Preface

Workplace conflict is a state of disagreement or misunderstanding between members of the same organization. Conflict is normal and can arise in any workplace where people interact and have opinions that are contradictory.

Conflict arises when one person in any given organization sees that their goal, attitude, or values are different from those of other members of the organization. Conflict can occur between two members of the same organization or between one member and a group of members.

This book is a collection of chapters that deal with conflict in organizations from different perspectives. Whenever there are two persons exchanging relationships or tasks, there is a chance that conflict may occur. In the traditional perspective, conflict is viewed as something bad and negative. The human behaviorist perspective on conflict stipulates that conflict is normal whenever two persons are in contact, and the interactionist perspective on conflict stipulates that conflict can have a positive influence in organizations up to a certain level, below which conflict is functional and above which conflict becomes dysfunctional. When conflict is functional, it creates competitiveness, which can bring positive results in an organizational setting.

There are three types of organizational conflict: relationship conflict, task conflict, and process conflict. Two persons in an organization might have conflict about the way to perform a certain task, or they may have conflict about a process. The most difficult type of conflict to handle is relationship conflict, which can be very harmful because it affects the individual on a personal level.

Conflict can take place if there is **unclear responsibility** and there is a lack of clarity about who is responsible for a certain project or task. To avoid organizational conflict, roles and responsibilities of team members should be explicitly stated and agreed upon ahead of time. **Scarcity of resources**, such as money, time, and materials, is another factor influencing organizational conflict. **Conflict of interest** is when there is a distortion between the personal goals of the individual and the goals of the organization. Fighting for one's own goals may hinder the overall success of the organization. Interpersonal relationships can influence conflict as well. Different people have different personalities, and this can affect their relationships. Conflicts in the workplace can arise due to both individual and inter-individual factors. Individual causes are attitudes, personalities, beliefs, and norms. Inter-individual conflict arises when there is a breach of the organization's norms by a manager.

This book sheds light on the different types of conflicts that may arise in organizational settings and how to go about solving them.

> **Josiane Fahed-Sreih, Ph.D.** Lebanese American University, Lebanon

Section 1
