Workplace Conflict: Recognizing and Responding to Conflict

Overview/Description

Conflict can have many causes – disagreements about who does what, or about how things are done, as well as disagreements related to personality and style. And inevitably, conflicts will arise in the workplace, so it's critical to be able to deal with them successfully. If you avoid conflict that requires quick, decisive action, or if you take an aggressive approach when you need to gain the commitment of the other person, you may make the situation worse. Unresolved conflict can intensify and hinder your productivity as you spend more time worrying about the conflict than achieving your goals. And remember, the costs of prolonged conflict can be high – negative emotions, blocked communication, and stress. But choosing the appropriate response based on the type of conflict is important. When you address conflict properly, you will experience a number of benefits: it can enhance your creativity and it can strengthen your relationships, for example. 
This course describes these and other benefits of conflict. It also explains the types of conflict situations you're likely to face in the workplace and describes appropriate responses depending on the outcome you want. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.

Target Audience

Individuals who want to develop or refresh their skills at recognizing and responding to workplace conflict

Recognizing and Responding to Conflict

• classify a given conflict situation based on its type and severity
• respond appropriately to a given conflict situation
• recognize positive effects of conflict in the workplace

Workplace Conflict: Recognizing and Responding to Conflict
O	Case Study : You can classify conflict situation by type – substantive or personal – and by severity – a disagreement or a dispute Question 1 : Two individuals who work on the same team have previously dated the same person. Their relationship is strained because of personal jealousy. They don’t work together well. Which type of conflict is this?
	√	Personal disagreement
	Question 2 : Departmental managers meet to discuss the allocation of funds to departemental projects. During the course of discussions, it becomes clear that conflict exsist among the managers regarding the level of financial support that should be provided to a particular project. They meet to discuss their different viewpoints and find a solution that suits all departments. How is this conflict best classified?
	√	Substantive disagreement
O	Case Study : There are five main styles of responding to conflict: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. Each is best used in different conflict situations. Question 1 : You’re a building contractor hired to construct a new wing at the hospital. You find that you have miscalculated your original estimate for the work by quite a bit. The hospital gave you the contract based on the original amount, and when you tell the contract based on the original amount, and when you tell the hospital administrator about the miscalculation, she is not happy. How should you respond to this conflict situation?
	√	“This is my mistake and I’ll rectify the situation. You don’t need to worry. The price I gave you is the one we’ll stick to.”
	Question 2 : You work as a reporter for a local newspaper. From time to time in the past, the editor, Clare, has asked you to help copyedit the paper. This has put little strain on you because the demands so far have been small, temporary, and infrequent. But lately, Clare seems to have an almost constant demand for copyediting and proofreading. You still receive several story assignments and have had to work longer hours to get them done. You’re becoming increasingly bitter because you are not being paid any extra for the additional work. Because you have started handing in your stories late, your boss wants to meet with you. How do you respond in this conflict situation?
	√	“I’m having a bit of trouble juggling the copyediting and my story assignments. Can we work out a solution that benefits both of us? I’m happy to do the extra work, but it would help to be paid extra for the longer hours.”
O	Which are positive effects of conflict within the workplace?
	√	It creates a platform for open discussions between individuals
	√	It can help resolve pent up conflict over personal issues
O	Case Study : Different conflict situations require different responses: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, or accommodating. Question 1 : You are the lead operator of a production drilling machine. Recently, you have noticed that one of the workers from another machine, Sam, has been talking to Ruth, one of your operators, during work times. Ruth’s production scores are dropping, and there have been some rejects due to her inattention. The rest of the drilling crew is becoming increasingly resentful. How should you respond to this situation?
	√	“Ruth, you need to limit your conversations during work time. I’ll ask the supervisor to tell Sam’s lead operator to keep his operators in line.”
	Question 2 : For weeks, Tracy has been complaining to you about her colleague, Doug. You listen but are not sure whether the allegations are true. Trace is very emotional about the situation. And it eventually becomes clear to you that she has a personal responsibility in the department. You know that Doug is soon likely to move to another department where his skills are more applicable. Which is the best response to Tracy in this conflict situation?
	√	“I think we should wait a bit before we discuss this, when you have clear head about it.”
O	Case Study : You can classify a conflict situation accourding to its type and severity level. Question 1 : After several months of lengtju contract renewal negotiations, a company’s management team and union negotiation committee members still disagree on the issue of pension benefits. During the negotiations, different viewpoints and ideas are discussed, and it soon becomes evident that certain parties are not willing to change their outlook on the issue. This eventually leads to a breakdown in negotiations, and the union issues strike notice. How is this conflict best classified in terms of the various conflict situations?
	√	Substantive dispute
	Question 2 : Two very reliable and productive employees, Chuck and Susan, don’t get along, and it has reached the point where they openly express their dislike of each other. Their constant fighting stems from their different natures – Susan is outgoing and direct, sometimes to the point of being abrasive, or so Chuck perceives her to be. Meanwhile, Chuck is more introverted and sensitive. The conflict has been going on for a while, and it is affecting everyone’s productivity. Some official complaints have been filed. Which type of conflict situation does this describe?
	√	Personal dispute
O	What are the positive effects of conflict within the workplace?
	√	It encourages staff members to communicate and process their emotions
	√	It challenges individuals to think about other viewpoints, thereby facilitating creativity
	√	It echances group development through open discussion