Page 23 - DMGT519_Conflict Management and Negotiation Skills

Unit 1: Conflict

14. According to experts, one of the five main causes of conflict in the workplace is Notes
(a) Disrespect or disregard for other people
(b) Poor wage and benefit packages
(c) Doing work assignments poorly
(d) Intense work schedules

(e) Working in large corporations
15. Your sister asks to borrow the family jet ski for the weekend to go to a lake three hours
away. You were also planning on using it at a lake nearby during the same weekend. This
is an example of a
(a) Need conflict (b) Values conflict
(c) Ego conflict (d) Psuedo conflict
(e) Fact conflict

Task Conflict: The Role of Power (http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/
index_tj.asp?objID=OIC1000)
Read about the five types of power that can influence a conflict. Complete the matching
exercise that follows and analyze a personal conflict.

1.7 Summary

 Conflict is inevitable and universal phenomenon of our individual, team & organizational
life.

 Conflict can be defined in many ways and can be considered as an expression of hostility,
negative attitudes, antagonism, aggression, rivalry and misunderstanding
 Newtonian paradigm holds for most practical purposes. Jay Lemke describes how our
analytic approach developed within the human community

 Some conflicts require confrontation and negotiation between the parties.
 System theory is an approach to social life that stresses functional parts working together
for a specific end.

 A manager can prevent the occurrence of many conflicts by reorganising the groups.
 A systems theory of conflict locates oppression not in the personal behavior of those who
are forced to operate within the system

 Conflict is an expression of hostility, negative attitude, rivalry, disagreement,
incompatibility, incongruence etc.

1.8 Keywords

Bridging: building partnerships and alliances that cross the borders that divide an organization
or a community.
Changing Personnel: Sometimes a conflict is prolonged and severe efforts at resolution fail. In
such cases, it may be appropriate to change concerned personnel. Transferring or firing an
individual may be the best solution, but is recommended only after due process.

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