Understanding and Resolving
Conflict
Mark Smallwood
Brigham Young University
Agenda
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What is conflict?
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What is conflict’s role in business?
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Different views of conflict
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Kinds of conflict
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Stages of conflict resolution
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Methods of conflict resolution
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Group Exercise
•
Review
What is 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.
A Few Questions
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Is conflict bad for business?
•
What kind of conflict is seen in our
business?
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Does this conflict help or hurt our
performance?
Conflicts About Conflict’s Role
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Different Views
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Traditional View
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Human Relations View
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Interactionist View
Different Views
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Traditional View
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Conflict is bad!
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Same as violence, destruction, irrationality
Different Views
•
Human Relations View
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It’s going to happen, so cope with it!
Different Views
•
Interactionist View
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Functional conflict is good for business and even
encouraged
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Functional vs. dysfunctional conflict
Kinds of Conflict
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Task Conflict
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Low to moderate levels can be acceptable
•
Process Conflict
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Low levels can be acceptable
•
Relationship Conflict
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Almost always dysfunctional
The Conflict Process
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Four Stages
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Potential opposition
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Cognition and personalization
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Behavior
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Outcomes