Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior - Soltanieh ...

MANAGE INTRA - TEAM CONFLICT THROUGH COLLABORATION
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F = Force – people who score high on forcing like to get their way, regardless of
others ’ concerns. While this might be satisfying to you in the short term, it can
leave other team members feeling resentful and unwilling to work with you in the
future. Ask yourself, “ Under what circumstances do I tend to rely on forcing? What are the typical
repercussions that I face? What alternative approaches are usually available to me? ”
P = Problem - solve – problem - solvers work hard to find solutions that meet the
needs of everyone involved in the conflict. They try to satisfy others without
losing sight of their own interests. Ask yourself, “ How does problem solving best promote
cooperation within a team? What are the costs of using this approach? ”
Y = Yield – a yielding approach is the opposite of forcing. Yielders give in to the
demands of others. This approach may end the conflict, but can leave you
feeling taken advantage of. However, yielding can lead to a strategy of reciprocation,
that is, “ I ’ll give in now, but you owe me. ” Ask yourself, “ What are the risks
of relying on yielding, especially when you consider that open discussion of alternatives and
respect are critical to group success? ”
4. Break into small groups, ideally groups of people who have worked together before.
Share your scores with one another. Discuss whether others see your confl ict management
approach as determined by this scale. What do they see as your strengths?
Weaknesses?
Conflict analysis
Gather in groups of three people. Each person needs to come prepared to discuss a confl
ict situation from their personal work or school experience.
1. Each participant: Come prepared to discuss a conflict situation in which you are
currently or were recently involved on a team at work or at school. Describe who is
involved (no names necessary, just their relationship with you), what the confl ict
is about (describe the nature of the conflict, issues, concerns), where it occurred
(context), when it occurred (how recent, how frequently), how it unfolded (actions
and reactions; how people behave or typically manage the confl ict).
2. Discuss the conflict situation in terms of the principles outlined in this chapter.
Some possible discussion questions are outlined below.
a. What type of confl ict occurred? Task, relationship, or some combination?
b. What was the root cause of the conflict? Was it driven by differences in personality,
areas of expertise, culture, etc.?
c. How emotional was the conflict? Were the emotions positive or negative? How
did this infl uence the team ’s ability to understand and manage the confl ict?
d. Did the conflict escalate over time? Did it transform from one type to another?
At what point did the team begin to address the conflict? What impact did that
have on your ability to manage the confl ict?
e. Was everyone in the team equally comfortable in dealing with the confl ict? If
no, how did you deal with people ’s differing comfort levels?