UNIT-4

 Define stress and enlist its coping strategies

 To explain about conflict, its features, and outline different views on conflict
 To discuss interpersonal communication
 To clarify about the term team and describe about team building
 To examine about listening and feedback

Inter-Personal Communication- Listening, Feedback Collaborative Processes in Work groups

team Building Team Decision Making Conflict Resolution in Groups and Problem solving
techniques

Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and
meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication.

Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange Information, feelings, and
meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication.
Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said -the language used –but how
it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and
body language.

Verbal Communication and Non-Verbal Communication for more information. When two or
more people are in the same place and are aware of each other's presence, then communication is
taking place, no matter how subtle or unintentional. Without speech, an observer may be using
cues of posture, facial expression, and dress to form an impression of the other's role, emotional
state, personality and/or intentions. Although no communication may be intended, people receive
messages through such forms of non-verbal behavior.

Four Principles of Interpersonal Communication

These principles underlie the workings in real life of interpersonal communication. They are
basic to communication. We can't ignore them

Interpersonal communication is inescapable

We can't not communicate. The very attempt not to communicate communicates something.
Through not only words, but through tone of voice and through gesture, posture, facial
expression, etc., we constantly communicate to those around us. Through these channels, we
constantly receive communication from others. Even when you sleep, you communicate.
Remember a basic principle of communication in general: people are not mind readers. Another
way to put this is: people judge you by your behavior, not your intent.

Interpersonal communication is irreversible

You can't really take back something once it has been said. The effect must inevitably remain.
Despite the instructions from a judge to a jury to "disregard that last statement the witness
made," the lawyer knows that it can't help but make an impression on the jury. A Russian
proverb says, "Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again."

Interpersonal communication is complicated

There are numerous people of varied personalities in this world. Hence, the way of their
communication, as well as the way of understanding, is also very different this is the reason of
the communication being complicated.

It is complicated due to the varied people you communicate you cannot control the thoughts and
way expression of other people, what you can control is your communication so improve it to
express your views in an accurate manner.

Now that you understand the importance of communication, then you should apply the above
four important principles for communication so that you can help yourself to improve your
interpersonal communication skills.

The ability to communicate within an organization depends heavily upon people's interpersonal skills.
These are the tools people use to interact and communicate with individuals in an organizational
environment.

Interpersonal communication is contextual

In other words, communication does not happen in isolation. There is:

 Psychological context, which is who you are and what you bring to the interaction. Your
needs, desires, values, personality, etc., all form the psychological context. ("You" here
refers to both participants in the interaction.)
 Relational context, which concerns your reactions to the other person--the "mix."
 Situational context deals with the psycho-social "where" you are communicating. An
interaction that takes place in a classroom will be very different from one that takes place
in a bar.
  Environmental context deals with the physical "where" you are communicating.
Furniture, location, noise level, temperature, season, time of day, all are examples of
factors in the environmental context.
 Cultural context includes all the learned behaviors and rules that affect the interaction. If
you come from a culture (foreign or within your own country) where it is considered rude
to make long, direct eye contact, you will out of politeness avoid eye contact. If the other
person comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact signals trustworthiness, then
we have in the cultural context a basis for misunderstanding.

Importance of Communication & Interpersonal Skills at Organization level

Fostering Effective Communication

Interpersonal skills are necessary for the establishment of relationships between yourself and
fellow workmates, which leads to a mutual exchange of ideas, information and skills.
Furthermore, you establish mutual respect and consideration for one another’s opinions and
input. Communication conducted in this manner enables the performance of duties, management
of tasks and completion of assignments.

Expands Your Opportunities

Through connections with managers and fellow workmates, you’re able to gain more exciting
opportunities in the workplace and your field of interest. If you make a good impression on
colleagues, they’ll be in a position to give you good references or even bump you up to a higher
position with more responsibilities and perks, which is an advantage for your professional
development.

Increases Credibility and Customer Satisfaction

Customers see that you don’t compromise on productivity, that you are aware of their needs and
are willing act on their queries and listen to their input on the products and services you offer.

Fostering and Maintaining Personal Relationships

Interpersonal skills become much more effective, beneficial and rewarding when they foster
meaningful relationships. Not only is it important to build personal relationships in the
workplace, but it is also important to maintain these relationships within professional boundaries.
Maintaining these relationships can prove to be even more challenging than creating them, as it
involves multiple variables like consistency, follow-through and continued empathy. The best
way to maintain interpersonal relationships in the workplace is to make them sincere.
They Make You an Effective Leader

If you take a look at most lists or articles which talk about interpersonal skills in the workplace,
the titles could’ve been easily “Characteristics necessary to be an effective leader”. From
fostering interpersonal relationships to establishing trust through veracity and highly developed
communication skills are all crucial skills for an effective leader. A leader without the ability to
connect with his/her team will inevitably fail, or lose valuable members of that team resulting in
the loss of productivity or burdening other employees with the work left behind.

Recommended Strategies:

As we all know the importance of communication and interpersonal skills in an organization,

below are the methods to improve interpersonal skills within an organization:

Workshops:

Communication and interpersonal skills in an organization can be enhanced through specialized

workshops in which team leads, managers and top-level management will be trained. External
trainers can also be employed to train the crucial stakeholders of a company on the said aspects.

Team Outings:

Want your employees to improve their skills with a load of fun??? Team outings are the best way
to improve bonding between employees in a team. Taking some time off work with co-workers
not only enables to improve one’s interpersonal skills but also helps them to understand the
organizational goal and work together to achieve it.

Cultural Trainings:

Today’s corporate is an open global market where people of different nationalities and races
come together and work. Employees are expected to be culture sensitive. Cultural trainings are to
be conducted in an organization where in employees are encouraged to take part in and know
about cultural differences and how to deal with people of different cultures. Such trainings are
useful in improving the interpersonal skills and communications skills of employees as well.

Periodic Meetings with top-brass:

Periodic meeting with the top-level management of an organization not only makes the
employees aware of the organizational goal and plans to achieve it but also enable them to
formulate new plans for organizational development.

 Ideation:
Employees are to be encouraged to formulate new business plans, out-of-box ideas to improve
business and client satisfaction in an organization. Best and feasible ideas are to be implemented
and rewarded which encourages employees to work in teams to formulate them.

 Reflection:

Developing the inter-personal and communication skills is not only important for an organization
but also for an individual’s career. Result of the application of above mentioned interpersonal
strategies can be discussed as below.

 Improves relationships with clients, stakeholders and help to work successfully with the
team.
 To garner various ideas and strategies which lead to organizational and career
development and implement them.
 To understand the demands and needs of stakeholders in a better way to serve them
better.
 Improves the technical expertise.

Interpersonal communication and Listening

Listening is a fundamental part of the process of communication. Adults spend about 42 percent
of their time in listening activities, and children spend about 58 percent of the time in the same
activity (Lederman, 1977). Listening is a complex facet of the communication process, and it is
considered by some communication researchers to be a more difficult activity than speaking.
While the word "listening" is used interchangeably with some other words, such as "hearing," it
is a unique process, unlike any other.

Definition

To define "listening" entails comparing and contrasting it with some other similar activities:
"perception," "attention," and "hearing."

"Perception" has been defined as a process of extracting information from the world outside
oneself, as well as from within. When perceiving something, a person is able to note certain
stimuli and draw some kind of information from them. One type of perception is listening, the
process by which one selectively attends to certain auditory stimuli. Listening is selective
perception and attention to auditory stimuli.
The Role of the Listener

Feedback is any form of response to the speaker's message. It is verbal and/or nonverbal and/or
silent. Any response or lack of response is the listener's message to the original speaker. Thus,
verbal (words) and/or nonverbal (sounds, gestures, facial expressions) communications are the
ways in which feedback is provided. The skillful listener is continuously paying attention,
evaluating what is being said and what it means, and deciding on what are the best choices to
make about selecting the most appropriate feedback or response.
Listening is a significant part of communication process. Communication cannot take place until
and unless a message is heard and retained thoroughly and positively by the receivers/listeners.
Listening is a dynamic process. Listening means attentiveness and interest perceptible in the
posture as well as expressions. Listening implies decoding (i.e., translating the symbols into
meaning) and interpreting the messages correctly in communication process.

Listening differs from hearing in sense that:

 Hearing implies just perceiving the sounds while listening means listening with understanding
whatever you are listening. Both the body as well as mind is involved in listening process.
 Listening is an active process while hearing is a passive activity.
 Hearing is an effortless activity while listening is an act requiring conscious efforts, concentration
and interest. Listening involves both physical and psychological efforts.

Effective listening requires both deliberate efforts and a keen mind. Effective listeners
appreciate flow of new ideas and information. Organizations that follow the principles of
effective listening are always informed timely, updated with the changes and implementations,
and are always out of crisis situation. Effective listening promotes organizational relationships,
encourages product delivery and innovation, as well as helps organization to deal with the
diversity in employees and customers it serves.

To improve your communication skills, you must learn to listen effectively. Effective listening
gives you an advantage and makes you more impressive when you speak. It also boosts your
performance.

Effective Listening Skills

1. Discover your interests’ field.

2. Grasp and understand the matter/content.
3. Remain calm. Do not loose your temper. Anger hampers and inhibits communication. Angry
people jam their minds to the words of others.
4. Be open to accept new ideas and information.
5. Jot down and take a note of important points.
6. Work upon listening. Analyze and evaluate the speech in spare time.
7. Rephrase and summarize the speaker’s ideas.
 8. Keep on asking questions. This demonstrates that how well you understand the speaker’s ideas
and also that you are listening.
9. Avoid distractions.
10. “Step into the shoes of others”, i.e., put yourself in the position of the speaker and observe things
from his view point. This will help creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding and improve
the exchange of ideas in communication process.

Characteristics of Good and Effective Listener

Good and effective listener tries to give maximum amount of thought to the speaker’s ideas
being communicated, leaving a minimum amount of time for mental exercises to go off track. A
good listener:

1. Is attentive- Good listener must pay attention to the key points. He should be alert. He should
avoid any kind of distraction.
2. Do not assume- Good listener does not ignore the information he considers is unnecessary. He
should always summarize the speaker’s ideas so that there is no misunderstanding of thoughts of
speakers. He avoids premature judgments about the speakers message.
3. Listen for feelings and facts- Good listener deliberately listens for the feelings of the speaker.
He concentrates totally on the facts. He evaluates the facts objectively. His listening is
sympathetic, active and alert. He keenly observes the gestures, facial expression and body
language of the speaker. In short, a good listener should be projective (i.e. one who tries to
understand the views of the speaker) and empathic (i.e. one who concentrates not only on the
surface meaning of the message but tries to probe the feelings and emotions of the speaker).
4. Concentrate on the other speakers kindly and generously- A good listener makes deliberate
efforts to give a chance to other speakers also to express their thoughts and views. He tries to
learn from every speaker. He evaluates the speaker’s ideas in spare time. He focuses on the
content of the speaker’s message and not on the speaker’s personality and looks.
5. Opportunists- A good listener tries to take benefit from the opportunities arising. He asks
“What’s in it for me?”

To conclude, effective listening enhances the communication quality. It makes all attentive. It
encourages optimistic attitude, healthy relations and more participation. It leads to better
decision- making in an organization. Effective listening is directly related to our ability to do
team work. It must be noted that “We listen at about an efficiency rate of 25 percent maximum,
and we remember only about 50 percent of what is delivered during a ten minute
speech/lecture/communication.”
Role of Feedback in Communication

Feedback

 Feedback consists of messages the receiver returns, which allows the sender to know how
accurately the message has been received, as well as the receiver's reaction. The receiver
may also respond to the unintentional message as well as the intentional message. Types
of feedback range from direct verbal statements, for example "Say that again, I don't
understand", to subtle facial expressions or changes in posture that might indicate to the
sender that the receiver feels uncomfortable with the message. Feedback allows the
sender to regulate, adapt or repeat the message in order to improve communication.
 Receivers are not just passive absorbers of messages; they receive the message and
respond to them. This response of a receiver to sender’s message is called Feedback.
Sometimes a feedback could be a non-verbal smiles, sighs etc. Sometimes it is oral, as
when you react to a colleague’s ideas with questions or comments. Feedback can also be
written like - replying to an e-mail, etc.
 Feedback is your audience’s response; it enables you to evaluate the effectiveness of your
message. If your audience doesn’t understand what you mean, you can tell by the
response and then refine the message accordingly.
 Giving your audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial for maintaining an open
communication climate. The manager must create an environment that encourages
feedback. For example after explaining the job to the subordinated he must ask them
whether they have understood it or not. He should ask questions like “Do you
understand?”, “Do you have any doubts?” etc. At the same time he must allow his
subordinated to express their views also.
 Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient has
understood the message in the same terms as intended by the sender and whether he
agrees to that message or not.
 There are lot of ways in which company takes feedback from their employees, such as :
Employee surveys, memos, emails, open-door policies, company news letter etc.
Employees are not always willing to provide feedback. The organization has to work a lot
to get the accurate feedback. The managers encourage feedback by asking specific
questions, allowing their employees to express general views, etc. The organization
should be receptive to their employee’s feedback.
A manger should ensure that a feedback should:

1. Focus on a particular behaviour - It should be specific rather than being general.

2. Impersonal - Feedback should be job related, the manager should not criticize anyone
personally.
3. Goal oriented - If we have something negative to say about the person, we should always
direct it to the recipient’s goal.
4. Well timed - Feedback is most effective when there is a short gap between the recipient’s
behaviour and the receipt of that feedback.
5. Use “I” statements - Manager should make use of statements with the words like “I”,
“However” etc. For example instead of saying “You were absent from work yesterday”,
manager should say ”I was annoyed when you missed your work yesterday”.
6. Ensure understanding - For feedback to be effective, the manager should make sure that
the recipients understands the feedback properly.
7. While giving negative feedback to the recipient, the manager should not mention the
factors which are not in control of the recipient.

Types of feedback

1. Types of feedback:

Motivational Feedback: It is used to reward and support positive behavior e.g. your
employee performs well and to motivate him u appreciate his work, this is motivational
feedback.

Developmental Feedback: It is given when a particular area of performance needs to be

improved e.g highlighting the areas of your subordinate’s performance which needs
improvement.

Constructive feedback: It is given so that to encourage the development of the

individual towards which it is directed.

Intrinsic feedback: It is feedback from one’s own self e.g. a person engaged in thinking
and pondering over ideas, evaluating options and assessing their outcomes.

Extrinsic feedback: It is feedback which a person receives from others e.g. customer’s
response to a payment request.

What is Team Building?

Team building refers to the various activities undertaken to motivate the team members and
increase the overall performance of the team. You just can’t expect your team to perform on their
own. A motivating factor is a must. Team Building activities consist of various tasks undertaken
to groom a team member, motivate him and make him perform his best.

We all are human beings and love appreciation. Any individual performing exceptionally well
must be appreciated well in public. He feels happy and motivated to perform even better the next
time. If any team member has come out with a unique idea; treat him with any thing that makes
him happy. Never criticize any team member or demotivate him if he has failed to perform. Ask
him to “Buck up”.

Importance of Team Building in Corporates

Team Building activities are of utmost importance as they help in the overall development of the
team members and in turn improving the team’s performance. It also strengthens the bond
among the employees and they feel motivated to work and achieve the targets. Some kind of
team building activities must be undertaken from time to time to encourage the team members to
work hard and realize their dreams

 Employees are the assets of every organization and its success is directly proportional to
the hard work every employee puts in. Individuals must work in a little different and
smarter way than the others and always feel motivated to give their best. Effort by a
single team member goes unnoticed and every team member should contribute equally.
Individuals must be aware what his fellow team members are working on and what he is
supposed to do.

 Team work and Team Building are essential in corporates to make the organization a
better place to work.

 Team Building activities bring employees closer and one feels happy to go to work daily.
Individuals start enjoying their work and feel fresh the entire day.

Please go through two situations carefully:

Situation 1 - Michael worked with a leading organization and handled a team of five skilled
team members. Michael made sure that he interacted with his team members almost daily. He
even enquired about their family members and was always available to them. The team members
had the liberty to come up with their issues on an open forum or write to him freely. No wonders
his team members always appreciated their team leader and looked up to him. His team members
never fought among themselves and willingly helped each other.
Situation 2 - Samuel on the other hand also had four individuals directly reporting to him. He
always maintained a distance from them and never missed an opportunity to criticize or make
fun of his team members. No employee was allowed to enter Samuel’s cabin without prior
appointment. His team members hated their office like anything and preferred working from
home just to avoid Samuel. No body was ready to help each other and everyone worked
individually. Their team could never achieve their targets within the stipulated time and there
was lots of negativity in their team.

Michael did nothing great. He just reassured his team members that he is always there for them
and they can fall back on him anytime. Samuel never encouraged any team building activity and
thus his team always suffered.

 Team Building activities improve the relations and strengthen the bond among the
employees. Every one strives hard to achieve a common goal.

 Team Building activities also reduce the chances of confusions, misunderstandings and in
a way making the communication effective. Individual is very clear about his goals and
objectives and what exactly is expected from him.

 The productivity increases when individuals work as a team. They tend to divide work
among themselves and hence the objectives are achieved at a much faster pace. People
take less leaves and concentrate more on their work and eventually the organization
benefits.

 Individuals feel more positive and confident at work. Stress disappears and it reflects on
their work. Chances of mistakes reduce and people stop cribbing and blaming others.
There is positivity all around. Allow team members to express themselves freely.

Team decision making

Teamwork can provide key opportunities for individuals as well as the organisation they work
for. A team identity is an important benefit of team-working. This provides individuals with a
feeling of belonging. It helps make the group work more closely together as they make decisions.
This should improve motivation and performance as everyone seeks to contribute to achieving
the best for all.

Effective team decision-making

The effectiveness of team decision-making may depend upon a number of factors:

The skills and abilities of the group members. Teams are often more effective when they have a
mix of people who take on a preferred role, for example an effective team could include a person
who comes up with ideas. It might also include somebody who could analyze those ideas, one
who shows good judgment and somebody who simply makes sure that the work gets done and
that the deadlines are met.

The size of the group. Sometimes the larger the team, the more complex the communication channels
become. This can slow down decision making. Larger groups also require more formal structures to co-
ordinate responsibilities so as to avoid duplicating efforts

The task to be undertaken. Small groups may better undertake urgent tasks. This may require
their undivided attention. Teams are particularly good for dealing with complex and challenging
tasks. This is because teamwork provides an opportunity for combining the skills and knowledge
of each of the members. One team member may come up with a more efficient method of
tackling a challenge that the other members had not thought of

Advantages of Team Decision Making (TDM)

The advantages of TDM include the following:

 It improves internal agency cooperation, communication, and teamwork.

 It helps make the agency's decision-making process more accountable to and
understandable by families and the broader community. It helps to develop a specific,
individualized intervention plan that has support from a broad-based group, not just the
social worker. It also ensures that all relevant parties (family, extended family, agency
workers, private providers, community, etc.) know and support the basic components of
the plan.
 It makes a placement decision the responsibility of a larger group within the agency and
the community at large. By regularly including the family, extended family,
neighborhood advocates, community-based providers, and child welfare staff members in
the most important decisions regarding the safety of the community' s children, Team
Decision Making shares the agency' s responsibility to keep children safe with parents,
family, and the local community.
 It helps the public child welfare agency avoid being perceived as either child-snatchers or
public employees who return children to dangerous and dysfunctional families.
 It connects parents and families more efficiently and more quickly to accessible local
service and supports, facilitating reunification efforts.
 It protects children by developing a specific safety plan for them.
 It facilitates the development of long-term, community-based safety nets for families at
risk by linking families with natural supports within their neighborhoods.
Factors in Team Decision Making

Team-based decisions often give way to a large variety of viewpoints and skills. The best way to
manage these differences involves a consideration of the following factors:

 The type of decision – Are these decisions strategic in nature? Are they related to
performance? Does this concern how things are done in the company? Will the team be
directly affected with the outcome?
 Availability – How much time and resources can be allocated to deal with the decision?
 The nature of the task – Will the team be able to bring the appropriate knowledge and
expertise required?
 Commitment – Will the team be committed to deliver?

What is a Collaborative?

The term “collaborative” is an umbrella term for the structural design of any group of people
who have an identified mission, differing self-interests, and a capacity to con-tribute to the
activities designed to support the group’s mission. It is important to note that a collaborative may
not involve equal contributions of power, resources, or deci-sion-making, and can be
implemented between different departments in the same organization, or by connecting two or
more independent groups together. The groups can be comprised of any business (profit or
nonprofit), volunteer service group, school, or other entity that is recognized by the other parties
as a group with something to Contribute. In general terms, collaborative are relationship-oriented
and tend to be formed around activities that will require sustained interaction between the parties
for duration of time.
The fundamental criteria of a Collaborative that distinguishes it from other types of teams
(Networking, Coordination/Referral, Cooperatives) is that the participants are willing to look at
changes in the fundamental power relationships and traditional pat-terns of working together.
Collaborative workgroups believe that it is not enough to focus solely on the service/product
being delivered. Long term success involves learn-ing about how to increase the relational
capacity of the participants. This does not mean “group therapy”, but rather attention to agreeing
on communication strategies, clarifying how decisions will be made, having a conflict resolution
process agreed to, and sufficient attention paid to clarifying similar and divergent values and
acknowledging the needs of all parties.

Building a Collaborative Team Environment

Teams are expected to produce results, but performance is hindered when team members do not
work well together. A collaborative team environment is essential for the team's success. To
create a collaborative environment, team members must practice the following:
 Have a Common Purpose and Goal

A team is defined as a group of people working together toward a common goal. Without a goal,
there is no team. Ideas for creating a common goal include:

 Create and/or review the team's charter.

 Discuss why the team exists.
 Allow each team member to express commitment.
 Create mottoes, symbols, awards, or posters that portray the team as one unit.
 Use the common purpose to prioritize team actions.

 Trust Each Other

Team members must trust each other if they are to work together successfully. Ideas for creating
trust among team members include:

 Be honest.
 Work to eliminate conflicts of interests.
 Avoid talking behind each other's back.
 Trust teammates (you must trust them before they will trust you).
 Give team members the benefit of the doubt.

 Clarify Roles

Knowing everyone's role and being familiar with the responsibility of those roles create
efficiency and flexibility. Ideas for clarifying roles on the team include:

 Review team members' roles frequently.

 Relate team member expectations to the team's overall purpose.
 Clarify responsibilities when action planning.
 Learn what others do on the team.
 Figure out ways to help each other.

 Communicate Openly and Effectively

Miscommunication can create hard feelings and undermine the success of the team. Ideas for
improving communication include:

 Err on the side of over communicating.

 Seek to understand all angles.
 Take responsibility for being heard and understood.
  Work to clear up misunderstandings quickly and accurately.
 Reinforce and recognize team member efforts.

 Appreciate Diversity

Team members come from all walks of life, with different backgrounds and perspectives. Ideas
for taking advantage of team diversity include:

 Remember that reasonable people can and do differ with each other.
 Try to learn as much as you can from others.
 Evaluate a new idea based on its merits.
 Avoid remarks that draw negative attention to a person's unique characteristics.
 Don't ignore the differences among team members.

 Balance the Team's Focus

 Regularly review and evaluate the effectiveness of team meetings.

 Hold team celebrations for achieving results.
 Praise individual effort.
 Design individual performance goals that emphasize both results and teamwork.
 Assign certain team members to monitor task needs and others to monitor relationship
needs.

Conflict Resolution in Groups and Problem solving techniques

Conflict may arise due to:

 Diversity and difference in values, opinions, culture, needs and perceptions.

 Power imbalances.
 Suppression of feelings and emotions.
  Introduction
• The concept of conflict, being an outcome of behaviors, is an integral part of human
life. Where ever there is interaction, there is conflict.
• Conflict can be considered as an expression of hostility (unfriendliness or opposition),
negative attitudes, antagonism, aggression, rivalry and misunderstanding.
• People with divergent personalities, perceptions, attitudes and values occupy the
positions in the organizations. These positions often have differing job charts, different
levels of status attached to them and also foster competition.
• Conflict exists wherever there is social interaction. It emerges as an outcome of inter-
dependencies and interactions between and among people.
 Definition of Conflict • According to Follett, “Conflict is the appearance of difference,
difference of opinions, of interests.”

• ‘Conflict’ is: (i) It may be understood as collision or disagreement.

(ii) It occurs at various levels within the individuals, between the individuals in a group
and between the group.

(iii) The nature and industry of conflict varies from individual to individual and from
group to group which create a difficult situation for manager to managers.

(iv) Conflict is a struggle between two or more forces that creates a tension that must be
resolved.

I. Intra Individual Conflict: These conflicts arise within a person and are of psychological nature. These
conflicts are generally related to the goals a person wants to achieve or roles in the manner he wants to
achieve. • Inter individual Conflict: Inter personal conflict arise between two individuals having
competition for achieving scarce things, such as status, power, position, promotion or resources.

 Intra Group Conflict (With in the group): Intra group conflict refers to disputes among some or
all of a group’s members, which often affect the group’s performance. Family run business can be
especially prone to severe intra-group and other types of conflicts. These conflicts typically
become more intense when an owner-founder approaches retirement, actually retires or dies. The
 way the two sons of the late Dhirubhai Ambani are fighting on ownership and control of Reliance
Industries is a typical example.
 Inter group Conflicts (Between groups): Inter group conflict arises out of the interaction of
various groups. Inter group conflict is also called organizational conflict, refers to the conflict
between groups, departments, or sections in an organization. Conflict between groups is frequent
and highly visible.

• Intra Organizational Conflict: The conflict which arises with in various levels and departments
of organization. Various kinds are: I. Horizontal Conflict

II. Vertical Conflict

III. Line and Staff Conflict

• Inter Organizational Conflict: Inter organizational interaction results in conflict among different
organizations. However, it is not necessary that such interaction may result in conflict

. • Inter Organizational Conflict may include:

i. Conflict between organizations pursuing similar objectives.

ii. ii. Conflict between government agency and organization. iii. Conflict between head
office and a manufacturing unit. While the last one is regularized by organizational
rules and procedures, the other types of conflicts are regulated by State laws,
administrative agencies, courts, and regulatory commissions. Conflict Resolution in
Groups

• Resolving Intra-Group Conflict: Conflict with in a family can be resolved if the members recognize
and respect roles of family members. All the members need to realise that dived they stand, united they
fall. Probably a family friend may intervene to resolve the dispute if the members fail to resolve the
conflict themselves. This is what happened in Bajaj family. Sharad Pawar mediated to bring about a
truce(An agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time) in the
troubled family.

• Resolving Inter-Group Conflict: The approaches that are available for resolving inter-group conflict
are as follows.

a. Problem-Solving

b. Avoidance

c. Smoothen

d. Compromise

e. Expansion of Resources

f. Organization Redesign

g. Super ordinate goals

• Problem-solving: Problem-solving is considered to be the most effective approach available as it
emphasizes the attainment of the common interests of both conflicting parties. In Problem-solving
strategy, attempts are made to find a solution that integrates the needs of both parties. The two parties
work together both to define the problem and to identify mutually satisfactory solutions.

• Organization Redesign: Changing organizational structure is another approach for resolving conflict,
particularly when the sources of conflict come from the coordination of work among different
departments or divisions. One way of redesigning organizations is to reduce task interdependence
between groups and give each group clear responsibilities. Another way is to transfer or exchange of
members of conflicting groups. An appeal system may also be developed to eliminate the arbitrary use of
power.

 Super ordinate Goals: Appealing to super ordinate goals is another way of resolving conflict.
The super ordinate goal is a common goal of both conflicting parties and combined efforts of
both parties will be needed to realize the goal. For example: Survival of the organization can be a
super ordinate goal. Creating an awareness that the organization’s survival will be jeopardized
[Put(someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure.] if
conflicting groups do not work in union and can have a salutary(Producing good effects) effect on
disputing parties.
 Expansion of Resources: To the extent that scarce resources cause conflict, removing their
scarcity will help resolve conflict. If up gradation of one’s position has caused ripples elsewhere,
some more jobs might be similarly upgraded. If increased budget allocation to one department
has caused heart burn to the members of rival department, the rival division’s allocation can also
be correspondingly increased, and so on.
 Smoothen: The process of playing down the differences between individuals or groups and
highlighting their common interests is called smoothening. Finding and emphasizing similarities
between conflicting parties, while playing down differences, can eventually lead the parties to
realize that the two are not as far apart as was first believed. With shared viewpoints on some
issue, the ability to work towards a smoothen can help reduce the intensity of the conflict and
avoid an escalation of open hostility. However, smoothen is recommended as a stop gap measure
to let people cool down and regain perspective.