Page 314 - DMGT402_MANAGEMENT_PRACTICES_AND_ORGANIZATIONAL_BEHAVIOUR

Unit 14: Conflict Management

Questions Notes
1. Analyze this conflict? What would you do if you were the foreman?
2. How might this conflict have been resolved?
Source: Jerry L Gray and Frederick A Starke, "Organisational Behaviour – Concepts & Applications",
(3rd Edition), Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, Columbus, Page 503-504.
14.8 Summary

Conflict management refers to the long-term management of intractable conflicts.
A conflict can be internal or external.
Conflict is inevitable and often good. Getting the most out of diversity means often-
contradictory values, perspectives and opinions.
Conflict helps to raise and address problems, energizes work to be on the most appropriate
issues, helps people "be real learn how to recognize and benefit from their differences.
Conflict is a problem when it hampers productivity, lowers morale, causes more and
continued conflicts or results in inappropriate behaviors.
There are many reasons for conflicts.
Similarly, there are many reasons to settle a conflict.
One must try to make only the positive use of a conflict and not vice versa.

14.9 Keywords

Assertive: An assertive style of behavior is to interact with people while standing up for your
rights.
Compromise: A concept of finding agreement through communication, through a mutual
acceptance of terms.
Conflict: Actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests.
Negotiation: Negotiation is a dialogue intended to resolve disputes, to produce an agreement
upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, or to craft outcomes to
satisfy various interests.

14.10 Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. Conflict can occur when individuals or groups perceive they have mutually ..................
goals or values.

2. .................. conflict is an unhealthy, destructive disagreement between two or more people.
3. Conflict among managers is often caused by the fact that there is .................. agreement
over goals.

4. Conflicts between an organisation's .................. units, such as sales, accounting and
manufacturing are commonplace.
5. .................. mechanisms are common reactions to the frustration that accompanies conflict.

6. .................. are those who respond to any attempts to solve a problem with pessimism.

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