Group behavior, teams and conflicts

UHS 2062 LECTURES at UTM Skudai.Prepared by Siti Rokiah Siwok, Sept 2009

srsiwok@gmail.com

Definition of a groupFour criteria must be met (Gordon,

2001 in Aamodt, 2007): Members see themselves as a unitGroup must provide rewards to

membersMembers of the group share a common

goalCorresponding effects(whatever

happens to a member affects every other member).

Reasons for joining a groupAssignmentPhysical proximity AffiliationIdentificationEmotional supportAssistance or helpCommon interestCommon goals

Group conflictsWorking together in a group or teams always

presents the potential for the occurrence of conflicts.

Conflict is the psychological and behavioural reaction to a perception that another person is keeping you from reaching a goal, taking away your right to act in a particular way or violating the expectancies of a relationship.

Key component to conflict is perception.The level of conflict is a function of the

importance of the goal, behaviour or relationship.

Dysfunctional and functional conflictsMost conflicts results in lower team

performance, and lower members satisfaction,

Most conflicts are dysfunctional , as the conflicts prevents people from working together, lessens productivity and increases turnover.

Moderate degree of conflict , called functional conflicts can result in better performance- stimulate new ideas, increase friendly competition and increase team effectiveness.

Moderate conflicts reduce the risks of larger conflicts.

Types of conflictsIndividual conflictIndividual – group conflictGroup –group conflict

What are the causes of conflicts?

Causes of conflictsCompetition of resourcesTask independenceJurisdictional ambiguityCommunication challengesBeliefsPersonality

Conflicting stylesAvoiding styleAccommodating style Forcing styleCollaborating styleCompromising style

Determining conflict styleOrganization Conflict Inventory II

(Rahim and Magner, 1995) Cohen Conflict Response Inventory

(Cohen, 1997)

Resolving conflictPrevention /prior to conflict

occurrenceWhen conflict first occursThird -party intervention

Prior to conflict occurring An organisation should have a formal policy

on how conflict to be handled, which states that :Employees should first try to resolve their own

conflicts If the above is not successful, employees can

utilise a third party intervention Employees should receive training on the

causes of conflict, ways to provent conflict and strategies to resolve it.

When conflict FIRST occursThe two parties should be encouraged to

use conflict resolution skills which they had learned. These skills include: Expressing a desire for cooperationOffering complimentsAvoiding negative interactionEmphasizing mutual similaritiesHighlighting common goals

When conflict FIRST occursKey to resolving conflict is to reduce tension

and increase trust between the 2 parties; which can be accomplished by :Stating an intention to reduce tension Publicly announcing steps to be taken to

reduce tension. Inviting the other side to take action in to

reduce tension. Making sure all initiative are unambiguous.

Third party interventionIf conflict cannot be resolved, good

to seek help-third party intervention, through mediation or arbitration.

Summary Groups consists of multiple members who

perceive themselves as a unit a and sharer common goal or goals

People joining groups due to a need for affiliation, a need for identification with success, a need for emotional support, a need for assistance, common goals , physical proximity and assignment.

Many factors contribute to a group success.

Summary Teams have four developmental stages;

namely forming, storming, norming and performing.

The team approach is not always the best.Conflict has many causes, such as

competition of resources etc.People react to conflict differently Conflict is part of life in an organization

and can be managed wisely and successfully.

Reference:Aamodt, M.G (2007). Industrial

/organizational psychology. An applied approach. Belmont, CA: Thomson.