What is Conflict?

Conflict is 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.

Conflict must be perceived by the parties to it; whether or not a conflict exists is a perception issue. If
no one is aware of a conflict, then it is generally agreed that no conflict exists.

Additional commonalities in the definitions are opposition or incompatibility and Some form of
interaction.

Actually, conflict comes from the Latin word for striking, but it isn’t always violent.

Conflict can arise from opposing ideas; A conflict is a struggle or an opposition. If you and your best
friend both fall in love with the same person, you will have to find some way to resolve the conflict. If
you want to turn your empty lot into a community garden but your wife envisions a shooting range,
you have a conflict.

If you’re tom between two different desires, you’re conflicted.

If you schedule a dentist appointment that conflicts with a meeting, you’ll have to cancel one of
them.

We can define conflict as a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has
negatively affected, or is about to negatively affects, something that the first party cares about.

We can define conflict in the following ways too:

 A serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.

 Incompatibility between two or more opinions, principles, or interests.

 A strong disagreement between people, groups, etc., that results in an often angry argument.

Types of Conflict
Before going any further, let us first give a brief description of what conflict is. There are actually a lot
of ways to define conflict due to how it is used in many areas.

Hence, to keep it simple for the layman, conflict pertains to the opposing ideas and actions of
different entities, thus resulting in an antagonistic state.

Conflict is an inevitable part of life. Each of us possesses our own opinions, ideas, and sets of beliefs.
We have our own ways of looking at things and we act according to what we think is proper.

Hence, we often find ourselves in the conflict in different scenarios; may it involve other individuals,
groups of people, or a struggle within ourselves.
 Consequently, conflict influences our actions and decisions in one way or another. Conflict is
classified into the following types:

Functional Conflict
Functional conflict is healthy, constructive disagreement between groups or individuals. The conflict
which supports the goals of a group and also improves its performance is known as a functional or a
positive conflict.

The functional conflict is helpful in the achievement of the goals of a group. Positive results of
functional conflict include:

 Awareness of both sides of issues.

 Improvement of working conditions due to accomplishing solutions together.

 Solving issues together to improve overall morale.

 Making innovations and improvements within an organization.

Dysfunctional Conflict
Dysfunctional conflict is an unhealthy disagreement that occurs between groups or individuals.

The conflict which obstructs the achievement of the goals of a group is called a dysfunctional or
destructive conflict. Negative results of dysfunctional conflict include:

 Individuals use threats, verbal abuse, and deception, which destroy relationships

 Both parties can end up losing in this type of conflict

 This type of conflict can lead to retaliation and further acts of negativity

Task conflict
Task conflict relates to the content and goals of the work.

Relationship conflict
Relationship conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships.

Process conflict
Process conflict relates to how the work gets done. Studies demonstrate the relationship conflicts are
almost always dysfunctional.

Intra-organizational conflict
It is an umbrella term for any type of conflict that takes place within one organization.

Inter-organizational conflict
It occurs between different organizations, such as between two competing firms in an industry.

Vertical conflict
It occurs between hierarchical levels, say between management and employees.

Horizontal conflict
Horizontal conflict takes place between different individuals, groups or departments at the Same
hierarchical level say between two competing departments that have similar power and authority in
different areas.

Resource scarcity conflicts

It is a common type of conflict in organizations, takes place where resources are scarce, such as
during financial constraints or even if office space is limited, creating conflicts between individuals,
teams, and departments.

Role conflict
Role conflict is about expectations of tasks, primarily when they are not communicated effectively or
the communication given is not received effectively.

Interpersonal conflict
It refers to a conflict between two individuals. This occurs typically due to how people are different
from one another.

We have varied personalities which usually result in incompatible choices and opinions.

Intrapersonal conflict
Intrapersonal Occurs within an individual. The experience takes place in a person’s mind.

Hence, it is a type of conflict that is psychological involving the individual’s thoughts, values,
principles, and emotions.

Intra-group conflict
It is a type of conflict that happens among individuals within a team. The incompatibilities and
misunderstandings among these individuals lead to an intra-group conflict!

It arises from interpersonal disagreements or differences in views and ideas.

 From the above discussion, we can say that the types of conflicts are different and their impacts are
also different.

Effects of Conflict in Organization

Conflicts within an organization can lead to a creative solutions . As organizations strive to achieve
their goals, they are often met with challenges they must overcome as a team.

Challenges leave room for conflict between members, other organizations, communities and other
parties involved in the organization’s mission.

While “conflict” often has a negative connotation, the effects of conflict within an organization can
be positive and negative.

Positive Effects of Conflict in an Organization

 Social Change,

 Decision Making,

 Reconciliation,

 Group Unity,

 Group Cooperation,

 Inspire Creativity,

 Share and Respect Opinions,

 Improve Future Communication, and

 Identify New Members.

Social Change
Conflict contributes to social change ensuring both interpersonal and intergroup dynamics remain
fresh and. reflective of current interests and realities.

Decision Making
Conflict serves to “discourage premature group decision making,” forcing participation decision
maling process to explore the issues and interests at stake.

Reconciliation
Conflict allows for the reconciliation of the parties’ concerns, which can lead to an agreement
benefiting both parties’ needs, and often their relationship and organizations.

Group Unity
Conflict strengthens intragroup unity by providing an outlet for group discuss and negotiate their
interests within the group. Without intragroup conflict, the health of the group typically declines.

Group Cooperation
Conflict between groups produces intra-group unity as the conflict provides the opportunity for
increased intra-group cooperation while working towards the group’s common goal for the conflict’s
outcome.

Inspire Creativity
Fortunately, some organization members view conflict as an opportunity for finding creative
solutions to solve problems. Conflict can inspire members to brainstorm ideas while examining
problems from various perspectives.

Share and Respect Opinions

As organization members work together to solve a conflict, they are more willing to share their
opinions with the group. Conflict can also cause members to actively listen to each other as they
work to accomplish the organizations’ goals.

Improve Future Communication

Conflict can bring group members together and help them learn more about each other.

From learning each others’ opinions on topics relevant to the organization’s growth to
understanding each member’s preferred communication style, conflict within an organization can
give members the tools necessary to easily solve conflicts in the future.

Identify New Members

Within organizations members actively participate in each meeting, enjoy serving on multiple
committees and have an opinion on each topic the group discusses. There are also members who
seemingly contribute little to the group and observe more than talk.

Conflict within an organization can inspire typically silent members to step up and demonstrate their
leadership skills by offering meaningful solutions to the problem the group is facing.
  Conflict is often something that we try to avoid. It is often viewed as hostile, frustrating, negative
uncomfortable, and “win or lose” in its outcomes. So what does it mean when conflict is classified as
being “positive”?

Positive conflict does not mean that the conflict was good, but rather that the occurrence of that conflict led
to something beneficial. Positive conflict is constructive in nature. It produces new ideas, solves continuous
problems, provides an opportunity for people and teams to expand their skills, and fosters creativity. When
opposing ideas are explored, a breakthrough of thinking can occur. Without conflict, you have “groupthink,”
which discourages innovation.

So as a leader, how can you make conflict positive?

 Promote an integrative approach to managing team conflicts. Attempt to pursue a common goal,
rather than individual goals. Openly and honestly communicate with all team members. When conflict is
avoided or approached on a win/lose basis, it becomes unhealthy and can cause low morale and increased
tension within your teams. As a leader, focus on finding ways and solutions in which all team members “win.”
 Foster a culture in which differences of opinion are encouraged, placing emphasis on the common
goals among your team, employees, and departments. Many times, people place a focus on the differences in
opinions, rather than focusing on goals that they have in common. Encourage your team to be inclusive of
others and speak up when they disagree or have a different opinion. As a leader, you must be willing to
reward and thank those who are willing to take a stand and support their position. Positive conflict and a
culture that supports it go hand-in-hand.
 Training Provide your employees with opportunities to grow and enhance their problem solving,
conflict resolution, non-defensive communication, interpersonal communication skills, and even diversity and
inclusion training. The benefit is your employees’ comfortability in situations where conflict arises and
working with people who have different styles. Training can also reduce the likelihood of conflict. If you
detect that tension and negative conflict are affecting your workplace harmony, conflict resolution
management and meetings can combat the negative impact it can have on your team .

 The first critical step to handling conflict is understanding that it can be a positive influence in the
workplace and should not always be seen as a problem.  Instead, conflict can be viewed as an
opportunity, for example, consider the following:
1. Conflict leads to changes and improvements
Conflict provides an opportunity to re-evaluate a situation, and forces us to look for new solutions – whether it’s in the
way a team works together, how a service is delivered, or the way a product is used.  While it can seem like an
unpleasant process to those involved, conflict leads to a better way once it has been recognized and resolved
effectively.
2. Conflict can be a sign that someone’s needs are not being met
Conflict can be a symptom of someone’s dissatisfaction in the workplace.  If employee dissatisfaction is high,
productivity, performance, and profitability will suffer.  The key to resolving conflict here is to identify what needs are
not being met and find out why.  For example, employees may be looking for performance feedback—which
management isn’t currently providing.  By diagnosing dissatisfaction, employers can move to increase worker
satisfaction and benefit from dramatically improved business results.
3. Conflict can result in amazing ideas
Encouraging positive conflict is often a great way to innovate.  For instance, appointing a “devil’s advocate” when
brainstorming is a well-known way of forcing participants to think about different sides of an idea and innovating
further.  In the day-to-day workplace, as well as in a brainstorming session, conflict can work well in this way as long
as it’s handled effectively.
While conflict can be a destructive force, it can also be constructive if it is used as inspiration in a respectful and
compassionate manner.  By being able to utilize conflict positively when it does happen, your business will create a
healthy and innovative workplace environment.
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