Varieties of Organisational

Conflict
Louis R Pondy
Administrative science quarterly
1969

The back ground

This a review paper
7 papers dealing with organisational
conflict and closely related topics
Objective of comparing the findings and
diversity view points
Phenomena investigated
Strikes and mutinies (Lammers)
Organization collapse ( Palen)
Conflict in public domain ( Fredrickson)
Economic conflict ( Walton, Dutton and cafferty)
Routine staff conflicts ( Corwin)
Non conformity or subordinates (Warren)

Frictional Conflict

Corwin, Warren and Walton et al

Goal discover the structural sources of conflict,
with the ultimate objective of designing
organizations which reduce incidence of conflict
Relatively minor conflicts and frictions
Pattern of authority relations
Allocation of resources
Functional responsibilities

Do not alter organisational structure

Frictional conflict ..continued

Measures of conflict
Felt tension, perceived disagreement, overt disputes,
interpersonal competition (Corwin)
Interdepartmental conflict annoyance, distrust,
distortion, with holding of information and other forms
of interference ( Walton et al )
Staff disunity and disagreement with administration
( Warren)

Conflict interpersonal/intergroup strain or

actions which violate norms of cooperation but
do not alter authority or responsibility
structure of organization
Unanticipated, unintended consequence

Frictional conflict ..continued Factors which

inhibit coordination

10 indices ( Corwin)
Positively correlated with complexity;
organization size, heterogeneity of staff, and
number of recent staff addition and number of
authority levels; negatively correlated to
teachers past experience and one index of nonspecalisation
Structural characteristics likely to make
cooperation and coordination difficult are
positively correlated with conflict
(Walton et al)
Managers experienced more conflict
attributed counter parts other depts.
a) when they perceived jurisdictional
boundaries to be ore ambiguous

Frictional conflict ..continued Factors

which facilitate coordination

Structural features facilitating cooperation

and coordination are negatively correlated
with conflict (Warren)
Consensual peer group forms
Participation in decision making process
(Warren, Corwin)

Interdepartmental knowledge of activities

(Warren et al)
Jurisdiction ambiguity

While warren et al found social gatherings

negatively correlated with conflict, Corwin
finds strong positive correlation between
informal interaction and his ten indices of

Frictional conflict ..continued

Comments on methodology

Correlational approach
Results guides to controlled
experiments
Self report questionnaires primary
means of data collection not
objective measures of conflictful
behavior
Measures of organisational structural
characteristics arrived through
altitudinal reports by respondents
subject to spuriousness arising from
pressures of cognitive consonance

Frictional conflict ..continued

Comments on methodology

Analysis improved multivariate

techniques
The author also suggested that partial
effect of knowledge on conflict could
have been estimated by us of multiple
regression techniques
Corwins partitioning samples in to
subsamples and correlating
coefficients for each subsample seems
more satisfactory to the author

Strategic Conflict
Conflict deliberately created
Assael and Lammers
Compliance structure and motives of
conflict
Lammers three primary motives
Promotion of interests (Utilitarian
organization)
Seizure of power (Normative organization)
Secession ( Coercive organisations)

Strategic Conflict Tactics of

Conflict

Violence, threat to violence ,

persuasion, stoppage of work
(Lammers)
Conflict external to the organization is
required to demonstrate the need for
better communication between
organizations in the system (Assael)
Positive correlation between of a
conflict in the relative strength of the
protest movement and the counter
movement

Strategic Conflict - Functions

of Conflict

Constructive change
Critical review of past actions
Effective communication
Equitable resource allocation
Standardization of procedures for
resolving conflict
Balance of power

Strategic Conflict Comments

on Methodology
Its difficult to understand conflict with
out identifying self-interests
Extensive use of objective data
Avoid attitudinal measures

Attitudes and Conflict

Palen and Fredrickson

Effect of conflict on attitudes

Consequences of conflict
Economic deprivation
Mode of socialization and status in life

Conflict is good ?

Effect of Attitudes on
Conflict
Collective bargaining
No data on educational attainment
Relationship between self interest of
each management role type and
relative attitude toward public labor
relations is not obvious
Should have explained attitudes in
terms of self interest and roles
occupied

Conclusion
Review will contribute to
understanding of organisational
conflict
Theories of organization hat do not
admit conflict provide poor guidance
in dealing with problems of
organisational efficiency, stability
governance and change for conflict
within and between organizations is
intimately related as either symptom,
cause or effect to each of those
problems