Dysfunctional Conflict Essay

CHAPTER # 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Conflicts are pervasive in organizations, and can range from trivial to tragic. It may occur within the individual, between people and between groups, thus, in an organization, various types of conflicts can emerge. Although, conflicts refers to the opposition of person or forces giving rise to some tension or to a disagreement between two or more parties who are interdependent, Durbin (2007), however asserts that, conflicts can be functional (constructive conflict) or dysfunctional (destructive conflict). This means that conflicts does not have to be a negative experience alone, it can serve as important and positive in the achievement of organizational goals. It is therefore, an everyday certainty with both benefits and costs. The potential positive outcome of conflicts provides a feedback, indicating the need for change, making supervisors and managers aware of problems and the required motivation needed to address the perceived problem.

Dysfunctional conflict or destructive conflicts works to the individual’s group or organizations disadvantage. It diverts energies, hurts group cohesion, promote interpersonal hostilities and overall create a negative work environment for workers. Schermerhorn, Jr. et all (2004 page 312) said that, dysfunctional conflict normally blocks an organization from reaching its goals. Champoux (2006) in his view said that when the conflict that is needed by a groups or organization to achieve its goals