Conflict, Power, and Politics

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Chapter 12

• Conflict, Power, and Politics

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Chapter Outline

• The Nature of Conflict
• Causes of Conflict
• Conflict Escalation and Outcomes
• Responses to Conflict
• Conflict Resolution Techniques
• Bases of Power
• Organizational Politics

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The Nature of Conflict

• Conflict one party perceives its interests
• are being negatively affected by another party
• Dysfunctional conflict
• Interferes with performance
• Take time, resources, and emotional energy
• Functional conflict
• Beneficial results

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The Nature of Conflict
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The Nature of Conflict

• Relationship Conflict
• Goals, values, or personalities
• Negatively affect performance
• Process Conflict
• Responsibilities and how work should be completed
• Negatively affect performance
• Task Conflict
• Work content and goals
• Potential to improve performance

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Effects of Conflict on Task Performance
Task Conflict
Relationship Conflict
Process Conflict
Task Performance
Degree of Conflict
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Causes of Conflict
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Causes of Conflict

• Structural factors
• Increased specialization
• Interdependence among parties
• Physical layout
• Centralization versus decentralization

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Causes of Conflict

• Communication
• Too much
• Too little
• Cognitive factors
• Differing expectations
• Perceptions of the other party

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Causes of Conflict

• Individual characteristics
• Personality
• Value differences
• Goals
• History
• Past performance
• Previous interactions

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Conflict Escalation

• Conflict escalation is more likely when
• Cultural differences exist
• Parties have a history of antagonism
• Parties have insecure self-images
• Status differences are uncertain
• Parties have strong ties to each other
• Parties do not identify with one another
• One or both parties has the goal of beating the
  other

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Conflict Outcomes
High
Win-Lose
Win-Win
Compromise
Satisfaction of self
Lose-Lose
Lose-Win
Low
High
Satisfaction of other
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Responses to Conflict
High
Competing
Collaborating
Assertiveness
Compromising
Avoiding
Accommodating
Low
High
Cooperativeness
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Responses to Conflict

• Collaborating
• Preferred approach
• Parties do not have perfectly opposing interests
• Trust information sharing
• Avoiding
• If issue is trivial or time is needed to cool off
• Increases frustration

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Responses to Conflict

• Competing
• You are correct dispute requires quick solution
• Other party may take advantage of more
  cooperative strategies
• Accommodating
• Other party has more power than you
• Issue not as important to you
• May motivate other party to take advantage

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Responses to Conflict

• Compromising
• Both parties have equal power
• Under time pressures
• Collaborating is the only style that is purely
  win/win oriented
• Goal is to learn to apply different conflict
  styles to different situations

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Conflict Resolution

• Make a diagnosis
• Diagnosis best carried out by third party
• Functional or dysfunctional?
• Cause of the conflict?
• Expectations of the parties?

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Conflict Resolution

• Select appropriate conflict-management response
• Determine situational factors
• Select response that will help resolve the
  conflict
• Competing, accommodating, avoiding, compromising,
  collaborating?

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Conflict Resolution

• Select appropriate conflict-resolution tactics
• Those that can be used to achieve win-lose or
  lose win
• Those that can be used to achieve win-win
• Those that can be used to compromise

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Conflict Resolution

• Implement resolution technique
• Follow up
• Monitor the solution follow up to ensure that
  the conflict has been resolved

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Power in Organizations

• Ability of those who hold it to achieve the
  outcomes they desire
• Negative connotation
• Little would be accomplished if not exercised on
  a regular basis

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Power in Organizations
Sources of Power

• Legitimate
• Reward
• Coercive
• Expert
• Referent

Substitutability Centrality Discretion Visibility
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Bases of Power

• Position Power
• Legitimate
• Reward
• Coercive

• Personal Power
• Expert
• Referent

Legitimate Reward Coercive
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Contingencies of Power

• Power bases generate power under certain
• conditions contingencies determine the
• extent to which people can leverage their
• power
• Substitutability
• Centrality
• Discretion
• Visibility

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Power in Organizations
Sources of Power

• Legitimate
• Reward
• Coercive
• Expert
• Referent

Substitutability Centrality Discretion Visibility
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Contingencies of PowerSubstitutability

• Controlling tasks
• Legislation preventing outsiders from performing
  tasks
• Controlling knowledge
• Restrict enrollment in ed programs
• Controlling labor
• Unions controlling availability of labor
• Differentiation
• Unique resource

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Contingencies of PowerCentrality

• Centrality degree and nature of
• interdependence
• Number of people affected
• Speed others are affected

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Contingencies of PowerDiscretion

• Discretion freedom to exercise judgment,
• make decisions without permission or
• referring to rules
• Supervisors often judged not on discretionary
  skills but ability to follow rules
• Less power

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Contingencies of PowerVisibility

• Visibility only when a persons source
• of power is visible (known to others) will
• it be meaningful
• People-oriented jobs
• Projects requiring frequent interaction with
  senior executives
• Visible, face time
• Symbolic cues
• Mentoring

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Power in Organizations
Sources of Power
Consequences of Power
Expert
Referent
Legitimate
Reward
Coercive
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Power in Organizations

• Soft rather than hard tactics
• Consider influencers power base
• Consider relative position of person being
  influenced
• Higher, lower, or same
• Consider cultural values
• Consider employment relationships