13-5 Group Conflict

Let’s be honest: whenever you put people together, you’re going to get some conflict. The key isn’t avoiding conflict entirely – that’s impossible and often counterproductive. Instead, it’s understanding different types of conflict and learning how to manage them constructively.

Conflict is basically what happens when people perceive that others are keeping them from reaching a goal. Notice that word “perceive” – most conflict actually results from misunderstandings about others’ goals and intentions rather than genuine incompatibilities. This is actually good news because it means many conflicts can be resolved through better communication and clarification of perceptions.

Types of Group Conflict

There are three main types of group conflict, and they affect teams very differently:

Relationship conflict involves personal tension and friction between team members. This is the “I can’t stand working with that person” type of conflict that can poison team dynamics and hurt performance by creating negative emotions and reducing cooperation. This conflict can be between individual group members or between an individual and the rest of the group.

Task conflict occurs when team members have different ideas about the work to be accomplished. Interestingly, moderate levels of task conflict can actually enhance performance by encouraging consideration of diverse perspectives and preventing premature consensus on suboptimal solutions. The key word here is “moderate” – too much task conflict becomes destructive.

Process conflict emerges when people disagree about how work should be accomplished – procedures, responsibilities, coordination mechanisms. This type of conflict can reduce efficiency and satisfaction when it prevents establishment of clear working arrangements.

Research by Jehn and Mannix (2001) suggests that task conflict can be beneficial when it occurs in supportive interpersonal contexts, while relationship and process conflict generally undermine effectiveness. The goal should be encouraging constructive task-related debate while maintaining positive relationships and clear process agreements.

Causes of Group Conflict

What causes group conflict? Several factors that you can actually influence or manage:

Competition for resources happens when demand exceeds supply for money, space, personnel, equipment, or other valued resources. At universities, scarce resources often include parking and office or lab space. We saw this dramatically during the early days of COVID when everyone wanted to stock up on supplies.

Task interdependence creates conflict potential when people depend on others to complete their work but have different priorities. This is especially likely when two groups who rely on each other have conflicting goals – for instance, a production department wanting high volume output while the quality control department prioritizes product quality.

Jurisdictional ambiguity occurs when boundaries or lines of authority are unclear. Whose job is it to get the mail? Who’s in charge when the boss is out of town? Who controls access to the conference room? These turf wars can be avoided through thorough job descriptions and up-to-date organizational charts.

Communication barriers can be physical (separate locations), cultural (different languages), or psychological (different styles). These create misunderstandings that can escalate into conflict.

Belief systems can create conflict if individuals believe they are superior to other people or groups, have been mistreated by others, are vulnerable and in harm’s way, cannot trust others, or are helpless or powerless (Eidelson & Eidelson, 2003).

Personality differences can lead to incompatible working styles. Type A people tend to have conflict with Type B people. Some people are just hard to work with, often due to abnormally high needs for control, perfection, approval, or attention. People who are dogmatic, authoritarian, and have low self-esteem are involved in conflict more often than open-minded people who feel good about themselves.

Conflict Management Styles

When it comes to managing conflict, people tend to develop preferred styles that they use across different situations:

Avoiding involves pretending conflict doesn’t exist or withdrawing from conflict situations. People using this style might give up on requests, talk behind others’ backs, or even quit their jobs. Triangling occurs when an employee discusses the conflict with a third party (like a friend or supervisor), hoping they’ll talk to the other party and resolve the conflict without direct confrontation. This can work for minor issues that might resolve themselves, but it often leads to escalation when significant problems need attention.

Accommodating means giving up your position to satisfy others’ demands. People using this style try to end conflict by simply giving up. This might be a good choice if the stakes are really low – maybe you gave up a resource but gained some social capital. However, excessive accommodation can lead to resentment over time.

Forcing treats conflict as a zero-sum game where winning requires others to lose. People using this style see the world through a poker lens – if you get something, I lose. While sometimes necessary in emergencies or when dealing with ethical violations, this approach often damages relationships and creates resentment. This style is appropriate when a party needs a “victory” and often occurs in union-management conflicts.

Collaborating seeks win-win solutions where everyone can achieve their important objectives through creative problem-solving. People using this style want to win but don’t see the world as zero-sum. This approach takes time and effort but often produces the highest-quality solutions while maintaining positive relationships. It’s probably the best conflict style when possible, but it’s time-consuming and not effective in emergencies.

Compromising involves give-and-take bargaining to reach middle-ground solutions. This style adopts a negotiating approach where both parties put forth their maximum supportable position (what they really want), and negotiations work toward a mutually acceptable result between their “least acceptable results” (the most extreme positions they can live with). While practical in many situations, compromise can sometimes result in solutions that don’t fully satisfy anyone’s core needs.

A best alternative to a negotiated agreement (BATNA) can influence negotiations. For example, if you have a job offer in hand and want to negotiate a salary adjustment with your current company, the salary of the job offer becomes your BATNA and your least acceptable result.

Conflict Resolution Approaches

Effective conflict resolution often requires different approaches depending on when intervention occurs:

Prior to Conflict Occurring

Formal policies should be in place for handling conflict. Employees should receive training on causes of conflict, prevention strategies, and resolution techniques. Organizations like the city of Plano offer employees optional 40-hour training programs in conflict mediation and facilitation.

When Conflict First Occurs

State an intention to reduce tension and publicly announce steps to reduce it. Invite the other side to also take tension-reducing action. Make sure each initiative is unambiguous. Focus on specific behaviors rather than character attacks. Address minor conflicts quickly through negotiation.

Third-Party Intervention

When two parties can’t reach agreement directly, the conflict becomes a dispute requiring outside help.

Mediation involves a neutral third party who helps both sides reach mutually agreeable solutions by facilitating communication and suggesting alternatives. Research by Ross and Wieland (1996) shows that mediators are most successful when parties don’t trust one another, and they provide best results when both sides consider the mediator competent and trustworthy. For mediation to work, both parties must agree that a conflict exists and that a solution can be found through collaboration.

Mediation is better than litigation when you need to solve a problem with someone you want to maintain a relationship with, you don’t want your problems publicized, you want to save costs associated with lawyers, and you want to settle disputes promptly.

Arbitration involves a neutral third party who listens to both sides’ arguments and then makes a decision. Arbitration decisions can be either binding or nonbinding. While arbitration can end conflicts quickly, usually neither side is as satisfied with the outcome as they would have been with self-negotiated settlements or mediation. Research by Bretz and Thomas (1992) shows that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that employers can require employees to use arbitration rather than litigation. However, performance may drop and turnover increase as a result of arbitrator decisions.

Studies by Shirreffs and Sommers (2006) and Sommers (1993) examining major league baseball salary arbitration show that while arbitration can resolve disputes efficiently, it may also change the dynamics of ongoing relationships between the parties involved.

SIOP Insights on Group Processes and Teamwork

The Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) emphasizes that effective teamwork is a cornerstone of organizational success. According to SIOP’s guidelines and practitioner research, understanding group processes is essential for building high-performing teams, especially in today’s dynamic and diverse work environments.

SIOP highlights the importance of fostering psychological safety – where team members feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and admit mistakes without fear of embarrassment or retaliation. Inclusive teams that value diverse perspectives are more innovative and resilient, especially in complex problem-solving contexts.

Effective teams develop shared mental models – common understandings of goals, roles, and procedures. These models enhance coordination, reduce misunderstandings, and improve decision-making. SIOP recommends training and structured onboarding to build these shared frameworks early in team development.

SIOP research shows that team diversity can enhance creativity and performance when managed well. However, diversity also increases the potential for conflict. Organizations should provide training in cultural competence and conflict resolution to help teams leverage diversity constructively.

Team leaders play a critical role in shaping group dynamics. SIOP encourages leaders to act as facilitators – guiding discussions, managing conflict, and ensuring equitable participation. Leadership development programs should include training in group facilitation and emotional intelligence.

With the rise of remote and hybrid teams, SIOP stresses the need for intentional design of virtual collaboration. This includes selecting appropriate communication tools, establishing norms for responsiveness, and scheduling regular check-ins to maintain cohesion and accountability.

By applying these evidence-based practices, organizations can create teams that are not only productive but also adaptive, inclusive, and psychologically healthy.

Conclusion

Group dynamics shape virtually every aspect of organizational life, from routine daily interactions to critical strategic decisions. Understanding these dynamics isn’t just academic knowledge – it’s essential practical wisdom for anyone who wants to work effectively with others while maintaining their individual judgment and ethical standards.

The research reveals both the incredible potential and the serious pitfalls of group behavior. Social facilitation can boost performance, but social loafing can undermine it. Conformity can promote coordination, but it can also suppress creativity and critical thinking. Groups can pool diverse perspectives to make brilliant decisions, or they can fall into groupthink and make catastrophic errors.

You’ll face these dynamics throughout your career, whether you’re collaborating on projects, serving on committees, or leading teams. The people who understand how groups work – both their superpowers and their vulnerabilities – will be more effective team members and leaders. They’ll know when to speak up against group pressure and when to go with the flow. They’ll recognize the warning signs of groupthink and know how to encourage productive conflict while preventing destructive relationship problems.

The shift toward team-based work isn’t going away – if anything, it’s accelerating as work becomes more complex and interdisciplinary. Virtual teams, AI-human collaboration, and fluid team membership will create new challenges and opportunities. But the fundamental psychological processes underlying group behavior remain remarkably consistent across time and context.

Success in this team-based world requires both technical competence and social intelligence. You need to understand not just how to do your job, but how to do it effectively with others who have different perspectives, working styles, and priorities. You need to know how to contribute to team effectiveness while protecting yourself from the potential downsides of group influence.

Perhaps most importantly, you need to remember that group dynamics affect everyone – including you. None of us is immune to conformity pressure, social loafing, or the seductive pull of groupthink. Recognizing our own susceptibility to these influences is the first step toward managing them effectively.

The good news is that understanding group processes can help you become both a better team member and a better individual decision-maker. When you know how groups can enhance or impair judgment, you’re better equipped to leverage the benefits while avoiding the pitfalls. When you understand the psychological forces at play in team situations, you can help create conditions that bring out the best in everyone involved.

Group effectiveness isn’t just about following the right procedures or using the right techniques – it’s about understanding human psychology and creating environments where people can collaborate successfully while maintaining their individual integrity and judgment. That’s both an art and a science, requiring ongoing attention to both research-based knowledge and practical wisdom about human behavior.

As you move forward in your career, remember that your success will depend not just on what you know or what you can do individually, but on how effectively you can work with others to accomplish goals that none of you could achieve alone. Understanding group processes gives you the tools to make that collaboration both more effective and more satisfying for everyone involved.