This document provides an overview of conflict management. It begins with definitions of conflict and discusses causes and types of conflict including functional vs. dysfunctional conflict and levels of conflict within organizations, groups and individuals. Characteristics and signs of conflict are outlined. Views of conflict and types such as task and relationship conflict are described. Steps to resolve conflict including confrontation, problem solving and identifying alternative solutions are provided. Strategies for coping with conflict such as avoidance, competition, accommodation, compromise and collaboration are summarized. The document concludes with a discussion of productive vs. unproductive conflict.

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AN ASSIGNMENT ON
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
for
Post Graduate Diploma in Management
(Tourism and Leisure)
(Approved by AICTE, Govt. of India)
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TOURISM AND TRAVEL MANAGEMENT,
A 35 & 36, Sector 62
Noida 201309 (UP) India
Submitted By Submitted To
Abhay Parihar Mr. Rinzing Lama
Akhil Gupta Assistant Professor IITTM Noida
Shubham Raikwar
Bidhu Bhushan Mishra

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CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Introduction
Students bring different ideas, goals, values, beliefs and needs to their teams and these
differences are a primary strength of teams. These same differences inevitably lead to conflict,
even if the level of conflict is low. Since conflict is inevitable, one of the ways in which faculty
members can help students improve their abilities to function on multidisciplinary teams is to
work with them to develop their understanding of conflict and their capabilities to manage and
resolve conflict.
Meaning of Conflict
The Latin word conflictus, a "striking together with force", implies disagreement,
discord, and friction among members of a group; interaction where words, emotions,
and actions "strike together" to produce disruptive effects.
Conflict is an unavoidable outgrowth of group life, for by entering into relations with
others we must negotiate and renegotiate our undertakings and our outcomes.
An expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties who perceive
incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference from the other party in achieving
their goals
A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively
affected or about to affect something that the first party cares about
Conflict is when two or more values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in
nature and haven't been aligned or agreed.
Group of people with Complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose,
performance and goals bring different ideas, values, and beliefs. These same differences
inevitably lead to conflict.
Conflict is when two or more people have differences in ideas/views and are not ready
to understand or accept each other’s ideas/views.

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Characteristics of conflict
Interpersonal conflict requires at least two people. (Conflict within one’s self, or
interpersonal conflict, generally is studied by psychologists. Communication
students and scholars are interested in communication between people. )
Conflict inherently involves some sense of struggle or incompatibility or
perceived difference among values, goals, or desires.
Action, whether overt or covert, is key to interpersonal conflict. Until action or
expression occurs, conflict is latent, lurking below the surface.
Power or attempts to influence inevitably occur within conflicts. If the parties
really don’t care about the outcome, the discussion probably doesn’t rise to the
level where we call it a conflict. When people argue without caring about what
happens next or without a sense of involvement and struggle, it probably is just a
disagreement
Conflict Management
Conflict management seeks to limit the negative aspects and increase the positive
aspects of conflict by implementing certain strategies. It aims to enhance learning and
group outcomes
Conflict management is the principle that all conflict cannot necessarily be resolved
but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of non productive
escalation.
It involves skills related to conflict resolution, self awareness about conflict modes,
conflict communication skills and establishing a structure for management of conflict in
your environment.
Conflict management is defined as “the opportunity to improve situations and
strengthen relationships”
It helps to manage the conflict inside the organization.
Is the practice of being able to identify and handle conflicts sensibly, fairly, and
efficiently. Since conflicts in a business are a natural part of the workplace, it is

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important that there are people who understand conflicts and know how to resolve
them.
Conflict might escalate and lead to non-productive results, or conflict can be beneficially
resolved and lead to quality final products. Therefore, learning to manage conflict is
integral to a high-performance team.
Conflict management is the principle that all conflicts cannot necessarily be resolved,
but learning how to manage conflicts can decrease the odds of non-productive
escalation. Conflict management involves acquiring skills related to conflict resolution,
self-awareness about conflict modes, conflict communication skills, and establishing a
structure for management of conflict in your environment.
Causes of conflict
Conflicting of aims, goals, ideas, attitudes, behavior, styles, roles, perceptions,
resources, pressures
Different interpretations, opinions, goals
Differences regarding authority, authority, methodology, Ideological, behaviour
Personal Values
Unpredictable Policies
Personality Clashes
Management Style
Lack of cooperation
Competition
Interest
Competing Work and Family Demands
Poor Relationship Skills
Lack of Communication
Fear
Dishonesty

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Boundaries
Negligence
Signs and Symptoms
Backbiting
Undermining activities
Cloistering
The blame game
Tension
Power brokering
Withholding of information
Sabotage
No desire to communicate
Work not done properly
Disastrous meetings
Failing productivity
Failing productivity
Bad tempers are evident
View of conflict
I. Traditional view
II. Human Relations view
III. Integrationist View
Traditional view:

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The belief that all conflicts are harmful and must be avoided
Human relations view:
That belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group
Integrationist view:
The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in group but that it is absolutely
necessary for a group to perform effectively
Types of conflict
Functional – works toward the goals of an organization or group.
Constructive
Increase information & ideas
Encourages innovative thinking
Unshackles different points of view
Reduce stagnation
Dysfunctional – blocks an organization or group from reaching its goals
Tension, anxiety, stress
Drives out low conflict tolerant people
Reduce trust
Poor decision because of withheld or distorted
Reduce information
Levels of Conflict
I. Organizational Conflict
II. Group Conflict

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III. Individual Conflict
Organizational Conflict- (Within & between organization)
The discord that arises when goals, interests or values of different individuals
groups are incompatible and those people block or thwart each other’s efforts to
achieve their objectives.
Types of Organizational Conflict
1. Intra-organization Conflict - Conflict that occurs within an organization
Such a conflict occurs at interfaces of organization functions
It can occur along the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the organization
a. Vertical Conflict - Vertical conflict occurs between managers and subordinates
b. Horizontal Conflict- Horizontal conflict occurs between departments and work groups.
c. Line-Staff Conflict- It occurs when line and staff representative disagree over issues of
substance in their working relationships.
d. Role Conflict- The situation arises when the communication of task operations from
role-set members prove inadequate for the role holder.
There can be four types of role conflicts
i. Intrasender
ii. Intersender

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iii. Interrole
iv. Person-role
2. Inter-organization Conflict- Conflict occurs between two or more organizations
The conflict is not similar to competition
For example: Conflict between suppliers and distributors, especially with the close links
now possible
Group Conflict- (Within & between group)
1. Intragroup conflict: conflict among members of a group early stages of group
development ways of doing tasks or reaching group’s goals
There are two types of conflict
• Relationship conflict
Relationship conflict exists when there are interpersonal incompatibilities among group
members, which typically includes tension, animosity, and annoyance among members
within a group
• Task conflict
Exists when there are disagreements among group members about the content of the
tasks being performed, including differences in viewpoints, ideas, and opinions.
2. Intergroup conflict: between two or more group

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Overt expressions of tensions between goals or concerns of one group or those of
another group. There are opposing interests, group boundaries or group
differences involved. The conflict is directly or indirectly related to culture group
identies. Sources of this type conflict includes: Competing Goals; Competition of
Resources; Cultural Differences; Power Discrepancies; Assimilation vs. Preservation
of micro cultural identity.
Individual Conflict-(Within & between individual)
1. Interpersonal conflict-
Conflict occurs between two or more people It occurs due to differences in views
about what should be done It requires more efforts and more resources to get a
task done due to the conflict Differences in orientation to work and time in
different parts of an organization
• Pseudo-Conflict:- This type of conflict happens when people have
misunderstandings with each other. Sometimes two people perceive their goals as
incompatible, but in fact the goals are compatible. That is known as a pseudo
conflict. Pseudo conflict can be easily solved by clarification of information or
meaning.
• Simple Conflict:- This type of conflict occurs when people disagree about certain
issues. This can occur when each of two individuals knows what each other wants,
but neither can achieve their own goals without preventing the other from achieving
theirs.

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• Ego Conflict:-This type of conflict is caused when personalities within a group clash.
It is essentially a struggle between two people that is characterized by name calling
and blaming. Ego conflict puts the other on the defensive and tends to ignore the
original issue.
2. Intrapersonal conflict-
Conflict occurs within an individual It is a threat to a person’s values It occurs
due to a feeling of unfair treatment It may occur due to multiple and
contradictory sources of socialization It is related to the conflict of people's
opinions, actions or characters and the feeling of unfairness.
• Approach conflict: an individual must choose among alternatives, each of which is
expected to have a positive outcome.
• Avoidance conflict: an individual must choose among alternatives, each of which is
expected to have a negative outcome.
• Avoidance conflict: an individual must decide whether to do something that has
both positive and negative outcomes.
Causes of Individual Conflict
a. Goal Conflict :It includes actual or perceived pressures from incompatible goals or
expectations of the following types :
Approach-approach conflict
Avoidance-avoidance conflict
Approach-avoidance conflict
b. Role Conflict : Role conflicts occur when an individual is forced to take on separate and
incompatible roles. Role conflicts can occur when one person is torn between roles for
different organizations or when an individual is asked to perform multiple roles within one

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organization. For instance, an employee with both worker and management roles in the
same department assumes the conflicting roles of supervisor and co-worker.
Causes of intra individual conflict
Conflict due to frustration
Goal Conflict
Role Conflict – may be conflict between personality of the person and the
expectations of the role
Interpersonal Conflicts
Sources of Interpersonal Conflicts
Personal differences
Information deficiency
Environmental stress
Intergroup conflict
Competition for resources
Task interdependence
Jurisdictional ambiguity
Status struggle
Forms of Conflict

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Task Conflict- Conflict regarding the goals and content of the work
Process Conflict-Occurs when the parties agree on the goals and content of work, but
disagree on how to achieve the goals
Relationship Conflict-Occurs when the parties have interpersonal issue.
Legal Conflict-Arise when there are different perceptions between the organizations.
Why Conflict Arises
Type “A” Personality vs Type “B Personality
Type ”A” Personality-
Highly Competitive
Strong Personality
Restless when inactive
Seeks Promotion Punctual
Thrives on deadlines
Maybe jobs at once
Type “B” Personality
Works methodically
Rarely competitive
Enjoys leisure time
Does not anger easily
Does job well but doesn’t need recognition
Easy-going

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Stages of Conflict
Conflict arises
Positions are stated and hardened
Actions, putting into action their chosen plan
Preventing Conflict
Frequent meeting of your team
Allow your team to express openly
Sharing objectives
Having a clear and detailed job description
Distributing task fairly
Never criticize team members publicly
Always be fair and just with your team
Being a role model
Assess positive and negative personality traits of people involved
Determine personality type
Aggressive
Submissive
Assertive

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Assess if people are introvert or extroverts...
Review past conflicts
Assess communication skills of those involved
Read body language of participants
Try to reduce conflict
Realize that communication is colored by personal experience, beliefs, fear,
prejudices
Try to be neutral
Plan the timing and place of the conversation
Realize that outside stress may add to confrontation
Eliminate/reduce external interruptions
Manage the language used
Neutral vs. loaded words
Reduce technical language
Allow for cultural differences in language
Words may have different meanings for different people…ask them to elaborate
Aids to Communication
Listen Actively
Relax
Observe body language

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Develop interest in others interests
Ask for clarification
Plan what you are going to say
Tailor words to person
Determine the best timing
Determine the best place
Personalities who cause conflict
Aggressor
Passive
Absentee
Error prone
Negative attitude
Chatterbox
Do nothing
Unreliable
Time waster
Resentful person
Consequences of Conflict

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Positive Consequences of Conflict
Increased Creativity
Increases energy
Clarifies ideas
Increases understanding
Improves ground rules
Increased Effort
Increased Diagnostic Information
Increase Group Cohesion
Negative Consequences of Conflict
Poor physical and mental health
Wasted resources
Poor performance and sidetracked goals
Heightened self-interest
Decreased productivity
Lack of communication

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Negative emotions about teamwork
Poor decision making
Dysfunctional working relationships
Impaired process improvement
Steps to resolve conflict
Confrontation and Problem Solving
Confront, Contain, and Connect for Anger
Assure privacy
Empathize than sympathize
Listen actively
Maintain equity
Focus on issue, not on personality
Avoid blame
Identify key theme
Re-state key theme frequently
Encourage feedback
Identify alternate solutions
Give your positive feedback
Agree on an action plan
Conflict Management
Constructive Conflict
Growth occurs
Problems are resolved
Unifies a group
Enhances productivity
Increases commitment
Destructive Conflict
Leads to negativism

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Diminished resolutions
Group division
Decreases productivity
Lessens satisfaction
Conflict is destructive when it
Takes attention from important activities
Undermines morale or self-esteem
Polarizes people and groups
Jeopardizes teamwork
Leads to negative behavior
Creates stress
Conflict is constructive when it
Identifies and clarifies important issues
Solves problems
Results in “something for everyone”
Causes authentic communication
Leads to sharing information
Encourages cooperation
Builds/strengthens interpersonal skills
How Do You Cope With Conflict?
Five strategies exist for coping with conflict

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1. Avoidance - (Low assertive and low cooperation)
Skills
Ability to withdraw
Ability to side step
Ability to leave things unsolved
Sense of timing
2. Competition (High assertiveness and low cooperation)
Competing skills
Arguing and debating
Using rank
Asserting your opinions
Standing your ground
Stating your position clearly
3. Accommodation (Low assertiveness and high cooperation)
Accommodating skills
Forgetting your desires
Selflessness
Ability to yield
Obeying orders
4. Compromise (Moderate assertiveness and moderate cooperation)

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Compromising skills
Negotiations
Finding a middle ground
Assessing value
Making concessions
5. Collaboration (High assertiveness high cooperation)
Collaborating skills
Active listening
Non threatening confrontation
Identifying concerns
Analyzing input
Resolution Styles
Avoidance (LOSE—LOSE) steering clear of and denying the existence of the conflict and
disagreement.
Accommodate (WIN—WIN) letting the other person decide totally what the resolve is to
be.
Compete (WIN—LOSE) aggressively pursuing ways to win from my own perspective.
Compromise (LOSE—LOSE) looking after both parties interests.
Collaborate (WIN—WIN) assertively looking after my interests but equally concerned with
the interests of the other person.

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Three Assumptions in Disagreement
1. Lose-Lose: everyone loses when people try to work out their disagreements.
2. Win-Lose: someone wins and someone loses; the best that can be hoped for in
disagreements.
3. Win-Win: everyone can win.
Conflict Identification
Productive
Team reaches decisions
Cooperative climate
Disagreement is a common problem
Commitment to team goals
High esprit de corps
Disagreement on issues only
Members listen
Unproductive
Team is deadlocked
Competitive climate
Disagreement is win-lose
Commitment to individual goals
No esprit de corps
Members see own views

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Personal attacks
Therefore Conflict Is ?
1.Within ( personal individualistic can lead to frustration and depression if not
managed well)
2. Family, ( breakups, fights, and unhealthy atmosphere within, depression among
the siblings and tendency to reach for psychological soothers like the drugs etc)
3.Organization. ( this leads to industrial unrest loss of production and loss of
employee morale and finally attrition
TWO MAJOR TYPES OF CONFLICT
Disputes Of Right", where people or groups are entitled by law, by contract, by
previous agreement or by established practice to certain rights. Disputes of right will
focus on conflict issues such as employment contracts, legally enforceable matters
or unilateral changes in accepted or customary practices. A dispute of rights is,
therefore, usually settled by legal decision or arbitration and not by negotiation.
"Disputes Of Interest", where the conflict may be a matter of opinion, such as
where a person or group is entitled to some resources or privileges (such as access
to property, better working conditions, etc). Because there is no established law or
right, a dispute of interest will usually be solved through collective bargaining or
negotiation.
Effects Of Conflict In An Organization
Stress
Absenteeism
Staff Turnover
Demotivation

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Non-Productivity
Hindrance To The Growth Or Proper Functioning Of Any Organization
Increases Attrition
Creates Unmanageable Behavior Resulting In Mob Fury.
Five-Step Model for Managing Conflict
Analyze the Conflict
Determine the Management Strategy
Pre-Negotiation
Negotiation
Post-Negotiation
Conflict Management Techniques
Check Back Your Key to Delegation Success
• The Three F’s
Feel
Felt
Found
Problem-Solving:
Face-to-Face meeting of the conflicting parties for the purpose of identifying problems
and resolving them for open discussion.
Subordinate Goals:
Creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the cooperation of each of the
conflicting parties.
Expansion of Resources:

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• When the conflict is caused by the scarcity of her resource ex: money promotion
opportunities etc. It is here that the office can create a win-win solution.
Avoidance:
• This is indicated by withdrawal from or suppression of the conflict.
Smoothing:
• This results from playing down differences while emphasizing common interest between
conflicting parties.
Altering the Human Variable:
• The method of using behavioral change techniques, such as human relation training to
alter attitudes and the behavior that can cause conflicts.
Authoritative Command:
• Management uses its formal authority to resolve the conflict. It then communicates its
desires to the parties involved.
Compromise:
• Each party needs to give up some of the requests to the other.
Constructive vs. Destructive Communication
Constructive Communication
Validation of each other
Sensitive listening
Dual perspective
Recognize other’s concerns
Seek clarification
Infrequent interruptions
Focus on specific issues
Compromises and contracts

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Useful meta communication
Summarizing the concerns for both partners
Destructive Communication
Disconfirmation of each other
Poor listening
Preoccupation with self
Cross-complaining
Hostile mind reading
Frequent interruptions
Everything is thrown in
Counterproposals
Excessive meta communication
Self-summarizing
Conclusion
Individuals should understand their own personal triggers to better deal with conflict
situations in the workplace.
Group members should think about other group members early on to identify privately
those individuals and behaviors that may push their buttons.