Conflict happens "when there is a perception of incompatible interests between workplace participants," according to Blaine Donais, president of the Workplace Fairness Institute. Understanding the types of interpersonal conflict present in the workplace, school or home helps address conflict more constructively, using it to examine differences and solve common problems instead of allowing it to escalate to anger or worse.
Affective-Substantive
Early scientific analysis of interpersonal conflict, documented in 1954 by Guetzkow and Gyr, suggested two types of conflict; affective and substantive. Educational theorists like Annette Brennan use these types to classify interpersonal conflict in classrooms and school staffs. According to Brennan, affective conflict has to do with emotions and substantive conflict arises from a job. Conflict is often a combination of the two types, however. A seemingly substantive conflict over an appointment to a faculty leadership position may have to do with friendship patterns and perceptions as well as academic qualifications and experience. Arts programs that interest disaffected students may be cut by school boards to save money and the substantive issue may obscure the affective benefits. Affective conflicts like differences in leadership style, "turf" struggles, lack of professional courtesy and interpretation of rules may be related to substantive conflicts like differences in pay, application of policies, allotment of resources and power distribution.
Relationship-Task
Work by social psychologists and cognitive scientists refined typologies to include social-emotional, goal-related and cognitive components. Karen Jehn proposed two new types to include many of these concepts; relationship-related and task-related. Jehn defined relationship-related conflict as situations where emotions and perceptions get in the way of group cohesion; personal histories, personality incompatibility, anxieties, even cultural differences might fall under relation-related conflicts. Task-related conflicts might arise when faced with administrative decisions, definitions of duties or tasks or new curricula or assignments in schools. Jehn contends that relationship-related conflict interferes with task-related conflict; that it makes individuals "negative, irritable, suspicious, and resentful."
Disagreement-Interference-Negative Emotion
John Hartwick and Henri Barki examined the research and developed a progression in type rather than separate types of conflict. The process begins with disagreement; thought or cognition that may be based on differences in attitude, values, needs or interests. Interference involves a number of behaviors; argument, debate, competition, office politics or empire-building, aggression and destructive behavior. The final stage of conflict is negative emotion; anger, frustration and the fear, anxieties and hatreds that can develop. Organizations are always dealing with these issues as individuals are given tasks, moved around within the organization and attempt to manage their tasks or other employees.
References
- Access My Library: A Quantitative Analysis of Conflict Types and Dimensions in Organizational Groups
- Sounds of Encouragement Educational Administration and Supervision: Conflict Resolution
- HEC Montreal: Conceptualizing the Construct of Interpersonal Conflict
- Beyond Intractability: Interpersonal Conflict and Violence
- Mediate: What are the Sources of Workplace Conflict?
