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Group work and interaction play a vital role in our society today. Pondering about all the different groups in the world, including religious, military, music and education, one will notice that a majority of work is accomplished in groups. Many factors including different types of conflict and competition within a group can disrupt or hinder the group's ultimate goal. In order to overcome these obstacles, a resolution must be found.
Within a group's dynamic, conflicts may exist that could greatly effect the achievement of the final goal. When people with different personalities and ideas cooperate to achieve one goal, conflicts arise. Conflict carries with it a negative connotation that members of a group may only be able to view as a hindrance in achieving their goal. To the contrary, friction within a group can be very healthy, as evidenced when Tubbs states, "Some would even go as far as to say that a conflict-free relationship is probably a sign that you really have no relationship at all" (Tubbs p. 277).
Within a group environment, hostility is not necessarily the problem; it is trying to expose the source of the strife that can be the obstacle. As group tasks and activities begin, it is almost inevitable that problems of one kind or another will arise. These may be internal problems (intra personal) such as absenteeism, a small group problem (intra group) where there may be dominance by a few members, unresolved conflict in discussion, lack of contribution by some group members, or a conflict between two or more people (interpersonal) where individual personalities may clash. A conflict between two separate groups may occur (intergroup) when two groups may have a problem communicating appropriate information. Internal problems are usually the main causes of many group conflicts. Tubbs states, "Conflicts may originate from a number of different sources, including (1) differences in information, beliefs, values, interests, or desires; (2) a scarcity of some resources, such as money, power, time, space, or position; and (3) rivalries in which one person or group competes with another" (Tubbs p. 278).
Out of all these different conflicts that can occur; Individuals who are said to be "problematic" and often viewed as ineffective "followers" become a major obstacle for a group to overcome. Hostility occurring within a person is known as an Interpersonal conflict. For instance, a member of the group might show nonverbal signs, such as wringing his / her hands or shielding his / her eyes, which suggest an internal struggle. Perhaps he / she is struggling with whether to disclose to the group his / her feelings of inadequacy regarding a work task to which he / she has been assigned.
Internal conflicts, if left unnoticed, can lead to an intra group conflict. When an intra group conflict occurs, it becomes a conflict involving members with each other or members with the leader (s). For instance, one member may erupt, saying, "I wish the leader would stop being so nasty to everyone in here!" This is an intra group conflict-laden moment that challenges the capacity of all to respond. Some participants may be much less direct in expressing feelings than the previous example. For instance, another may communicate his / her displeasure by ignoring others, that is by not looking at, listening to, or approaching the other colleagues in any way. In an extreme case, one of the workers might stop attending to group meetings because of his / her disaffection with others' behavior and his / her own inability to deal with it directly.
There are different ways to deal with these conflicts. One in particular has members taking an inventory to see if personalities will conflict within a group. The Strength Deployment Inventory is a tool that helps one look at understanding his / her behavior and motivations. This tool has four basic patterns of motivation that can characterize an individual, Altruistic-Nurturing, Assertive-Directing, Analytic-Autonomizing, and the Hub which is a mixture of all traits. In the classroom, we completed a questionnaire on ourselves to be able to determine one's personality type.
Outside the classroom, an associate filled out a questionnaire on his / her views of another. By plotting the scores on a triangular graph we are then able to understand what category we fall into. This inventory is extremely helpful by showing personality differences by color coding the personality types. By taking this inventory, I find that I am Assertive-Directing. Being labeled Assertive-Directing, I am task-oriented in my home, social and business endeavors. At home, I tend to take charge instantly when a family decision needs to be made.
In the social environment, I am direct and straight-forward when talking with people I have just met. In the work environment a team concept approach is utilized, and I find myself becoming frustrated when others do not have the same goal-setting approach. When this lack of fulfillment climaxes, a conflict is sure to emanate. In Evaluating my inventory it helps me to have a better understanding of my behaviors and motivational patterns when I am confronted with a group activity. This is not to say that disharmony will not arise, but I can now turn it from a negative to a desirable conflict. Positive contention within a unit can be nourishing in the group's procedures.
According to Ramundo, "Conflict has other desirable functions, such as preventing stagnation; stimulating interest and curiosity; providing a medium through which problems can be aired and solutions arrived at; causing personal and social change" (Tubbs p. 278). I find in my personal relationships if there is not some antagonism, the connection then becomes vapid. Whenever I am among peers working together, there is always one person who says, "Let us try and make this friendly and try not to argue or fight." By making this statement this member is already creating friction by blocking his / her peers from becoming free thinkers and speakers within the assemblage. By having desirable conflict it makes members think harder and more openly. But when looking at conflict, the type is important, because it could lead to undesirable conflict. When dealing with conflict, there are two types, conflict of ideas or feelings.
According to Alfred Sloan, "Idea conflict, however, can very easily turn into conflict of feelings" (Tubbs, p. 279). When disunity takes place, the first issue that must be resolved is determining from where this hostility is coming. If there is dissatisfaction with an idea, then that, and only that, is what is to be confronted. The conflict of ideas is complex. A member may be debating an idea, when unconsciously he / she is u...
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