Conflict in Groups

Types of Conflict
 Organizational conflict may be classified as intra-
organizational or inter-organizational,
 Intra-organizational conflict may be classified as
 Intrapersonal,
 Interpersonal,
 Intra-group and
 Inter-group.
Intrapersonal & Interpersonal Conflict
1. Intrapersonal Conflict
• It is also known as intra-individual or intra-psychic conflict.
• This type of conflict occurs when an organizational
member is required to perform certain tasks and roles that
do not match his or her expertise, interests, goals, and
values.
2. Interpersonal Conflict
• It is also known as dyadic conflict.
• It refers to conflict between two or more organizational
members of the same or different hierarchical levels or
units.
• Superior–subordinate conflict relate to this type of conflict.
Intra-group & Intergroup Conflict
3. Intra-group/intra-departmental Conflict
 It refers to conflict among members of a group or
between two or more subgroups within a group in
connection with its goals, tasks, procedures, etc.
4. Intergroup/interdepartmental Conflict
 It refers to conflict between two or more units or
groups within an organization.
 Conflicts between
• Line and staff,
• Production and marketing, and
• Headquarters and field staffs
Paradoxes of group life..intragroup
conflicts
 Identity
 Disclosure
 Trust
 Individuality
 Authority
 Regression
 Creativity
 Smith & Berg…” IF A GROUP CANNOT USE
CONFLICT TO ITS ADVANTAGE , IT CANNOT
GROW”.
 If group members learn to treat conflict as endemic to
group-ness, a natural consequence of differences
attempting to act in a integrated way”, they would
understand group conflict is “just nature of things, like
wetness of water, warmth of sunlight”.