What is CONFLICT?
Although conflict is an unavoidable
reality of everyday life, regardless of professional and personal situations, a
review of the literature fails to provide one universal definition of
conflict.
Most researchers agree that conflict is a complex process involving two or more individuals, in which one person perceives the opposition of the other, typically secondary to variant individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors and characteristics (Pavlakis et al., 2011). Conflict often occurs during interactions between interdependent individuals who perceive incompatibility and/or interference from others secondary to the perceived incompatibility (Brinkert, 2010). Typically, conflict is considered an undesirable phenomenon that is generated when one party perceives that another has negatively affected, or will negatively affect, something the first party cares about (Langton, Robbins, & Judge, 2013; Vivar, 2006).
Despite the tendency to think of conflict in a negative context, conflict by itself is neither positive nor negative, as its potential impact is dependent upon how individuals approach and manage conflict. “Conflict by itself is neither good nor bad. It just is. Competition is conflict, after all and without it, there would be fewer opportunities for creative thinking, breakthroughs, innovation and professional growth” (Katz, 2010, p. ix). Unfortunately, conflict is primarily viewed in a negative lens, often overlooking the positive functions that conflict can foster, such as a means to surface important problems (e.g. addressing power and relationship issues to understand underlying content concerns), clarifying goals (individual and shared), helping to overcome resentment, and ultimately reaching a mutual understanding (Brinkert, 2010).
In order to limit the negative connotations with the above definitions, conflict may be less malignantly defined as “the internal discord that results from differences in ideas, values, or feelings between two or more people” (Jacinta, 2006, p. 22).
It is important to understand and appreciate that depending upon how each individual perceives, manages, and resolves conflict, conflict may be experienced as functional (cognitive) or dysfunctional (affective) (Vivar, 2006).
Most researchers agree that conflict is a complex process involving two or more individuals, in which one person perceives the opposition of the other, typically secondary to variant individual, interpersonal, and organizational factors and characteristics (Pavlakis et al., 2011). Conflict often occurs during interactions between interdependent individuals who perceive incompatibility and/or interference from others secondary to the perceived incompatibility (Brinkert, 2010). Typically, conflict is considered an undesirable phenomenon that is generated when one party perceives that another has negatively affected, or will negatively affect, something the first party cares about (Langton, Robbins, & Judge, 2013; Vivar, 2006).
Despite the tendency to think of conflict in a negative context, conflict by itself is neither positive nor negative, as its potential impact is dependent upon how individuals approach and manage conflict. “Conflict by itself is neither good nor bad. It just is. Competition is conflict, after all and without it, there would be fewer opportunities for creative thinking, breakthroughs, innovation and professional growth” (Katz, 2010, p. ix). Unfortunately, conflict is primarily viewed in a negative lens, often overlooking the positive functions that conflict can foster, such as a means to surface important problems (e.g. addressing power and relationship issues to understand underlying content concerns), clarifying goals (individual and shared), helping to overcome resentment, and ultimately reaching a mutual understanding (Brinkert, 2010).
In order to limit the negative connotations with the above definitions, conflict may be less malignantly defined as “the internal discord that results from differences in ideas, values, or feelings between two or more people” (Jacinta, 2006, p. 22).
It is important to understand and appreciate that depending upon how each individual perceives, manages, and resolves conflict, conflict may be experienced as functional (cognitive) or dysfunctional (affective) (Vivar, 2006).