Describe what psychologists have discovered about group conflict in organisations.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] Causes of group conflict could be on one (or more) of 3 levels: Intra-group conflict – people in the same group are in conflict.
2. [1] Inter-group conflict – conflict between two groups in an organisation.
3. [1] Inter-individual conflict - conflict between two or more individuals.
4. [1] Organisational factors in group conflict could be due to status differences leading to friction.
5. [1] Organisational factors could be due to differences of opinion about the best way to a good outcome.
6. [1] Organisational factors could be due to lack of resources (money, space, supplies or staff).
7. [1] If groups form a chain for task completion there can be many ways in which things can go wrong leading to conflict.
8. [1] Interpersonal factors in group conflict include personal characteristics of two employees clashing leading to lack of cooperation.
9. [1] Certain individuals are unable to work together.
10. [1] If conflict is between two heads of different departments then this can escalate and result in conflict between the departments themselves.
11. [1] Negative effects are more obvious and can include reduction in group cohesion, communication inhibited, lack of trust between workers, and constant 'bickering' reducing productivity.
12. [1] Conflict can have a significant negative effect on the physical and psychological health of the people involved, increasing absenteeism and turnover and reducing staff satisfaction.
13. [1] Positive effects can include group members rethinking what they are doing leading to an improvement in creativity and innovation.
14. [1] The 'storming' of groups is a necessary process in group formation.
15. [1] Conflict can lead to significant change and development, particularly in small organisations.
16. [1] Groupthink is less likely to exist.
17. [1] Workers become less complacent about their work, leading to group consultation to resolve conflict so workforce is listened to and this can improve productivity and workers feel that they matter.
18. [1] Healthy competition (from conflict) can lead to increased productivity.
19. [1] Thomas (1976) suggests 5 strategies to manage group conflict: 1 Competition – Once someone wins and someone loses, conflict ceases.
20. [1] 2 Accommodation – One person needs to make a sacrifice to reduce conflict.
21. [1] 3 Compromise – Each group or individual under conflict must give up something to reduce conflict. Both sides need to agree on this.
22. [1] 4 Collaboration – the group works together to reduce conflict.
23. [1] 1 Avoidance - This is a 'cooling off' period and is not a permanent solution. Conflict is suppressed by withdrawal, for example.
24. [1] Thomas further suggests that creating a superordinate goal – a goal that both conflicting sides have to work on together to achieve – will reduce conflict.
25. [1] It is not collaboration as such as the goal is not to reduce conflict but to focus elsewhere.
26. [2] Named issue - individual and situational factors - In levels and causes of conflict some factors are more situational than others.
27. [1] The organisational causes are more environmental than interpersonal (perhaps combinations of personalities).
28. [1] Positive (and negative) effects of conflict are likely to be very situationally dependent on type of organisation, hierarchy, size, how institutional they are, head office rules and regulations.
29. [2] Most of Thomas's suggestions to deal with conflict can only be implemented by managers rather than something that individuals themselves can do.
30. [1] Identification of individual factors would allow managers to put specific personality types together to achieve harmony (or conflict if desired) or could identify those in need of conflict resolution.
31. [1] Situational factor identification could lead to changes in work environment, practices, management style (but may not avoid clashes due to dispositional factors).
32. [1] Practical applications.
33. [1] Determinism.
34. [1] Reductionism.
35. [1] Generalisations including cultural bias.