Organizational Research unit III essay and DQ Question
Allied Academies International Conference page 15
Proceedings of the Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 15(1) New Orleans, 2010
CONFLICT IN WORK TEAMS:
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
Brittany Sikes, Florida Institute of Technology
Robert D. Gulbro, Athens State University
Linda Shonesy, Athens State University
ABSTRACT
Conflict is almost certain to occur in work teams due to the fact that they are comprised of
different people possessing different perceptions, personalities, and behaviors. Although incredibly
effective, work teams may stumble upon barriers which must be overcome to allow for growth and
continuation towards the common goals of the group. It is quite possible that a work team may
perform without the presence of conflict, but oftentimes certain measures have been implemented
to prevent such conflict from occurring. Occasional conflict, if managed appropriately, can lead
to creativity, better decision-making, and improved results. However, too much conflict can lead
to a decrease in performance and group cohesion. In global organizations there is an opportunity
for cross-cultural differences that may increase conflict. Contained herein are both the positive and
negative consequences of conflict, as well as courses of action to understand, prevent, and resolve
conflict that occurs within work teams or groups.
THE VALUE OF WORK TEAMS
A work team is defined as an organized group, committed to the individuals within the
group, whose members share the same intent of accomplishing a common goal. Managers have
become more inclined to utilize work teams when presented with missions involving problem
solving, solution development, and decision making. One advantage a team has over an individual
is its diversity of resources, knowledge, and ideas (Townsley, 2009). Teams allow for greater
creativity due to the eclectic styles of thinking that collaborate when groups are formed. Benefits
derived from using teams include quality improvements and enhanced productivity gains obtained
by bringing individuals with complementary skills together (Ivancevich, Konopaske, & Matteson,
2005). Teams enable better outcomes since there is a combination of multiple experiences and
knowledge bases joining together to resolve issues and make decisions. An example would be the
development of a new car line by a major dealership. In order for the dealership to make the best
decision possible, it should utilize members from all departments: marketing, finance, legal,
production, engineering, etc., in order to develop the best overall plan for the company. This allows
management to have knowledge obtained from every area within the organization that is potentially
involved in determining the success or failure of the new product line. From the organized work
team, all necessary information is provided and analyzed in order to effectively create the new line.
As problems arise from a specific area, the team will be able to resolve issues more effectively by
the input provided from the various departments. On the contrary, if the company were to choose
a single individual to create the plan for the new line, he or she is unlikely to be capable of making
such decisions alone. In most circumstances, work teams tend to be more successful at formulating
these types of decisions because they use input from team members who may be experts in that field. page 16 Allied Academies International Conference
New Orleans, 2010 Proceedings of the Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 15(1)
CAUSES OF CONFLICT IN WORK TEAMS
Despite the recognizable improvements in the proficiency of organizations through the use
of teams, there is also an increase in the likelihood of conflict occurring due to the presence of
overall differences among members of a team. When individuals come together in work teams there
are differences in terms of power, values and attitudes, and social factors that all contribute to the
creation of conflict. Conflicting factors such as these may cause deviation from the key goals of the
group and may generally fall into three categories: communication factors, structural factors and
personal factors” (Townsley, 2009). Communication factors are often the primary source of
disagreement among individuals. Barriers to communication can result from misunderstanding of
information, differences in interpretation and perception, cultural differences among the team, as
well as poor listening. Different communication styles, if not interpreted correctly, might also prove
to be problematic. For example, problems arise when value judgments are made on the basis of
different communication styles. If team members disagree and one represents views and feelings
forcefully with a raised voice, another more restrained team member may see that as arrogant and
aggressive. The same 'arrogant' team member may conclude that the restrained team member is
untrustworthy because eye contact is not maintained (Ford, 2001). Such misinterpretation can easily
trigger false opinions of the sender or receiver’s intent. The second category, structural factors, can
stem from elements such as the background of the team members, infrastructure issues, participation
levels (within the team), or possibly the size of the team. Personal factors that could also promote
the chance for conflict within a team include: individual values and goals, needs, self-esteem, or
individual motives (Townsley, 2009). Furthermore, an individual’s perception of the situation that
is significantly different from that of another team member’s may also bring about conflict.
With the increase in the globalization of organizations, a new source of conflict can come,
not from just cross-functional team members, but cross-cultural members as well (Northouse, 2010).
here are two cultural factors to keep in mind when considering conflict-causing factors. The first
is internal group culture. There will always be variation within a group. However, “the majority
of a group culture will conform to a dominant set of beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. But, there will
be members of the cultural group that differ in significant ways from the norm” (Ford, 2009).
Despite the internal group culture established, there may be individual cultural factors affecting
differences among the group. These cultural differences may result from individuals within the team
who come from different nationality groups, religious groups, ethnic groups, and organizations.
Although the team has an inherent culture that is formed, the team must be cognizant of external
cultural factors that differ from the norm of the team, or else conflict may occur. For instance, “the
dominant culture in the USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand is
individualistic, while collectivism predominates the rest of the world” (Ford, 2009). Therefore,
countries such as the USA, Canada, and Australia are going to place more emphasis on autonomy,
creativity and authority in decision making. Meanwhile, other countries focus more on a collectivist
culture where group conformity and commitment are preserved at the expense of personal interests.
These types of cultural differences can greatly impact the dynamics of a work team and must be
understood and respected in order for the team to function successfully.
CONSEQUENCES OF CONFLICT IN WORK TEAMS
Conflict can produce either positive or negative results within work teams. An effective
team is one where members are capable of handling conflict and drawing out the knowledge gained
from disagreements to arrive at a better decision. However, negative consequences occur whenever
conflict is not resolved by the team members. If conflict is not properly managed, the effects can
be damaging to the team, as well as the organization. Oftentimes a work team may consist of
individuals or groups of individuals from different areas within an organization. Thus, those groups Allied Academies International Conference page 17
Proceedings of the Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 15(1) New Orleans, 2010
within the work team depend on one another for information to make the best possible decisions.
Whenever there is conflict among these groups, it can either be classified as functional or
dysfunctional. Positive functional conflict is a confrontation between groups that enhances and
benefits the organization’s performance (Ivancevich, Konopaske, & Matteson, 2005). For instance,
in the example mentioned previously about the dealership and its implementation of a new car line,
individuals from the finance department may disagree with individuals from the marketing
department on how to implement the marketing plan for the new line. As long as they are able to
work through the conflict to derive the most optimum decision, then this can be considered
functional conflict. Positive consequences of functional conflict include: awareness of problems,
search for solutions, positive change and adaptation, as well as innovation. Thus, the absence of
functional conflict in organizations might inhibit change from ever occurring and could cause a team
to become stagnant and unproductive (Ivancevich, et al 2005).
Dysfunctional conflict is confrontation between groups that harms or hinders the goals of
the organization (Ivancevich, Konopaske, & Matteson, 2005). At this point functional conflict can
lead to disruption of activities and extreme dissention among the team members when the conflict
becomes dysfunctional. If the individuals within the team are not able to successfully resolve such
conflict, it could prove damaging to the morale, relationships and goals of the group and the
organization. Further consequences from a work team’s inability to properly resolve conflict may
include decreased group cohesiveness, damaged communication channels, a decline in innovation
and idea creation, project cancellation, and possibly extreme profit loss. Hopefully, in order to
prevent the occurrence of negative consequences from dysfunctional conflict, teams will practice
good conflict resolution skills and will be well-prepared and properly trained on how to handle such
disagreement within the team. However, if such is not the case, then conflict may become a direct
cause for team failure instead of a positive influence in achieving optimal outcomes.
RESOLVING CONFLICT IN WORK TEAMS
Conflict resolution is an integral part of effective teams and organizations. Conflict is
inevitable but the important takeaway is not necessarily knowing how to eliminate conflict all
together, but to eliminate the problems before they begin or be prepared deal with the conflict as it
is presented. There are several recommendations that prove effective in managing and resolving
group conflict. The leader of the group should develop a strategy for training and preparing team
members for group process, in particular, training to proactively manage or avoid conflict. Conflict
management and resolution training is a great way for an organization to coach employees on how
to prepare for resolving conflict when working in teams. It provides awareness of how conflict may
arise and different methods of managing conflict to maximize effectiveness of the team. Such
training allows the organization and its members an opportunity to develop strategies to effectively
tackle conflict before it even occurs.
If the conflict can be traced to cultural differences between two or more group members,
obtaining cultural synergy may be necessary (Adler, 2008). Cultural differences should be
embraced, and used to enhance group performance. Ethnocentrism should be discouraged, as it
tends to lift up one culture at the expense of another (Northouse, 2010). Open communication is
necessary to resolve differences in perception and interpretation. Some sort of compromise between
individuals or sub-groups may be necessary in order to move beyond the situation. Commonalities
between members of different cultures should be emphasized and differences minimized.
At times facilitators should be designated to assist with managing and resolving group
conflict. Implementing the use of a group facilitator can alleviate many problems resulting from
conflict because he or she can coach the team(s) through dealing with conflict openly and
successfully. This person can facilitate effective communication by intervening in conversation to
allow for disagreements to be approached in a methodical and rational manner. Facilitators may also page 18 Allied Academies International Conference
New Orleans, 2010 Proceedings of the Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 15(1)
help to resolve conflict in situations where members develop different conceptualizations of a
conflict situation or event in the group. For instance, individuals may have unique internal frames
of reference which cause them to interpret conversation differently than someone else (Mitchell,
2006). In addition to the implementation of conflict management training and the use of facilitators,
other processes exist to aid in the practice of conflict resolution.
In an article written by Dr. Thomas Capozzoli, six processes are discussed that can be used
when practicing conflict resolution. The first states that the group should explore the reasons for
disagreement and if emotions are still high, continue only after emotions have calmed. Only at this
point can groups make decisions rationally based on logic and thoughts verses emotional deterrents
to communication. Within the first process, Capozzoli emphasizes the need for active listening and
he also discusses the importance of refusing to criticize the perceptions of other group members.
The second process deals with recognizing alternative solutions presented by different sides of the
group, but only after the disagreement has been fully identified. Third, all the reasons for why each
solution is appropriate should be explored. Then negotiations should begin to determine which
solution seems most practical. Once the solution has been identified, it should be implemented with
each party understanding its responsibilities. Once the fourth process has been completed in
resolving conflict, the fifth one states that the group should thoroughly evaluate the chosen solution
to ensure that it is most successful in solving the disagreement (Capozzoli, 1995). If the solution
does not appear to be adequate in resolving the disagreement, another solution should be evaluated.
The final step presented in the conflict resolution process is to continue practicing the conflict
resolution process. This will enable team members of the organization to be more equipped when
handling future conflicts.
Five generic approaches are mentioned when resolving intergroup conflict: dominating,
accommodating, problem solving, avoiding, and compromising. The dominating approach requires
that one group holds a balance of power so that it can force its resolution on the other group. This
can be a successful approach when differences need to be resolved quickly or when unpopular
actions need to be taken such as imposing new policy. The accommodating approach involves one
group meeting the needs of another over its own. This can be beneficial when the issue is more
important to the other group or when preserving peace is more important than maximizing one’s
own interest. The third approach, problem solving, involves collaborating and working together to
maximize results for all involved. Out of these five intergroup conflict resolutions, problem solving
is probably the ideal approach due to the collaboration of parties and the merger of insight,
experience, knowledge and perspective. Avoiding conflict, the fourth approach, is only effective
when used as a temporary method. Sometimes avoiding the conflict is necessary when other issues
are more important, parties need an opportunity to cool down from a heated disagreement, or when
additional time is needed to gather more information. Avoiding can be useful as long as it is used
for a particular reasoning and not as a permanent solution to the conflict. When utilizing the fifth
approach, known as the compromising approach, usually the resolution reached is not ideal for either
group but a resolution is achieved through negotiation. Compromise is the middle-of-the-road
approach and is a good backup strategy when other approaches fail at resolving conflict (Ivancevich,
Konopaske, & Matteson, 2005). Each of the five mentioned approaches could prove effective in
resolving conflict in teams, depending on the situation.
CONCLUSIONS
Organizational work teams will inevitably encounter conflict whether the conflict exists
among the individuals within the work team, or among multiple teams working together.
Regardless, a good understanding of how conflict occurs, the consequences of conflict, and how to
manage conflict, may allow groups to arrive at better solutions for the team and the overall
organization. Learning how to manage and resolve conflict requires training and preparation, active Allied Academies International Conference page 19
Proceedings of the Academy of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 15(1) New Orleans, 2010
listening, open communication, as well as an understanding of the perceptions, personalities, and
behaviors shared among the group. Leading a group requires an understanding of different cultural
factors, both internal and external, are also helpful in managing conflict within a group. But most
importantly, adopting good practices and approaches to conflict resolution will allow conflict to
enhance the behavior of the group members and the work performance of the group.
References are available from the authors.
