BUSINESS AND LIFE: Conflict Management

I promised the article on the Film Industry two weeks ago, however, this article is delayed.  I don’t have a date for it but as soon as it is ready, it will appear on the B&L Column.

This week, I focus on Conflict Management and Resolution for this is an issue that is ever-present in the workforce, and with the frequency with which I am called for advice, I daresay it is growing.  Conflict is not only between supervisors and direct reports or among staff; it also exists among the management team.  Conflicts at all levels need to be managed properly, however, conflict among the management team is maybe the most critical, for if not managed properly, that can severely affect the work environment and staff morale.

Conflict is inevitable, however, it does not have to become disruptive.  Conflict comes from differences.  Schmidt & Tannenbaum writing in 1960 but still relevant today, states that three questions need to be asked, “What is the nature of the difference? What factors underlie the difference? To what stage has the interpersonal difference evolved?

They contend that people differ base on facts, goals, method and values.  Let us look at each in turn:

Facts – Conflict occurs because people have different facts on a matter, have access to different pieces of relevant information, have different understanding of their job functions/roles and that of the other person, have different impressions or perceptions of their power and authority

Goals – Conflict occurs because of differences in the goals of a unit, department, organisation.  Persons have different goals, aspirations and motives and these differences can cause significant conflict.

Method – Conflict occurs because people differ in the methods to be used to achieve a particular goal, people have differing styles of management, leadership and communication.

Values – People have different values based on family upbringing, culture, religious beliefs and these in turn determine their ethical compass.  Ethics determines our sense of right or wrong, good or bad and can be serious source of conflict.

Now that we have examined the nature of the difference, it is important to determine the source of the difference, what Schmidt and Tannenbaum call the underlying factors.  They argue these factors could be informational, perceptual and role.  When people have different access to information or access to limited information, the source of the conflict is informational.  The cause of the conflict may be due to the different perspective people bring to the situation.  Our view is shaped by our experiences, knowledge, values and these can be a source of serious conflict.  Roles can also be a source of conflict.  A person’s position or role may determine the stance on a matter and may be a cause of conflict

Schmidt and Tannenbaum identified five stages of conflict: 1. Anticipation – one can expect a conflict depending on the information to be released; 2. Conscious but unexpressed differences – persons are aware of the conflict but have not expressed it – one can sense the tension though not expressed; 3. Discussion –the party’s talk about the issue; 4. Open Dispute – the discussion has led to the parties stating their dissenting positions and 5. Open Conflict – when the dispute is not resolved, an open conflict ensues.   They argue that the intervention strategies differ at the different stages and there is a greater chance of resolving the conflict at the earlier stages.

Let us use a practical example to test the theory put forward by Schmidt and Tannenbaum. A company has hired a person from outside the organisation to fill a vacant position.  There are a few persons in the company who believe that they are well qualified for the job and can do a great job, and they all have supporters among the staff.  The new employee commences work, and the existing staff looks with suspicion and barely concealed resentment, waiting with bated breath for the employee to fail.  Everything proposed by the new employee is met with resistance and the new employee continues to try to explain and introduce new ideas.  One day, there is an open dispute with the new employee and one of the persons who believe that they are well qualified for the job, which leads to an open conflict with persons taking sides.

According to Schmidt and Tannenbaum, the nature of the conflict is based on a combination of facts and methods.  The existing staff is of the view that the company did not have to recruit a new employee as there are persons in the company imminently qualified to do the job and the vacancy could be filled from within.  The cause of the conflict is a combination of informational, perceptual and role.  The manager(s) who took the decision to recruit from outside has different information, perception and role from the rest of the staff.  The manager(s) might be looking for a different outlook; fresh perspective and the new recruit might have some skills and competencies not possessed by the existing staff.  This conflict could have been avoided or minimized, if before the new recruit was recruited, the manager(s) explained that the new recruit was starting soon and the reasons for the decision.   We also see that the conflict went through all the stages outlined by Schmidt and Tannenbaum.

Another example: One employer believes that something she said in confidence to another was told to others and the employee is upset and disappointed in the employee in whom he had confided.  The employee says nothing however the resentment grows and the employee finds it increasingly difficult to be civil and eventually an open dispute breaks out and a full-blown conflict between the employees.  In the meantime, friends of both parties take sides and the conflict now escalates to include the other employees. The conflict is based on facts – base on the different information the two main parties possess – one feels betrayed while the other has no idea the reason for the change in the friendship.  The source is informational and perceptual, based mainly on perceptiosn of betrayal, (not yet proven) and information available to one party and not the other.  This conflict passes through 4 of the five stages, as it is difficult to expect that the conflict on this front could have been anticipated.  Though one can argue, that one has to be aware that not all persons can maintain a confidence, and so one has to determine what one share sand to whom.

Next week, we look at some conflict management strategies.

Until we meet again, May the Lord Continue to Keep Us in the Palm of His Hands.

Valda Frederica Henry, VF Inc.’s CEO and Principal Trainer is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), Certified Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Practitioner, holds a PhD in Industrial Relations & Business, a Masters in Business Administration and a BSc Management Studies. 

VF Inc. is a Human Resource & Finance Consultancy firm with a Training and Recruitment arm, and the producer and host of a live TV program “The Cutting Edge of Business”.