A destructive conflict is a situation that arises between individuals or a group. Read about the ways to solve it and the consequences in the article.
From the article you will learn:
Types of constructive and destructive conflicts
Constructive and destructive conflicts differ in that the former have a basis. The reasons for the development of destructive relationships are not always clear, and the opposition of the parties gradually intensifies if the situation is not intervened in time. When disagreements arise between ordinary employees, the manager can resolve them. When there is a conflict between managers, the director's intervention is required.
Destructive consequences of conflict:
- competitive and unproductive relationships between colleagues;
- lack of desire to cooperate;
- reduction or cessation of interaction between people, even on work issues;
- feeling of resentment, bad mood, dissatisfaction;
- low labor productivity;
- staff turnover.
The destructive functions of conflict are reflected in the psychological climate of the organization and corporate culture. Even those employees who are not involved in the confrontation between the parties experience discomfort. If you notice signs of discord, do not hesitate, otherwise you will have to eliminate the consequences that negatively affect all processes.
Constructive consequences include: a sense of involvement in solving difficulties; disposition of the parties to cooperate; elaboration of problems by group members; paying attention to the situation that provokes conflict interaction. It is easier to achieve a positive outcome if several people are involved in the conflict, rather than groups of people.
The constructive and destructive functions of conflict rarely intersect. Negatively minded people, whose position is unsubstantiated, do not try to interact with their opponents and use techniques of personality suppression. The consequences are not important to them, as they pursue a personal goal.
Stop destructive conflict at the stage of its occurrence. Teach employees to interact, solve problems peacefully, and control emotions. Conduct trainings that help you understand your colleagues. Avoid situations that provoke difficulties in staff relationships.
Constructive and destructive conflict: an example
Research, analytics, reviews
The presented methods and techniques will help resolve destructive conflict. You will eliminate negativity and negative emotions between the parties to the confrontation and help them understand what was the real reason for the disagreement. Each participant will be able to look at the situation through the eyes of their opponent. As a result, the conflicting parties themselves will develop an effective solution and find a compromise...
Managing constructive and destructive conflicts
Have a conversation with both parties. If one employee is destructive behavior patterns in conflict, does not make contact with your opponent, talk to him separately so as not to escalate the situation. Once you have identified the cause of the disagreement, eliminate it.
Examples of constructive and destructive conflicts
Do not take a wait-and-see attitude - act, use effective methods to resolve the problem. Otherwise, other participants will be drawn into the conflict, which will provoke a real corporate war.
If employees do not make contact and do not want to seek a compromise, identify the aggressor. Use radical methods of influence, but take into account the requirements of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Reprimands and fines can be issued when employees’ actions violate labor discipline or legal norms.
When communicating with conflicting parties, follow a number of rules:
- Show restraint. Keep in mind that in conflicts people are ruled by emotions. Talk to employees carefully and tactfully.
- Don't rush into promises and conclusions. Only after checking the facts and statements, comprehend the situation, and take action.
- Listen to both sides, not just the victim. Let me speak.
- Don't overestimate your level of awareness. Remember that the effectiveness of bottom-up communication is low.
If the destructive role of conflict is obvious, reconsider your attitude towards your subordinate. Clearly formulate requirements for personnel, indicate methods of reward and punishment. Regulate behavior rules in the organization, style of communication with colleagues. Use coordination mechanisms to adhere to the principle of unity of command.
Do not use destructive methods of conflict resolution. Show authority, but don't suppress people. When resolving a situation, do not show a personal attitude towards the staff, otherwise the problem will worsen. Be honest with yourself and other employees.
Any management and production activity is almost always associated with conflicts. And although in each specific case the reason for the complaint or conflict is completely specific and unique, upon analysis it is discovered that they all have a common basis: the actual state of affairs contradicts the expectations of the people who join the ranks of those in conflict.
Classification and typology of conflicts
Based on their direction, conflicts are divided into vertical, horizontal, and mixed.
IN vertical conflicts involve persons, one of whom is subordinate to the other. IN horizontal- persons who are not subordinate to each other participate. IN mixed conflicts have both vertical and horizontal components.
Conflicts that have a vertical component (i.e., vertical and mixed conflicts) account for an average of 70 to 80% of their total number. Such conflicts are the most undesirable for a leader: by participating in them, he is “tied hand and foot.” For every action and order in this case is considered by all employees (and especially the participants in the conflict) through the prism of the conflict. And even if the leader is completely objective, they will see intrigues towards his opponents in any of his steps. And since subordinates often lack sufficient awareness to correctly evaluate the actions of management, misunderstandings are more than compensated for by speculation, mostly of a negative nature.
Naturally, in such conditions, when every order can lead to a deepening of the conflict, it is extremely difficult to work.
Already from this preliminary examination, some of the manager’s guidelines are clear: to exercise the greatest caution in relation to vertical conflicts (try to extinguish them in the bud).
According to their significance for the organization, conflicts are divided into constructive (creative) and destructive (destructive). The former are beneficial to the cause, the latter are harmful. It is impossible to escape from the former, but it is necessary to escape from the latter.
By nature of the reasons conflicts can be divided into objective And subjective . The first (as the name suggests) are generated by objective reasons, the second by subjective reasons.
By area of permission conflicts can be divided into those that are resolved in business sphere , and those that are allowed in personal-emotional sphere .
Relationships
Constructive conflicts have objective reasons. Destructive conflicts can have both objective and subjective factors as their causes.
Constructive conflicts must be resolved both in the business and personal-emotional spheres. The fact is that a constructive conflict generated by objective reasons, in the process of its resolution (which takes a very long time), causes tense relations between the participants in this conflict. Therefore, complete resolution of the conflict should mean both a reaction to objective reasons and the elimination of emerging personal hostile relationships.
Causes of conflicts
At riding school, a rider who stays on a rearing horse is not praised. For the specialist knows that under a good rider the horse will not rear. It’s the same in leading people. The leader who deserves the greatest praise is the one who prevents conflicts or at least resolves them in the bud.
Therefore, conflict management begins with anticipating them. And in order to foresee, it is necessary to know the reasons that most often lead to conflict situations.
Causes of constructive conflicts
Usually these are shortcomings in the organization of production and management. Let us list those that most often lead to conflicts:
dissatisfaction with pay;
unfavorable working conditions (for example, lack of ventilation, gas pollution, vibration, noise, drafts, uncomfortable temperature in the workplace, etc.);
shortcomings in labor organization;
inconsistency of rights and responsibilities;
irregular work (downtime, forced vacations, storming);
inconvenient work schedule;
omissions in technology (especially those from which the employee’s earnings suffer, and through no fault of his);
lack of resources for tasks (in particular, interruptions in the supply of raw materials, materials, components);
lack of clarity in the distribution of responsibilities, in particular ineffective, too vague or outdated job descriptions (i.e., forgetting the management principle: “It is preferable to manage with instructions rather than orders”);
low level of labor and performance discipline;
conflictogenic (i.e., conducive to the emergence of conflicts) organizational structures. For example, shop managers may receive 15–20 instructions or requirements daily from various services (directorate, production and dispatch, planning and economic departments, chief specialists, labor and wages department, accounting, etc.). It may be physically impossible to fulfill all these requirements, and failure to comply with instructions leads to conflicts;
contradictory relationships or goals of technological and economic services (for example, services responsible for quantitative indicators, for implementing the plan, and services responsible for quality - the technical control department, etc.).
The Importance of Constructive Conflicts
A positive resolution of a constructive conflict is, first of all, the elimination of shortcomings and the reasons that led to it. And since these reasons are objective, reflecting the imperfection of the organization of production and management, then eliminating these reasons means improving production and management.
Therefore, positive resolution of constructive conflicts is beneficial to the cause. That is why they are considered creative.
Consequently, a leader should not avoid these conflicts, but should constantly work to resolve them and eliminate the causes that lead to such conflicts.
An attempt to avoid solving these problems leads to their deepening, to a decline in the authority of the manager, the emergence of alienation between him and his subordinates, to a deterioration of the situation in the team, to conflicts, and personnel losses.
Causes of destructive conflicts
Destructive conflicts are most often generated by subjective reasons, which include incorrect actions:
manager;
subordinates;
both the leader and subordinates.
Most often, destructive conflicts arise when both subordinates and the manager act incorrectly.
Many of us are designed in such a way that we first of all notice other people’s mistakes, not our own. But a manager is supposed to help his subordinates correct their mistakes. Therefore, here we will focus specifically on the wrong actions of leaders: to whom more is given, more is asked.
Wrong actions of managers
Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of them. Three directions can be distinguished:
violation of professional ethics:
violation of labor laws;
unfair assessment by the manager of his subordinates and the results of their work.
TO violations of professional ethics relate:
manifestation of rudeness, arrogance, disrespectful attitude towards subordinates;
failure to keep promises;
intolerance to opinions different from one's own;
clamp criticism;
infringement of the rights of subordinates;
abuse of the position of a superior (for example, imposing non-official assignments on subordinates);
assignment to the performer “over the head” of the immediate supervisor;
withholding information (especially in conditions of staff reduction or reorganization);
criticism that belittles a person's dignity;
deliberately provoking conflict between subordinates - management according to the “divide and conquer” principle.
Let us comment on some of these factors.
Displays of disrespect towards a subordinate very diverse. Here are a few of them:
Don't value your employee's time. For example, forcing him to “catch” himself or wait for a long time;
talk to the visitor without looking up from the papers
do not invite the visitor to sit down.
Intolerance of dissent from subordinates and criticism clip go hand in hand. Stendhal owns words whose importance for relationships between people and for production management can hardly be overestimated: “You can only rely on what resists.”
Each specialist is valuable for his professional opinion. To develop this idea, management has formulated the following principle: “If two specialists agree on everything, then one of them is redundant!”
TO abuse of office This can also include making fun of a subordinate, ridicule. After all, a subordinate may simply be afraid to answer the way he would have answered if the “joker” had not been his boss.
In the event of an upcoming reorganization or staff reduction, management often delays in every possible way the unpleasant moment of making a decision and its announcement, so as not to “injure ahead of time.” However, the lack of information on such critical issues leads to the emergence of rumors, which are usually more unpleasant than hidden decisions. (The pattern here is this: the worse the rumor, the faster it spreads.) As a result, a nervous environment is created in which every minor incident is fraught with conflict.
In a situation of reorganization, reduction of administration staff:
you should not delay making a decision;
inform at general meetings or through a large circulation about the decision made;
if the resolution of certain issues is delayed, then make public what has already been decided; then the vast majority (as is usually the case) will be reassured that they will not suffer.
Violations of labor laws
We are talking about violations of both the spirit and the letter of labor legislation and an attempt to act autocratically, regardless of the laws.
This comes from the legal nihilism of leaders. As a result, in more than half of the cases, the courts reinstate dismissed workers who appealed the dismissal decision. Although, the data suggests that the employee has long been “worthy” of dismissal. However, failure to comply with formalities forces the court to declare the administration’s decision to dismiss illegal.
One can only imagine the situation in which managers find themselves when they are forced to reinstate an unfit employee and also compensate him for his salary. And what a hero this unfortunate worker feels like in the team.
Life shows that jokes with the law are bad, and it is better for a manager to study labor legislation than to get into unpleasant situations.
Unfair assessment of subordinates
The forms of this phenomenon are very diverse. Here are some of the most common ones:
Errors in the use of rewards and punishments
Such mistakes are common when there is no well-thought-out system of rewards and punishments. In many organizations, we prioritize punishment over rewards. And this despite the fact that it has been reliably established that rewards are much more effective than punishments. For the need for encouragement is one of the most important human needs.
Disadvantages in the distribution of work between performers
It is known that there are profitable and unprofitable jobs. When profitable jobs always go to the same workers, and unprofitable ones to others, this also predetermines unequal remuneration, which causes natural discontent.
Violation of the balance “contribution - salary”
If the contribution to the work is less, and the salary is higher than that of other employees, then a conflict situation is inevitable. It often happens that a new employee is given a higher salary than his predecessor. If the newcomer does not show from the first steps that he is head and shoulders above his predecessor in his business, then both he and the manager who “knocked out” him for an increased salary will feel a negative attitude towards himself from the team. The same situation arises when one of the employees, who does not stand out in any way at work, “knocks out” a salary that exceeds the rest.
Inviting an employee “from outside” when there is an applicant “from within” for the position
In general, inviting outside managers has its pros and cons. A plus may be the introduction of new ideas and expansion of the arsenal of methods used. This is like fresh blood in the body of the enterprise, preventing “swamping”.
The downside is the uncertainty of their employees, reducing the chances of advancement. After all, precedents with invitations tell everyone that he can remain in his current position until retirement. The most active will declare injustice to themselves, or think about moving to another organization, or will conflict.
Thus, an invitation from outside must have good reasons and imposes on the invitee the obligation to bring significant innovations to the work.
This means that the manager not only does not want to recognize a good employee, but also tries to lower his authority in the eyes of others. Since both the actions of a subordinate and their assessment by the leader occur in front of the team, the injustice of these assessments is an open secret. Such actions by a leader, first of all, diminish his own authority. And if an authoritative subordinate “accepts the challenge” of the leader, a conflict arises, then there is no doubt on whose side the sympathies of the subordinates will be.
Non-specific criticism of a group of subordinates
Such criticism is unaddressed, since everyone can decide that it does not apply to him. Consequently, the charge will miss the target. At the same time, a contrast between the leader and his subordinates arises, which unites the accused against the accuser. At the same time, they unanimously declare themselves victims.
Quite often, sweeping criticism occurs at the first meeting with the team of a newly appointed manager, especially if he is sent “to strengthen” a poorly performing unit.
“You will no longer work the way you worked until today” - this is a categorical invitation to a conflict that can drag on for years. The speaker made one more mistake, in addition to those already mentioned: he removed the blame from his predecessor and completely shifted it onto the team. This position indicates that in the future they will look for the guilty only among subordinates. Thus, the sense of self-preservation will push the team to unite against the leader.
Unclear wording of tasks
It will ultimately lead to an unfair assessment of the subordinate's work. After all, regardless of his efforts, further misunderstanding is predetermined. And the result is mutual irritation.
It is precisely because of the vagueness in setting tasks that statements from subordinates about managers “who don’t know what they want” and counter-claims from managers about the “stupidity” of subordinates have become widespread.
Lack of information
It makes you nervous and gives rise to rumors, some worse than others. In many cases, managers hide unfavorable information (for example, about upcoming staff reductions) so as not to unnecessarily or prematurely stress people. The effect of concealment is the opposite.
Underestimation of persuasion as a means of controlling a person
Unfortunately, practical methods of persuasion are not taught anywhere in our country. The fourteen most important techniques of persuasion are given, in particular, in the author’s book “How to Manage Others. How to manage yourself (The Art of the Manager)."
Psychological incompatibility
How often do you actually hear the words: “We are not compatible with him.” However, in reality, psychological incompatibility is much less common than people say.
Most often, these words cover up feelings that are embarrassing not only to strangers, but also to oneself. For example, elementary envy gives rise to constant hostility and serves as a source of a huge number of conflicts, including at work.
Cases of truly psychological incompatibility are relatively rare. They can only be determined by specialized compatibility/incompatibility tests.
What factors in a manager’s performance can cause envy? This is the possession of power, higher social status, higher salaries, comfortable working conditions (office, personal telephone, secretary, assistants), greater freedom of action and movement, better information. (At the same time, they forget that all this is more than compensated for by the stressful nature of the work, greater responsibility, longer work week, etc.)
The leader must remember about the factors that cause envy and not emphasize his privileged position, and be more democratic. And boasting, arrogance and other manifestations of a position of superiority should be completely excluded from everyday life.
Actions in conflict situations
When to take action?
This question concerns to a greater extent “horizontal” conflicts in which the manager is not involved.
Research shows that some managers tend to take a wait-and-see approach in conflict. They are afraid of being drawn into a conflict, afraid of its escalation and hope that everything will somehow resolve itself.
There are situations when, in fact, the third one is superfluous. But even in this case, the leader, having learned about the conflict, can help restore normal relations by creating the conditions for reconciliation. For example, he will give those in conflict such assignments (business trips) that they will not see each other for some time. Those arguing will calm down, come to their senses, and the conflict will fade away.
Conflict escalation pattern
Leaving a conflict unattended is like leaving smoldering coals in an empty house: a fire, of course, may not happen, but if it happens...
In general, the analogy between conflict and fire is deeper: both are easier to prevent than to extinguish; in both cases, the time factor can become decisive, because both conflict and fire are terrible in their growth.
These same two signs connect conflict with illness.
The escalation of the conflict occurs according to the following scheme:
Such escalation is explained by the fact that the participant in the conflict seeks support from others and recruits supporters. They especially try to attract the leader to their side.
As the conflict grows (escalates), things get complicated. The original conflict acquires new ones, reflecting the interests of the new participants and the contradictions between them. At the same time, emotions grow like a snowball.
All this convinces us that, having received information about the conflict, the leader must act and take measures without waiting for the conflict to escalate. Moreover, inaction, the position of non-interference, is regarded in the team as indifference, or even cowardice. Both do not contribute to the authority of the leader.
The first stage of conflict resolution: determining its true causes
The essence of this stage is to establish the true (often carefully hidden or unconscious) cause of the conflict. For example, concern for business and adherence to principles often mask selfish interests, hurt pride, grievances (including long-standing ones), and the desire to get rid of the unwanted and take its place.
This disguise is explained by the fact that no one wants to look like a troublemaker - after all, those around them value the calm atmosphere in the team. The substitution of motives may occur at first for “external use”, to explain one’s position to others, but then it becomes more pleasant for the initiator of the conflict to believe in it.
Here the psychological mechanism of self-defense is triggered, as in general in cases of unseemly actions: in addition to the true, ignoble reason, a certain noble one is invented, supposedly moving the person.
Thus, the first task of a leader - to find where the seed of the conflict is hidden - is very difficult.
This approach makes the task somewhat easier: you need to try to analyze all possible reasons, considering separately both the constructive components and the personal-emotional ones.
Detection of hidden participants in a conflict helps to answer the question: who benefits from this?
An external sign of a person’s involvement in a personal-emotional, destructive conflict is his behavior, manifested in excessive verbosity, agitated speech, and reluctance to listen to counter arguments.
In the case of a constructive conflict, participants are more restrained in expressing emotions, more importance is attached to logic, facts, and arguments.
Therefore, excessive ardor of a participant in a constructive conflict may serve as an indication that the constructive component for him is, perhaps, only a screen for achieving his personal interests.
Continuing the comparison with the disease, we can say that just as correct treatment is impossible without making an accurate diagnosis, it is also impossible to effectively resolve the conflict without knowing the real reasons that led to it.
To illustrate this, let us give a practical example. Experienced workers began to refuse to engage in mentoring. The management accused them of being in a greedy mood, of not wanting to create competitors for themselves, and of intending to consolidate their exclusive position.
However, in reality it turned out that the workers had other reasons for this: the supply of necessary components was irregular, and the workers were constantly on the verge of downtime. Therefore, they believed that they first needed to ensure the supply of components, and then increase the number of jobs. When the issue with components was resolved, mentoring ceased to be a problem.
The original version was beneficial to those responsible for providing workplaces with everything necessary, because it took them away from responsibility. But at the same time, it also led away from resolving the conflict, contributed to its confusion, and the growth of new conflicts. Thus, the refusal to mentor was only a manifestation that took place in a conflict situation with a shortage of components.
The cause of the incident could be any careless word spoken by the manager or any other reason.
Unfortunately, many of our leaders approach conflict resolution superficially, not daring to look into the depths of the phenomenon and understand its causes. But since the causes of conflicts remain unresolved, they arise again and again.
What to do?
The specific actions of a leader in a conflict depend, firstly, on whether he sees his guilt. This is probably the most difficult moment - not to succumb to the temptation to look for mistakes primarily in others, while protecting yourself from criticism. What happens next depends on what goal the initiators of the conflict are achieving - near or distant.
If short-term goals are set, then most often some kind of practical action is necessary: make or cancel a decision (if possible), apologize if the manager feels guilty, that is, take specific steps. Assessing the situation and making a decision in this case is relatively easy.
The difficulty is that in the case where real steps to satisfy the claims are impossible, you need to convince your opponent that your refusal is forced.
The goal of the conflict initiator may be distant. Achieving it cannot be accomplished immediately, since a long time is needed to implement the decisions made: to reorganize the work of the unit, improve working and rest conditions, deviate from the usual routines and established structures, etc.
This kind of transformation requires many sequential steps. But the most important thing is that the first step is taken without delay. It will show the initiators of the conflict that “the ice has broken.” The inaction of the leadership, even flavored with promises, can only irritate people.
In the case when a manager seeks to change a subordinate’s attitude towards his duties, the most important thing is to convince the latter that this is not a whim of the manager, but an urgent necessity that must be taken into account.
There is another type of conflict, expressed in a negative emotional reaction to what happened.
Conflicts of this kind often make no sense. But the victim internally cannot come to terms with a decision he does not like, creating tension in relationships with others.
In such cases, the leader needs to take into account the person’s condition and show sympathy for him, because only on an emotional level can such conflicts be resolved.
Conflicts often arise, based on imaginary contradictions. This happens mainly due to some small incident or a remark from the manager to a subordinate who “came to hand at the wrong time.”
Resolution of the situation is achieved through a frank conversation and the manifestation of a friendly attitude towards the subordinate.
How to behave
When communicating with conflicting people, follow the following rules:
show restraint; Considering that in conflicts, painful things “break through”, conduct business with maximum tact and caution in order to prevent yourself from being drawn into the conflict or aggravating it;
listen to those who come to you, let them speak to the end, making full use of the therapeutic effect of the opportunity to speak out and “cry”;
do not rush to conclusions and promises, do not “judge”; only after listening to the other side, checking all the facts and statements, comprehend the situation and take appropriate measures;
do not overestimate the degree of your awareness; remember that the effectiveness of communication “bottom-up” (from subordinates to managers) is on average only 10%.
Conflict Prevention
The art of leading
The work of a leader largely consists of resolving constantly emerging contradictions. However, not all of them lead to conflicts; the manager manages to resolve many of them in a timely manner.
This is precisely what the art of leading consists of - anticipating conflicts and resolving them in the bud.
Attitude to conflicts
A manager's attitude towards conflicts of different natures should be different.
With regard to destructive conflicts generated by inept relationships, the natural attitude is that there should be as few of them as possible.
Where pressing issues cannot be resolved without conflict, the leader should not “hide” from it.
Measures to prevent conflicts follow from the reasons for their occurrence discussed above. Let's consider these measures in detail.
Constant work to improve working conditions, improve remuneration, improve the organization of production, and improve the living conditions of workers.
Given the complexity of these issues and the time required to achieve tangible results, opportunities should be found to unobtrusively inform subordinates about the measures being taken. After all, people will understand that the issues are complex and not everything depends on the immediate supervisor. But what they will not want to understand is the reluctance of management to deal with these problems.
Working on such issues is one of the most important ongoing responsibilities of any leader.
2. Strict adherence not only to the spirit, but also to the letter of labor legislation.
3. Compliance with work ethics.
Remember, that:
managing people begins with managing yourself;
without respecting a subordinate, you will not achieve respect on his part, and lack of respect is already a pre-conflict situation;
nothing is valued so highly or costs so little as politeness;
studying subordinates, interest in them as individuals are absolutely necessary for successful work with them, an individual approach is the path to mutual understanding with subordinates;
withholding information creates tension in relationships.
4. Taking into account the expectations of subordinates.
Subordinates expect from the leader:
knowledge of the matter;
ability to organize work;
vision of perspective;
good earnings;
polite attitude towards yourself;
respect.
It is in this order that male employees most often name the desired qualities of a leader.
Female workers name the same qualities, but they put polite attitude towards themselves first. A worker worries if she is not seen as a woman, that is, a creature in need of support - such is the property of female nature. Women react more sharply to rewards and punishments than men.
As the educational and cultural level of workers increases, the expectation of a more democratic leadership style increases.
All this is useful to remember for a manager who wants to avoid difficulties in managing people and reduce conflict in business communication.
Leader and conflicting personalities
Different types of conflicting personalities, despite all their differences, also have something in common: morbid ambition and the habit of not giving up their desires. For “demonstrative”, “uncontrollable” and “hyper-precise” individuals, conflict is more their problem than their fault. This is the psychological makeup of these people. Most of them suffer from various complexes, especially an inferiority complex.
Knowing this, the leader does not always “pick up the gauntlet” of the challenge to conflict thrown at him by such individuals. It happens that a subordinate in an excited state was insolent to the manager, slammed the door, and the manager waved his hand at him: “What can we take from him - he’s a sick man!”
The leader himself should not be a conflict-ridden person. It is unacceptable to use your position of authority to relieve internal tension, overcome an inferiority complex, or satisfy painful pride.
1. Conflict is various types of opposition, confrontation between individuals and groups regarding the mismatch of goals of interests, values, attitudes that are essential for them, as well as conscious practical activities to overcome these contradictions.
Together with the concept of conflict, terms that are close in meaning but not identical in meaning are used: hostility, rivalry, competition, crisis.
Competition is a special type of confrontation, the purpose of which is to obtain benefits, profits or favorable access to scarce material and spiritual values. In competition, the goal and the end result are clearly defined and realized. Competition may or may not be accompanied by conflict. The peculiarity of competition is the use of only those forms of struggle that are recognized as moral and legal in society or organization.
Rivalry is a struggle for recognition of personal achievements by society, a group, and individuals. It is characterized by a demonstration of mutual superiority by achieving a generally significant, prestigious goal. Rivalry can result in conflict, or it can proceed calmly. The objects of competition are the best social or professional positions, awards, evaluation of subordinates, recognition of colleagues or senior management.
Competition is a more formalized and peaceful type of rivalry, in which the forms and purpose of the rivalry are clearly defined and written down.
Hostility is a fixed psychological attitude of readiness for conflict behavior. Hostility does not always result in conflict, just as not every conflict is dominated by hostility.
A crisis is a state of the system in which it is impossible to simultaneously satisfy the interests of two or more groups striving for different goals. A crisis is the result of pathological changes in the content and forms of life of the population and serious violations of the control mechanism in politics, economics, culture and an explosion of mass discontent.
A crisis is often preceded and accompanied by conflicts, but not every conflict generates a crisis.
Contradiction is an objective, not always conscious, state of a system in which there is a mismatch of interests, goals, and values of its elements. Contradiction always lies at the heart of conflict. But conflict, unlike contradiction, is an external form of manifestation of contradiction and opposing behavior regarding the contradiction.
2. A conflict that has arisen in an organization is called organizational, in particular, these are disputes, confrontations, contradictions, and the like.
Organizational conflict can take many forms. Whatever the nature of organizational conflict, managers must analyze, understand and evaluate it.
The basis of any conflict is a situation that includes either opposing positions of the parties on some issue, or opposing goals or means of achieving them in certain circumstances, or divergence of interests, desires, hobbies of opponents, and the like.
3. Conflict should not be perceived from a negative perspective, associating it with hostility and pain. This is not necessarily a negative thing. Often, conflicts help participants in the labor process to better understand the goals of the organization and turn to their unused reserves.
Functional conflict is useful for members of the workforce and the organization as a whole and can lead to increased organizational effectiveness.
Dysfunctional conflict leads to a decrease in personal satisfaction and organizational effectiveness; such conflict reduces labor productivity and personal satisfaction, which eliminates cooperation between team members.
Constructive conflict - this is one in which the parties do not go beyond ethical standards and convincing arguments, when they control emotional outbursts with strong-willed efforts and logic, when at least one of them can take into account the interests of the other on a level with their own, and is ready to look for a way out of the situation. When, as a result of resolving a conflict, the relations between its participants are preserved and developed, and the cause of the conflict develops into a creative new formation, the parties receive full or partial satisfaction of their interests.
Destructive conflict - this is when the parties do not want to take into account each other's interests and insist on fulfilling only their own conditions, or when opponents use unethical methods of struggle that infringe on the interests or humiliate the dignity of the other party.
4. There are several effective ways to manage a conflict situation. they can be divided into two categories: structural And interpersonal.
The method of resolving a conflict situation often depends on the type of industrial conflict.
The use of a specific method or a combination of them requires clarification of the reasons that led to the destructive conflict.
5. The role of conflict mainly depends on how effectively it is managed. To manage conflict, it is necessary to understand the causes of the conflict situation.
In all conflicts there are 13 groups of reasons:
o restrictions on the resources that need to be distributed;
o task interdependence;
o difference in goals, lack of coordination of goals of individual groups and employees, the enterprise as a whole;
o difference in mentality and values, difference in behavior and life experience;
o difference in level of education, insufficient level of professional training;
o poor communications.
o imperfection of the organizational management structure, unclear delineation of rights and responsibilities;
o contradictions between the functions and types of work activities of employees;
o uncertainty of growth prospects;
o unfavorable physical working conditions;
o lack of goodwill on the part of the manager towards his subordinates;
o unreasonable attitude towards team members;
o psychological phenomenon.
6. Conflicts can be substantive when there is a real reason for them, and they can be pointless when the reason turns out to be fictitious.
A fictitious reason may be the result of an erroneous perception of the situation by partners or deliberately provoked to create a conflict.
7. The conflict can be adequately perceived (when the reason is real, and the parties understand it correctly), or inadequately perceived (when the reason was misunderstood). At the entire stage of conflict development, emotions give way to logic and common sense. The parties choose a strategy of behavior and methods for resolving a conflict situation.
If the correct line of behavior is found and techniques for effectively overcoming the conflict are applied, the phase in resolving the conflict begins.
As a result of the destructive nature of the conflict, relationships are destroyed and the interests of one or both parties are infringed.
As a result of the constructive nature of the conflict, relationships are maintained and developed, the contradiction develops into a creative new formation, and the parties receive full or partial satisfaction of their interests. In this case, the conflict is considered resolved.
A conflict situation can acquire a constructive or destructive nature, and can be resolved in two ways: either the manager changes his line of behavior and begins to act decisively, or he is replaced by a new, more energetic and purposeful person with traits that are suitable for new working conditions. For the organization, both options will be constructive. For a particular manager, the second option is destructive.
8. The ability to analyze the determinants of conflict is
Firstly, see all the causes of the conflict in their systemic connection; secondly, to understand the main tendency, which determines the essence, the nature of this particular case.
9. It is completely impossible to avoid a conflict situation, since much of its sources are beyond the control of the manager, but it is possible and necessary to weaken its influence if management functions are carried out skillfully.
When managing conflicts, management personnel need to be guided by the fact that, despite the inevitability
conflicts, it is necessary to strive to avoid destructive conflicts. Destructive conflict leads to a decrease in personal satisfaction of members of the work team, a decrease in group cooperation and organizational effectiveness. A manager should try to prevent destructive conflict by controlling constructive conflicts that arise in the organization. If a destructive conflict arises, in order to get out of it it is necessary to resolve the conflict - find the cause and, if possible, eliminate it, reach a certain compromise, while trying to smooth out the dysfunctional consequences of the conflict.
10. Conclusions from the above: firstly, a social conflict is never resolved in one fell swoop; secondly, a social conflict is only logically resolved in a bilateral conflict, but not sociologically, since to resolve it it is necessary to overcome diffuse, unstructured social relations - on the one hand , as well as the inclusion of secondary, more or less institutionalized relationships, the connection of which is always possible and in unlimited quantities, on the other hand, thirdly, the resolution of the conflict is not limited to simply changing the situation, since the assessment of the situation depends on its perception, that is, situational and deep, causal factors are closely intertwined
fourthly, social conflict is always a meta-conflict
11. Conflict belongs to critical life situations, which are life circumstances emotionally experienced by a person, forming in a person’s perception a complex psychological problem that requires its solution.
According to Thomas's theorem: "If situations are defined as real, they become real in their consequences." A person does not simply react to a given situation, but "defines" it, at the same time "defining" himself in this situation, and thereby he is actually himself creates, “constructs” the social world in which he lives.
Of fundamental importance in the emergence of a conflict is whether the situation will be perceived as a conflict and that after the situation has been determined as a conflict, the transition to conflict interaction will occur. The decisive factor in assessing a situation as a conflict is the perceived inconsistency - the incompatibility of goals, actions, and motives.
12. The individual is a self-developing system that strives for knowledge and accumulation of experience. People are able to modify or replace their patterns (thinking stereotypes) of conflict behavior, events and their own personality.
A significant role is given to obtaining more knowledge about conflicts and ways to resolve them in order to develop the ability and desire for constructive cooperation in conflict situations. It is useful to create active training groups, with a constant set of volunteers, where people would be taught the skills of constructive interpersonal communication, the development of such communication skills as describing the behavior of another, communication of feelings (the ability to adequately convey messages about their internal states), active listening, confrontation allows people to explore their behavior more deeply and effectively change it.
Thus, the success of anti-crisis implementation of changes depends on many factors. First of all, from a group of technical factors. The main thing, perhaps, is to recognize the functional and technical adequacy of innovation.
The quality of the development and support processes for changes is of great importance.
It is probably impossible to meet a person who would never quarrel or come into conflict with anyone. People are accustomed to perceiving conflict as something destructive and negative. It would seem that there are no positive aspects to be found in it. However, in some cases, the functions of conflict can be not only destructive, but also constructive.
Concept
Conflict is one of the ways through which people clarify relationships, resolve their contradictions, and deal with problems that arise as a result of interaction between them. As a rule, clashes are accompanied by violent negative emotions, behavior that goes beyond social norms, mutual reproaches and insults.
In resolving contradictions, each participant takes a position opposite to the opponent. The conflicting parties, trying to achieve certain goals and defend their position, do not want to make concessions to each other, refuse to listen and accept the arguments of the enemy. This situation can arise both between close people who know each other well, and with strangers meeting for the first time.
A conflict can brew for a long time or break out unexpectedly when there is a sharp clash of people’s interests. Its participants can be both individuals and entire social groups and even states.
Causes
There are many reasons that could provoke a conflict. In the first place is the limited resources of humanity. This reason applies to both political and interpersonal struggles. Conflict between states can occur, for example, over a limited resource such as oil. In a family, the cause of contradictions can be one computer and several people who want to surf the Internet at the same time.
Conflicts in organizations very often occur due to the interdependence of employees. So, the result of the team depends on each individual person. A mistake by one of them can lead to a common failure and, accordingly, provoke a conflict between the participants.
Contradictions within the family most often develop against the background of financial difficulties. In some situations, the cause of conflicts between people is their personal characteristics, manner of behavior and communication, differences in views and goals.
Conflict and its constructive functions
Conflict is not always an exclusively negative event and can also carry constructive functions. One of them is the resolution of contradictions between the subjects of the relationship. Once the quarrel is over, misunderstandings and disagreements may disappear completely or partially.
The constructive functions of conflict also include weakening the psychological tension of the subjects of confrontation. Negative energy that has accumulated for a long time during an argument splashes out and ceases to put pressure on the person.
Very often, after clarifying relationships, it becomes easier for people to communicate and interact with each other. The productivity of their joint work increases and misunderstandings disappear.
Conflicts help to reveal not only the negative, but also the positive sides of a person. They show whether an individual is resistant to stressful situations, what strength his motives and values have. In addition, conflicts contribute to the self-affirmation of the individual and the accumulation of experience in interaction with others.
Conflict and its destructive functions
The main negative point in all conflicts is the negative emotions received by its participants. Frequent stressful situations have a detrimental effect on a person’s health and mood. In addition, conflicts can be accompanied by violence - both psychological and physical.
Very often such phenomena end in a complete breakdown of relations between opponents. Examples of this are divorces of spouses, dismissals of employees, termination of friendly relations. People fail to agree and find a compromise, so this outcome is the only possible way out for them.
The destructive functions of conflict are also manifested in the underestimation of the self-esteem of the losing participant. A person may become depressed and doubt the correctness of his ideals and values.
In addition, conflict situations create an image of an enemy in people. Anyone with whom contradictions have once arisen will no longer be able to earn trust. Subsequently, the slightest misunderstanding can lead to the outbreak of a new conflict.
Concept and functions of social conflict
Social conflict represents the highest point of collision between social groups as a result of the incompatibility of their goals, positions and interests. It is based on contradictions and lack of agreement between the participants in the interaction.
The cause of such conflicts is differences in income, position in society, rights, power and prestige. In other words, they are provoked by social inequality, as well as limited resources, the struggle for which has occurred throughout human history.
The functions of social conflict can be both positive and negative. Destructive consequences include destruction of social structures, as well as unreasonable expenditure of resources. The positive functions of this type of conflict are the opportunity to move to a new stage of development, achieve justice, and eliminate problems that have arisen. In addition, in the course of such contradictions, social groups unite and a new, more advanced social system is formed.
The concept and functions of political conflict
Political conflicts are clashes and confrontations between subjects of state power in the course of exercising their powers and with a mutual desire to achieve their goals. They are driven by opposing political interests.
Such conflicts are divided into interstate, intrastate and regional. The basis of such a classification is the level of participants in the political conflict. The higher it is, the more difficult it is to resolve such contradictions.
Like any other confrontation, the functions of political conflict can be constructive and destructive. The first includes, first of all, defusing the situation in the country or throughout the world. Tension between the parties to the conflict and in society as a whole is eliminated. In addition, various social changes are stimulated and outdated social norms are re-evaluated. Conflict is the driving force of progress. In addition, social balance is established in society.
The negative functions of this type of conflict are the threat of splitting international organizations and the country's population. In addition, unfavorable changes in power relations may occur, as well as the demographic situation in the country may worsen.
Features of conflict in an organization
In the course of working relationships, misunderstandings and contradictions very often arise between people. Such situations have a negative impact on the organization’s activities and lead to a decrease in work productivity and results.
Conflicts in the workplace can occur between superiors and subordinates, as well as between line employees. The reason for such contradictions may be the biased attitude of management, an attempt to shift their responsibilities to each other, or the interdependence of employee results. In addition, quarrels often arise due to communication problems and personal hostility of colleagues.
The functions of conflicts in an organization can be constructive and destructive. The first includes increasing productivity after eliminating contradictions and improving the psychological climate in the team. As a rule, conflict with superiors has destructive consequences. In such situations, the matter may even end in the dismissal of the employee.
Generation Conflict
The problem of “fathers and sons” has existed at all times. Our days are no exception. In rare families, generational conflict does not manifest itself in any way. The basis of such contradictions is the difference in views between young people and older people and the reluctance to understand and respect each other’s interests. Such conflicts, as a rule, last for a considerable period of time, periodically subside, and then flare up with renewed vigor.
The causes and functions of generational conflicts are different. The deterioration of relationships between relatives, worries and stress, especially among older people, can be noted as destructive. However, as in any other conflict, there are also positive sides. Young people, learning from their mistakes, try to respect and listen to the advice of old people. Those, in turn, learn to be more tolerant of their children and grandchildren.
How to get out of conflict correctly
There are several ways to resolve a conflict. The best thing is for the opposing parties to find a compromise. At the same time, the functions of conflict are, as a rule, constructive. The parties come to a mutual agreement, problems are eliminated, and the decision made suits everyone. There are no winners or losers.
If the conflict ends with coercion, one of the parties achieves its goals, while the other submits to the opponent’s decision. This outcome is most typical in confrontations between a boss and an ordinary employee, a parent and a child. The functions of the conflict in this case will be constructive for one of the participants, and destructive for the other.
In the minds of many people, conflicts are associated with purely negative phenomena: wars and revolutions, civil strife and scandals. Therefore, as a rule, conflict is presented as an undesirable and harmful phenomenon. In reality, this is not always the case. The consequences of conflict can be both negative and positive.
Thus, the question of the place and role of conflicts in the life of an individual, social group, organization and society as a whole is significantly significant. It is not without reason that thinkers of the Ancient World and the Middle Ages saw in conflicts a certain means of mutual understanding and good agreement. In modern times, most of those who laid the foundation for conflictology pointed to conflicts as a means of resolving social contradictions and maintaining balance in the social order. At the present stage, both the condemnation of hostile confrontations at any level and the recognition of the important role of peacefully resolved conflicts in establishing mutual understanding and cooperation between people are clearly distinguished.
To explain the functions of social conflict, one should turn, first of all, to the very concept of “function”. In social sciences function means the meaning and role that a certain social institution or private social process performs in relation to the needs of a social system at a higher level of organization or the interests of its constituent communities, social groups and individuals. In accordance with this, under conflict function we will understand the role that conflict plays in relation to society and its various structural formations: social groups, organizations and individuals. Thus, the function of conflict expresses, on the one hand, its social purpose, and on the other- the dependence that arises between it and other components of social life. In the first case, the consequences of the conflict are taken into account, in the second - the direction of the relations of conflicting subjects of social ties.
A conflict is one of those phenomena that cannot be assessed unambiguously. It acts as a way of social interaction in conditions of heightened tension between people, when incompatible views, positions and interests are revealed, and there is a confrontation between parties pursuing goals far removed from each other. By its very nature, a conflict can be a carrier of both creative and destructive tendencies, be good and evil at the same time, bring both benefit and harm to the parties involved.
Therefore, its functions are characterized taking into account positive and negative consequences. Positive, functionally useful results of the conflict are considered to be the solution to the problem that gave rise to the contradiction and caused the clash, taking into account the mutual interests and goals of all parties, as well as achieving understanding and trust, strengthening partnerships and cooperation, overcoming conformism, humility, and the desire for superiority. The negative, dysfunctional consequences of conflict include people’s dissatisfaction with the common cause, withdrawal from pressing problems, increasing hostility in interpersonal and intergroup relations, weakening cohesion among employees, etc.
In terms of their content, the functions of conflict cover both the material sphere (related to economic interests, benefits or losses) and the spiritual and moral sphere (can increase or weaken social activity, encourage or suppress optimism, inspiration of people). All this has an emotional impact on the effectiveness of joint activities and can facilitate or complicate the process of managing an organization. Life presents countless facts confirming the functional diversity of conflicts in terms of direction, beneficial and harmful consequences.
There are explicit and latent (hidden) functions of conflict. Explicit functions of conflict functions of conflict are characterized by the fact that its consequences coincide with the goals that were proclaimed and pursued by opponents of the conflict. For example, the Russian government, starting military operations with “Chechen” bandit formations, announced their liquidation. The obvious function of the conflict is also the victory of the miners in their conflict with the administration, if they pursued precisely this goal.
Hidden(latent) functions of the conflict - those when its consequences are revealed only over time and which, to a certain extent, differ from the intentions previously declared by the parties to the conflict. Latent functions can also be expressed in the fact that its consequences may generally be unexpected and not meet the goals of the parties to the conflict. Thus, none of the participants in the “Chechen” conflict imagined that during it oil processing plants, of which there were a large number in the republic, would be destroyed, and as a result, there would be a danger of an environmental disaster not only in Chechnya, but also beyond its borders. The striking miners, who demanded that the government of the country in the late 1980s - early 1990s cancel the state order and give them the opportunity to freely dispose of profits, did a lot to reform society, but they did not even imagine that already in the late 1990s years will demand the return of the government order.
From the point of view of functions, conflict is enough controversial phenomenon. By entering into confrontation, people can achieve their goals. But it is often difficult to predict even the not very distant consequences that will follow. Moreover, the consequences can be both positive and negative for the parties to the conflict. An employee who has entered into a conflicting relationship with the administration can achieve his immediate goal, for example, payment of compensation for forced absence. But after some time, this may be followed by his dismissal from work under some plausible pretext. For a fired employee, this will most likely be a latent function of conflict and a negative one at that. But after this he can get a job that is more attractive than before. And then this will be a positive latent function of conflict. In this case, they often say “there would be no happiness, but misfortune would help.”
Thus, both explicit and latent functions of conflict can be both negative and positive, that is, they can have dual character. If the function of the conflict is positive for its participants, we speak of functional conflict, otherwise it dysfunctional conflict, the results of which are negative for its participants, and for which they did not count.
It should be especially emphasized that the assessment of the functions of conflict as positive or negative always carries specific character. From the point of view of one subject of the conflict, it can be considered as positive, from the point of view of another - as negative. In other words, there is subjective relativity in assessing the nature of the functions of the conflict. In addition, the same conflict in different relationships and at different times can be assessed from different or even opposing positions. This indicates the relativistic nature of the conflict functions. Thus, the October Socialist Revolution, as well as the victory in the early 1990s of the forces that acted under the slogan of reforms, in our country were viewed differently at different times and by different social strata.
All this indicates that conflict- this is a functionally contradictory phenomenon, and the relationship between its positive and negative functions must always be considered specifically. If we keep in mind objective criterion assessment of the functions of conflict, then in general terms we can apparently say that social conflict is functional in nature if it contributes to the development of a broader social system. For an intrapersonal conflict it will be a person, for an interpersonal conflict it will be a group, etc. However, in this regard, not everything is going smoothly. For one should always keep in mind the costs (the price of the conflict) that are associated with it. Thus, an organization that realizes its goals through the exorbitant intensification of people’s work and health; an army that wins due to heavy losses, etc. - these are examples indicating that victory in a conflict can be Pyrrhic. Thus, in this case, too, we are faced with the functional inconsistency of the conflict - not everything that benefits the development of a broader social system is functional for its constituent elements.
According to their consequences, conflicts are divided into constructive and destructive.
Constructive ones presuppose the possibility of rational transformations, as a result of which the object of the conflict itself is eliminated. When handled correctly, this type of conflict can bring great benefits to an organization. If the conflict has no real basis and is not created, therefore, there are no opportunities for improving intra-organizational processes, it turns out to be destructive, since it first destroys the system of relations between people, and then introduces disorganization into the course of objective processes.
The specific causes of constructive conflicts most often include unfavorable working conditions and inadequate remuneration; shortcomings in the organization; overload at work; inconsistency between the rights and responsibilities of employees; lack of resources; low level of discipline.
Destructive conflicts are usually caused by incorrect actions, including abuse of power, violation of labor laws, and unfair assessments of people. Thus, if in constructive conflicts the parties do not go beyond ethical standards, then destructive ones are, in essence, based on their violation, as well as on the psychological incompatibility of people.
The laws of intra-organizational conflict are such that any constructive conflict, if not resolved in a timely manner, turns into destructive. People begin to demonstrate personal antipathy to each other, find fault, humiliate partners, threaten them, impose their point of view, and refuse to solve problems that have arisen for mutual benefit.
In many ways, the transformation of a constructive conflict into a destructive one is associated with the personality traits of its participants themselves. Novosibirsk scientists F. Borodkin and N. Koryak identify six types of “conflict” personalities who, voluntarily or unwittingly, provoke additional clashes with others. These include:
1) demonstrative, striving to be the center of attention, becoming the initiator of disputes in which they show excessive emotions;
2) rigid, with high self-esteem, not taking into account the interests of others, uncritical of their actions, painfully touchy, inclined to take out evil on others;
3) uncontrollable, characterized by impulsiveness, aggressiveness, unpredictability of behavior, and poor self-control;
4) ultra-precise, characterized by excessive demands, suspiciousness, pettiness, and suspicion;
5) purposefully conflict-oriented, considering conflict as a means of achieving their own goals, inclined to manipulate others in their own interests;
6) conflict-free people who, with their desire to please everyone, only create new conflicts.
At the same time, conflicting individuals, having found themselves in a favorable situation, often do not show themselves as such.
Positive and destructive functions of conflict
Despite the relativity of assessments of the functions of conflict, according to their meaning, significance and role, they can be divided into two groups:
1. constructive (positive) functions of conflict;
2. destructive (negative) functions of conflict.
6. Conclusion
Although relationships with other people should promote peace and harmony, conflicts are inevitable. Every sane person should have the ability to effectively resolve disputes and disagreements so that the fabric of social life does not tear with every conflict, but, on the contrary, strengthens due to the growth of the ability to find and develop common interests.
To resolve conflict, it is important to have different approaches at your disposal, to be able to use them flexibly, to go beyond the usual patterns and be sensitive to opportunities and act and think in new ways. At the same time, you can use conflict as a source of life experience, self-education and self-learning.
Conflicts can be turned into excellent teaching material if you subsequently take the time to remember what led to the conflict and what happened in the conflict situation. Then you can learn more about yourself, about the people involved in the conflict, or about the surrounding circumstances that contributed to the conflict. This knowledge will help you make the right decision in the future and avoid conflict. warning social conflict
Literature
1. Kolominsky Ya.L. Psychology. - Mn., 1993.
2. Vilyunas V.K. Psychology of emotional phenomena. - M., 1973.
3.Izard K.E. Human emotions. - M., 1980.
4. Jung K.G. Problems of the soul of our time. - M., 1996.
5. Anikeeva N.P. Psychological climate in the team. - M., 1989.
6.Andreeva G.M. Social Psychology. - M., 1998.
7. Sieger W. Lang L. Lead without conflicts. - M., 1990.
8. Scott J. The power of the mind. Methods of conflict resolution. - St. Petersburg, 1993.
9. Fair M. Everyone can win. - M., 1992.
10. Sheinov V.P. Conflicts in our lives and their resolution. - Mn., 1996.
11.Alexandra Vladimirovna Palagina teacher of English.
12.Andrey Stegantseva Psychologist.
Loading...
