Cuprins En (2).pdf

8/20/2019 Cuprins En (2).pdf

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a. CONTENT

Introduction........................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 1. THE CONFLICT – AN OBJECTIVE PHENOMENONOF HUMAN RELATIONS…………………………………………..81.1. Historical perspective of conflict analysis ................................... 9

1.1.1. Economical perspective .......................................................... 101.1.2. Political perspective ................................................................ 121.1.3. Social perspective.................................................................... 141.1.4. The impact of social context on organisational conflict .... .....15

1.2. Theoretical argument.................................................................. 17 1.3. Conflict concept ........................................................................... 20

1.3.1. Some difficulties of definition ................................................ 20

1.3.2. Related concepts...................................................................... 251.4. Conflict approaches..................................................................... 28 1.5. Types of conflict ........................................................................... 31

1.5.1. Conflicts typology................................................................... 311.5.2. Work conflicts. Conflict of interest and conflict of rights...... 371.5.3. Strikes...................................................................................... 42

1.6. Conflict theories ........................................................................... 45 1.6.1. General theories of conflict..................................................... 461.6.3. The clasiffication of conflict theories ..................................... 52

CHAPTER II: CONFLICT GENESIS. CAUSES ANDCONDITIONS..................................................................................... 55 2.1. Causes of conflict ......................................................................... 58 2.2. Analysis of causes in main conflict model.... ............................. 65

2.2.1. Processual model..................................................................... 662.2.2. Structural model ...................................................................... 712.2.3. Organizational model .............................................................. 77

2.3. Organizational conditions of conflict......................................... 87 2.3.1. Some axioms of conflict ......................................................... 87

2.3.2. Organizational situations which stimulate conflict................. 92

CHAPTER III: CONFLICT MANAGEMENT. ELIMINATE ORMAINTAIN ......................................................................................... 95 3.1. Coordinates and basic rules of conflict management ......... .....95 3.2. Other elements regarding conflicts understanding and solving...................................................................................................... ......101

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3.3. The assessment of conflict......................................................... 106 3.3.1. The assessment – a basic element of conflict management.. 1063.3.2. Conflict assessment phases ................................................... 1083.3.3. Conflict assessment benefits ................................................. 111

3.4. Styles of conflict management .................................................. 112 3.4.1. Integrative style ..................................................................... 1133.4.2. Obliging style ........................................................................ 1143.4.3. Dominating style ................................................................... 1153.4.4. Avoiding style ....................................................................... 115

3.5. Management of intrapersonal conflicts................................... 116 3.6. Management of interpersonal conflicts ................................... 119 3.7. Management of interdepartamental conflicts......................... 124 3.8. Third part role in conflict management.................................. 128

3.8.1. Mediation .............................................................................. 129

3.8.2. Arbitration ............................................................................. 1303.8.3. Work conflicts and litigation judging ................................... 1313.8.4. Comparative analyze of the three extern intervention forms.131

3.9. Destructive conflict management............................................. 134 3.9.1. Resolving destructive conflicts ............................................. 1343.9.2. Preventing destructive conflict.............................................. 135

CHAPTER IV: STRATEGIES OF ORGANIZATIONALCONFLICT MANAGEMENT........................................................ 140 4.1. The main strategies.................................................................... 140

4.1.1. Competition targeted strategy ............................................... 1414.1.2. Accommodation targeted strategy ........................................ 1434.1.3. Avoidance targeted strategy.................................................. 1444.1.4. Compromise strategy ............................................................ 1454.1.5. Collaboration targeted strategy ............................................. 146

4.2. Comparing conflict management with negotiationstrategies.............................................................................................149 4.3. Choosing the conflict management strategy ........................... 150

4.3.1. Personal preferences.............................................................. 151

4.3.2. Situational considerations ..................................................... 1544.4. Dilemmas in collaborative approach promotion .................... 157

4.4.1. General framework for collaborative solving...... ................. 1584.4.2. The phases of collaborative solving...................................... 160

CHAPTER V: IN SOLUTIONS RESEARCH – FROM THECONFLICT MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE........................... 177

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5.1. Testing recognition instruments of organizational conflicts.Practical aplication ........................................................................... 177

5.1.1. Theoretical argument. Affective conflict vs. task conflict 1775.1.2. Organization selection........................................................... 1805.1.3. Research instrument .............................................................. 1825.1.4. Research method ................................................................... 1845.1.5. Utility of research method..................................................... 1855.1.6. Organization descriprion....................................................... 1865.1.7. Research description ............................................................. 1865.1.8. Data analisys. Hypotheses 1 and 2 verification .................... 1885.1.9. Data analisys. Hipotheses 3 verification............................... 1935.1.10. Data analisys. Hipotheses 4 verification............................. 1985.1.11. Conclusions of the study ..................................................... 203

5.2. A model proposal of conflict management.............................. 204

5.2.1. Model aplication.................................................................... 2085.3. Final conclusions........................................................................ 210

Bibliography...................................................................................... 216 Annexes.............................................................................................. 225 Rezume............................................................................................... 236

b. Key-words:

Organizational conflict, solving conflict, conflict management, conflicttransformation, conflict types, causes of conflict, value differencies, human

needs, human relations, interests, conflict facilitation, arbitration, mediation,

conflict approach, conflict strategies, conflict effects, conflict models,

conflict theories, conflict assessment, third part, collaborative conflict,

conflict analysis, conflict recognizing, conflict diagnosing, acknowledge of

conflicts.

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c. The Synthesis of the Main Parts of the Doctor’s Degree Thesis

The conflict is an intrinsic characteristic of each person in particular.

It manifests even more evidently within a collectivity, within anorganization. Thus, the conflict is present in the inter-personal relationships,

in the intra-group and inter-group relationships, in the strategic decisions, as

well as in the organizational hypotheses.

Therefore, we may say that the phenomenon of the conflict is an

essential and omnipresent part of the management activity. This observation

is sustained by a study done on a “sample” of 500 American managers,

study which has revealed the fact that about 20% of their time is destined to

the management of the conflicts from the organizations that they run.

Consequently, the study of the conflict, in general, and of the

organizational conflict, in particular, has a great importance and practical

actuality for the management of an organization because the conflicts, which

are not solved in time, may generate both tangible costs (costs related to the

judgment of some rights conflicts, low productivity and so on) and

intangible costs (the wear out of the relationships, the diminishing of loyalty,

negative publicity etc.). The study of the conflict has also a great theoretical

importance, many of the researches contributing to the progress of the

economical science, in general, and, especially, to the science of

management.

The present work aimed to offer a theoretical frame, methodologicalinstruments, as well as a series of practical knowledge regarding the

management of the organizational conflict. The thesis is structured on five

chapters. The first four chapters contain the theoretical concepts concerning

the conflict management, and the last chapter presents a practical analysis

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related to the identification and solving of the conflict within an

organization.

The first chapter of this work is dedicated to the analysis of the

objective content of the conflict. This analysis starts from the thesisaccording to which the complexity of the conflict imposes its inter-

disciplinary approach. The inter-disciplinary approach of the conflict had

as empirical observation basis the history, seen under the form of a chronicle

of events, and as theoretical basis – the general theories regarding the

conflict. As a result of this analysis one may conclude that the phenomenon

of the conflict is an objective one , characteristic to the human being.

In continuation, there is a delimitation of the concept of conflict. In

this sense, there are analyzed the main definitions and typologies regarding

the conflict and there is offered my own definition of the conflict. There

are presented the main concepts that accompany the conflict.

The analysis of the main theoretical approaches of the conflict leads to

one of the important conclusions of this work, that is, to the fact that a

conflict may have not only destructive effects, but also positive effects .

This conclusion is essential for the management of the conflict because it

brings a fundamental question related to it: “If the conflict may have both

negative and positive effects, which are the conditions to maintain it in the

sphere of functionality and efficiency?”

One may state that on this observation all the other chapters are based.

All the analytical effort from the next chapters shall be directed to theidentification of the modalities and means by which, on one hand, the

diminishing of the negative effects of the conflict is possible, and, on the

other hand, the stimulation of its energies and positive effects is possible.

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In this chapter there is also done an analysis of the main theories

regarding the conflict. In this context, there was aimed the identification of

a/some generalizing theories which would offer a unitary point of view as

regards the conflict. More precisely, there are identified, analyzed andclassified the following theories: the theory of the human needs, the theory

of the inequality, of the power asymmetry, inter-personal theories and

theories of the psychological dimension of the conflict, structural theories,

the theory of the game.

The second chapter aimed to detect the main causes and patterns of

the conflict.

The fact that a conflict may be both destructive and constructive

imposes the problem of the understanding of the causes which may

generate the conflict. There are presented and analyzed not only the possible

causes of the conflict, but also the points of view of some authors who have

tried to offer some answers, more or less complete, regarding the causes

which are the origin of the conflict, in general, and of the organizational

conflict, in particular. There are presented and analyzed the latest researches,

as well as my personal point of view related to the most general causes of

the conflict.

For a better understanding of the causes that generate the conflict I

have proposed and achieved their analysis starting from the main patterns of

the conflict: the process pattern, the structural pattern, as well as the

organizational conflict pattern.Out of the three patterns, the structural one represents the most

appropriate instrument for the identification of the factors of the company

environment which may influence the organizational conflict. These factors

represent, in fact, conditions that outline a conflict and that act on the

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company/organization under the form of some exterior pressures and

constraints. There have been analyzed the main factors at the level of the

organization micro-environment as well as at the macro-environment level.

The analysis of the main conflict patterns revealed the fact that theseallow a better identification of the factors which may be the origin of the

conflict, and, therefore, it represents a useful analytical instrument both for

theory, and for the practice of the conflict management.

The chapter is completed with the analysis of some axioms of the

conflict, as well as of some organizational situations which may be the

origin of the conflict.

The third chapter aims to present the managerial reactions towards

the conflict within an organization and, more precisely, towards the main

types of conflict. In this chapter I try to offer an answer, to bring my

contribution to the dilemma - must a conflict be eliminated or kept within an

organization?

This chapter is based on the thesis according to which the lack of the

disagreements from an organization is not the result of a good leadership (as

it may seem at first sight), but a sign that the significant changes of the

environment of the company do not reflect themselves in the managers’

opinions, too. In this sense, the work draws the attention that one of the

main causes of the fail in business of the big corporations is that of the

homogeneity of ideas of the leading managers, homogeneity that does not

allow a real and creative debate of the essential problems to which thecompany confronts.

The analytical approach is based on the premise according to which

the conflict may represent the engine of some stimulating relationships

in an organization , provided that this should be managed adequately. The

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internal logic of this chapter aims to show that on the modality in which the

conflict is managed depends if this shall be a constructive or a destructive

one.

In this sense, the assessment of the conflict is approached as anessential step in the management process and its advantages are presented. A

different stress is laid on the analysis of the management styles as important

factor which may influence the result of the solution of the conflict.

There are also analyzed the main techniques and methods by which

the intra-personal, inter-personal and inter-department conflicts are managed

at the level of an organization.

A separate sub-chapter is reserved to the role that a third party may

play in the management of the conflict. There are studied the intervention

forms which the third party may adopt in the management of the conflict. On

the basis of the comparative analysis of the three forms of the external

intervention, there is done a synthesis-table which may serve as starting

point for the management in the election of the third party in the various

conflict situations.

Particular attention is given to the management of the destructive

conflict. There are presented the action steps, including those of prevention,

which must be followed by a manager in the process of the management of

the conflict.

The forth chapter analyzes the main categories of answers of the

management to the conflicts from the organization. These types of answermay be organized depending on two dimensions (imposing and cooperation)

and they originate five different strategic reactions as regards the conflict:

competition, adaptation, avoidance, compromise and collaboration.

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The presentation of the main strategies of conflict management offers

a theoretical and practical frame for managers in the election of the most

appropriate strategy of conflict management, depending on its specificity

and organizational needs. The analysis of these strategies reveals the factthat none of the strategies is superior to the other and that each of the five

strategies may prove their utility depending on the context and the situation

of the conflicting episode.

In continuation, there are approached the specific problems of the

election of the strategy of conflict management. There have been analyzed

the conditions that may influence the election of the strategy by the manger.

On the basis of some specialty studies there have been identified the main

types of answer of the management towards the conflicting episode. Their

analysis led to two major conclusions :

1. Each strategy of conflict management may be useful in specific

conflict situations;

2. More often, the conflict management may not be reduced to a single

conflict strategy.

Being based on the ascertainment that the collaborative management

of the conflict represents the most efficient reaction of the management of

the conflicting episode, the end of the chapter is dedicated to the rules,

means and techniques which are implied by this.

The fifth chapter aimed to produce an analysis instrument of conflict

identification that would permit to the management to have the appropriatereaction towards the conflict from the organization.

As research instrument I have used the conflict measurement

questionnaire called TACC (Teams and Conflict Checklist). This

questionnaire is used when the management wishes to find out whether the

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employees face or not a conflict and if they do, which is the type of the

conflict. The questionnaire aimed to verify the presence level of two types of

conflict in an organization: task conflict and affective conflict. These types

of conflict correspond to the two different effects that the conflict may haveon persons, groups and organizations. We underline that the conflict may

have both positive effects (the task conflict) and destructive effects (the

affective conflict).

Each section of the TACC questionnaire (the conflict in general, the

task conflict, the affective conflict) took into account the researches related

to conflict in general, and to affective and task conflicts, in particular. Each

section was measured with Likert’s scale, whose values are between 1 and 4

(where 1= total agreement, and 4=total disagreement).

Table 5.1. Likert’s scale presentation

1 2 3 4

Total agreement Partial agreement Partial

disagreement

Total

disagreement

Each item (statement) from the questionnaire was noted with a value

depending on the level to which the respondent agreed or not with the

respective statement. The result of the TACC questionnaire was obtained by

summing each point from each section: the general conflict, the behavior

conflict and the task behavior. Then, the result obtained at each section wasdivided to the number of items (statements) from the respective section.

Thus, the sum obtained at the section “general conflict”, the sum obtained at

section “affective conflict” and the sum obtained at section “task conflict”

was divided to 10 (the number of items from each section). The result was

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three different scores between 1 and 4 (where 1=no conflict is perceived, and

4=a very big conflict is perceived).

I have chosen a summative scale (as Likert’s scale is) because the

summative techniques are the most widespread scales in the research of thesocial and political attitudes, of the attitude of the employees at work, of the

motivation and satisfaction etc.

The success of these scales is explained by the relative simplicity of

the construction and by the high prediction power.

As consequence of the applying of the questionnaire in the

organization X (the organization conditioned the applying of the

questionnaire with the confidentiality of the name), I verified four

hypotheses. The applying of the questionnaire proved the validity of this

identification and conflict analysis instrument by confirmation of the

hypotheses.

In the final part of the chapter there is drawn up a proposal of a

management pattern as consequence of the study of the specialty literature.

The pattern is structured in four steps and may constitute the basis from

which any manager may start when managing a conflict.

The final conclusions synthesize the theoretical, methodological and

practical contributions of the present work.

The Doctor’s Degree thesis has a clear structure and may represent a

guide of theoretical-methodological study both for the ones that want to

study the problems of the organizational conflict and for the managerial practice.

The present work was based on the analysis and processing of a rich

bibliographic material. It aims to substitute (partially) the deficit of

information regarding the management of the organizational conflict,

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information that is found out only in a few specialty manuals from the

country.

Not at last, the Doctor’s Degree thesis answers to an increasing need

in the development of some management skills among autochthonousmanagers.

Candidate for a Doctor’s Degree,

Nicolae Calistru

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d. CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: Nicolae CALISTRUDate of birth: 15th May 1970Place of birth: Balti, R.Moldova

E-mail: [email protected]

Education:1999 – To date - Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, PhD undergraduation1997-1999 - National School of Political Studies and Public Administration,Bucharest, post graduated studies1990-1995 – Academy of Theater and Film Bucharest, bachelor in arts

Professional experience:February 2003 – to date - ONE Communication, PR Specialist

November, 2001 – January 2003 - Multiproduction Media Group,Coordinator of Monitoring DepartmentMay, 2000 – October, 2001 - Imola Communication, Media Analyst

Scientific activity

2005, 24 th September. – During the session „Politics of occupancy andincomes in Romanian society” from the Work and Social Protection

National Scientific Research Institute (INCSMPS), Bucharest, I havesustained the scientific work: “A management model of organizationalconflict” (that will be published in INCSMPS magazine);

2005, 20 th - 21 st May - During the session “Growth of the economicefficiency – a must for finalizing the Romanian process of access in theEuropean Union” form the Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, I havesustained the scientific work: “In research for solutions for organizationalconflict management. Conflict – Instruments of recognition”

2002 – coauthor at the book: „2001- The Honey year of Political Power”, published at the RH Printing publishing house.

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