Forum (Spotlight Weekly)

Conflict: A Managerial Outlook

By Dr. NIRANJAN PRASAD UPADHYAY

Conflict occurs when two or more people or groups perceive that they have (1) incompatibility of goals, and (2) interdependence of activity. Unless one believes in a utopian world where all interests are additive, overlapping, and compatible, one must admit to possible conflicts accompanied by deliberate behavior characterized by interference and blockages. The traditional managerial approach to conflict is one of suppression and elimination; conflict is the antithesis of cooperation and organization. Behavioral scientists have recommended a philosophy of acceptance; conflicts should be uncovered and ultimately worked through for betterment of all. Basically, both appear to agree that the final goal is the elimination of conflict.

Conflict relates to aggression, threats, arguments, hostility, violence, frustration, health hazards and so forth. As a result people often feel that conflict is always undesirable, should be avoided when possible, and should be immediately resolved when it does occur. Fundamentally, there are five different modes of conflict resolution. They are competing (high assertiveness and low cooperativeness), collaborating (high assertiveness and high cooperativeness), accommodating (low assertiveness and high cooperativeness), avoiding (low assertiveness and high cooperativeness) and compromising (medium assertiveness and medium cooperativeness).

Nepalese researchers have stated that disruptive conflicts have cost organizations millions of rupees. This is a major problem organizations in countries like Nepal cannot afford. Conflict can be managed, and it is a very challenging job to every manager. Generally, negative conflict harms organizational performance. Largely, positive conflict in organizations leads to stimulation, adaptation and innovation. In fact, positive conflict
serves as a safety valve and allows people to release frustrations and also helps bring forth hidden agendas. But managers who are not prepared to manage conflict may avoid not only the destructive but may also suppress positive conflict.

The evidence suggests that conflict can improve the quality of decision making by allowing all points, particularly the ones that are unusual or held by a minority, to be weighed in important decisions. Conflict is an antidote for group thinking. It does not allow the group to passively rubber-stamp decisions that may be based on weak assumptions, inadequate consideration of relevant alternatives, or other debilities.

In organizations, conflict can occur between individuals, between groups, and with the organization itself. A conflict is a clash in expectations, values, ideas, and interests. Conflicts stemming from management style and process involved leadership, compensation and reward systems, and other structures causes. These types of conflicts are more numerous and more troublesome than any others. Today, an increasing number of organizations are spending a significant percentage of their resources on conflict management. Some managers spend half of their time attempting to resolve conflicts among workers. Managers have learned that when they address the source of the conflict rather than to suppress it, the lines of communication may disturb. Psychologically, open communication process helps and builds mutual coordination between manager and worker.

Positive conflict, which deals in fact and is intended to help individual or the team to improve by taking through problems until an understanding is reached, encourages both openness and trust. On the other hand, negative conflict relies on rumor and can create problems of mistrust and hostility. Nepalese managers realize that there is a need for all people who participate in problem-solving to learn about conflict management and resolution. Managers encourage other staff members to dispel the negative associations of conflict and replace them with more realistic conceptions that make legitimate distinction between constructive and disruptive conflict.

In Nepal, the government sector has not carried out studies on conflict management, whereas some non-government organizations have been keenly interested in such issues. In the Nepalese bureaucracy, personnel basically exhibit conflict due to various causes, viz. imbalance of reward and punishment, poor salary, low motivation, poor training facilities, improper job description and assignment, inadequate recognition of performance, excessive political pressures and lack of proper placement. Researchers have stated that modern organizations have to resist endless conflict within and with other organizations.

Conflict is another dimension of modern human existence. It is conceived of any physical or psychological change that disturbs the organism's balance or homeostasis. Organizational psychologists have researched that poor working condition, shift work, long working hours, person-job mismatch, new technology, and work over\under load are related to organizational conflict. However, some negative aspects of conflict are more likely to linger. People may feel defeated or demeaned, and a climate of mistrust and suspicion grows. These negative consequences can be very costly to an organization through low productivity and legal expenses, if actions appear discriminatory.

Kathmandu University, School of Management has developed schemes to deal with conflict in Nepal as it concerns government and non-governmental organizations. In connection with this, the school forwards controlling techniques of overcoming conflict through various approaches i.e., openness to new ideas, better communication, setting up information groups, trust, respect for other's opinion, negotiation and clear policies. Also the school points out that difference of personality, stress, frustration and generation gap may produce conflict in organization. At the same time, feedback, motivation, fair competition and open discussion may create a healthy environment within organizations.

Conflicts have made an outstanding contribution to the understanding of the human adjustments within organizations. Psychological experiments show that strong unresolved stress and conflict make enduring changes in worker's personality. If a worker persists in stress and conflict over a period of years, it makes him inferior, dull and non-adjustive. Organizational experts have researched that mental imbalance reduce worker's general ability to adjust within the work place and slowly degrade the efficiency, productivity and goal of organization.

(Dr. Upadhyay is chief psychologist (joint secretary) at the Public Service Commission.)