SOURCES AND CAUSES OF CONFLICT I:Main Sources of Conflict, Discussing major sources of conflict

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Conflict Management HRM624

Lesson 11

SOURCES AND CAUSES OF CONFLICT I

Quotation

"It is essential to the sanity of mankind that each should think the other crazy..."

Emily Dickinson

We have met the enemy and it is us. Walt Kelly, "Pogo comic strip"

Main objectives of this lecture

Following are the main objectives of this lecture

· How the obvious cause of an interpersonal conflict is seldom the only cause or even the most

important one.

· Usually the sources of conflict are multiple and many of them are hidden

· Need to determine and understand many sources of conflict.

· 12 main sources of many conflicts

Source of conflict

The `source' of an interpersonal conflict is the underlying reason for the emergence of conflict.

Understanding and conceptually organizing the sources of conflict can greatly help improve the chances of

resolving the conflict. Understanding human behavior can help reveal the motivations of individuals

involved in the conflict. While interest analysis illuminates the motivations of individual conflict

participants, the process of identifying the sources of conflict illuminates the features of the relationship

among conflict participants that foster conflict.

Main Sources of Conflict

Following are the main sources of conflict.

1. Resources

2. Data-type or about facts or laws

3. Preferences and nuisances

4. Differing attributions of causation

5. Communication problems

6. Differences in conflict orientation

7. Structural or interpersonal power

8. Identity

9. Values

10. Displaced and misattributed

Multiple sources of conflict

It is vital to know that there are usually multiple sources of any given conflict.

Leaving one or more sources of conflict may aggravate conflict. That is why you have to think through

coolly and sleep over it. It will improve your understanding about the conflict.

Conflict Management HRM624

Conflict between two partners

Partner 2

Partner 1

The conflict:

(supplied the

(does day-to-

Distribution of

venture

day work)

revenues

capital)

The tip of the iceberg: a resource and data-type conflict

(who's entitled to how much revenue?)

Hidden conflict: threats to identity and self-concept

Discussing major sources of conflict

Now let us go through individual sources of conflict, one by one. It will develop your understanding about

the sources of conflict.

This exercise will make you learn how to identify various sources of conflict in a dispute.

Conflict

Explanation Example

Useful approach

type

Control

Disputant's

The dispute

Many conflicts that

over

degree over

is between

appear at first glance to

resources

control of

neighbours

be resource conflicts

valued items

over property

can be resolved by

or struggle

boundaries

understanding and

over

dealing with deeper

ownership of

sources of conflict that

scarce

may be operating.

commodities

(tactics aimed at

expanding the pie).

Conflict Management HRM624

Conflict

Explanation

Example

Useful approach

type

Sometimes, a focus on

Two drivers

The conflicts

Data-type

satisfying the underlying

disagree over

is over

conflicts:

interests of the disputants

who drifted

reality, either

conflicts

avoids the need to resolve the

into whose

past or

over facts

factual issue.

traffic lane

present

If not, these types of conflicts

can be resolved through fact

finding, non-binding

evaluation, or adjudication.

Many disputes over facts mask

other, deeper conflicts.

Conflict

Explanatio

Example

Useful approach

type

Ironically, litigation is probably

Data-type

The

the least desirable way to handle

conflicts:

disagreement

disagreement is

most of these kinds of conflicts,

conflicts

is over how

between

because they typically arise when

the law

divorcing

over law

the law is vague.

impacts the

spouses over the

relationship

appropriate

Often, the best tactic is for the

between the

appraisal and

disputants to educate themselves

allocation of

disputants.

about the law (to verify the

property rights.

degree of uncertainty), then to

engage in principle negotiation

aimed at developing solutions

that accommodate mutual

interests.

Litigation should be used

primarily when the legal conflict

masks a dispute over social

structure and interpersonal

power imbalance.

Conflict Management HRM624

Explanation

Example

Useful approach

Conflict

type

Preferenc One

Factory

These types of disputes

es and

disputant's

runoff

are particularly amenable

nuisances behaviour

pollutes the

to creative problem

disturbs the

stream of a

solving that acknowledges

other.

landowner

and seeks to preserve the

who loves

underlying interests of the

to fish.

disputant but rearranges

the environment, modify

people's schedules, and so

on.

Conflict

Explanat Example

Useful approach

type

ion

Communi The

Frequently,

Approaches include

cation

meanings

self-interested

becoming familiar with

difficulties of

tactics on the

the other disputant and

language

part of one

his or her cultural

and

disputant are

practices; using active

behaviour

misunderstood

listening; hiring and

may be

by an

mediator, an agent, a

misunder

opponent.

consultant who shares

stood

the cultural background

of the other disputant, or

a translator.

Conflict Management HRM624

Conflict

Explanation

Example

Useful approach

type

It helps resolve the conflict if

One disputant

Differences There are

the disputant recognize the

sees the

differences in

in conflict

style differences to minimize

relationship of

orientation the basic

communication difficulties that

the parties as

approach to

result from differences in

mutually

relationship.

conflict orientation.

cooperative.

The cooperative disputant can

The other

refuse to negotiate unless the

disputant is

parties agree to use a set of

basically

objective principles to guide the

competitive.

negotiation.

The cooperator may need to

signal a willingness to fight

hard if the other disputant fails

to act cooperatively.

Conflict

Explanation

Example

Useful approach

Type

Sometimes, values conflicts can

Ongoing

Conflicts are

Values

be resolved if the disputants can

conflicts in

over

agree to disagree about the

Iraq and

personal

underlying values, as when a

Afghanistan

beliefs and

disputant agrees to go along with

may have

deeply held

a settlement without admitting

religious

values.

liability.

origins,

which

Values conflicts are difficult to

include

resolve peacefully if the values

values

involved are central to the self-

conflicts.

concepts or world views of the

disputants or if coupled with

many other sources of conflict,

such as disputes over limited

resources.

Conflict Management HRM624

Conflict Type

Explanation

Example

Useful approach

Threats to self- What

In a medical mal-

As with values conflicts,

concept and

disputant's

practice case, the

occasionally these conflicts can

viewpoint

patient's

be managed by having the

world view

threatens the

allegations of

disputants agree to disagree

other

negligence threaten

while implementing a solution

disputant's

the physician's

that threatens neither

central ideas

self-concept as a

disputant's self-concept or

about him- or

competent

world view.

herself or

professional.

about how the

It helps to use negotiation

An employee's

tactics that confirm and protect

world works.

allegation of

the dignity of each participant.

racism on the part

of a supervisor

Sometimes, these conflicts can

threatens the

be handled through the use of

supervisor's self-

negotiating agents. Conflicts

concept as racially

based on the negative

stereotypes held by one social

tolerant.

group about another social

group are very difficult to

resolve.

Conflict Type

Explanation

Example

Useful approach

Structural and

A disputant

School

The more powerful disputant is

inter-personal

perceives an

integration

generally unwilling to give up power

unjust

and

and may honestly fail to see that a power

power issues

balance of

affirmative

imbalance exists.

power and

action

If this disputant is made aware of this

struggles to

disputes

imbalance, sometimes he or she can be

are

rectify it.

convinced to give up power to preserve

examples.

long-term social structure, avoid

violence struggle, or make his or her

own actions consistent with deeply held

values (as when discriminatory laws are

pointed out as being inconsistent with

national values of equality and equal

rights).

Frequently, however, appeal to a more

powerful authority (e.g., litigation) is the

only method that produces lasting

change.

Summary

Understanding the sources of conflict will make you go through the multiple sources of conflict. It has

been noted that identifying all the sources of conflict is very important for mapping the conflict and

then resolving the conflict. While mapping the conflict, try to keep in mind all the sources of the

conflict.

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