Organizational Conflict: Strategy, Leadership, Resolution Framework, and Managerial Implications Ashford Chea Stillman College
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Journal of Business & Leadership: Research, Practice, and Teaching (2005-2012) Volume 2 Article 6 Number 2 Journal of Business & Leadership 1-1-2006 organizational Conflict: Strategy, Leadership, Resolution Framework, and Managerial Implications Ashford Chea Stillman College Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.fhsu.edu/jbl Part of the Business Commons, and the Education Commons Recommended Citation Chea, Ashford (2006) "organizational Conflict: Strategy, Leadership, Resolution Framework, and Managerial Implications," Journal of Business & Leadership: Research, Practice, and Teaching (2005-2012): Vol. 2 : No. 2 , Article 6. Available at: http://scholars.fhsu.edu/jbl/vol2/iss2/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by FHSU Scholars Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Business & Leadership: Research, Practice, and Teaching (2005-2012) by an authorized editor of FHSU Scholars Repository. Journal of Business and Leadership: ReseChea:arch, Porganizationalra cti ce, and Teac hiConflict:ng Strategy, Leadership, Resolution Framewo 2006, Vol. 2, No. 2, 26 1-278 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT: STRATEGY, LEADERSHIP, RESOLUTION FRAMEWORK, AND MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS Ashford Chea, Stillman College This paper examines the concept, nature and characteristics of organizational conflict, and presented the relevant theoretical framework that serves as the conceptual foundation for his analyses, analyzes the sources of organizational conflict, discusses the role of leadership styles in managing organizational conflict, reviews models of conflict management strategies, and offers a framework for au effective functional conflict resolution system in organizations and outlined the implications for managers. INTRODUCTION T he tem1 conflict has been a common phenomenon because it is an inseparable part of an organization. People generally view conflict as ham1ful to C lassical organ izati on th eori sts believed that conflict organizations because conflict breeds hostili ty and produced in effi ciency and was un desirable, detrimenta l to mistrust among me mbers, interferes with organi zati onal the organizati on, and should be eliminated or at least functioning, and causes a breakdown of the min imized to the greatest extent possible. Views toward organizations. However, research indicates that conflict organi zational conflict changed when the social systems sometimes produces positive effects on organizati ons. and open system theory emerged. Organi zational confl ict For example, conflict sometimes stimulates innovative is now considered as legitimate, inevitable, and even a ideas (Bomstein & Erev, 1997; Putnam, 1994), and positive indicator of effective organizational conflict resolution can prompt re-organizati on and shape management. Moreover, it is now recognized that more effective and productive ways of management conflict within certain limits is essential to productivity (Walton, Cutcher-Genreshenfeld, & M ckersie, 1994). (Rahim, 1990); and that all human interaction is Conflict has been defined as a "process in which one fundamentall y based on confl ict (Tessier, Chaudron, & party perceives that its interests are being opposed or M uller, 2004). The central truth about confli ct is that it is negatively affected by another party" (Wall & Calli ster, essentiall y an ex pression of differences (Bar-Siman-Tov, 1995; Greens, Lesli e, & M ark , 200 1). Rahim ( 1990) 2004). Con fl ict fo rces us to recognize that diversity and identities conflict as an " interacti ve process manifested in differences are essential characteristi cs common to a ll incompatibility, disagreement or di ssonance within or human ex perience (LeBaron, 2003). Despite its adverse between social entities. Conflict can occur bet\veen effects, today con fl ict is viewed by most experts as a individuals, groups, organi zati ons, and even nati ons. potenti a ll y useful aspect of organization because it can be Today's organizations are becoming in creasingly an engine of innovation and change if properly dependent on groups as the centra l units of work. While channeled. This view recogni zes the neces ity of confli ct groups have the advantage o f pooling their coll ective and explicit! ; encourages a certain amount o f contToll cd resow·ces, their interdependent nature in evitabili ty creates con fl ict in organi zations (Cetin & Hacifazlioglu, 2004). conflict (Green, Lesli e, & Marks, 200 I). Furthennore, all Likewise. conflict is seen as an essenti al part of the conflict is normative. It is fun damental to the human problem-solvi ng process. It can also be used to improve experience and is a requisite o f a ll human interaction. b'Toup cooperation and increase project team performance Confli ct is simply the recognition and subsequent (Kezsbom, 1992; Rah im. 19 86; Thamhaim, 1975). expression of difference in human relati ons. With thi s Deutsch ( 1973) sta tes th at "conflict ex ists whenever understanding, leaders in organi zations have begun to incompatibl e activities occur," whil e Thomas ( 1976) acknowledge their own leadership roles and the essent ia l defines confl 1ct as '"the process which begins \\'hen one skill s set that re fl ect the key elements o f good con fl ict party perceives that anoth er has fru strated, or 1s about to management. Once the leaders understand how to appl y frustrate, some conccm o f his. " Moreove r, various oth er conflict management ski ll s in the ir role, th ey must clearly definiti ons ha,·e been proposed by other re searc hers in articul ate the essential structural characteristi cs of westem countries (Putnam. 1987; Rahim. 1986: conflict management as a day-to-day imperati ve of the Thamhain . 1975 ). A lthough the word ··eonllict'· organization (Porter-O ' Grady, 2004). commo nl y in vokes associations with anger, negati,·ny, 26 1 Published by FHSU Scholars Repository, 2006 1 Journal of Business & Leadership: Research, Practice, and Teaching (2005-2012), Vol. 2 [2006], No. 2, Art. 6 Chea Journal of Business and Leadership: Research, Practice, and Teaching argument, stres , vu lnerabili ty, and battl e, conflict itself Theoretical Foundation of the Paper is never inherentl y negati ve. Like so many other Galtung's ( 1996) tTiadic theory of conflict expen ence in li fe, conflict is what one makes o f it. transfom1ation is the theoretical base applied to the T homa ( 1976) has noted a fa mily of definiti ons of analyses of organi zational conflict management in this conflict, a ll of whi ch in corporate three themes: paper. There are three components to Galtung's theory of interdependence of the parti es, perceived incompatibility confli ct. T hey include: (a) attitude (which includes both of interests, and some fo m1 o f interaction. Confl ict may cogniti ve ideas and emotions), (b) behavior (which be defin ed as the interaction of interdependent people in vo lves both overt behavior and potential for aggressive who perceive incompatible goals and interference from or hosti le actions), and (c) contradiction (the values and each other in achi eving those goals. Hence, confli ct is interests, between parties or within one person, which are rooted in beli efs that peopl e ho ld about their own incompatible). A ll three elements are necessary for a full behavior and the behavior of others. T he backgrounds, fl edged confli ct to ex ist, and importantly, all involved cultures, values, feelings, and previous experi ences of the parties must be consciously aware of each element for a parties to a confli ct all influence thei r individual beliefs, conflict to be full y arti culated. What is more often the and through beliefs, the ir actions (Siders & case is that one or more conflict elements are latent Aschenbrener, 1999). (patiicularl y a & b). These are considered "structural" Dysfunctional and Functional Views of Organizational conflicts; they have full conflict potential but require Conflict orchestrati on of some sort to draw out the latent aspects. Thus, Gal tung argues, the obj ective of conflict analysis is The dysfunctional view of organi zational confli ct is to identi fy all of the conflict elements and the goal of e mbedded in the notion that organi zations are designed to conflict management is to facil itate conscious awareness achi eve goals by creatin g tTuctures that perfectly defin e of the elements r . the di sputants (a process he calls job responsib il iti es, authorities, and other job functions. "conscientization" (Bodtker & Jameson, 2001). This traditi onal view of organi zational conflict values Once conscientization is realized, the next pivotal orderli ness, stability and the repression of any confli ct aspect of Galtun g ' theory is the foc us on conflict that occurs. The functi onal vi ew of organi zational transfonnati on as opposed to resolution. Conflict conflict, on the other hand, sees confli ct as a productive management aimed so lely at resoluti on is destined to fail fo rce, one that can stimulate me mbers o f the organi zation because it stri ves onl y to deal with one part of the conflict to increase their knowledge and skill s as well as th eir formati on. For in stance, goal incompatibility or contributions to organizational innovation and contradicti on (c) is often taken to be resolved when productivity. Unlike the dysfunc ti onal view, thi s more manifested behavior changes (b). However, until one's modem approach considers that the key to organi zati onal attitude and emoti ons (a) are addressed and successfully s uccess li es not in stTucture, clari ty, and orderliness, but changed (become transfo m1 ed), the real or underl ying in creativi ty , responsiveness, and adaptabi li ty. T he conflict w ill reemerge. In other words, the inherent successfu l organi zation, then, needs func ti onal confl ict so contrad icti on, whi ch ex ists at the c-level, has concomi ta nt th at di vergi ng views are put on th e table and new ways of feelin gs (e.g., of anger, angst, di ssonance) and beliefs doi ng thin gs are created (Bacal, 2004).