Convenience

Table 13.3
Methods for Managing Conflict
Stimulating Conflict
Increase competition among individuals and teams.
Hire outsiders to shake things up.
Change established procedures.
Controlling Conflict
Expand resource base.
Enhance coordination of interdependence.
Set superordinate goals.
Match personalities and work habits of employees.
Resolving and Eliminating Conflict
Avoid conflict.
Convince conflicting parties to compromise.
Bring conflicting parties together to confront and negotiate conflict.
©
C
engage
Learning
Conflict is a powerful
force in organizations,
and it has both nega-
tive and positive con-
sequences. Thus
managers can draw
on several different
techniques to stimu-
late, control, or re-
solve and eliminate
conflict, depending
on their unique
circumstances.
412
Part 4:
Leading
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Conflict is a powerful force in organizations, and it has both negative and positive
consequences. Thus, managers can draw on several different techniques to stimulate,
control, or resolve and eliminate conflict, depending on their unique circumstances.
Stimulating Conflict
In some situations, an organization may stimulate conflict by placing individual employ-
ees or groups in competitive situations. Managers can establish sales contests, incentive
plans, bonuses, or other competitive stimuli to spark competition. As long as the ground
rules are equitable and all participants perceive the contest as fair, the conflict created by
the competition is likely to be constructive because each participant will work hard to
win (thereby enhancing some aspect of organizational performance).
Another useful method for stimulating conflict is to bring in one or more outsiders
who will shake things up and present a new perspective on organizational practices.
Outsiders may be new employees, current employees assigned to an existing work
group, or consultants or advisors hired on a temporary basis. Of course, this action can
also provoke resentment from insiders who feel they were qualified for the position. The
Beecham Group, a British company, once hired an executive from the United States for
its CEO position, expressly to change how the company did business. His arrival brought
with it new ways of doing things and a new enthusiasm for competitiveness. Unfortu-
nately, some valued employees also chose to leave Beecham because they resented some
of the changes that were made.
Changing established procedures, especially procedures that have outlived their
usefulness, can also stimulate conflict. Such actions cause people to reassess how they per-
form their jobs and whether they perform them correctly. For example, one university
president announced that all vacant staff positions could be filled only after written
justification had received his approval. Conflict arose between the president and
the department heads, who felt they were required to do more paperwork than was neces-
sary. Most requests were approved, but because department heads now had to think
through their staffing needs, a few unnecessary positions were appropriately eliminated.