Inter-group Relation and Conflict

Interdependence of Groups

• Pooled interdependence

• Sequential interdependence

• Reciprocal interdependence

• Team interdependence

Conflict Management

Conflict is a process in which one party perceives that its interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another party.

Three Views on Conflict:

• Traditional Views: Avoid Conflict

• Behavioural Views: Tolerate Conflict

• Interactionist View: If required, stimulate conflict

Positive Consequences of conflict

• It helps in analytical thinking

• It helps in increased cohesion

• It promotes competition and therefore leads to increased effort.

• It serves as a foundation for organization development

• Conflict when expressed clears the air and reduces tension.

Types of Conflict

• Intra-personal Conflict

• Inter-personal Conflict

• Conflict between the individual and the group

• Inter-group Conflict

• Inter-organizational Conflict

TYPES OF CONFLICT

Intra-

individual

Interpersonal

Intergroup

Organizatoinal

Macro

Micro

CONFLICT SOURCES

• Competition for resources

• Lack of absolute standards of openness,

honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, dealings b/w

general staff, departments, divisions.

• Lack of shared values, commitment, motivation,

enthusiasm.

• Unfairness, unevenness, and inequality of

personal and professional treatment.

• Physical and psychological barriers b/w

seniors & subordinates, departments, divisions

CONFLICT SOURCES (contd..)

• Inability to meet expectations and fulfill promises.

• Nature of work and its professional, expert and

technical context.

• Structure of work, and the division and allocation

of tasks and jobs.

• Hopes, fears, aspirations, ambitions, beliefs,

attitudes of people involved.

• Presence of vested interests and pressure groups.

MODES OF MANAGING CONFLICT

(Kenneth & Thomas)

Approaches to managing conflict are function of both how

assertive one is trying to satisfy one’s own or one’s

group’s concerns and also how cooperative one is in

trying to satisfy those of the other party.

•

Collaborating

Avoiding

•

Accommodating

•

Compromise

•

•

Competing

Uncooperative Cooperative

Unassertive

Assertive

Assertiveness

Cooperativeness

Accommodating – Cooperating with other person‟s

wishes while not asserting own

•Effective reaction to build goodwill.

Competing – Maximizes assertiveness for one‟s own

position and minimize cooperative responses.

•Develops win lose conflict

•Holds promise when one has lot of power and has

no future relation with other party.

11

Compromise – Combines immediate levels of

assertiveness and cooperation.

•Isn‟t very successful when conflict stem from

power asymmetry.

•Has good fall back when other means fail.

Collaboration – Both assertiveness and cooperation

are maximized in the hope that an integrative

agreement occurs that fully satisfies interests of both

parties.

•Best when conflict is not intense and when each

party has information about other.

•Useful for organizational conflicts

Transactional Analysis

THE STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY

Human Personality

CHILD

ADULT

PARENT

Critical

Nurturing

Little Professor

Rebellious

Free Child

Compliant

TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS

PARALLEL TRANSACTION

PARENT

ADULT

CHILD

PARENT

ADULT

CHILD

CROSSED (BLOCKED) TRANSACTION

• Blocked Transaction

PARENT

ADULT

CHILD

PARENT

ADULT

CHILD

ULTERIOR (HIDDEN) TRANSACTION

PARENT

ADULT

CHILD

PARENT

ADULT

CHILD

•Psychological level

•Stimulus

•Social level

STROKES

Strokes refer to giving some kind of

recognition to the person.

TYPES OF STROKES

1. Positive

2. Negative

3. Indifference

ANOTHER CLASSIFICATION OF STROKES

a) Conditional (C) – given for behaviors

b) Unconditional (U) – given to the person.

Life positions

• I am OK, You Are OK

• I am OK, You are not OK

• I am not OK, You are OK

• I am not OK, You are not OK

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

Games are a set of ulterior transactions

with a definite payoff.

Elements of a Game

The elements of a game can be expressed through a formula:

C + G = R → S → X → P

NEGOTIATIONS

Negotiation is an attempt to prevent conflict or resolve existing conflict

Everyone negotiates !!

Negotiation strategies can be more than conflict management and be a tool for success in organizations for Management Gurus

TWO TYPES

i. Distributive Negotiations

ii.Integrative Negotiation

I. DISTRIBUTIVE NEGOTIATIONS

“Focus on how to attain the biggest

share/slice of pie” among the parties.

Decision more like compromise.

Forcing

Accommodating

Avoiding

Compromising

WIN LOSE SITUATION !!

SINGLE ISSUE

All used

Tactics in Distributive Negotiation

Threats and promises – Punish &

Concessions

Firmness Vs concessions – Sticks to target

DEADLOCK

Persuasion – Verbal debate

II. POSITIONAL/ INTEGRATIVE BARGAINING

APPROACH

Here „Pie‟ is enlarged before distribution

More of collaborating situation

Like we bargain in open market

“Successively taking and then giving up”

Mutual problem solving through high quality

information.

WIN - WIN SITUATION !!

Tactics for integrative negotiations

o Some degree of creativity required.

o Framing differences as Opportunities – Have

information about each party‟s real interest

o Benefits all – Attractive for all parties. e.g.

Cutting costs