Managing Organizational Conflict: A Model for Diagnosis and Intervention

TLDR

Organizational conflicts are classified into intrapersonal, intragroup, and intergroup types, stemming from personal‑cultural and structural factors. The authors argue that diagnosing these factors is essential for designing interventions that maintain a moderate level of conflict and teach members effective conflict‑handling styles.

Abstract

Conflicts occurring in or as a result of membership in organizations can be classified into three major categories: intrapersonal, intragroup, and intergroup. Conflicts in each category result from various personal-cultural and organizational structure factors. These factors may be identified through appropriate diagnosis and their effects on and implications for each of the three levels of conflicts established. Such a diagnosis is a prerequisite for the appropriate development and implementation of intervention strategies. The management of organizational conflicts involves diagnosis and intervention to maintain a moderate amount of conflict and help the organizational members learn various styles for effective handling of different conflict situations.