Managing Conflicts Khum Raj Punjali Anita Poudel

1. Managing ConflictsKhum Raj PunjaliAnita Poudel Nepal Administrative Staff College, ACMD 2018

2. Session Outline • Nature and Sources of Conflict • Conflict Process • Conflict Management Techniques • Practical Ways of handling Conflict

3. Current Context of Bureaucracy • Adjustment / reconciliation of existing Structure • Changing Environment • Legal basis for running the governments not complete • Redeployment Challenge of Public Officials • Capacity Gap in Local Government • Politicization/ Media Chase • etc...

5. Conflict What comes to your mind when you think of Conflict?

6. Conflict: Definition A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affect, something that the first party cares about. -S.P Robbins

7. Conflict: Definition • A natural and inevitable fact of personal/ organizational life; • Occurs due to various reasons ranging from personalities, attitude to rules, regulations, policies, practices and available resources, communication and structure etc...; • May have positive or negative implications;

8. Conflict: Transitions Thought • Traditional View of Conflict • The belief that all conflict is harmful and must be avoided • Prevalent view in the 1930s-1940s

9. Conflict: Transitions Thought • Human Relations View of Conflict • The belief that conflict is a natural and inevitable outcome in any group • Focuses on productive conflict resolution • Modern View of Conflict • The belief that conflict is not only a positive force in a group but that it is absolutely necessary for a group to perform effectively • Current view

10. Conflict: Functional Vs Dysfunctional

11. Case #1 • Ram gets promotion and is noticed by senior management. He is also given opportunity for external trainings. He performs good in his given task. However, some of the colleagues believe that he is favored because he is near and dear to the senior management.

12. Case #2 • There is a new system "PBIS" implemented in the organization. Based on the criteria, Administrative cadre receives less than Training cadre. Administrative cadre is furious with this system. Senior management has called a meeting to discuss on the issue.

13. Conflict: Nature/ Types • Intrapersonal • Interpersonal • Intragroup • Intergroup • Inter organizational

14. Conflict: Types Mapping

15. Conflict: Types Mapping

16. Understanding Sharing Mostly observed conflict types in your group work

17. Conflict Process

18. Sources of Conflict • Personal Variable • External Factors • Communication Variable • Structure Variable • Leadership Factor

19. ResearchFindings A Study on Workplace Conflict at Nepalese Government Organizations 2016-17

20. Personal Variable • Higher number of class II officers rated factors like “overloaded with task not familiar with”, “ Feel prejudices and biases in important decisions” & “ innovative and creative ideas in office interactions not being encouraged” having effect in resulting conflict in workplace.

21. External Variable • Class II officers also rated high in external factors of “political influence in many important organizational decision making process”, “tussle between management and unions in major decisions” and “new by-laws, policies and procedures introduced in the organization”.

22. Structural Variable • Class II officers also rated high in all factors “unfair distribution of opportunity in terms of facilities, incentives, trainings”, “lack of enough resources to complete job responsibility” and “not having sufficient power to make decisions on my own” with less rating in “unclear jurisdiction (authority)”.

23. Leadership Variable Class II officers also rated high in all factors “lack of guidance and motivation by supervisors in work”, “no proper mechanism to put forward grievances”, “Lack of fair and transparent performance appraisal system” and “no constructive feedback from supervisor” results conflict in workplace with less rating in “not given challenging task to help grow”“

24. Communication Variable • Class II officers rated communication factors like “no clear instructions from my superiors”, “lack of clarity in organizational by-laws, policies”, “No clear channel of communication for all kind of information” and “Informal channel of communication being more dominant than formal channel” having higher effect in resulting conflict in workplace with one more additional factor of “not aware about my performance expectations set by the organization” resulting conflict in workplace

25. Summary of the study

26. Ranking of the factors • Leadership • Structure • External factors • Communication • Personal Variables Source: Research Study

27. Stage II: Cognition & Personalization

28. Conflict Management • Is the practice of being able to identify and handle conflicts sensibly, fairly and efficiently. • It is the use of resolution and stimulation techniques to achieve the desired level of conflict.

29. Stage III: IntentionsConflict Management: Two Broad Dimensions • Cooperativeness • Attempting to satisfy the other party's concerns • Assertiveness • Attempting to satisfy the one's own concerns

30. Stage IV: BehaviorConflict Management

31. Conflict Management: Dimensions

32. Conflict Management Techniques • Conflict Resolution Techniques • Problem solving • Superordinate goals • Expansion of resources • Avoidance • Smoothing • Compromise • Authoritative command • Altering the human variable • Altering the structural variables • Conflict Stimulation Techniques • Bringing in outsiders • Communication • Restructuring the organization • Appointing a devil’s advocate

33. Stage V: Outcomes Positive Outcomes: • Internal problems, which were not surfaced, now can be solved, • Peoples' opinion can be considered, • Produces better ideas and forces to search for new ways of working,, • Organization feels challenged and gets opportunity to prove its ability, • Provides opportunities for creativity and innovation, • Helps to achieve organization goal.

34. Outcomes Negative Outcomes: • Develops suspicion and distrust, • Reduces communication with each other, • Ends the relationship or damages it, • Deteriorates employees' morale, • Some feel unheard or neglected, • Some people think of taking transfer, • Finally, goal of the organization can not be achieved.

35. Some Practical Things to Keep in Mind • Don't argue with perception • Don't judge behaviors • Build Bridge Mindset rather than Barrier mindset Source:ShayandMCConnon, 2008

36. How to build Bridge Mindset? • Listen for feelings, needs • Acceptance Listening • Talk Constructively Example: We seem to have diff approaches to... Help me to understand why you want to... would it be a good idea to talk about....

37. Listening is the Key

38. Closing Note • Conflict is inevitable phenomenon yet complex • Human and non human factors are responsible for conflict • Different perspectives from all parties need to be analyzed • Rather than Judging behaviors ,connect with needs • Conflict handling intentions and conflict resolution/stimulation techniques need to be used appropriately based on the circumstances

39. Thank You