MGMT1135 Lecture Notes - Assertiveness, Cooperativeness, The Negotiation
Conflict: A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively
affected or is about to negatively affect something that the first party cares about. (goal
incongruence, a perception, goals must be mutually exclusive).
-Traditional view: Belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided.
-Interactionist view: Belief that conflict is not only positive in group but also an absolute
necessity for a group to perform effectively.
-Categories
-Relationship - interpersonal relationships. Psychologically exhausting. Dysfunctional.
-Task - conflict over content and goals of the work. Functional. Alternative ways of thinking and
more generation of ideas. (moderate bc otherwise may turn into relationship conflict). Those w
high openness and emotional stability will turn task conflict into better group performance.
-Process - Role allocation. devolves into relationship conflict and becomes dysfunctional.
-Loci of conflict
-Didactic - between 2 people
-Intra-group - within a group
-Inter-group - between groups
-Intra-individual - within a person.
-Conflict Process
-Potential opposition/incompatibility (Antecedents)
-Communication - over or under communication. semantic difficulties, misunderstandings,
word connotations, insufficient info exchange.
-Structure - group size, degree of specialisation, jurisdictional clarity, member-goal
compatibility, leadership style, reward systems, degree of intergroup dependence.
-Personal variables - Personality (disagreeableness, neuroticism), emotions, values.
-Cognition and personalisation
-Conflict potential becomes actualised.
-Personalisation does not occur due to perceived conflict (may still remain unaffected by
noticing conflict between others)
-Personalisation occurs due to felt conflict - emotional involvement in a conflict that creates
anxiety, tension, frustration or hostility.
-Conflict is clearly defined (what it is about)
-Emotions shape perceptions of the felt conflict and how we deal with/react to it.
-Intentions
-Decisions to act in a certain way based on perceptions/emotions.
-Conflict may build bc one person infers the wrong intentions from another.
-Behaviour
-Statements, actions and reactions by conflicting parties
-attempts to implement intentions
-Dynamic process of interaction so sometimes deviate from original intentions (also
dependent on the other parties reaction).
-Outcomes
-Action-reaciton interplay results in consequences (functional or dysfunctional).
-Functional: Supports the goals of the group and improves performance. (no conflict =
apathy, disinterest, no ideas).
-low level conflict
-improves decisions, creativity, innovation, interest, curiosity, allows problems and tension
to be aired, antidote for groupthink, cultural diversity required too.
-Dysfunctional: Hinders group performance.
-High level conflict
-Discontent, group destruction, poor communication/trust/info sharing, infighting, reduce
member satisfaction, in-group favouritism.
