OBHR 3310 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Natural Selection
26 Jun 2018
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What is Conflict?
Conflict occurs when one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively
affected by another party
Initially experts believed all conflict had to be avoided or quickly resolved
•It was recognized that conflict is inevitable and managers need to learn to live with it
•OB Specialists realized that conflict had both positive and negative outcomes and organizations
could suffer from too much or too little conflict
•Levels of Conflict in Organizations
•Interpersonal
•Can be caused by rivalries; personality differences
•Intrapersonal
•Pressure from incompatible (internal) goals or expectations
•Intergroup
•Causes are substantive (competition for resources) or emotional
•Inter-organizational
•Competition for market share
Types of Conflict
Researchers have classified conflicts into three categories:
Task conflict relates to the content and goals of the work.
Relationship conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships.
Process conflict is about how the work gets done.
What is Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict?
Functional conflict is constructive or cooperative conflict characterized by:
Consultative interactions
A focus on the issues
Mutual respect
Useful give and take
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Conflict occurs when one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party. Initially experts believed all conflict had to be avoided or quickly resolved. It was recognized that conflict is inevitable and managers need to learn to live with it: ob specialists realized that conflict had both positive and negative outcomes and organizations could suffer from too much or too little conflict. Causes are substantive (competition for resources) or emotional. Researchers have classified conflicts into three categories: Task conflict relates to the content and goals of the work. Process conflict is about how the work gets done. Functional conflict is constructive or cooperative conflict characterized by: Results in positive benefits to individuals, the group, or the organization. Surfaces important problems so they can be addressed. Provides opportunities for creativity in identifying alternative solutions. Natural selection of winners, weeding out less competent. Works to the disadvantage of individuals, the group, or the organization.
