

Furthermore Hart , p. By analysing and interpret the data a conclusion is formed, built up by facts, theories, experiences, method proposals and views. By finding a pattern for effective conflict management one can present a way of thinking when approaching conflicts for the reader and propose methods for how to solve and negotiate their way through them.

This thesis gives in the beginning the reader an understanding of the basics about conflicts and behaviour which is then built on with presenting different approaches, theories, methods and solution patterns.

The findings from the analysis and interpretations of the data collected are at first brought forward through a discussion where it is reviewed and examined. All involved participants are informed about the subject and purpose of this research and have voluntary agreed to participate. All the participants also have the choice of being anonymous. Theories and opinions put forward in the theoretical framework are all correctly referenced according to the citing rules provided by Northumbria University.

Literature used has been analyzed with respect for the authors' works. Theories and methods that have been highlighted have been taken as they are without exceptions. The objective with the questions was to find out how the interview participants approached conflict in different situations and their thoughts about presented methods when it comes to make conflict management more effective at the workplace.

The interview questions can be found in the appendices. Interviewee 2 — IT consultant When dealing with conflicts at the workplace I tend to be very strict. My objective is always to solve the conflict as fast as possible since I believe that otherwise it can have negative effects on the projects in the future. I think that the most essential part in a conflict is to listen to all the different opinions and to let everybody express their will, enabling a compromise.

To reach a solution all the involved parties has to give and take some more or less. For me the environment at the workplace is very important and that the communication between the project team members is working, so often it is easier if you know the people that you are working with. My opinion is that the project manager is the one that is the outmost responsible for managing conflicts within the project team.

When the conflict has an impact on the project I always focus in solving the issue to be able to move forward. My starting point in a conflict is always based on the knowledge that I have in the discussed topic, when I work with people that I know I tend to feel safer in my argumentation with helps in a lot of situations that can arise at my workplace. Interviewee 4 — Project Manager at a car manufacturing company At the workplace the conflicts that arises is often based on issues regarding the work tasks and my ambition in those situations is always to seek a win-win solution for both parties.

I believe that a win-win compromise is better in the long run since a conflict could fester and have negative effects further ahead. Often I feel that it is easier to discuss an issue with a person that you know without risking that the conflict escalates further.

Interviewee 5 - Project Manager at a travelling agency I tend to be more objective at the workplace, being professional and trying to prioritize the option that suits the company best. My aim in conflicts is most of the time to get what I want and to win the conflict; however compromising may provide a way to move towards a solution. On the other hand I feel that it is easier to be disturbed by the little things in people that I know well but it I easier to be more efficient as a group when you know each other and what each person is good at.

Interviewee 2 — IT consultant I find it quite easy to sort out unnecessary conflicts at the workplace. A situation that often bothers me however is when a promise is broken. An example would be when you have made an agreement at a project meeting on what will be delivered to the next meeting which is then not met by the other party. Interviewee 3 — Test leader at a telephone company I believe that there are several situations that trigger conflict for me. In my work role I attend a lot of meetings that deals with the progress of different testing projects.

Something that often bothers me is when a lot of time during those meetings is spent on discussing what has been and why things should be as they always has been. It really bothers me when a person wants to use the old ways even though it takes much longer time. Finally I get really annoyed when the management department demands a lot of reports which consumes a lot of time to put together just so that they can create a colorful Gantt chart that we neither need nor use.

I often choose to approach the conflict at an early stage. If they change behavior, open conflict is often reduced, but groups may still dislike one another; the conflict simply becomes less visible as the groups are separated from one another. Changing attitudes, on the other hand, often leads to fundamental changes in the ways that groups get along. However, it also takes considerably longer to accomplish than behavior change because it requires a fundamental change in social perceptions.

Nine conflict reduction strategies are shown in Figure. The techniques should be viewed as a continuum, ranging from strategies that focus on changing behaviors near the top of the scale to strategies that focus on changing attitudes near the bottom of the scale. Describe conflict strategies that seldom work. What are the strategies that managers can use that can reduce conflict? When and how do you negotiate, and how do you achieve a mutually advantageous agreement?

Ineffective conflict resolution strategies include nonaction, administrative orbiting, due process nonaction, secrecy, and character assassination. Strategies for preventing conflict include 1 emphasizing organization-wide goals; 2 providing stable, well-structured tasks; 3 facilitating intergroup communication; and 4 avoiding win-lose situations. Strategies for reducing conflict include 1 physical separation, 2 use of rules and regulations, 3 limiting intergroup interaction, 4 use of integrators, 5 confrontation and negotiation, 6 third-party consultation, 7 rotation of members, 8 identification of interdependent tasks and superordinate goals, and 9 use of intergroup training.

Negotiation is the process by which individuals and groups attempt to reach their goals by bargaining with others who can help or hinder goal attainment. Negotiation is helpful in three primary instances: 1 a conflict of interest, 2 the absence of clear rules or procedures, and 3 when there is a desire to avoid a fight. Distributive bargaining attempts to resolve a win-lose conflict in which resources are limited and each party wishes to maximize its share of these resources.

Integrative bargaining occurs when both parties attempt to reach a settlement that benefits both sides in a dispute. Skip to content Conflict and Negotiations. Common Strategies that Seldom Work At leave five conflict resolution techniques commonly found in organizations prove to be ineffective fairly consistently.

Miles, op. Strategies for Preventing Conflict On the more positive side, there are many things managers can do to reduce or actually solve dysfunctional conflict when it occurs. These include: Emphasizing organization-wide goals and effectiveness. Focusing on organization-wide goals and objectives should prevent goal conflict. If larger goals are emphasized, employees are more likely to see the big picture and work together to achieve corporate goals.

Providing stable, well-structured tasks. When work activities are clearly defined, understood, and accepted by employees, conflict should be less likely to occur. Conflict is most likely to occur when task uncertainty is high; specifying or structuring jobs minimizes ambiguity. Facilitating intergroup communication. Misperception of the abilities, goals, and motivations of others often leads to conflict, so efforts to increase the dialogue among groups and to share information should help eliminate conflict.

As groups come to know more about one another, suspicions often diminish, and greater intergroup teamwork becomes possible. Avoiding win-lose situations. If win-lose situations are avoided, less potential for conflict exists. When resources are scarce, management can seek some form of resource sharing to achieve organizational effectiveness.

Moreover, rewards can be given for contributions to overall corporate objectives; this will foster a climate in which groups seek solutions acceptable to all. Strategies for Reducing Conflict Where dysfunctional conflict already exists, something must be done, and managers may pursue one of at least two general approaches: they can try to change employee attitudes, or they can try to change employee behaviors.

Physical separation. The quickest and easiest solution to conflict is physical separation. Separation is useful when conflicting groups are not working on a joint task or do not need a high degree of interaction. Though this approach does not encourage members to change their attitudes, it does provide time to seek a better accommodation. Use of rules and regulations. Conflict can also be reduced through the increasing specification of rules, regulations, and procedures.

This approach, also known as the bureaucratic method, imposes solutions on groups from above. Again, however, basic attitudes are not modified. Limiting intergroup interaction. Challenge the conflicting parties each to brainstorm ways they can make their relationship more efficient and stop their conflicts from impeding the workflow of others or the progress of products.

Ask each person at the table to make a personal commitment to one change that will create functional, efficient conflict conversations. For example, if a middle manager creates dysfunctional conflict by authoring unkind emails, he or she should commit to having conflict conversations face-to-face only. Remind employees that you will hold them to their commitments and that you expect more efficient communication in the future.

After rooting out dysfunctional conflicts in your organization, do not relax and ignore ongoing conflicts. Instead, reap the benefits of functional conflict through smart management. Encourage healthy disagreement in team meetings; it leads to suggestions that bolster organizational efficiencies.

Apply the philosophy of kaizen to your current and future conflict management strategies. Improve both conflict conversations and their long term affects continuously. Instead, encourage functional conflict through proactive management. Functional vs.