Consider the main types of conflicts that differ in content, number of participants, and duration.
Currently, many managers are trying to suppress the contradictions that arise between employees, or try not to intervene in them. Both options are erroneous because they affect the performance of the organization.
The first types of behavior in a conflict lead to an obstacle to the formation of necessary, useful relationships for the company. The leader’s self-determination from a problem situation contributes to the free development of those disagreements that can cause serious harm to the company itself, as well as to its employees.
Relevance of the issue
Various types of behavior in conflict are associated with the distinctive features of people: character, temperament, life experience. They react differently to the events that happen to them. But even the most conflict-free people cannot avoid disagreements with other people, therefore they are forced to look for options for behavior in such situations.
Some types of social conflicts at first gradually mature, develop in a narrow circle. People express their complaints and discontent, trying to resolve the contentious issue peacefully. If their attempts are ignored or they are refused, in which case the conflict goes into open form.
Essence and concept
The contradiction sometimes appears spontaneously, but for the most part this is observed with a serious breakdown of the usual way of life, abrupt treatment. Let us consider in more detail the types of social conflicts, as well as their main characteristics.
There are many definitions that emphasize the presence of controversy if disagreements arise between people.
For example, a conflict is defined as a violation of consent between the parties, manifested in an attempt to resolve a controversial situation, accompanied by acute emotional experiences.
Each side seeks to ensure that its point of view on the emerging problem is taken into account.
Reasons for the appearance
Grateful ground for the emergence of various conflicts is the low level of communication culture: a clash of different characters, incompatibility of habits, tastes, values, opinions.
The main types of conflicts appear due to human imperfections, as well as in the presence of a variety of anomalies in public life. Socio-economic, moral, political problems - a breeding ground for the emergence of a variety of controversial situations.
All types and types of conflicts are associated with the biological and psychophysical characteristics of people. Controversial situations are associated with threats, aggression, war, hostility. The opinion was formed that the conflict is an undesirable phenomenon, it is necessary to avoid it, try to take actions that contribute to its prevention.
In many situations, conflict types are destructive. So, the confrontation of a group of people to one person leads to a "breaking" of the person or the dismissal of a promising and talented employee.
Classification
There are different types of conflicts in the organization:
- constructive (contribute to the adoption of reasonable decisions, stimulate normal relationships);
- destructive (conflicts lead to the destruction of the team).
According to the classification proposed by L. Cowzer, objective (realistic) and non-objective (unrealistic) contradictions are distinguished.
Realistic contradictions are associated with the dissatisfaction of the specific requirements of the parties, the unfair distribution of advantages, aimed at achieving the desired result.
Unrealistic conflicts involve an open expression of negative emotions, hostility, resentment. Conflict behavior in such situations is an end in itself, and not a means of achieving the task.
Starting as a realistic conflict, the argument turns into a pointless option. For example, if the subject of disagreement is some significant event for the participants, they are not able to find an acceptable solution, to resolve a contentious issue. This leads to increased emotional tension, therefore, it is necessary to free from negative emotions accumulated on both sides of the dispute.
It is difficult to say which type of conflict is more powerful, it all depends on the specific characteristics of the participants, as well as on the duration.
Psychologists note that all unrealistic disputes are dysfunctional, serious problems arise in their settlement.
These types of conflicts are almost impossible to direct in a constructive direction. As a reliable way to prevent such disputes, one can consider creating a positive psychological atmosphere, increasing the culture of communication, mastering the skills of self-regulation of emotions within the framework of interpersonal communication.
Conflictogenes
Considering the different types and causes of conflicts, we note that controversial situations arise regardless of the will of their participants. The cause of their manifestation is conflict. These are the words, actions that lead to controversial situations.
A serious danger comes from the complete disregard for the essential regularity - the escalation of conflict genes. In response to certain phrases, a negative reaction of the person is observed.
There is a certain formula that can be called the “conflict equation”. It looks like this:
conflict = situation + incident.
A conflict situation implies the moment of accumulation of certain contradictions.
The incident can be described as a combination of circumstances, which will become the reason for the emergence of contradictions.
The formula indicates that there is a direct relationship between the situation and the incident. Dealing with a conflict means eliminating the cause of the problem, ending the incident.
Practice shows that the types of conflict resolution are still not fully understood, often the resolution of contentious issues stops at the stage of exhaustion of the incident.
Important aspects
There are various types of conflicts according to certain criteria:
- course duration;
- volume;
- source of occurrence.
For example, depending on the volume of the controversial situation, it is proposed to allocate:
- interpersonal;
- intrapersonal;
- social;
- group forms.
The specifics of interpersonal conflict
Its essence lies in the doubts of a particular person, his dissatisfaction with his life, activity, circle of communication. A similar conflict appears in those situations when a person is forced to "play" several roles at once, incompatible with each other.
The participants in this situation are not people, but certain mental factors of the internal state of the personality, which are often incompatible:
- Values
- motives;
- feelings;
- needs.
For example, the headmaster stipulated that a math teacher provide parents with information about their teaching activities. And after some time she showed dissatisfaction with the fact that the teacher was distracted by talking with parents, devoting minimal time to students. The teacher such contradictions caused a state of frustration - the minimum degree of satisfaction from the work he did qualitatively.
Such a conflict is role-based, since conflicting demands are made on one person, as a result of which he must act as a performer, "trying on" several roles at once.
Interpersonal contradictions
These include various types of ethnic conflicts. Such contradictions are the most common forms of conflict that arise between different people. The reason for its occurrence is hostility to an individual person due to a discrepancy in ideas about norms of behavior, spiritual and material values. Basically, interpersonal contradictions are based on a subjective point of view, are not confirmed by reality.
Such conflicts depend on specific conditions, they are unique, associated with the psychological characteristics of each side of the dispute.
Their cause is the man himself, the forms of his behavior. For example, the following factors can push serious contradictions:
- bad mood;
- physical fatigue;
- feeling of antipathy;
- negative attitude to the activities of an individual;
- envy of the success of a colleague.
Among the main areas in which people are faced with interpersonal problems, we highlight home and work. Service and family conflicts are the most common objects of research.
V. Justitskis and E. G. Eidemiller note the insolvency of the idea of a family in which there are no contradictions. Conflicts between spouses help develop relationships, resolve emerging disagreements.
A person in the family systematically faces a choice - to adapt to other members, their interests, needs or step back, to seek new relationships.
O. E. Zuskova and V. P. Levkovich subdivide families according to the level of conflict into three groups:
- resolving conflicts with ease;
- partially eliminating problems;
- families unable to compromise.
A special type of interaction is the relationship between children and parents. The child gradually grows up, acquires a certain independence, which leads to the emergence of serious contradictions. This is most relevant in adolescence.
Production problems
The second area of interpersonal relations, which is impossible without serious contradictions, is work. In European literature, such contradictions are called "industrial conflict." It implies a wide range of phenomena, which include the contradictions between different social categories of employees due to the opposition of their interests, as well as misunderstandings between subordinates and the leader.
When studying the conflicts that arise in labor collectives, it was found that among their main reasons the leaders are:
- erroneous decisions of the management;
- uneven distribution of premium funds;
- incompetence of the authorities;
- violations of generally accepted standards of behavior.
Motivational conflicts are conflicts of interest affecting the plans, goals, motives, aspirations of the participants, contradicting each other.
Cognitive conflicts include value contradictions - situations in which problems between participants are associated with different ideas about the value system. For example, if we are talking about labor activity, then the main value will be that for a person work is the meaning of existence, a way of self-realization. If problems appear there, a person ceases to perceive reality normally, and he experiences a depressive state.
Differences between countries
Consider the types of political conflicts that can lead to irreparable consequences.
For example, the rivalry, hostility between groups, is a prerequisite for war. When resolving conflict situations with the use of weapons, civilians can suffer. That is why it is so important to find common ground between peoples and countries in order to prevent bloodshed.
The relationships between individual social groups are the subject of study of various scientific disciplines: psychology, political science, sociology, philosophy.
Intergroup contradictions can be considered from three points of view:
- situational;
- motivational;
- cognitive.
They differ in their understanding of the nature and sources of conflict. For example, from the position of a motivational approach, behavior between individual groups can be considered as a reflection of internal problems. Hostility is the result of internal problems and tensions, own conflicts and contradictions. To solve these problems, the group enters into an external conflict.
The decisive factors that determine the competitive nature of intergroup interaction will be contact factors between groups.
Political contradictions relate to social conflicts. An example is the situation in Yugoslavia. The ethnic conflict arose due to the situation in the country of Kosovo Albanians. After intervening in the current US situation, the interethnic conflict became even more expressive and vivid.
Finally
Long-term contradictions between individuals, social groups are especially dangerous, as they lead to deep and prolonged tension in relations, which negatively affects all participants.
The organizer thinks through the conflict, but not in all cases, he becomes its active participant. There are various scenarios for the development of a conflict situation. Contradictions may persist over a long period of time due to the unwillingness of the parties to make mutual concessions.
Modern psychologists are particularly interested in the analysis of interpersonal contradictions that arise between individuals, since they often lead to the most serious emotional problems and contribute to depression. Misunderstanding between the head of the company and his employees, based on personal hostility, leads to the dismissal of highly skilled workers, which will negatively affect the prestige of the company, its material well-being. As you can see, this does not fix the problem, but only exacerbates it.