Conflict and Change

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Conflict and Change
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CHAPTER OVERVIEW

• In any organization, conflicts and changes are
  bound to occur.
• Whether these are constructive or destructive
  forces depends significantly on the supervisors
  skills in managing conflict and change.
• Conflict is a positive force when it leads to
  necessary changes by signaling that a problem
  exists.
• When conflict involves anger at management or the
  organization, it may lead to destructive behavior.

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• Conflict puts some people under stress that may
  affect their productivity.
• The conflict may be within a person, or a person
  may have to make choices that cause internal
  conflict.
• Conflict may also arise between people, or
  interpersonal conflict.
• There may also be structural conflict, resulting
  from the way the organization is structured.

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• Several strategies are described for managing
  conflict.
• Compromise,
• ignoring,
• forcing solutions, and
• confronting and solving the problem.

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• Only confronting and solving the problem, or
  conflict resolution, tries to solve the
  underlying causes of problems.
• The other methods attempt to avoid the
  consequences of conflict.

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• The supervisor can
• be involved in conflict resolution,
• respond to a conflict, and
• mediate conflict resolution.
• He or she can initiate conflict resolution by
  interpreting the conflict in terms of the action
  causing the problem and the effects of that
  action.

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• When parties to the conflict are communicating in
  these terms, they can find a solution and agree
  on what each person will do.
• This is also the method used to respond to a
  conflict.

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• To mediate, the supervisor begins by establishing
  a constructive environment, and then asks each
  person to explain what the problem is and what he
  or she wants.
• The supervisor then
• restates the problem,
• asks for solutions, and
• encourages the parties to select a mutually
  beneficial solution.

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• Supervisors have
• legitimate power,
• which comes from their position in the
  organization
• referent power,
• which comes from the emotions they inspire in
  others
• expert power,
• which comes from their knowledge or skills
• coercive power,
• which comes from fear related to their use of
  force

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• reward power,
• which comes from giving people something they
  want
• connection power,
• which comes from their relationships to people in
  power and
• information power,
• which comes from the possession of valuable
  information..

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• Supervisors can use their power to gain a
  competitive edge in the organization.
• Some tactics for establishing a competitive edge
  are
• doing an exceptional job,
• spreading rumors and lies about peers, and
• taking credit for the work of others.

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• The last two approaches can backfire.
• When caught, the person who uses them can lose
  the trust of others.

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• Socializing has political implications.
• When socializing with others in the organization,
  the supervisor should use common sense, avoiding
  risky behavior such as getting drunk or dating a
  subordinate.
• In general, the supervisor should use common
  sense and act naturally.

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Conflict

• The struggle that results from
• incompatible or opposing needs,
• feelings,
• thoughts,
• demands
• within a person or
• between two or more people.

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• Conflict is a range of behaviors and feelings or
  emotional responses to behavior.
• Conflict can be a minor difference of opinion
  with a feeling of mild annoyance.
• At the other end of the range is war with
  feelings of hatred.
• The feelings may remain long after the conflict
  has been resolved.

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• Although we are most likely to think of conflict
  as negative, conflict can also result in positive
  outcomes.
• Conflict can bring about necessary changes.
• When conflict serves as a signal that a problem
  exists, it can stimulate creative response.

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• Supervisors need to understand the nature of
  conflict before they can respond effectively to
  it.
• Conflict can arise within an individual or
  between individuals or groups.

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• Conflict within an individual is called
  intrapersonal.
• The basic types of conflict involving more than
  one person are called
• interpersonal,
• structural, and
• strategic.

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Intrapersonal

• An intrapersonal conflict arises when a person
  has trouble selecting from among goals.
• Choosing one of two possible goals is easy if one
  is good and the other is bad.

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• Most choices fall into three categories (1) A
  choice between two good possibilities (2) A
  choice between mixed possibilities (3) A choice
  between two bad possibilities

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• In many cases, a supervisor lacks the expertise
  to resolve an intrapersonal conflict.
• If a supervisor notices an employee who is
  struggling with an intrapersonal conflict, he or
  she should consider referring that employee to a
  professional with skills to handle intrapersonal
  conflicts.

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Interpersonal

• Conflict between individuals is called
  interpersonal conflict.
• Supervisors may at be involved in conflict with
• their boss,
• an employee,
• a peer, or
• even a customer.

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• There may the also be conflict to manage between
  two or more of their employees.
• This type of conflict may arise from differing
  opinions,
• from misunderstandings about a situation, or
• from differences in values or beliefs.

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• Conflict between employees may be an indicator
  that their supervisor is not exercising enough
  leadership.
• Supervisors should establish and communicate
  guidelines for acceptable behavior.

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Structural

• Conflict that results from the way the
  organization is structured is called structural
  conflict.
• This may arise
• between line and staff personnel, or
• between departments such as production and
  marketing.

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• Because supervisors do not decide on the
  organizations structure, they are rarely able to
  reduce the amount of structural conflict.
• However, awareness of this type of conflict will
  help prevent supervisors from taking the issues
  personally.
• Structural conflict costs may be minimized if
  supervisors proceed cautiously and diplomatically
  in conflict areas.

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Strategic

• Sometimes management or an individual will
  intentionally bring about a conflict in order to
  achieve an objective.
• For example, a contest may cause conflicts
  between
• employees,
• departments, or
• divisions of an organization.

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• Most people have experienced all of the types of
  conflict listed above.
• They may have strategies for managing conflict.
• However, supervisors may have to learn new
  strategies to ensure they are able to achieve the
  organizational and department goals, and to
  maintain good morale in the department.

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• The text includes several strategies for conflict
  management.
• Compromise
• Avoidance and smoothing
• Forcing a solution

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Compromise.

• This means that the parties to the conflict
  settle on a solution that gives each of them part
  of what he or she wanted.
• No one gets exactly what he or she wanted, but no
  one loses entirely either.
• Compromise does not really solve the underlying
  problem.
• Therefore, it is most useful for relatively minor
  problems and when time is limited.

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Avoidance and smoothing.

• Conflict is managed by avoiding it or pretending
  that no conflict exists.
• Avoiding conflicts does not make them go away,
  and it does not make opposing points of view any
  less valid or significant.
• These strategies are most useful for conflicts
  that are not serious and for which a solution
  would be more difficult than the problem.

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• Conflict Management Responding to problems
  stemming from conflict.See the conflict
  resolution strategy below.
• Compromise Settling on a solution that gives
  each person part of what he or she wanted no one
  gets everything, and no one completely loses.
• Smoothing Managing a conflict by pretending it
  doesnt exist

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• However, ongoing conflict has negative
  consequences.
• It can lead to increased stress and lost
  productivity. Depending on the source of the
  conflict, the people involved may be angry at
  management or the organization and may vent their
  anger in ways that are destructive to the
  organization.

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• A cultural-related issue is that people in many
  non-Western cultures believe it is best to avoid
  conflicts.
• In these cultures, people place higher value on
  harmony than on confronting and solving problems.

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Forcing a Solution.

• The supervisor may want to try a direct approach
  to ending a conflict.
• A forced solution means that a person with power
  single-handedly decides on what the outcome will
  be.
• Forcing a solution is a relatively fast way to
  manage a conflict, and it can therefore be the
  best approach in an emergency.
• However, it can leave bad feelings, which may
  lead to future conflict.

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Confrontation or Problem Solving.

• The most direct, and sometimes difficult, way to
  manage conflict is to confront the problem and
  solve it.
• This is also called conflict resolution.

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• It requires listening to both sides and
  attempting to understand, rather than to place
  blame.
• Parties in the conflict need to identify the
  areas in which they agree and the ways they can
  both benefit from possible solutions.
• Both parties should examine their own feelings
  and take their time at reaching a solution.
• This creative approach can leave both sides
  feeling like winners.

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• There are three different supervisor-conflict
  relationships.
• The first is when the supervisor has a conflict
  with another person.
• The second type is when another person has a
  conflict with the supervisor.
• The third situation is when the supervisor is
  asked to mediate, or help others resolve a
  conflict that does not directly involve the
  supervisor.

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• In each case the supervisor starts with
  understanding the problem.

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Initiating Conflict Resolution.

• The first step is to understand the conflict.
• Focus on behavior.
• State politely to the other person what action is
  causing the problem and how that action affects
  you and others.
• Then listen to how the other person responds.
• If the other person doesnt acknowledge that
  there is a problem, restate your concern until
  the other person understands or until it is clear
  that you cant make any progress on your own.

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• Often a conflict exists simply because the other
  person hasnt realized your point of view or your
  situation.
• When you can communicate about the problem, you
  can work together on a solution.
• Restate the solution to be sure you are both in
  agreement.

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Responding to a Conflict.

• Sometimes the supervisor is a party to a conflict
  that is bothering someone else.
• Again understand the problem.
• Listen to the other person and try to understand
  what the problem is really about.
• If the other person is emotional, let him or her
  vent his or her feelings, then get down to
  discussing the problem.
• Avoid statements of blame, and find out what
  specific actions the other person is referring to.

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• Understanding the problem can be complicated if
  one of the people involved has a hidden agenda.
  
• A hidden agenda is a central concern that is left
  unstated.
• Usually this means that the anger is about
  something else, but those feelings are directed
  at some other issue.

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• If the other persons feelings seem to be out of
  proportion to the problem he or she is
  describing, it is probably worthwhile to look for
  a hidden agenda.
• Finding one can save you from trying to resolve
  the wrong conflict.
• When you understand the problem, build an
  environment for working together on a solution.

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Mediating Conflict Resolution.

• Sometimes the supervisor is not personally
  involved in a conflict, but the parties ask the
  supervisor for help in resolving their conflict.
• If the parties to the conflict are peers of the
  supervisor, getting involved can be risky.
• If the parties are the supervisors employees,
  then mediating the conflict is part of the
  supervisors job and an important way to keep the
  department functioning as it should.

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• Steps for mediating a conflict include
• (1) Establish a constructive environment.
• Focus on the issue.
• Avoid name calling.
• (2) Ask each person to explain what the problem
  is.
• Get each to be specific and respond to the other
  persons charges.
• (3) When everyone seems to understand what the
  problem is, have each employee state what he or
  she wants to accomplish or what will satisfy him
  or her.

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• (4) Restate in your own words what each persons
  position have is.
• (5) Have all participants suggest as many
  solutions as they can.
• Begin to focus on the future.
• (6) Encourage the employees to select a solution
  that benefits all of them.
• Combine or modify suggestions as necessary.
• (7) Summarize what has been discussed and agreed
  on.
• Make sure all participants know what they are
  supposed to do, and ask for their cooperation.

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• Change in society and in organizations is
  occurring at an ever-increasing rate.
• Changes in your organization may include a
• newly organized work force,
• world competition,
• fewer resources, and
• increasing and decreasing demands on production.

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• New employees, new management, new technology,
  and downsizing are just a few of the potential
  changes you may experience.
• The work force is changing to become increasingly
  older, and includes more racial and ethnic
  diversity and more women.

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• Many of the changes have happened in the past as
  well as the present.
• It is the rate of change that is different today.
  
• When change is slow and less complex, it is
  easier to absorb and adjust to.

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• Changes are not isolated incidents.
• Changes in financial resources affect who and how
  many employees are hired and trained.
• Changes in regulation or laws, for example, the
  Americans with Disabilities Act, can lead to
  changes in the facilities as well as changes in
  employee characteristics.

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• Any kind of change is uncomfortable to some
  degree.
• Uncertainty about your role or even the security
  of your job are not the only concerns.
• Both operative employees and supervisors may
  have misgivings about some of the changes
  introduced.
• Fears about change are sometimes well founded.

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• People resist change most when they arent sure
  what to expect or why the change is necessary.
• Also, when people dont understand the reasons
  for change, the effort to change doesnt seem
  worthwhile.

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Overcoming Resistance and Implementing Change

• The organization can overcome resistance to
  change by addressing the employees concerns.
• Because supervisors are closest to the operative
  employees, the organization relies heavily on the
  supervisor to do this.

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• The key to overcoming resistance is good
  communications.
• The supervisor should tell employees about a
  change as soon as he or she learns about it
• Explain what the change is, making sure they
  understand it
• Then explain how the change is likely to affect
  them.
• Be positive about the change and cite benefits to
  the employees.
• Also indicate how the organization is going to
  help employees cope with the change, such as what
  training is going to be provided.

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• Do not hide bad news such as layoffs.
• Give the employees the truth, acknowledging their
  fears and possibilities.
• People need emotional support during these times.
  
• The supervisor should give the employees plenty
  of opportunity to express their concerns and to
  ask questions.
• It is better to hear concerns and questions than
  for these thoughts to circulate in the rumor
  mill.
• Answer questions as soon as possible.

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• Some employees will think of questions only after
  some time has passed, so the supervisor should
  provide opportunities for employees to ask
  questions on an ongoing basis, not just at the
  time of the announcement.

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• Implementing change will be part of the
  supervisors job.
• The key is to build on successes.
• The supervisor should determine what aspects of
  the change he or she has control over, then seek
  to carry out those aspects of the change
  successfully.
• Use the planning skills learned.
• A key to implementing change is to build on
  successes.

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• The supervisor might have control over which
  people are directly involved in the change and
  the order in which people will get involved.
• Start with individuals who are already
  enthusiastic about the changes will help other
  employees in the department.

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• When a group of employees work together well and
  enjoys each others company, it makes sense to
  try to keep these employees together.
• When a change involves bringing together two
  groups of employees from different organizations,
  locations, or shifts, the supervisor might try
  teaming up employees from each group in order to
  build cooperation.

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• People form habits and beliefs that support their
  behaviors and attitudes.
• When procedures or job requirements change, it
  means that individuals must break old habits and
  learn new habits.
• Employees and supervisors are likely to slip back
  into old ways of doing a task.
• Follow up is necessary to keep people on track.

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• The supervisor should remind employees about what
  they have achieved so far and what is expected of
  them in the future.

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• Organization politics involves activities by
  which people seek to improve their position
  within the organization.
• Improving ones position is not in itself good or
  bad, and organization politics also is not
  necessarily good or bad.
• Political skills are important.
• They help the supervisor obtain the cooperation
  and support of others in the organization.

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• The usual way that people use politics is to
  improve their position by gaining power.
• Power is the ability to influence people to
  behave in a certain way.
• Position power is power that comes from ones
  formal role in an organization.
• Personal power is power that arises from ones
  personal characteristics.

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• Power can come from both the position of a person
  in the organization and from personal
  characteristics.
• Every supervisor has some position power with
  regard to the employees he or she supervises.
• Higher-level managers have a greater degree of
  position power than supervisors.

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• Because a person does not need to be a manager in
  an organization to have personal power, the
  supervisor may find that employees view one of
  their co-workers as having more power than the
  supervisor.
• For example, if a change is to be made in the
  organization, an employee may successfully urge
  everyone to rally around the new plan, or may
  undermine morale by making fun of the change.

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• Supervisors cannot eliminate personal power in
  subordinates, but they should be aware of it in
  order to use it to their advantage.
• For example, supervisors can seek ways to get the
  informal leaders on their side.

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• Supervisors can have a variety of types of power.
  
• If supervisors have less position power than they
  would like, they might consider the following
  types of power to see whether there are some they
  can develop.

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Sources of Power

• Legitimate Power
• Charismatic Power
• Expert Power
• Coercive Power
• Reward Power
• Connection Power
• Information Power

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• Legitimate power comes from the position a person
  holds.
• To exercise legitimate power effectively, the
  supervisor needs to be sure employees understand
  what they are directed to do and are able to do
  it.

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• Charismatic power comes from the emotions a
  person inspires.
• People like working for supervisors who have a
  winning personality that includes enthusiasm,
  energy, and genuine enjoyment of the job.
• Employees will perform beyond the call of because
  they want the supervisor to like them.

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Expert Power

• Expert Power comes from a persons knowledge or
  skills.
• Employees respect supervisors who know their job
  better than they do and will follow supervisors
  instructions.

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• Coercive power arises from fear related to the
  use of force.
• This type of power tends to get results in the
  short run, but in the long run employees come to
  resent the supervisor and may try to get around
  him or her.

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• Reward power arises from giving people something
  they want.
• A supervisor who plans to rely on reward power to
  lead employees had better be sure that he or she
  is able to give out rewards consistently.

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• Connection power stems from a persons
  relationship to someone powerful.
• Connection power can be a problem for the
  organization and its managers when people who
  have it place the interests of their relationship
  ahead of the interests of the organization.

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• Information power comes from possessing valuable
  information.
• For example, secretaries of top managers have
  information power as well as connection power.

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Common Strategies for Organization Politics

• A persons political strategies are the methods
  used to acquire and keep power within the
  organization.
• The following strategies are commonly used
• Do favors
• Making good impressions
• Cultivating the grapevine
• Supporting the boss
• Avoid negativism
• Giving praise

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Do Favors

• People remember favors and are generally willing
  to help out or say a good word in return.
• However, doing favors solely to create an
  obligation is unethical.

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Making Good Impressions

• Those who are skilled at organization politics
  know that it is important to create a positive
  image of themselves.

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Cultivating the Grapevine

• Knowledge is power

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Supporting the Boss

• The supervisors boss can be a powerful ally.
• Help the boss look good.

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Avoid Negativism

• People have more respect for those who propose
  solutions than for those who merely criticize

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Giving Praise

• People like to be praised, and written
  compliments are especially valuable

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• At the heart of organization politics is building
  a base of power.
• An important way in which supervisors can build
  their power base is to please their boss.
• Peers and subordinates who recognize that a
  supervisor has a close relationship with his or
  her boss tend to treat the supervisor carefully
  to avoid antagonizing the boss.

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• Another approach is to do favors so that others
  will be in his or her debt.
• Doing favors can help the supervisor with one of
  the other techniques for building a power base,
  developing alliances with others in the
  organization.
• The supervisor who has many people on his or her
  side is able to get more done and to build a good
  reputation.

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• Organization members seek to gain a competitive
  edge, so that when raises, promotions, and choice
  assignments are handed out they will be the
  recipients.
• Ethical efforts to establish a competitive edge
  are generally based on trying to do an
  exceptional job.

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• Some unethical approaches include spreading lies
  and rumors about peers and taking credit for the
  ideas and work of ones subordinates.
• Trying to look good at the expense of someone
  else may be effective at first, but in the long
  run the user of this tactic winds up the biggest
  loser.
• In the long run, the most successful way to look
  exceptional is to produce exceptional results.

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• At many organizations, part of the game of
  getting ahead includes socializing with
  co-workers.
• Depending on the supervisors behavior,
  socializing can be helpful or can put an end to
  his or her career growth.
• Getting roaring drunk at a party is likely to
  lead the supervisor to behave foolishly and say
  things he or she will regret later.
• Likewise, dating a subordinate is an invitation
  to problems. in general, the wisest course is to
  be sensible but natural.