Often conflict situations arise in our lives - between friends, acquaintances, relatives, colleagues and loved ones. The ground can be very diverse - from divergence of interests to interracial hostility. The concept of conflict will be discussed in detail in our review. We will also talk about the main reasons for its manifestation, the need for its presence in Everyday life, rules of behavior during conflict situation, solutions.

A conflict situation is a clash based on misunderstanding, non-acceptance of other people's ideas, values ​​and thoughts that arises between people, society, and individual states. Previously, it was believed that this should be avoided and that one should try to find a compromise in everything, but modern psychology refutes this statement. Today, various types of clashes are not considered as purely negative, since, according to numerous studies, conflict helps individuals and groups develop, thanks to it a person gains experience in communication.

The essence of situations of this kind is to defend a point of view and one’s own competitiveness. When faced with misunderstanding and injustice, a person gets involved in a conflict.

Structure

The structure of all conflict situations includes:

1. A subject (object) that provokes the development of a dispute. This can be either a thing or a person, thoughts, ideas in which the participants in the conflict are interested.
2. Subjects of the situation. They can be groups, organizations, individuals.
3. The conditions under which the conflict occurs. For example: work environment, family disputes, and so on.
4. The scale of the situation: global, interpersonal, regional, localized.
5. Behavioral characteristics and tactics of the conflicting parties.
6. The result is an understanding of the result of the conflict, its consequences.

Types and types of conflict situations in the business environment

The most common are clashes of interests in organized groups, namely in workers' collectives, among teachers in schools, in organizations made up of individuals of different ethnic backgrounds. In this case, the following types of conflicts are considered:

• Intrapersonal. It is formed in connection with the dissatisfaction of an individual with the requirements imposed on his activities. That is, if a person is forced to do something against his will, or the fulfillment of a given task contradicts the foundations and values ​​of the individual, an intrapersonal conflict situation arises.
• Interpersonal. Most often, interpersonal conflicts arise in groups. Their manifestation is directly related to the lack of any resources to achieve set goals, the desire to “curry favor” with superiors (higher positions), as well as to the character traits of each group member. Basically, “friction” in a team arises due to the radical dissimilarity of individuals, the difference in their worldview and different temperaments.
• Between the individual and the group. The emergence of a conflict of this kind is caused by defending the opinion of one individual in front of a group. That is, a person who disagrees with the opinion of the majority tries to defend his idea, while creating a conflict situation.
• Intergroup. Any team consists of at least 2 groups: formal and informal, between which conflicts periodically arise. Basically, the basis for this is the unfair attitude of the authorities towards the informal group that unites to protect and defend its interests.
• Managerial. It develops during the work process, during the distribution of resources. Managerial conflict arises due to a mismatch in the temperament of subordinates, divergence of values ​​and goals.

The most common types of conflicts

More often than others, interpersonal and intrapersonal clashes, as well as clashes between a group and an individual, occur in a person’s everyday life and activities. An example of a conflict between two people can be found in any school class, team, or family:

• Failure to accept a new group member based on external criteria. For example, a student comes to class who does not correspond to the group’s ideas about appearance; they do not notice him, push him away, and do not invite him to participate in joint games and discussions. Here there is a conflict between a group and an individual.
• A dispute over raising a child is an interpersonal conflict.
• An order from management to increase working hours for a specific specialist. This is fraught with the emergence of an intrapersonal conflict situation.

Characters

Conflict participants are parties directly involved in the formation and completion of a conflict of interests. There are 2 types characters: indirect and direct participants in the conflict.

Indirect ones include:

• Provocateur. A person (state, group, society) who provokes another person into a conflict, while in some cases not taking part in the conflict situation itself.
• The provocateur's ally, or "support group". A person who contributes (materially, morally) to the development of a collision.
• Organizer (creator) of the conflict.
• Judge (mediator, intermediary). A person who is a third party in a conflict situation.

Direct ones include:

• The instigator. Sometimes it is a provocateur.
• Subject.
• Sides of the collision.

Causes

Sources of conflicts are unfavorable conditions, a combination of circumstances, and personal qualities of individuals that provoke the development of a clash. Of all sources, the most common are: unstable financial situation, lack of resources, character traits and excessive emotionality of a person, as well as the characteristics of his mental development, values, morals, and ethics of the individual.

Family as one of the small groups where conflict situations periodically occur

Family conflicts are among the most common. According to statistics, almost every family member has to deal with misunderstanding from one of their close relatives. The reasons for the development of conflicts in this group of individuals are:

• Strong differences in character and temperament both among spouses and among children and relatives.
• Everyday problems. In most cases, a conflict situation arises among couples precisely because of a lack of funds.
• Unjustified expectations. The clash arises due to unjustified hopes placed on the marriage by one of the spouses.
• Dissatisfaction with sex life.
• Treason. Due to dissatisfaction with sex, often one of the spouses (less often both) begins to look for warmth and affection on the side. The result is the development of a conflict situation leading to a rupture. However, some try to add “spiciness” to relationships, thereby saving them.
• Lack of personal space. Most couples constantly spend time together without having the opportunity to be alone, which leads to the “conquest” of certain areas of the house.
• Jealousy, heightened sense of ownership. Some types of people tend to overprotect their partner, limiting their communication with the opposite sex, while constantly suspecting their spouse of non-existent infidelity. An example of a conflict, the development of which is due to jealousy: one of the spouses constantly read the personal correspondence of his partner, but when the latter saw this, a scandal broke out.
• Abuse of alcohol and drugs by one of the partners, smoking.
• Different views on the educational process. If there are children in the family, then conflict can often arise due to dissatisfaction of one of the parents with the other about their upbringing.

The main “symptoms” of the development of a conflict situation in the family

The first signs of conflict often remain hidden until the peak moment. How do you understand that it is necessary to make any efforts to prevent a conflict situation?

No confrontation arises without reason. The concept of conflict implies the presence of certain prerequisites: frequent disputes, misunderstanding, silence and inability to properly build a dialogue. Example: a spouse returned from work upset and in need of support. And his wife, in turn, thought that he was tired and did not “bother” him with conversations, although now he simply needed dialogue with her. Gradually, omissions are layered on top of each other, and an invisible gap arises between the partners, and later signs of conflict appear:

• Tension in communication.
• A sharp reaction to any irritant.
• Attempts to call a partner to talk end with him withdrawing into himself.
• Detachment from what is happening around.

As a result, due to issues not resolved in a timely manner, a conflict situation arises in the family, for the successful resolution of which both parties must make every effort.

Human behavior during conflict

You should know what behavior should be in a conflict. This will allow you to avoid mistakes during forced clashes of interests, as well as influence your opponent (the initiator or the other party to the conflict). In psychology, the following options for individual behavior in a conflict situation are distinguished:

1. Evasive (passive). It is used both on a subconscious level and consciously. Features of conflicts in which this type of behavior is used: the opponent does not defend his interests and the interests of the group, he is unable to defend himself, while trying to avoid further development conflict. Experts do not recommend resorting to frequent use of passive behavior, as this can lead to a decrease in individual self-esteem. Its use is justified only in those situations where a person, thanks to avoiding a collision, can achieve success and promotion.
2. Compliant, opportunistic. This form of behavior allows you to survive conflicts in relationships without resorting to complete confrontation. That is, when one of the opponents concedes something to the other participant during a conflict, this makes it possible to maintain relations at the same level, relieve tension and quickly, without losses, close the dispute. However, compliance in a conflict situation does not provide an opportunity to fully defend one’s opinion and achieve what one wants.
3. Dominant (suppressive). A person who chooses dominance in a conflict rigidly defends his point of view, regardless of the desires and needs of the other side. Thanks to this, he easily persuades his opponent to retreat, forcing him to make concessions. The advantages of this behavior: quick achievement of the desired goal, stimulation personal growth. Disadvantages: due to the constant use of dominance, a person becomes conflicted personality, this significantly consumes his mental strength, which can lead to severe stress.
4. Compromise. This type of behavior allows you to resolve the conflict with partial satisfaction of the needs of both parties. But still, its frequent use cannot guarantee the absence of a repetition of the conflict situation, since the desires of opponents are not satisfied in in full, which could cause a new “wave” of collisions.
5. Integration (cooperation). It represents the interaction of both parties in resolving the current situation. Such behavior is possible only with a full analysis of what the concept of conflict is, and the desire of opponents to achieve what they want without significant losses, taking into account their interests.

The impact of conflict on a person

Exactly how a particular conflict situation affects an individual depends on several factors:

• The set goal and desired result.
• The significance of the conflict for both participants.
• A variant of behavior chosen by a participant in a conflict of interests.

Each of the above factors is strongly linked to the next, and only their combination can show how the problem of conflict affects an individual. For example, a person has set a task (goal) for himself, the implementation of which is especially important for him, while his opponent is absolutely indifferent to this goal. As a result, with the dominant behavior chosen by the opponent, the person will not be able to achieve what he wants, acutely experiencing his failure.

What not to do during settlement

It is worth remembering that excessive emotionality can only aggravate the current situation, and calmness and coldness in the voice will allow the conflict to be resolved more quickly. To resolve any conflict, restraint and respect for the opponent are necessary, no matter from what side he shows himself. It is important to know that negativity in response to negativity can escalate a psychological conflict and make it practically unsolvable without additional help.

A conflict situation requires a special approach; its resolution must be completed, otherwise it may arise again.

Basic Rules of Positive Resolution

1. You need to be able to listen to your opponent and take into account his wishes.
2. You should not use intimidation to resolve a dispute.
3. Total control over your own emotions is required.
4. Proper dialogue facilitates a rapid transition to consensus.
5. Understanding that each person deals with problems differently helps resolve conflict.

How to overcome a conflict situation in the family

The group most susceptible to the negative impact of conflicts is the family. There are three ways to prevent and eliminate conflicts of interest in family relationships. These include: destructive (destructive marriage), permanent (current state of the family), constructive (promoting rapid recovery).

Structure family relations during a conflict implies 2 types of behavior:

• Rivalry. One of the spouses (sometimes both) puts their desires and goals above family values. This selfish behavior further escalates the conflict and makes it more difficult to resolve.
• Cooperation. Here the interests of each family member are taken into account, which helps to quickly and painlessly resolve a conflict situation.

In any existing family confrontation, each partner must strive for a solution in which both conflicting parties benefit (win-win). The result, where one of the opponents remains a loser, can provoke new conflict, aggravated by damaged pride and the previous fiasco of the partner.

The resolution to the conflict is a direct conversation-explanation, where everyone can speak out in a calm manner about a particular problem. In addition, another solution could be the compliance of both partners.

Points to help deal with conflict:

1. Supporting your own dignity without infringing on your partner.
2. Showing appreciation and respect for your spouse.
3. Containing negative emotions.
4. Lack of reminders of mistakes already made by the partner from the past.
5. Containing jealousy, suspiciousness, eliminating possible thoughts about your spouse’s infidelity.
6. Patience, accepting a person as he is.
7. Moving the conversation in a different direction in order to eliminate the possibility of an escalation of the conflict situation.

Warn family conflicts Spending time together between spouses and communicating on abstract topics helps. The more and more often partners can talk, the stronger their family’s defense against conflict. You should not put pressure on a person, try to re-educate him - this will be a big mistake, since each person is individual and has the right to defend his individuality in any situation.

Conflict can be expressed in hidden and open forms.

Hidden form of conflict– a state of dissatisfaction, internal disagreement with the actions and decisions of a manager or asset. This can manifest itself in formal fulfillment of demands, indifference, arrogance, self-isolation from the team, and intrigue.

The open form can be active or passive.

Active form of conflict- open clashes: sharp quarrels, disputes, riots, fights, refusal to comply with demands, tasks, different shapes insubordination, sabotage, vindictiveness, aggressiveness, affective actions.

Passive form conflict– is expressed in a conscious withdrawal into the world of fantasy, drug addiction, alcoholism.

The forms of expression of the conflict largely depend on the level of development of the individual, the team, the age of the participants in the conflict, their individual life experience, personal qualities, type of conflict, specifics of the team’s activities, and the style of team management.

The ability to manage conflict relationships is one of the complex socio-psychological and pedagogical problems. Timely and successfully resolved conflicts make significant adjustments to the socio-psychological climate of the team, contribute to the formation of the individual’s stability in situations of increased complexity, the ability to make timely, correct decisions without emotional outbursts.

There is a direct relationship between the success of conflict resolution in a children's team and the position that the teacher takes in relation to this phenomenon.

Options for possible teacher positions towards conflict.

– The position of forceful (authoritarian) intervention in the conflict. The teacher acknowledges the existence of a conflict and tries to record the parties involved and the balance of power. But the teacher does not so much strive to resolve the conflict situation as fight it, believing that any conflict in a children's team is evil. As a rule, he single-handedly determines who is right and wrong and, by applying appropriate sanctions, suppresses the conflict, but in reality the conflict is not resolved. It may take other forms or the conflicting parties will move its clarification outside the school, which more often leads to the manifestation of forceful forms of conflict resolution, but on the part of the conflicting parties.

– Non-interference position. More often he works as a liberal teacher. He tries not to notice conflict situations and clashes that arise in the team he leads. Does not interfere in a conflict until it is pointed out to him or he touches it personally. His reaction to the current situation may be caused by comments or criticism from the administration or colleagues. It is likely that he will entrust the resolution of the conflict to the class asset.

– Position of silencing the conflict. Some teachers have the opinion that the emergence of conflicts in the team they lead indicates their professional weakness and pedagogical failure. The conflict, according to the conviction of such teachers, highlights their educational impotence. The existence of a conflict situation is simply not recognized and rejected. The teacher, therefore, tries to get away from the problem by simply not recognizing it. Most often, this position arises due to not knowing how to get out of this situation. The situation can turn into a neglected, chronic condition, which has an extremely negative impact on the development of the team.

– Finding ways to intervene expediently in a conflict. In solving this issue, the teacher relies on his own knowledge of the team, its educational capabilities, analyzes the situation and predicts options for the development of conflict relations, possible consequences. A decision may be made on temporary non-intervention, on publicizing the causes of the conflict, on the need for urgent influence on the conflicting parties using direct or indirect methods of conflict resolution.

Typical mistakes made by teachers when intervening in conflict.

– Underestimation or overestimation of the importance of public opinion of a group or collective for a particular participant in the conflict. Most often, such a mistake is made due to a lack of knowledge about the informal structure of the team and the status of each member in this structure. The higher the student’s status in the informal structure of the team, the more acute his sensitivity to the opinion of this team. However, if we're talking about about a beginner, then this dependence may turn out to be different. For example, for a newcomer who has a low status in the informal structure of the team, the team itself can be referent and significant. The level of development of the team determines the significance public opinion for each of its members.

– Exaggeration by the teacher of the role of possible own influence. This mistake is a consequence of the teacher’s misunderstanding of the level of his authority and the conflicting parties. Working with students junior classes, the teacher enjoys unlimited authority. Younger schoolchildren turn to the teacher for help and advice on a wide range of issues. The teacher is generously given trust in solving purely personal problems of the student. But as schoolchildren grow older, the situation changes; we are more faced with the phenomenon of discreteness and selectivity of authority. In other words, it is accepted in some areas and does not apply to others, most often purely personal ones. Therefore, the effectiveness of the teacher’s own influence on the conflicting parties can be very different, sometimes not adequate to his expectations.

– Underestimation or overestimation of previous personal experience in regulating relationships in a team.

– When deciding to intervene in a conflict, the teacher tends to take a position above those in conflict, the position of the “supreme judge.” But we must remember that it is extremely difficult to be objective. In progress professional activity The teacher develops a certain attitude towards the students. They can have shades of obvious sympathy, neutrality or even antipathy.

1. The concept of conflict. Types of conflicts. Causes of conflicts. Constructive and destructive conflicts.

1.1 The concept of conflict.

1.2 Types of conflicts.

1.3 Destructive conflicts.

2. Structure of the conflict.

3. Prevention (prevention) of conflicts.

4. Ways to resolve conflicts.

5. Typical mistakes of a conflicting person.

5.1 Conflict management.

5.2 Stages of conflict resolution.

6. Styles of behavior in conflict.

INTRODUCTION

Each of us has had to deal with conflict situations. Memories of conflicts usually evoke unpleasant associations: threats, hostility, misunderstanding, attempts, sometimes hopeless, to prove that one is right, resentment. As a result, the opinion has developed that conflict is always a negative phenomenon, undesirable for each of us, and especially for leaders and managers, since they not only have to face conflicts, but also resolve them. Conflicts are seen as something that should be avoided whenever possible and should be resolved immediately when they arise.

Conflicts manifest themselves in the activities of all social institutions, social groups, in relationships between people and play a key role in the life of an individual, family, team, state, and society. Most conflicts arise beyond the wishes of their participants. This is due to the fact that most people do not have a basic understanding of conflicts or do not attach importance to them.

The head of the organization, according to his role, is usually at the center of any conflict 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. Every manager needs to know about conflicts, how to behave when they arise, means and methods of prevention and resolution. Most people are characterized by the inability to find a decent way out of conflict situations, because this is an entire art and everyone, especially business managers, needs to learn this.

1.1 The concept of conflict.

Conflict is not a simple psychological phenomenon; it is always a complex and multifaceted social phenomenon. Conflict - (from Latin conflictus - clash) - lack of agreement between two or more parties, which can be specific individuals or groups, i.e. this is a clash of opposing goals, positions of views of the subjects of interactions. Today in the conflict literature there are a variety of definitions of conflict. Thus, in the West, the concept of conflict, formulated by the famous American theorist L. Coser, is widespread. By it he understands the struggle for values ​​and claims to a certain status, power and resources, in which the enemy’s goals are to neutralize, damage or eliminate the opponent.

In Russian literature, most definitions of conflict are sociological in nature. Their advantage lies in the fact that the authors highlight various necessary signs of social conflict, represented by diverse forms of confrontation between individuals and social communities aimed at achieving certain interests and goals. Here are some examples of conflict definitions:

L.G. Zdravomyslov, for example, believes that conflict is the most important aspect of interaction between people in society, a kind of cell of social existence. 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.

SOUTH. Zaprudsky reveals the concept of social conflict as an explicit or hidden state of confrontation between objectively divergent interests, goals and trends in the development of social objects, a direct and indirect clash of social forces based on opposition to the existing social order, a special form of historical movement towards a new social unity.

From the point of view of A.V. Dmitriev, social conflict is usually understood as that type of confrontation in which the parties seek to seize territory or resources, threaten opposition individuals or groups, their property or culture in such a way that the struggle takes the form of attack or defense.

In Deutsch's theory, conflict is described as a consequence of an objective conflict of interests.

According to G.I. Kozyrev, every conflict is a certain quality of interaction between people, which is expressed in the confrontation between its various parties.

If we now combine the above-mentioned signs of conflict into a single whole, we can give the following definition.

Conflict is the quality of interaction between people (or elements of the internal structure of a person), expressed in the confrontation of the parties in order to achieve their interests and goals. This definition reflects the necessary properties of any conflict.

In general, the conflict is considered from two different positions (approaches) to its understanding.

Authors belonging to the school of “human relations” defined conflict as a clash, contradiction, opposition of parties, opinions, due to opposition, incompatibility. Another approach is to understand conflict as a system of relations, a process of development of interaction, determined by the differences of the subjects participating in it (in terms of interests, values, activities).

Proponents of the first approach describe conflict as a negative phenomenon. Most of the works on the technology of working in conflict within the framework of this approach provide recommendations for manipulation, which is called “conflict management”, “conflict situation management”. The main goal of such management is to eliminate conflict with maximum benefit for oneself.

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 society, 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.

The second approach assumes the impossibility of managing conflict and optimizing interaction, theoretically justifying the development of conflict as a self-regulating mechanism. Instead of “solution” or “resolution”, the term “overcoming” is used, 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 .

The manager’s choice of one of the two approaches determines his choice of forms of work and recommendations to his team and structural units on actions in conflict situations.

General trend in last years is this: most theorists and practitioners of social psychology are inclined to the second approach. The modern point of view is that further, in organizations with effective management, some conflicts are not only possible, but may even be desirable.

Of course, conflict is not always positive. In some cases, it can interfere with the satisfaction of the individual's needs and the achievement of the goals of the organization as a whole. But in many situations, conflict helps to reveal a diversity of points of view, gives Additional information, helps to identify larger number alternatives or problems.

Thus, from all of the above, we can conclude that conflict is understood as the most acute way of resolving significant contradictions that arise in the process of interaction, which consists in the opposition of the subjects of the conflict and is accompanied by positive and negative emotions.

However, understanding the essence of the concept of “conflict” is not yet enough to understand the whole essence of the conflict, learn to manage conflicts, and overcome them. To do this, it is also necessary to identify classifications (typologies) of conflicts that will help to better understand this complex phenomenon.

Bipolarity as the presence and opposition of two principles is necessarily present in any psychological conflict. Whether we are talking about an intrapersonal conflict, interpersonal or intergroup - in any case, in the conflict there are two authorities opposing each other.

Bipolarity, or opposition, represents opposition and at the same time interconnectedness, contains the internal potential of contradiction, but in itself does not mean a clash or struggle.

Activity aimed at overcoming a contradiction is also characteristic of any conflict and is present in different designations, apparently, in all definitions of conflict (which is not surprising: remember that by its very origin the word “conflict” is a collision). This activity is called "collision", "incompatibility", "counteraction", etc.

Activity is another sign of conflict, but only that activity that is synonymous with the concepts of “struggle” and “reaction”; activity is impossible without some impulse given by the awareness of the situation on the part of the subject of the conflict.

In the context of the problem of defining conflicts, this property can be designated as bipolarity, which means both interconnectedness and mutual opposition at the same time. A true point of view can only exist if a false one coexists with it. Confrontation of interests presupposes the presence of two conflicting or incompatible interests. The struggle of motives is also possible only if they are multiplicitous.

Bipolarity as a feature of conflict is apparently also characteristic of cases of broader social confrontation. Bipolarity itself does not mean a collision of two different principles. Their true opposite reveals itself not simply in their comparison, but in their opposition, which presupposes a “struggle”, active interaction aimed at overcoming the contradiction that separates them. Southern and North poles, with all their polarity, “polarity” in the literal sense of the word, are not in conflict with each other.

The presence of subjects of conflict is another sign; a subject is an active party capable of creating a conflict situation and influencing the course of the conflict depending on its interests. As a rule, subjects of conflict have a special type of consciousness - conflict. You can only be in conflict with someone - with another group, with another person, with yourself. The fact that a conflict requires the presence of a subject or subjects representing its parties presupposes the possibility (at least potential) of active and conscious actions on the part of these subjects. This distinguishes a conflict from a contradiction, the parties to which do not necessarily have to be represented by subjects.

When studying modern literature on conflict, we were able to identify 112 definitions and significant differences in their formulations.

Here are just the most typical ones:

• Conflict- this is a manifestation of objective or subjective contradictions, expressed in the confrontation of the parties.
• Conflict- this is the most acute way of resolving significant contradictions that arise in the process of interaction, which consists in the opposition of the subjects of the conflict and is usually accompanied by negative emotions.

According to F. Glasl, many Anglo-American authors place emphasis in their definitions on conflicting goals or interests, which pursue the parties, but do not provide a clear definition of the concept of “conflict”.

From all the definitions of the definition of “conflict,” a number of questions arise. What contradictions are significant and what is a contradiction in general and how do they differ from conflicts?

Almost no one, with the exception of Yu.V. Rozhdestvensky does not define contradiction as a speech act. He identifies three stages of development of the struggle of interests that lead to conflict. “The actions in this struggle can be divided into three stages of intensity: differences of opinion, contradictions in discussions and direct struggle in the form of conflicts in action.” Thus, we will consider as a difference any statement of an authoritarian type from the 1st person in an approved form in any type of literature.

From our point of view, dialogue can be considered a contradiction, i.e. speech act when differences between parties are expressed.

Conceptual scheme characterizing essence of the conflict should cover four main characteristics: structure, dynamics, functions and conflict management.

The structure of the conflict includes:

• object (subject of dispute);
• subjects (individuals, groups, organizations);
• conditions of the conflict;
• scale of the conflict (interpersonal, local, regional, global);
• strategies and tactics of behavior of the parties;
• outcomes of a conflict situation (consequences, results, their awareness).

Any real conflict is a complex dynamic process, including the following main stages:

• subject situation— the emergence of objective causes of the conflict
• conflict interaction- incident or developing conflict
• conflict resolution(Full or partial).

The conflict, regardless of its nature, carries out a number of actions, among which the most important are:

• dialectical— serves to identify the causes of conflict interaction;
• constructive- the tension caused by the conflict can be directed towards achieving a goal;
• destructive- a personal one appears, emotional coloring relationships, which interferes with problem solving. Conflict management can be viewed in two aspects: internal and external. The first of them is to manage one’s own behavior in conflict interactions. The external aspect of conflict management assumes that the subject of management can be a manager (manager, leader, etc.)

Conflict management- this is a purposeful influence on its dynamics, determined by objective laws, in the interests of the development or destruction of the social system to which this conflict is related.

In the scientific literature one can trace various attitude towards conflicts. Conflict, as a phenomenon, is always undesirable, which should, if possible, be avoided and resolved immediately. This attitude is clearly visible in the works of authors belonging to the school scientific management, administrative school. Authors belonging to the “human relations” group also tended to believe that conflicts should be avoided. But if conflicts were present in organizations, they considered this as a sign of ineffective activity and poor management.

The modern view is that even in well-managed organizations, some conflict is not only possible, but may even be desirable. In many cases, conflict helps to highlight diversity of viewpoints, provides additional information, helps identify problems, etc.

Thus, conflict can be functional and lead to increased organizational effectiveness. Or it may be dysfunctional and lead to decreased personal satisfaction, group cooperation, and organizational effectiveness. The role of conflict mainly depends on how effectively it is managed.

Types of conflicts

IN modern literature There are many classifications of conflicts on various grounds.

So A.G. Zdravomyslov gives a classification of the levels of conflicting parties:

• Inter-individual conflicts
• Intergroup conflicts and their types:
  • interest groups
  • groups of ethno-national character
  • groups united by a common position;
• conflicts between associations
• intra- and inter-institutional conflicts
• conflicts between state entities
• conflicts between cultures or types of cultures

R. Dahrendorf gives one of the broadest classifications of conflicts.

We will present this classification, indicating the types of conflicts in brackets:

• According to sources of occurrence (conflicts of interests, values, identification).
• By social consequences(successful, unsuccessful, creative or constructive, destructive or destructive).
• By scale (local, regional, interstate, global, micro-, macro-, and mega-conflicts).
• By forms of struggle (peaceful and non-peaceful).
• According to the characteristics of the conditions of origin (endogenous and exogenous).
• In relation to the subjects’ attitude to the conflict (genuine, accidental, false, latent).
• According to the tactics used by the parties (battle, game, debate).

A. V. Dmitrov gives several classifications social conflicts for various reasons. The author includes conflicts in the following areas: economic, political, labor, social security, education, education, etc.

Types of conflicts in relation to an individual subject:

• internal (personal conflicts);
• external (interpersonal, between the individual and the group, intergroup).

In psychology, it is also common to distinguish: motivational, cognitive, role, etc. conflicts.

K. Levin attributes motivational conflicts(few people are satisfied with their work, many do not believe in themselves, experience stress, overload at work) to a greater extent, to intrapersonal conflicts. L. Berkowitz, M. Deutsch, D. Myers describe motivational conflicts as group ones. Cognitive conflicts are also described in the literature both from the standpoint of intrapersonal and intergroup conflicts.

Role conflicts(the problem of choosing one of several possible and desired options): intrapersonal, interpersonal and intergroup most often manifest themselves in the activity sphere. But most often in the psychological literature three types of conflicts are described: at the intrapersonal level, at the interpersonal and intergroup level.

F. Lutens highlights 3 types of intrapersonal conflicts: role conflict; conflict caused by frustration, conflict of goals.

Intergroup conflict- these are, as a rule, conflicts of interest between groups in the production sector.

Intergroup conflicts are most often generated by the struggle for limited resources or spheres of influence within an organization, which consists of many formal and informal groups with completely different interests. This confrontation has different foundations. For example, professional-production (designers-production-financiers), social (workers-employees - management) or emotional-behavioral ("lazy people" - "hard workers").

But the most numerous are interpersonal conflicts. In organizations they manifest themselves in different ways, most often in the form of management’s struggle for always limited resources. 75-80% of interpersonal conflicts are generated by the clash of material interests of individual subjects, although outwardly this manifests itself as a discrepancy in characters, personal views or moral values. These are communication conflicts. Similar are the conflicts between the individual and the group. For example, a clash between a manager and a united front of subordinates who do not like the boss’s harsh disciplinary measures aimed at “tightening the screws.”

Types of conflicts by nature:

• objective, related to real problems and shortcomings;
• subjective, due to different assessments of certain events and actions.

Types of conflicts by consequences:

• constructive, involving rational transformations;
• destructive, destroying the organization.

Conflict Management

To effectively manage conflicts, a manager must:

• determine its type of conflict
• its reasons
• its features,
• and then apply the resolution method necessary for this type of conflict.

The main task of management intrapersonal conflict May be:

• If these are goal conflicts, then the main efforts of managers should be aimed at achieving compatibility between personal and organizational goals.
• if this is a conflict of roles, then their type should be taken into account (conflict of personality and expectations associated with the role; conflict can also arise when there are different requirements for the roles that a person must play at the same time).

Resolution methods intrapersonal conflicts there are many: compromise, withdrawal, sublimation, idealization, repression, reorientation, correction, etc. But the whole difficulty lies in the fact that it is very difficult for the person himself to state, identify and manage intrapersonal conflict. They are very well described in the scientific literature, but in practice it is very difficult to resolve them on your own.

Interpersonal conflicts cover almost all areas of human relations.

Control interpersonal conflicts can be considered in two aspects - internal and influence.

The internal aspect is associated with some individual qualities of the person himself and skills rational behavior in conflict.

The external aspect reflects management activities on the part of the manager in relation to a specific conflict.

In the process of managing interpersonal conflicts, causes, factors, mutual likes and dislikes should be taken into account at different stages of management (prevention, regulation, resolution). There are two main ways to resolve them: administrative or pedagogical.

Too often, conflicts that arise, for example, between a boss and a subordinate, an employee or a client, either escalate into fighting or withdrawal. Neither one nor the other option is effective way conflict management. Psychologists and sociologists offer several more options for individual behavior in conflict. The two-dimensional model of individual behavior in conflict interaction developed by K. Thomas and R. Killman has become widespread in conflict situations. This model is based on the orientation of the conflict participants towards their own interests and the interests of the opposing party. The participants in the conflict, analyzing their interests and the interests of the opponent, choose 5 strategies of behavior (fight, withdrawal, concessions, compromise, cooperation).

To resolve and maintain positive relationships, it is better to follow these tips:

• Cool down
• Analyze the situation
• Explain to the other person what the problem is
• Leave the person a “way out”

Group conflicts are less common in practice, but they are always larger in scale and more severe in their consequences. It is important for a manager to know that the causes of conflicts that arise between an individual and a group are related to:

• with violation of role expectations
• with inadequacy of internal attitude to the status of the individual
• in violation of group norms

To effectively manage the “person-group” conflict, you need to analyze these parameters, as well as identify the form of its manifestation (criticism, group sanctions, etc.)

Conflicts of the “group-group” type are characterized by their diversity and their reasons for their occurrence, as well as distinctive shapes their manifestations and course (strikes, rallies, meetings, negotiations, etc.). Methods for managing conflicts of this type are presented in more detail in the works of American sociologists and psychologists (D. Geldman, H. Arnold, St. Robbins, M. Dilton).

At different stages of managing intergroup conflicts (prediction, prevention, regulation, resolution) there is a specific content of management actions; they will vary. We can observe such a difference, for example, when resolving a conflict:

Conflict of the “person-group” type is resolved in two ways: the conflicting person admits his mistakes and corrects them; a conflicting individual, whose interests cannot be brought into a state of congruence with the interests of the group, leaves them. The “group-group” type conflict is resolved either by the organization negotiation process, or concluding an agreement to coordinate the interests and positions of the conflicting parties.

From a practical point of view, the problem of regulating relationships is formed as a task of changing behavioral stereotypes. According to G.M. Andreev, there must be a replacement of some - destructive ones - with others, more constructive ones.