Conflicts within and between groups is quite common. In any situation which allocates different roles and attendant powers to individuals, or where different rights and expectations are identified with (and by) different groups, there is the potential for opposition, resistance and conflict. In particular, there is often competition for rewards within and between groups - and rewards of power and prestige, and of appropriate slices of the fruits of labour. We tend to think of conflict as being negative and there are clearly many destructive outcomes from it - poor working relationships, lack of communication, delays, disaffection, etc. However, conflict can also be positive. It can disclose problems and lead to innovation and change in the pursuit of effective means of resolution. It can enhance group cohesion and cooperation where the group itself is in conflict with other groups. A degree of conflict is, therefore, desirable - but not too much! On the other hand, a lack of conflict may indicate that problems are being suppressed and innovation and change stifled.
All conflict has the potential to be damaging and there needs to be some constructive effort to limit it so that the destructive impact is minimised. Most organisations and groups have structures within which conflict can be contained and dealt with. The main ones are:
- grievance and disciplinary procedures which exist to consider problems between individuals or of individuals transgressing the norms of behaviour.
- collective bargaining whereby the potentially conflicting interests of employees and employers are dealt with in a formal group, complete with its own norms of attitudes and behaviours.
Where conflict occurs, there are various strategies for its resolution. Two major approaches are to change the situation from which the conflict arises, or to deflect the conflict by re-orientating the goals of the parties. Clearly if it is feasibly, changing the situation offers a permanent solution to the problem. thus, redeploying individuals by giving them different roles or placing them in different groups may resolve interpersonal disputes. Reorganisation of work processes can reduce the points of interaction between conflicting groups. Making more resources available or changing the reward system can resolve disputes about pay or other conditions of employment. However, such solutions are not always practical, either for reasons of time, cost or acceptability.
Deflecting conflict by refocusing the goals of the conflicting parties is unlikely to bring about a permanent resolution to the problem. It can, however, limit the damaging consequences and allow normal relations and performance to continue in the short term whilst an acceptable permanent solution is found. This approach involves getting the parties to subjugate their conflict to the pursuit of some common goal which is identified as important to them (as individuals or groups). Such goals can be 'superordinate' i.e. over riding major organisational or group goals such as winning a contract or completing a major piece of work - or intermediate, where there are disputes about higher level goals.
Finally, we can identify more detailed strategies for handling conflict which can be deployed by management on both an interpersonal and/or in dealing with more major group conflicts:
- Avoidance - ignoring or suppressing the problem;
- Accomodation - allowing the other party to win and have his or her own way;
- Competition - battling the conflict out in an attempt to win it (with the risk that you may lose);
- Compromise - seeking a middle way by bargaining, with both parties giving up certain desired outcomes to achieve the satisfaction of others;
- Collaboration - seeking to satisfy the desired outcomes of both parties, often by changing the situation itself.
You and your team may be strong, so why not contact our Events Team to see how Eventus can help you to continue that way. Team Building is our speciality and our passion.
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