Conflict

Conflict-Management Strategies

Conflicts can be divided into two broad types: task and relational. Task conflict occurs when organizational members express or experience disagreements about work responsibilities, problems, and procedures. This type of conflict may help individuals and groups define responsibilities, determine the most effective ways to accomplish work, and find the best solutions to organizational problems.

Moderate amounts of task conflict are desirable because they indicate that individuals are willing to discuss their differences openly and to find solutions that have broad acceptance. Indeed, a moderate amount of task conflict has been called constructive controversy because it often produces competing solutions along with critical assessments of those solutions, which can lead to a preferred solution. In other words, moderate conflict contributes to constructive problem solving.

In contrast, both low and high amounts of task conflict can be counterproductive. Low levels of task conflict may indicate that individuals are keeping issues to themselves. One dysfunctional result is that important problems may not be solved. High levels of task conflict may also be dysfunctional, as individuals or groups may spend more time arguing than producing constructive outcomes. High levels of task conflict often indicate that individuals or groups have not found a way to manage conflict. Indeed, high levels of task conflict may actuate relational conflict, adversely affecting relationships between groups and among individuals.

Relational conflict arises from differences in personalities, personal dislikes, and disagreements over roles or boundaries. This type of conflict tends to be negative, personal, and destructive. Relational conflicts often escalate and hinder individuals and groups from managing task conflicts and solving problems. Unless individuals can find ways to resolve relational conflicts, they are unlikely to experience productive task conflict.

When leaders have goal or value differences with other leaders inside and outside their organization, they should develop a strategy to achieve desired outcomes. The outcome might be a desired relationship with another leader, it might be a substantive goal, or it might be both. A leader's approach to a conflict will depend on whether a leader desires a substantive or relationship outcome.