Differentiate between functional and dysfunctional conflicts

Ismail A Young Student# AC1111326 BU350-Organizational Behavior Lesson 6, Assignment 6 (Revision) 22 March 2012 1 Differentiate between Functional and Dysfunctional Conflicts A conflict is an open clash, disagreement or discontent between ideas, interests, individuals or groups that are opposing to one another (Scribd, 2012). The oppositions may arise from incompatible and simultaneous feelings. There are seven components of communication process resonating with the sender, the transmitter, encoding, the communication channel, the receiver, noise and the feedback loop (Nordquist, 2012). Effective communication process is realized when the message sent by the sender is fully understood by the receiver. The sender is also referred to as the source or the communicator, and it is the person who initiates the communication process. The transmitter is at times confused with the sender. Transmitter indicates the organization or the person entitled with sending the communication. Encoding is the process involved in the message interpretation to make a meaning. The communication channel it is the medium in which the message is received or delivered. The receiver is the also referred to as the interpreter, and is the person targeted by the directed message. Noise is the interference or hindrance to accurate reception or expression of a message. Feedback loop is the response from the receiver of the message indicating whether the message is delivered in the intended format or not (Nordquist, 2012). Functional conflict resonates with discontents geared towards the aspirations and goals of an organization or a group. Dysfunctional conflict is divided into two areas resonating with dysfunctional high conflict and dysfunctional low conflict. Dysfunctional high conflict identifies with what an individual thinks or judges about conflict while dysfunctional low conflict identifying with the different levels of judgments relating to groups (Huczynski & Buchanan, 2001). Antecedent conflict resonates to theory or concept identifying with events that happened in the early life of an individual that shapes the current reaction. The earlier happenings are considered disturbing, troubling and traumatic that drives intense reactions in the adult life. The actions are considered out sizing the normal reactions of people (Scribd, 2012). Taking an example of a woman raped at an early age. Such a woman grows with hatred towards men. The reactions of such a woman to men identifies with intense hatred, mistrust, animosity and inhumane. Dysfunctional high conflict gears towards stress, anxiety and tension, reduced trust among stakeholders, disable low conflict people characterized with tolerance, drive at poor decision making, due to distorted or withheld information and wastes managerial effort due to increased focus on the conflict (Huczynski & Buchanan, 2001). Dysfunctional low conflict leads to stagnation, no inventions at all, and business as usual and poor decision making based on distorted or withheld information. Most of the antecedent conflict arises on the competition from scarce resources. Dysfunctional conflict is considered cancerous in organizations in that it wastes time and the organizational resources. It often de-motivates employees ultimately reducing the moral rating. Financial loss is evident in organizations as efforts are geared towards unproductive issues leading to customer dissatisfaction. A functional conflict gear up to constructive conflict that increases ideas and information, enhances innovative, thinking, generates diversification in thinking and reduces stagnation in thinking...