Download The Nature of Conflict

The Nature of Conflict
• Conflict is “a disagreement
between two or more people
who have differences in goals or
methods for dealing with a
situation”
• Normal
• Natural
• Necessary
Sources of Conflict
• Scarce resources have to be
allocated
• People perceive interference from
others
• People feel disrespected by others
• People have different goals for a
situation
• People have different preferences for
how to achieve the same goal
Conflict and
Interdependence
• Conflicts usually happen when
expectations for interdependence
are violated
• The more interdependent the
relationship, the more likely conflict
becomes
• The way interdependence is
negotiated often determines the
outcome of the conflict (and the
health of the relationship)
Functional and
Dysfunctional Conflict
• Functional
(helpful or
constructive)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Open
Honest
Calm
Focused
Flexible
Energizing
Creative
• Dysfunctional
(not helpful or
destructive)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Closed
Deceitful
Tense
Proliferation
Rigid
Draining
Stupifying
Communication and
Conflict
• Communication and conflict are
always linked since conflict is
“an expressed struggle”
• Communication creates conflict
• Communication reflects conflict
• Communication manages conflict
Functional Conflict and
Diversity
• Functional Conflict Depends on How
we Respond to Difference
• Do you appreciate the inevitability of
difference?
• Do you value difference?
• How comfortable are you with change?
• Do you try and reduce your uncertainty
about people who are different from
you?
Conflict and Face
• Threats to Identity are an
important cause of conflict and
are likely to result in facesaving that leads to
dysfunctional conflict
• Adds an issue to the conflict
• The issue is often hidden or implicit
• Conflict escalates dramatically
Strategies to Avoid
Making Face Threats
• Describe behaviors rather than
judging the person
• Try to find a shared solution
rather than telling others what
and how to behave
• Convey a belief in the
equality/value of the other
• Try to remain open-minded
Attributions and Conflict
• The judgments we make about
others determines how we deal
with them in conflict
• Purposive v. reactive
• Internal v. external
• Some common biases occur
• Egocentric attribution bias
• Fundamental attribution error
The Attribution Cycle in
Destructive Conflict
• A behavior occurs
• We judge/evaluate the behavior as
purposive and intentional
• We assess the other as “difficult”
• We look for additional evidence of our
assessment
• We “find” it
• We feel confirmed in acting out against the
other
• We shut down communication with the
other