Types of Conflict

1. Types of Conflict

Conflict is an inevitable part of human interaction, arising in various settings such as personal relationships, workplaces, and broader social contexts. Understanding the different types of conflict is crucial for effectively addressing and resolving disputes. Conflicts can be categorized into types based on their nature and origins.

big idea

The overarching categories are as follows:

• Interpersonal conflict: This occurs between individuals, often due to personal differences or misunderstandings.
• Intrapersonal conflict: This takes place within an individual, involving internal struggles with decisions or emotions.
• Organizational conflict: This arises within a workplace or organizational setting, often related to hierarchical or functional disagreements.
• Societal conflict: This involves larger groups or communities, often driven by social, political, or cultural issues.

key concept

If we break it down a bit more, the above categories fall into the groups we will discuss in this lesson:

• Data-based conflict: This stems from discrepancies in information or data interpretation, common in work or academic settings.
• Relationship-based conflict: This focuses on the interpersonal dynamics and emotional interactions between individuals.
• Interest-based conflict: This arises from competing needs or desires, where parties have different goals or interests.
• Structural conflict: This originates from systemic issues within an organization or society, such as resource allocation or power imbalances.
• Values-based conflict: This involves clashing beliefs or values, often seen in moral, ethical, or cultural disputes.

Each type of conflict presents unique challenges and requires tailored approaches for resolution. By recognizing and understanding these types, we can better navigate conflicts and foster more harmonious and productive interactions.

big idea

There are infinite ways a conflict can arise between parties, and most conflicts feel unique while you are enmeshed in the details of one! However, most conflicts can be categorized according to a few types, based on what aspect of the parties’ relationship led to the conflict.

terms to know

Interpersonal Conflict

Occurs between individuals, often due to personal differences or misunderstandings.

Intrapersonal Conflict

Takes place within an individual, involving internal struggles with decisions or emotions.

Organizational Conflict

Arises within a workplace or organizational setting, often related to hierarchical or functional disagreements.

Societal Conflict

Involves larger groups or communities, often driven by social, political, or cultural issues.

1a. Data-Based Conflict

Data-based conflict is a conflict based on information, its presence, absence, or interpretation. It could arise from inadequate access to information by one or multiple parties, differing interpretations of information, or differing sets of information altogether. Let’s take a look at some examples of where this type of conflict can occur.

EXAMPLE

You are tasked with giving a presentation at work about your team’s collection of user data. However, when you receive the processed data from your teammates, you don’t understand how they organized the data based on what you knew of the raw data; where do these numbers come from? You interpret the data differently from your colleagues, creating data-based conflict.

EXAMPLE

When the housing market dropped in 2008, many people lost their homes unexpectedly. This is because they had been sold a type of mortgage that is very risky, but they had been misinformed by unscrupulous lenders about the risk of these mortgages. Banks and lenders made a lot of money selling these risky mortgages, which caused thousands of people to lose their homes. The data-based conflict is that the banks and lenders had withheld information from borrowers or led them to inaccurate interpretations of information, which resulted in these ill-advised loans.

term to know

Data-Based Conflict

Conflict based on inadequate access to, distribution of, or interpretations of information by parties.

1b. Relationship-Based Conflict

Relationship-based conflict involves the relational patterns between parties. It could arise from fundamental personality differences, changing terms of or roles within a relationship, or differing understandings of the relationship. This type of conflict is a major component of most novels and movies, so it is very familiar to most of us.

EXAMPLE

Jim and Darius are close friends, but they sometimes get frustrated with each other when planning a vacation. Jim likes to plan ahead and make a schedule for each day so that he knows what is going to happen when. Darius likes spontaneity and figuring things out as he goes. Despite their affection for one another, there is relationship conflict in their friendship whenever they try to plan a vacation.

EXAMPLE

Tina and Bharat share an office, but they don’t really get along. They respect the other professionally and consider their colleague to be a good person, but their personalities have never quite gelled into friendship. Their working relationship is cordial but strained, and sometimes Tina complains about Bharat to her friend in a different office. When Bharat overhears Tina’s complaints, their relationship goes from functional to open relationship conflict.

term to know

Relationship-Based Conflict

Conflict based on the relational patterns between parties.

1c. Interest-Based Conflict

Interest-based conflict occurs when one or more parties have unmet needs or wants that contradict those of other parties.

EXAMPLE

Time as a need: You’re a researcher, and you really need more time in order to finish your research and really feel confident about it. However, the company you’re working for says, “No. We’ve got to get to market. You’ve got to meet this deadline.” There are two different needs here around time.

EXAMPLE

Money as a need: You would like to save money to plan for a vacation. You’ve been looking forward to a vacation because you work hard. Your partner wants to save that money to buy a new car. The two of you are fighting about exactly what to do with this extra money you have, so this is an interest-based conflict.

hint

These categories of conflict can overlap. Many conflicts are complicated and can fall into many categories. For instance, a couple arguing over how to spend their savings are experiencing need-based conflict over their different intentions for spending the money and also experiencing relationship-based conflict over their different ideas about money.

term to know

Interest-Based Conflict

Conflict based on unmet needs.

1d. Structural Conflict

Structural conflict is conflict that is based on external forces impeding a party’s goals or rights, and it may be caused by underlying social, economic, and political structures.

EXAMPLE

It is extremely difficult, time consuming, and expensive to adopt a child in the United States. Anyone looking to adopt experiences structural conflict when they come up against the challenges of the adoption system. This conflict will be stronger depending on the identity of the potential adoptive parents. Hopeful parents who are not wealthy will experience more structural conflict as they face the high fees of adoption agencies; hopeful parents who are queer will face structural conflict if adoption agencies are biased and homophobic.

EXAMPLE

On a larger scale, structural conflict happens within nations where people feel like their rights are being restricted by the government. You could interpret the American Revolution being an instance of structural conflict between the British government and its colonists who wished for greater autonomy.

term to know

Structural Conflict

Conflict based on external forces that impede parties’ goals or exercise of their rights.

1e. Values-Based Conflict

Values-based conflict is conflict based on parties’ differing or incompatible perceptions of what is morally right or wrong. Typically, when you have this type of conflict, the goal is not to try to change someone’s values; you want to understand what’s beneath them. An effective strategy in dealing with values-based conflict would be for both parties to work together for a mutually beneficial solution.

EXAMPLE

Eleanor always arrives 15 min early for any appointment, even if it means watching the clock frequently, because she highly values punctuality. Derrick is often late, because he values bringing his full attention to whatever he is doing, and sometimes that means he forgets the time. When Eleanor and Derrick have plans, usually, Eleanor will arrive early and Derrick will arrive late, and they will each be annoyed at the other because they have different values relating to punctuality and attention.

EXAMPLE

Saee and Paulo have two children. Saee’s parents are from a culture that highly values formal respect toward elders, while Paulo’s family is very casual and independent. Saee and Paulo have decided to raise their children to be more like Paulo’s family, which means they have values-based conflict whenever the children visit Saee’s parents and don’t exhibit the “proper” manners that her parents expect.

EXAMPLE

Many political issues are values-based conflicts that give the appearance of being needs-based conflicts. For instance, think of arguments about raising the minimum wage. Supporters of a higher minimum wage often talk about the needs element of the minimum wage, such as the cost of living and the average rent in a city. However, this is underpinned by values: the belief that all workers deserve dignity and the ability to afford basic necessities. Opponents of a higher minimum wage might talk about the economic aspects from the business perspective, but their position is also underpinned by values: the belief that some jobs are not as worthy of decent pay as other jobs. Ultimately, the argument over raising the minimum wage is a values-based conflict.

big idea

Using these categories can help in deciphering the underlying causes of conflict in the world. When we comprehend the basic causes of conflict, we are able to work on formulating effective resolutions in order to move forward.

reflect

Reflect on a recent conflict in your life, whether it occurred at home, at work, or in a social setting. Think about the details and dynamics of the situation and how it unfolded.

• Which type of conflict was it?
  • Remember, conflicts can vary widely in their nature, from interpersonal disagreements to larger, systemic issues. Types of conflict include interpersonal, intrapersonal, intergroup, and organizational conflicts.
  • Was your conflict a personal disagreement with someone close to you, a work-related issue with colleagues, or perhaps an internal struggle you faced?
• What caused the conflict?
  • Identifying the root cause of a conflict is crucial for understanding and resolving it. Causes can range from miscommunication and misunderstandings to differing values, goals, or needs.
  • Consider the underlying factors that led to the conflict. Was it triggered by a specific event, a long-standing issue, or perhaps a clash of personalities or values?
• What was the result of the conflict?
  • The outcome of a conflict can significantly impact relationships and environments. The results can be positive, leading to growth and understanding, or negative, causing tension and unresolved issues.
  • Reflect on how the conflict concluded. Was it resolved amicably or left unresolved, or did it escalate further? How did the resolution or lack thereof affect the people involved?

term to know

Values-Based Conflict

Conflict based on parties’ differing or incompatible perceptions of what is morally right or wrong.

watch

The following video is about understanding and analyzing workplace conflict. Watch to see two co-workers, Jerry and Maria, who have differing opinions about implementing a new software system, navigate this conflict.