Social psychologyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Conflict and Negotiations

Organizational Conflict: Sources, Stages, and Handling Modes

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Conflict can arise from the way work is organized and from how people experience their relationships at work. This lesson examines task interdependence, status inconsistencies, jurisdictional ambiguities, and communication problems—four conditions that can make disagreement more likely or more intense.

Task interdependence is the extent to which people or groups must work together or rely on one another to accomplish a goal. As interdependence increases, so can the likelihood of conflict when parties have different expectations or goals. Because people cannot easily avoid one another, even a small disagreement can quickly become a major issue. Close working relationships may intensify reactions to setbacks or misunderstandings.

All flashcards

What is task interdependence?
The extent to which people or groups rely on one another to accomplish a goal. Greater interdependence can make disagreements harder to avoid.
What is a zero-sum game in resource allocation?
A situation in which one party’s gain means another party receives less.
What are jurisdictional ambiguities?
Uncertainty about who is responsible for a task or has authority to make a decision.
What do assertiveness and cooperativeness measure in conflict handling?
Assertiveness is concern for one’s own concerns; cooperativeness is concern for the other party’s concerns.
What are the four stages in Thomas’s conflict-process model?
Frustration, conceptualization, behavior, and outcome.

Quiz questions

  1. Which sequence gives the four stages in Thomas’s conflict-process model in order?Answer: Frustration, conceptualization, behavior, outcome
  2. Which description best characterizes competing as a conflict-handling mode?Answer: Pursuing one’s own concerns assertively, with relatively little emphasis on the other party’s concerns.
  3. When might accommodating be an appropriate conflict-handling mode?Answer: When the other party’s issue matters more or preserving cooperation is especially important.
  4. Several departments compete for a limited budget, and one department’s larger allocation leaves less for the others. What does this situation illustrate?Answer: A zero-sum game, in which one party’s gain comes at another party’s expense.
  5. Why can departments with different performance standards come into conflict?Answer: Each department may pursue its own measured goals in ways that undermine another department’s priorities.

Based on Organizational Behavior by J. Stewart Black, David S. Bright, Donald G. Gardner, Eva Hartmann, Jason Lambert, Laura M. Leduc, Joy Leopold, James S. O’Rourke, Jon L. Pierce, Richard M. Steers, Siri Terjesen, Joseph Weiss (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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