6.5. Consulting men who have entered into conflictual relationships with their superiors For men, as a rule, the most significant areas of life relationships are social, professional relationships related to social and professional achievements

Conflict situations, communication with “difficult” people When you see a witch, the desire to talk to her like a princess probably arises only if you have drunk a lot. If you see a princess in a witch, she will not be offended. The most disinterested and voluntary “taxes” in the form of emotions

“Conflict” situations in the absence of contradictions Conflict refers to the type of situation to which Thomas’s theorem is fully applicable: if a person endows a situation with certain properties, then, regardless of its real content, it becomes such in its own way

Conflict situations created by teachers 1. Low level of teaching. The reasons may be different: poor knowledge of the subject (a non-specialist was assigned to teach the course); lack of teaching abilities; dishonest attitude towards preparing for classes;

Conflict situations created by students 1. Unfair attitude of students towards their studies. This is the main conflict situation between students and teachers. This is what leads to the largest number conflicts. What is fueling this situation? First of all, reluctance

Chapter 10 Conflict and “difficult” personalities

10.1. Conflict personalities A conflict person is a person who, due to certain properties, is the initiator of many negative and/or destructive conflicts, and also has a tendency to get involved in conflicts created by others. As shown

Conflict "clash" It is customary to call an intractable contradiction associated with confrontation and acute emotional experiences.

Conflicts, as a rule, arise between people in connection with the solution of certain issues of their life and in conditions of contradictions. However, not every contradiction leads to conflict. This happens when contradictions affect the interests of people, the social status of an individual or group, prestige, moral dignity, etc.

Let's consider character traits conflict.

1. Undoubtedly, conflict is a social phenomenon generated by the very nature of social life. It directly expresses certain aspects of social existence, the place and role of man in it. Social connections inherent in society as complex system and holistic education, have a sustainable nature and are reproduced in the historical process, passing from one generation of people to another. These connections and relationships are established not at the whim of anyone, but objectively, under the influence of the conditions in which a person exists, acts, and creates. Moreover, society is not a simple collection of individuals and their relationships.

Representing an integral system with a qualitative state characteristic of it, society is primary in relation to the individual. Each individual, when born, finds a formalized structure of previously established connections and, as he socializes, becomes involved in it, assimilates the knowledge and values ​​that have become available to people by that time, and the determined norms of behavior. It should be borne in mind that the most important thing for a person is to belong to a community of his own kind. Since ancient times, the circumstances of human life have developed in such a way that he was destined to cooperate with other people.

It is not for nothing that compliance with the “golden rule”, developed over many centuries, was and is placed so highly, according to which a person in relations with other people must show loyalty, goodwill, tolerance and good will, be fair, friendly and polite, i.e. build your communication with others on such a benevolent basis as mutual trust, reliability in words and deeds. Any relationship, both business and purely personal, is effective only with compliance and restraint of the parties, honest partnership, and a mutual desire to resolve disagreements and conflicts if they occur.

This should be the case, but it does not always happen in reality. IN real life Every person, every human community is faced with intractable problems and various kinds of restrictions. A person, in the process of interaction with other subjects, displays his inherent attitude towards partners, which always leaves its mark on the nature of communication and social connections, can generate contradictions and tension, intransigence and hostility, and deform direct contacts.

To this should be added the deviant - deviant behavior: drunkenness, drug addiction, crime, extremism, etc. Deviating from the norm can be characterized not only by negative, borderline vicious behavior. It happens that decent actions are also included in it, including an indomitable desire for something new, determination in overcoming conservative traditions, different kinds scientific, technical and artistic creativity. Innovation by some often results in misunderstanding on the part of others and the need to enter into conflict.

The above leads to the conclusion that conflict should be perceived as a completely normal social phenomenon, a property social systems, a process and way of interaction between people. Like a person, society by its very nature cannot be absolutely perfect, ideal, conflict-free. Disharmony, contradictions,
conflicts are constant and inevitable components of social development.

2. Next , conflict is a conscious phenomenon, a deliberate action. After all, a person is endowed with a specific quality inherent only to him - reason, the ability to reflect realistically existing world and socio-historical practice. And a person’s intentions and actions are guided not by innate instincts, but by a program, goals that are developed by him in the process of his life. Possessing intelligence and the ability to self-awareness, a person is largely free in choosing areas of activity and can regulate his relationships. Being potentially rational, he is inclined to take into account the written and unwritten rules of behavior that he learns in the process of socialization and familiarization with the achievements of culture.

Conflict appears as awareness at the level of an individual, social group or broader community of the inconsistency of the process of interaction and relationships, differences, and even incompatibility of interests, values, values ​​and goals, as a meaningful confrontation.

3. The next feature: conflict is a widespread, ubiquitous, omnipresent phenomenon. Conflict situations arise in all spheres of public life - be it economics, politics, everyday life, culture or ideology. They are inevitable as an integral component of the development of society and man himself. In fact, is it possible to imagine the formation of an individual or the activity of an organization without internal tension, contradictions, overcoming stagnation and inertia, clashes and struggle.

Their reasons may be, in particular, business conditions, a combination of circumstances unfavorable for the functioning of the organization, problems work motivation related to remuneration, content and prestige of work, relationships in the team between individuals and social groups, structural inconsistencies, breakdowns in communication links, employee dissatisfaction with management decisions, emotional outbursts caused by differences in temperament, character and behavior of people working together, their age and life experience, moral ideas, level of education, qualifications and general culture.

4. It is very important that a conflict is an interaction that occurs in the form of confrontation, collision, confrontation between personalities or social forces, interests, views, positions of at least two parties. Reactions between the parties are present not only in interpersonal and intergroup conflicts, but also in the process of a person’s autocommunication, when he communicates with himself, self-organization and self-programming. Psychologically, such self-regulation is ensured internal dialogue, which arises in human perception and thinking as a consequence different points perspective on his own experiences and actions. In essence, the same dispute, difference of opinion, confrontation and confrontation occurs, which are characteristic of any socially determined conflict.

Intergroup conflict-a common type of conflict confrontation, the subjects of which are various social groups(political, demographic, professional, sports, etc.), competing with each other various reasons, V different conditions and forms, with varying degrees of tension and intensity for the possession of various objects

5. Another important feature is conflict - a predictable phenomenon that is subject to regulation. This can be explained by the very nature of conflict clashes, the forms of interaction between the parties involved, and their interest in the outcome and consequences of the confrontation. Firstly, conflict interaction is distinguished by the fact that the opposition in it between representatives of divergent interests and goals simultaneously serves as a connecting link for them. After all, the parties face each other in a certain social environment, objective conditions and subjective aspirations certainly unite those in conflict in some way.

Secondly, any participant in a conflict confrontation, one way or another, must argue his position, substantiate his claims and mobilize forces to implement the demands he puts forward. He has to analyze the current situation, make forecasts, weigh the consequences, outline plans, make decisions, achieve their implementation, adjust his behavior and actions, moderate emotions,
those. use the entire arsenal of management tools, which largely serves to resolve the conflict.

So, having gained an understanding of some of the main features, we can give this phenomenon a more specific definition. If we summarize all of the above, we can say the following:

Conflict– this is a form of relationship between potential or actual subjects of social action, the motivation of which is determined by opposing values ​​and norms, interests and needs.

The whole variety of definitions of the concept “conflict” can be divided into two main approaches. The first approach focuses on the antagonistic side of conflict situations. The second one considers the conflict as a certain system of relations between subjects.

The definition of the first approach can be expressed in the following phrase: conflict is a collision, contradiction, struggle, opposition of individuals (forces, interests, positions, views) due to opposition, incompatibility, opposition. So, V.I. Andreev defines conflict as a process of sharp aggravation of contradiction and struggle of participants in solving a problem that is significant for each of its participants.

The antagonistic nature of the conflict can be considered a characteristic feature of this approach, since the emphasis, first of all, is on the clash of opposing interests, opinions and aspirations. Proponents of the first approach divide conflicts into destructive and constructive. For conflict resolution to be constructive, the conflict situation must be managed. However, the disadvantage of this approach is the fact that the main goal of such management is to eliminate the conflict with maximum benefit for one of the opponents. Thus, it is more about manipulation than control.

Proponents of the second approach consider conflict a natural condition for the existence of interacting people, an instrument for the development of an organization, any community, although it has destructive consequences, but in general and over a long period of time is not as destructive as the consequences of eliminating conflicts, their information and social blockade. Within the framework of this approach, conflict is defined as a system of relations, a process of development of interaction, determined by the differences (in interests, values, goals of activity) of the subjects participating in it.

The second approach is typical for modern sociology conflict (A.G. Zdravomyslov
"Sociology of Conflict". - M., 1996. etc.), social psychology(N.V. Grishina, A.I. Dontsov, etc.), theories of organizational development and, of course, general theory conflict.

Conflict is viewed as a self-regulating mechanism, implying that the conflict is not eliminated, but ensures development, strengthening differentiation in the organization, primarily professional, and in society - social stratification, which underlies social and organizational stability. It transforms into other conflicts, less destructive, in other areas, other social dimensions.

So, modern ideas about conflict proceed from the fact that conflict is a normal phenomenon of social life, and the identification and development of conflict is generally a useful and necessary matter. You should not mislead people with the help of the myth of universal harmony of interests. Society will achieve more effective results in its actions if it does not turn a blind eye to conflicts, but follows certain rules aimed at regulating conflicts.

The meaning of these rules is modern world is to:

Avoid violence as a way to resolve conflicts;

Find a way out deadlock situations in cases where violent acts did occur and became a means of deepening conflicts;

To achieve mutual understanding between the parties opposing the conflict.

Today there are five in various ways use of the concept of “conflict”:

The conflict as “what happened”, in relation to which various technical formations are built on, bringing the actual clash of the parties to the full structure of the conflict (mediation, negotiation techniques, etc.);

Conflict as a tool for a researcher (analyst). Here the conflict is considered as a kind of screen that allows you to identify and see what is invisible in the normal course of affairs (psychoanalysis, various shapes intelligence, etc.);

Conflict as a mechanism artificially created by the organizer to intensify thinking and activity (used in collective methods of problem solving);

Conflict as an area of ​​specialization in scientific subjects (interpersonal conflicts in psychology, group interactions in sociology, etc.);

Conflict as an object of research. Thus, conflict relations are considered in game theory as special case games.

Conflict relationships- connections between the subjects of the conflict during the conflict process.

There are different definitions of conflict, but they all emphasize the presence of a contradiction, which takes the form of disagreement if we're talking about about human interaction. Conflicts can be hidden or overt, but they are always based on a lack of agreement. Therefore, we define conflict as the process of resolving contradictions that arise in the system of social interaction.

Observations show that 80% of conflicts arise beyond the wishes of their participants. Main role So-called conflictogens play a role in the emergence of conflicts.

Conflictogens– words, actions or inactions that could lead to conflict.

The word “mighty” is the key word here. Thus, it does not always lead to conflict and thereby, as it were, reduces our vigilance towards it. For example, discourteous treatment does not always lead to conflict, and therefore is tolerated by many with the thought that “it will do.” However, it often doesn’t work out and leads to conflict. The insidiousness of a conflict agent is that we are more sensitive to the words of others than to what we say ourselves.

Let's imagine a diagram of a conflict.

Scheme of conflict occurrence.

The first conflictogen + a stronger response conflictogen + an even stronger response conflictogen + etc. = conflict

There are two formulas for conflicts.

The first conflict formula: Conflict situation + Incident = Conflict.

Conflict situation– accumulated contradictions containing the real reason conflict.

Incident- a combination of circumstances that give rise to conflict.

It is clear from the formula that the conflict situation and the incident are independent of each other, that is, none of them is a consequence or manifestation of the other. A conflict between people can be likened to a weed in a garden: a conflict situation is the root of the weed, and an incident is the part that is on the surface. It becomes clear that tearing off the leaves but not touching the roots will not solve the conflict.

The second conflict formula: the sum of two (or more) conflict situations leads to conflict.

So, the basis of the conflict is a conflict situation in which there are:

– subject of conflict– a contradiction (problem) that the opposing sides are trying to resolve;

– object of conflict – problematic situation based on the intersecting interests of opponents who wish to control and manage it;

– subject of conflict – conflict personality or problems that could provoke conflict;

– opponents of the conflict- participants in the conflict.

Subject Manipulation– hidden or overt actions of a conflicting personality, aimed at the subject of the relationship in order to achieve a certain result that is significant for the individual. For example, you can try to get rid of responsibility by transferring it to someone else; Certain rights can be claimed and then exercised.

All these constituent parts (subject of the conflict, subject, object, manipulation of the subject, opponents, incident) constitute conflict dynamics formula.

The dynamics of development of each conflict has the following stages:

Stage 1 – pre-conflict relationships, accumulation of problems, their insolubility. The emergence of tension in relationships;

Stage 2 – aggravation of contradictions, stable negative psychological background in relationships; constant negative, sometimes aggressive confrontation;

Stage 3 – conflict situation, open conflict between subjects, lack of mutual understanding;

Stage 4 – conflict resolution;

Stage 5 – post-conflict stage, situation, new content of relations between the parties to the conflict.

As we have already noted, conflict can act as a way of social interaction, be good and evil at the same time. Therefore, the functions of conflict are characterized taking into account positive and negative consequences. The function of conflict expresses, on the one hand, its social purpose, and on the other, the dependence that arises between it and other components of social life. In the first case, the consequences of the conflict are taken into account, in the second - the direction of the relations of conflicting subjects of social ties.

The positive functions of conflicts include: solving a problem, taking into account mutual interests, achieving understanding between the parties to the conflict, trusting each other, strengthening partnerships and cooperation, overcoming conformism, humility, and the desire for superiority.

In addition, the positive functions of conflict include the stimulation of interest and curiosity, its role as a mediator through which problems are actualized.

The negative dysfunctional consequences of conflict are: people’s dissatisfaction with the common cause, avoidance of solving pressing problems, increasing hostility in interpersonal and intergroup relations, weakening cohesion among employees, divorce
etc.

Conflict varies in several ways.

Depending on the degree of manifestation, conflicts are:

Hidden (usually affects two people who, for the time being, try not to show that they are in conflict);

Open (as soon as one of the parties to the conflict reveals his hostility);

Random (spontaneously arising conflict);

Chronic (deliberately provoked conflict).

By process:

Vertical (between the manager and subordinates in a specific production team), which, in turn, is divided into production, role, monocausal, polycausal;

Horizontal (between team members, employees of the organization), which is divided into interpersonal, intergroup and intrapersonal conflicts.

Vertical conflict - a specific type of conflict interaction directed along the axis of the political or organizational-managerial hierarchy (for example, against authorities or the head of an enterprise, any other organization), the resolution of which can lead either to a compromise, or to a change in leadership style, or to a change in the latter, or to suppress the initiators of the conflict and its participants.

The conflict is horizontal- a specific type of conflict confrontation unfolding along the horizontal axis of interaction between equal partners:
two enterprises, sports teams, colleagues at the same level of the career ladder. Most often it ends with a search for a compromise, mutual concessions, but sometimes you have to resort to outside intervention - from the court, authorities, etc.

According to the result:

Destructive;

Negative;

Constructive;

Positive.

Related information.

Conflict and conflict situation

General concept of conflict

People working in organizations are different from each other. Accordingly, they perceive the situation in which they find themselves differently. Differences in perception often lead to people disagreeing with each other. This disagreement arises when the situation is truly conflicting in nature. Conflict is defined by the fact that the conscious behavior of one of the parties (an individual, a group or an organization as a whole) conflicts with the interests of the other party. The manager, according to his role, is usually at the center of any conflict in the organization and is called upon to resolve it by all means available to him. Conflict management is one of the most important functions of a leader. On average, managers spend about 20% of their working time resolving various types of conflicts. To effectively manage conflict, you need to know what conflicts exist, how they arise and proceed, and how these conflicts can be eliminated.

So, a conflict is a contradiction between two or more parties, that is, specific individuals or groups, when each party makes sure that its point of view or goal is accepted, and prevents the other party from doing the same.

There is an opinion that conflict is always an undesirable phenomenon, that it must be avoided and immediately resolved as soon as it arises. In fact, even in organizations with effective management Some conflicts are not only possible, but even desirable.

Thus, conflict can be functional and lead to increased organizational performance or dysfunctional and lead to a decrease in group cooperation and organizational effectiveness. The role of conflict depends mainly on how well it is managed. In order to manage a conflict, it is necessary to know the reasons for its occurrence.

Types of conflicts and levels of conflict in an organization

From the point of view of the causes of a conflict situation, three types of conflicts are distinguished. The first is a conflict of goals. In this case, the situation is characterized by the fact that the parties involved have different visions of the desired state of the object in the future. There are many methods for resolving such conflicts. The second is conflict caused by the fact that the parties involved differ in views, ideas and thoughts on the problem being solved. Resolving such conflicts requires more time than resolving conflicts associated with conflicting goals. And finally, the third is sensory conflict, which appears in a situation where the participants have different feelings and emotions that underlie their relationships with each other as individuals. People simply irritate each other with the style of their behavior, conduct of business, and interaction. Such conflicts are the most difficult to resolve, since they are based on reasons related to the individual’s psyche.

There are five levels of conflict in an organization: within an individual, between individuals, within a group, between groups, within an organization. These levels are closely related to each other.

The first type is intrapersonal conflict. He can take different shapes. One of its most common forms is role conflict, when conflicting demands are made on one person regarding what the result of his work should be. For example, a store section manager requires a salesperson to be in the department at all times, providing information and providing services to customers. Later, he expresses dissatisfaction with the fact that the seller spends a lot of time serving customers and pays little attention to replenishing the department with goods. Another situation: the immediate superior - the head of the department - instructed the merchandiser to speed up the quality check of shoes, and the quality manager insists on improving the quality check of shoes by slowing down technological process. Both examples indicate that performers were given conflicting tasks and were required to produce mutually exclusive results. In the first case, the conflict arose as a result of conflicting demands placed on the subordinate, in the second - due to a violation of the principle of unity of command.

The second type is interpersonal conflict (the most common). Managers often have to defend the interests of the team (allocation of resources, time to use equipment, etc.). Moreover, everyone believes that they must convince their superiors to allocate these resources to them. There may also be a clash between two specialists over the implementation of their projects. A conflict is also possible between two candidates for one vacancy (position), as well as between individuals with various features character, attitudes and values.

The third type is a conflict between an individual and a group. Informal groups establish norms of behavior. Everyone must comply with them in order to be accepted into this group. However, if the expectations of the group are in conflict with the expectations of the individual, conflict may arise.

Conflict can also arise due to job responsibilities leader. A manager may be forced to take disciplinary measures that may be unpopular with subordinates. Then the group can strike back - change its attitude towards the leader.

The fourth type is intergroup conflict, that is, between groups (formal and informal), as well as between the trade union and the administration. Functional groups often conflict with each other due to different goals. For example, a customer-facing sales department must always have large inventories to fulfill orders, which in turn leads to increased costs and, as a result, conflicts with the interests of finance and other departments.

Intraorganizational conflict is most often associated with opposition and clashes that arise over the way individual jobs or the organization as a whole have been designed, as well as over the formal distribution of power in the organization. There are four types of this conflict: vertical, horizontal, linear-functional, role. In real life, these conflicts are closely intertwined with each other, but each of them has its own, quite distinct features. Thus, vertical conflict is a conflict between levels of management in an organization. Its occurrence and resolution are determined by those aspects of the life of the organization that influence vertical connections V organizational structure: goals, power, communications, culture, etc. Horizontal conflict involves parts of the organization of equal status and most often acts as a conflict of goals. The development of horizontal connections in the structure of the organization greatly helps to resolve it. Linear-functional conflict is often of a conscious or sensual nature. Its resolution is associated with improving relations between line management and specialists, for example, by creating task forces or autonomous groups. Role conflict occurs when an individual performing a certain role receives a task that is inappropriate for his role.

3. Causes of conflicts and their consequences

The causes of conflicts are different. Let's look at the main reasons.

1. Distribution of resources, which are always limited. Management strives to allocate materials, human resources, and finances among various groups so as to most effectively achieve the organization's goals. At the same time, each group wants to receive more, not less, and as a result, a conflict arises.

2. Interdependence of tasks. It exists wherever one person or group depends on another person or group to complete a task.

3. Differences in goals. Conflict situations arise when an enterprise is divided into divisions that become increasingly specialized. They formulate their own goals and may pay more attention to achieving them than to achieving the goals of the entire organization.

4. Differences in assessment of the situation and opinions. The idea of ​​a certain situation depends on the desire to achieve a certain goal. Instead of assessing a situation objectively, people may consider only those alternatives and aspects of the situation that they believe are favorable to their group and personal needs. For example, a subordinate may believe that he always has the right to express his opinion, while a manager may believe that a subordinate has the right to express his opinion only when asked and should do as he is told without question.

5. Differences in behavior and life experiences. Research has shown that people with different life experiences (education, work experience, age and social characteristics) do not always achieve complete mutual understanding. When they cooperate, conflicts arise.

6. Poor communication. Workers who do not have information cannot understand the situation or the point of view of others, which causes conflict.

The consequences of conflicts can be functional. The problem can be solved in a way that is acceptable to all parties, and as a result, people will feel more involved in solving the problem. This, in turn, minimizes or completely eliminates difficulties in implementing decisions: hostility, injustice and the need to act against one's will. Another consequence of conflict is that the parties will be more cooperative rather than antagonistic in future situations. Possible and important consequences of conflict are also a decrease in the likelihood of groupthink and submissive syndrome, when subordinates do not express ideas that contradict the ideas of managers.