Develop a 3-4 page report on how conflict can affect an organization. Describe reasons for conflict and explain the role of both functional and dysfunctional conflict in institutional change. Recommend strategies for resolving both functional and dysfunctional conflict.Introduction
Institutional conflict can be viewed as either functional or dysfunctional. From the functional perspective, conflict can be seen as productive because it causes members of the institution to learn, improve, and develop creativity and problem solving skills. On the other hand, conflict can be seen as dysfunctional to the degree that it threatens the structure and stability of an institution and to the degree that it stifles creativity and change. Managed properly, conflict can cause people and the institution to grow and improve.Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

Competency 1: Identify variables within an organizational structure that can promote conflict. 

• Describe reasons for conflict within an institution or organization.

Competency 3: Apply appropriate strategies to reduce or resolve conflicts. 

Recommend a conflict resolution strategy for functional conflict.

Recommend a conflict resolution strategy for dysfunctional conflict.

Competency 4: Analyze the impact of conflict on relationship building in face-to-face, virtual, cyber, and group communication. 

Explain the role of functional conflict in institutional change.

• Explain the role of dysfunctional conflict in institutional change.

Competency 6: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats. 

• Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
• Preparation
  Search the Capella library and the Internet for scholarly or professional articles that address institutional conflict and institutional change. You will need at least three articles or resources to use in this assessment.Instructions
  Complete the following:

Describe at least three reasons for conflict within an institution or organization. How might individual differences and perceptions contribute to the conflict?

• Explain the role of functional conflict in institutional change.
• Explain the role of dysfunctional conflict in institutional change.
• Recommend one conflict resolution strategy organizational leadership could use with functional conflict.

Recommend one conflict resolution strategy organizational leadership could use with dysfunctional conflict.

 

Organizational Conflict

In the current world, conflict is a common as well as inevitable concern in both organizations and people’s daily lives. “Organizational conflict involves a state of disagreement caused by perceived or actual opposition of interests, needs, and values between individuals working together” (Mustafa et al., 2019; Titov et al., 2018). In other words, a group of workers following their goals and interests at the expense of other employees causes conflict. Conflict often happens in various forms and degrees depending on the disagreement level and type (Mustafa et al., 2019). Some of the examples of aspects that contribute to organizational conflict include passive-aggressive, misunderstandings, and closed-mindedness. Nonetheless, conflict can be good in institutions since it promotes open-mindedness and assists in avoiding the propensity toward employee think, which several organizations are vulnerable to. The essential thing is to understand how to manage conflict effectively in order to act as a catalyst instead of a hindrance to institutional improvement. For that reason, this paper will discuss the influence of conflict in an organization, reasons for conflict, and the role of functional and dysfunctional conflict.

Reasons for Conflict

The key reason for conflict in an organization is misunderstandings. By definition, misunderstanding is the failure to understand. Often, organizations have several regulations are policies to be adhered to. Thus, they may not be easily translated to observed, causing conflict between the organization management and employees (Titov et al., 2018).

Another main reason for conflict is the perception and differences of employees. For instance, people’s belief in what others did or did not do as well as the understanding of that normally causes frustrations and anger, which might contribute to conflict in an organization (Titov et al., 2018). However, in order to avoid this kind of conflict, people should understand that others are unique with their own strengths and weaknesses.

The final reason for conflict is poor communication. All institutions often depend on communication to accomplish tasks quickly and successfully. Nevertheless, there are several approaches of communication, which might cause misinterpretation of information or messages getting delayed, causing conflict (Titov et al., 2018). Failure to communicate in an organization effectively can lead to incorrect beliefs and assumptions.

Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict

In an organization, conflict can be perceived as either functional or dysfunctional. The functional aspect of a conflict enables employees to improve, learn, understand, and develop problem-solving and creativity skills. On the contrary, the dysfunctional aspect of a conflict threatens the stability and structure of an organization. This is because it causes a general decline in performance, success, effectiveness, efficiency, and communication between employees (Pfajfar et al., 2019).

Strategies to Reduce or Resolve Conflict

Functional conflict: This type of conflict can be resolved by establishing a clear conflict resolution system, which employees are aware of, such as involving a mediator, a third-party counselor.

Dysfunctional conflict: This type of conflict can be resolved by the management accepting, eliminating, or controlling the conflict. It is often more challenging to manage compared to functional conflict.

The Impact of Conflict

Functional conflict: This conflict is essential in organizational change because it involves permitting workers to express different standpoints as well as resolve their disputes in a healthy and understanding way, encouraging innovation and new ideas. “The use of problem-solving conflict resolution boosts functional conflict’s impact on performance among exporters, but adversely affects the performance effect of such conflict in the importer group” (Pfajfar et al., 2019).

Dysfunctional conflict: This type of conflict negatively changes the success and productivity of an organization because it has no advantage. Essentially, it only harms workplace morale, communication, and efficiency. Some of the adverse outcomes of dysfunctional conflict are deception, threats from employees, and verbal abuse, which destroys working relationships. All the parties involved in this type of conflict end up losing. “Problem-solving resolution negatively affects the impact of dysfunctional conflict on performance in both the exporter and importer groups” (Pfajfar et al., 2019).

Conclusion

A group of workers following their goals and interests at the expense of other employees causes conflict. This paper discussed the influence of conflict in an organization, reasons for conflict, and the role of functional and dysfunctional conflict. The main reasons for conflict highlighted in this paper were misunderstandings, perception, and differences of employees, and poor communication. In addition, the report explained the difference between functional and dysfunctional conflict, highlighting their roles and how they can be mitigated, including conflict avoidance, acceptance, and involving a mediator. For that reason, this paper provided me with an insight into how different types of conflict can affect an organization.

OUTLINE

ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT

Thesis Statement: this paper will discuss the influence of conflict in an organization, reasons for conflict, and the role of functional and dysfunctional conflict.

1. Introduction
2. Reasons for Conflict
3. Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict
4. Strategies to Reduce or Resolve Conflict
5. The Impact of Conflict
6. Conclusion