Conflict Management in Groups - Explained
What Group Conflict Management?
Written by J. Mance Gordon
Updated at April 22nd, 2024
- Marketing, Advertising, Sales & PR
- Accounting, Taxation, and Reporting
- Professionalism & Career Development
-
Law, Transactions, & Risk Management
Government, Legal System, Administrative Law, & Constitutional Law Legal Disputes - Civil & Criminal Law Agency Law HR, Employment, Labor, & Discrimination Business Entities, Corporate Governance & Ownership Business Transactions, Antitrust, & Securities Law Real Estate, Personal, & Intellectual Property Commercial Law: Contract, Payments, Security Interests, & Bankruptcy Consumer Protection Insurance & Risk Management Immigration Law Environmental Protection Law Inheritance, Estates, and Trusts
- Business Management & Operations
- Economics, Finance, & Analytics
What is Conflict Management in Groups?
There are three common views concerning the resolution of conflicts. These views apply equally to conflicts between individuals, between groups, and within groups.
These theories are as follows:
Traditional View
The traditional view assumes that all conflict is negative and should be avoided.
Human Relations View
The human relations view is that conflict is a natural occurrence in a group and it must be managed - rather than eliminated.
Interactionist View
The interactionist view is that conflict is necessary to operate effectively and can be beneficial for a group. As such, conflict can be functional or dysfunctional. Functional conflict is beneficial to the group in terms of performance. Dysfunctional conflict harms group performance.
Conflict can also be described by type:
Task Conflict
Task conflict concerns conflict as the goals, objectives, and interests at issue between individuals or groups.
Relationship Conflict
Relationship conflict concerns conflict resulting from interpersonal relationships.
Process Conflict
Process conflict concerns how activities are carried our or work is completed.