Conflict Management
Principles of Management
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Objectives
 IDENTIFY conflict resolution techniques.
 ANALYZE potential causes for conflict
and their effects.
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Conflict
 Conflict involves disagreement, variance,
or opposition between interests.
 Conflict exists whenever two or more
parties disagree.
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Conflict Points to Consider
 Coping with conflict successfully
 Inability to handle conflict effectively
 May spend 20 percent of your time
resolving conflicts.
 Understanding how to confront and manage
conflict
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Causes of Conflict
 External Factors
 Factors that surround and affect all members equally
 Internal Factors
 Factors that are major causes of conflict between
individuals who work together toward a common goal
 Behaviors of Others (Interpersonal Conflict)
 Behaviors we perceive as annoying or irritating
(Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 1994)
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Effects of Conflict
 Constructive
 Helps the group achieve its objectives
 Promotes change by raising problems and
encouraging better solutions
 Destructive




Hinders the group from achieving its objectives
Reduces cooperation and teamwork
Brings about hostility
Undermines the system and the people within it
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Common Responses to Conflict
 Avoidance
 Look the other way; ignore the issue; deny that conflict exists
 Diffusion
 Temporarily cool off; delay the issue; gradually surface an
avoided conflict
 Confrontation
 Use your authority, position, and/or group majority/minority to
resolve conflict
 Negotiation
 Share information and make alternative solutions available—
both sides win
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Conflict Resolution Approach
 Win/Lose: I win; you lose
 Lose/Win: I lose; you win
 Lose/Lose: I lose; you lose
 Win: I win; you can either win or lose
 Win/Win: I win; you win
 Win/Win or No Deal: If we cannot find a solution
that would benefit both of us, we agree to disagree
(Covey, 1989)
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Four-Step Method of Conflict
Management
Step 1: See the problem from the other person’s
point of view.
Step 2: Identify key issues and concerns involved.
Step 3: Determine what results would constitute a
fully acceptable solution.
Step 4: Identify new options to achieve those
results.
(Covey, 1989)
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Where Do You See Conflict?
Scenario
During a deployment, a small group of Sailors:
 Hogs the TV/DVD in the crew lounge, and
 Continually watches horror films
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