Conflict Management, a chapter of Organisational Behaviour for Human Resource Managers. It includes sources of conflict, types of conflict, conflict management styles and a case study on conflict. It also shows measures that can be taken for conflict prevention.

2. Presentation Flow

3. What is Conflict?
- disagreement, struggle,
fight, incompatible
Why manage the
conflicts?
unmanaged conflict can have
expensive legal consequences as
people seek litigation as a way to
resolve disputes
high level of negative conflict can
cause employee dissatisfaction,
expensive turnover & decreased
productivity
managing conflict is important
because when done well it can
become a catalyst for creativity,
innovation & organizational
learning.

4. We’ll See them in the reverse order!
(and with a taste of conflicts in our Movies!)

5. The expectation that others
should be dependent often
results in conflicts are
stereotyped relationships.
Relationships
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6. Many groups work towards
uniform norms or standards
of behavior, but
expectations of uniformity
may lead to intolerance of
differences.
Varied
Norms
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6
BABUJI NE KAHA GAON CHHOD DO ... SAB NE
KAHA PARO KO CHHOD DO ... PARO NE KAHA
SHARAB CHHOD DO ... AAJ TUMNE KEH DIYA
HAWELI CHHOD DO ... EK DIN AAYEGA JAB WOH
KAHENGE, DUNIYA HI CHHOD DO VARIED
NORMS HI CHODD DO.

7. Ideology is a comprehensive
set of normative beliefs,
conscious and unconscious
ideas, that an individual,
group or society has.
Ideologies
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8. Power can be conceptualized as a
mutual interaction between
characteristics of a person and
characteristics of a situation
where a person uses resources to
achieve various goals through
strategies of influence.
People’s moral orientation
towards power varies on the basis
of
1. Degree of moral development
2. Degree of egalitarian
sentiment
3. Perception of scope and justice
Power
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9. Inter as well as Intra Group
Conflict arise due to Sharing of
scarce resources expressed in
terms of money, time, materials,
etc.
This scarcity in the era of
competition often lead team to
uncut each other. There is always
a scene of Inter-Department
Conflict within an organisation.
Resources
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10. Goal conflict is a business term
that typically refers to either
strategy or data plans that are
made but cannot be effectively
completed because of inherent
differences and problems
between goals.
Some goals are independent and
do not affect each other at all, but
many goals are interdependent
and depend on the same
resources, systems or workers to
be accomplished.
When multiple goals intersect,
goal conflict can occur and reduce
work efficiency.
Different
Goals
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2
(Taare Zameen
Par)

11. Concern with
Self
Knowing thyself" is an in-
depth understanding of
"who I am" and "how I
am".
Self-awareness occurs as
the result of experiencing
some sort of inner or
outer conflict which tugs
on our sleeve and forces
us to change. One of the
results of such
transformation is that we
often change our value
system which is reflected
in new ways of thinking,
being and doing.
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1
People can relate to one
another on the basis of a
"task orientation" or on the
basis of a "relationship
orientation".
Task orientation centers
around functions, roles and
business strategies and
tactics.
Relationship orientation
centers around trust,
safety, understanding,
respect and sensitivity.
Effective conflict resolution
must rest on the fulcrum of
relationship orientation, on
people, not processes.

12. Veridical
Contingent
Misattributed
Latent
False
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1
0
2
0
3
0
4
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5
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Displaced

13. Veridical0
1
In this situation both the parties faces
disagreement between them when it
comes to interest.
These kind of conflicting situations
are very hard to resolve, & can only
get resolved with the “loss” of one
party.
Either of the two parties have to
compromise by agreeing to an
Contingent0
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When the circumstances are not
properly arranged by the parties this
gives rise to an unavoidable conflicting
situation which both the parties aren't
aware off.
So, a solution can not be easily drawn
by adopting other alternative
measures to resolve the crisis

14. 0
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Displaced
In a displaced conflict, the
disputants, for some reason,
aren’t fighting about what’s really
bothering them.
For example, a tenant who is
unhappy with a rent increase but,
instead raises a fuss about
chipped paint is involved in a
displaced conflict.
Misattribute
d
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Misattribute conflicts are similar to
displaced conflicts, except that, instead of
the right people fussing over the wrong
conflict, the fight is being picked with the
wrong people.
Typically, there is a reason that disputants
are avoiding the underlying conflict.

15. Latent0
5
Latent conflict is the stage in which
factors exist in the situation which
could become potential conflict
inducing forces. Four basic types of
latent conflict are :
1. Competition for scarce resources.
2. Drive for autonomy
3. Divergence of goals
4. Role conflict.
False0
6
This is the occurrence of conflict
when there is no objective basis
for it. In a climate of suspicion,
false conflicts multiply, based on
and fanned by rumours.

16. The Approach mode is
characterized as low assertiveness
and high cooperativeness. That is
to say that when a person chooses
this approach to managing
conflict, they are willing to listen
to other people’s concern. It also
includes foregoing some of one’s
own concerns to satisfy the
concerns of others.
The goal of the avoiding style is to
avoid making a decision at
whatever cost. Neither your
concerns nor the concerns of the
other party need be satisfied.
Obviously, this style is only
appropriate when the issues are of
low importance, or it is clear to both
parties that the consequences of
delay in making a decision will be
minimal (or perhaps more
information is forthcoming).

17. •Extreme avoidance
mode
•None of the contending
parties try to resolve
•Hope that solutions
might emerge over time
•Fatal in nature
1. Resignation:
Withdrawal can be of four
forms─
Ø From the situation
Ø From the relationship
with the out-group
Ø Physical separation
Ø Defining the boundaries
of interaction with the
out-group
2.Withdrawal

18. Deals with buying temporary
peace. Notably:
Emphasis on agreeing to the
demands of the out group.
The demands of the out group are
abided to only because the in group
wants to postpone the conflict.
Potrays the ingroup as weak and
submissive.
Conflicts mostly remains
unresolved even to the extent that
the crisis at hand deteriorates.
3. Appeasement
Deals with buying time for dealing
with the conflict. 3 Modes:
To lay emphasis on defusing the
emotional overtones i.e waiting for
the situation to 'cool down’. It is
hoped that with the passage of
time, emotions will settle down and
the groups will come together to
deal with real issues.
To appeal to the good sense of both
the groups.
To develop a temporary
arrangement interaction through a
third party.
4. Defusion

19. Confrontation is the direct
expression of one’s view (thought
and feelings) of the conflict
situation and an invitation for the
other party to express his views.
Confrontation leads to ‘win-lose
trap’, some of them includes:
The win lose orientation
Closing ranks and increasing
cohesion
Leadership consideration
Positional contrast
Attack and counter attack
1. Confrontation
Arbitration is a process whereby
parties to a contract submit disputes
arising between them to an
independent third party for
resolution.
Benefits of Arbitration:
Confidentiality
Expert Arbitrator
Party Autonomy
Finality of the award
Enforceability of award
2. Arbitration

20. This is the process of sharing in
the gain without resolving the
conflict.
This may be done by bargaining.
Compromise is often used in
conflicts between managements
and unions.
If the management is interested
in fulfilling certain export orders,
they may agree to increase
incentives and the union may
agree to work for longer hours
for that time.
3. Compromise
The Negotiation mode of
conflict resolution is the most
mature of the approach style
modes.
Negotiation is possible only
when the out-group is perceived
both as interested in peace and
as reasonable.
Negotiation involves continuous
interaction and dialogue
between the groups in order to
find a solution with maximum
advantages to both.
4. Negotiation

21. Using a proactive approach
Complete involvement
Participative decision-making
Collaboration and team building

22. Swedish bus manufacturing firm
Volvo saw a strike for 72 days by
workers.
The strike proceeded as the
management continued to push
forward production using a
combination of less experienced
trainees, probationers and other
assorted contract workers hired from
staffing agencies.
The genesis of the conflict lies in the
low wages at the factory. After
continuous demands from the
workers for higher wages – the
management consented to give a
salary hike of a measly Rs. 650 in July
2009.
Location
Volvo India Pvt Ltd (Factory),
Yalachalli, Tavarekere Post,
Tavarekere Hoskote,
Near NH4 High Way,
Bangalore - 562122,
Karnataka, India.
(Case Study Sourced from: Secki P
JoseNewsclick, 2011)

23. (2 MONTHS later) The VBWU presented its official charter of demands to the
management in January 2010. The negotiations went on for a long time and came
to a conclusion only at 5:30pm on that day.
It was the wrong decision of Raghu ram who was a manager in the
administration who asked the buses to leave at 5:35pm, five minutes
before their usual time which agitated the workers. On the same day
the management suspended the representatives of the Union and two
others.
THE THRIFT
When the workers asked for a
higher wage uptick, the
management of Volvo insisted
that they would only negotiate
with a recognized union.
Following this requirement Volvo
Bus Workers Union (VBWU) and
was registered in October 2009.

24. With no progress in sight, in August 2010, the workers went on a
full-strike demanding the required wage hike that had never
materialized and the reinstatement of their union representatives.
RESTING THE GRIEVANCES
The strike led to tripartite negotiations and
successfully ended with the long awaited
wage settlement (valid for three years) with
salaries increasing in the range of Rs 3,500-
5,000 for the employees.
However the workers facing increased
harassment at the workplace, the workers
saw no other option but to go on strike again
on August 2, 2011, the strike was withdrawn
after the management agreed on one key
demand: the long-pending confirmation of
the services of trainees and probationers.

25. Thank You!