Lesson 2. Causes of conflicts and stages of their development

No action aimed at preventing or effectively resolving conflicts can be taken if we know nothing about the causes of their occurrence and the characteristics of their development. Therefore, in this lesson the main focus will be on these issues.

You will learn about what groups of causes of conflicts exist and how they differ from each other, as well as what the main stages and stages of their development are and what their dynamics are.

And the first issue on the agenda will be the causes of conflicts.

Causes of conflicts in society

The emergence and development of conflicts is caused by the following groups of causes of conflicts :
1) objective;

2) organizational and managerial:

• structural and organizational;
• functional and organizational;
• personal-functional;
• situational and managerial.

3) socio-psychological:

• loss and distortion of information;
• unbalanced role behavior;
• different ways of assessing each other’s performance and personality.

4) personal:

• lack of psychological resistance to the negative impact on the psyche of stress factors of social interaction (conflict resistance);
• poorly developed ability to empathize;
• overestimated or underestimated level of aspirations and the associated level of self-esteem;
• character accentuations.

Objective causes of conflicts

The objective reasons for the emergence of social conflicts include mainly those circumstances of social interaction between people that led to a clash of interests, opinions, and attitudes. Objective reasons lead to the creation of a pre-conflict environment or situation.

Objective reasons for conflicts:

• natural collision of significant material and spiritual interests of people in the process of life;
• poor development of legal and other regulatory procedures for resolving social contradictions;
• lack of material and spiritual benefits that are significant for the normal life of people;
• lifestyle (material and everyday conditions, lack of opportunities to satisfy one’s basic needs);
• fairly stable stereotypes of interpersonal and intergroup relations that contribute to the emergence of conflicts.

Disagreements between generations

Most often, disputes and disagreements among young people are resolved through conflicts. Conflicts between generations in a family are contradictions between parents and children. The origins of conflicts with parents among young people are the following:

1. 
   A decrease in the authority of adults associated with increasing scientific and technological progress.

2. The source of the conflict among young people is the reluctance to adopt the experience of their parents and listen to their opinions. They want to live their own lives, to be independent in all fateful decisions, and they disdain their parents’ past.
3. Spoiled and impunity, brought up by parents. From a very early age, a young man lives in abundance, without knowing any worries or troubles. Moving on to adulthood, he is completely unprepared to solve all the difficulties that appear on his way. He continues to enjoy parental benefits, but only with inflated demands.
4. The following reason follows from the previous reason. Disrespectful attitude towards the older generation. Instead of a sense of respect, reverence for age, and sympathy, one’s own benefit comes to the fore.
5. Financial problems in the family are a very common cause of disagreement between parents and children. A heightened sense of envy of the financial well-being of their peers pushes teenagers into quarrels and scandals in the family.
6. Immoral behavior of parents in dysfunctional families.
7. Parents living remotely from the teenager.
8. Various everyday (at first glance, trivial) problems and the unwillingness of any of the warring parties to compromise.

Intergenerational conflicts that arise can have negative consequences . For example, reluctance to reconcile and understand the opponent’s point of view. The conflict situation is dragging on, misunderstandings are getting worse.

Or, for example, during any quarrel or scandal, a person experiences stress, his emotional state worsens, which invariably leads to negative consequences.

Subjective causes of conflicts

Subjective causes of conflicts are mainly associated with those individual psychological characteristics of opponents, which lead them to choose a conflict method rather than any other method of resolving an objective contradiction. A rigid division between the objective and subjective causes of conflicts, and even more so their opposition, is unlawful. The seemingly purely subjective cause of a conflict may ultimately be based on a factor that has little dependence on a person, i.e. objective. And, perhaps, there is not a single conflict that was or was not somehow caused by objective and subjective factors.

The conflict attitude is characterized by the dominance of the subjective side. Subjective causes and conditions are the main component of the determination of the conflict. This includes the most diverse forms of manifestation and functioning of interests as conscious needs.

Types of conflicting personalities

Conflict-prone individuals have various characteristics that indicate whether they are capable of aggravating or provoking conflicts through their behavior. So, according to the theory of F.M. Borodkin and N.M. Koryak, the following types of conflicting personalities can be distinguished:

• Demonstrative type. She wants to constantly be in the center of attention, and is ready to use any methods and techniques for this. The attitude of a given person towards others is determined by how others treat him. In “superficial” conflicts, he is able to emerge victorious, since those around him do not take him seriously and are ready to give in. At the same time, he is not afraid of conflicts, feeling confident. Conflict acts as a way to demonstrate oneself. Often the demonstrative type acts as a source of conflict, but does not show it.
• Rigid type. Is suspicious and has inflated self-esteem. Needs self-affirmation, confirmation of one's own importance. Not ready to accept someone else's point of view, touchy. He is often straightforward and lacks flexibility, which is why he constantly gets involved in conflicts.
• Unmanaged type. He is impulsive and can behave unpredictably in any situation. Capable of defiant behavior and aggression. Needs regular confirmation of his own importance, can blame anyone for his failures. Plans are not his strong point. Mistakes and past experiences do not teach him.
• Ultra-precise type. Scrupulous, makes high demands on himself, as well as on others. Is sensitive to details and little things. He may not communicate with certain categories of people because it seemed to him that they were treating him negatively. He himself suffers from his hyper-precision, which can lead to diseases, for example, insomnia.
• Conflict-free type. Unstable, quickly changes his mind. Inconsistent in his behavior. Always wants to appear “good” to his superiors. Lack of sufficient willpower.
• Purposefully conflict type. He uses conflict to achieve his goals by provoking it. He knows how to manipulate, for example, he can be affectionate with someone, but not with others. Masters the technique of emotional argument.

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Coursework, abstracts or other works

Organizational and managerial causes of conflicts

Structural and organizational reasons lie in the inconsistency of the organization's structure with the requirements of the activities in which it is engaged. The structure should be determined by the tasks that this organization will solve or is solving. However, it is almost impossible to achieve perfect compliance of the organization's structure with the tasks being solved.

Functional-organizational reasons are caused by suboptimal functional connections of the organization with the external environment, between the structural elements of the organization, and between individual employees.

Personal-functional reasons are associated with the employee’s incomplete compliance with professional, moral and other qualities with the requirements of the position held.

Situational managerial reasons are caused by mistakes made by managers and subordinates in the process of solving managerial and other problems (making an erroneous management decision).

Social and psychological causes of conflicts

Due to possible significant losses and distortion of information in the process of interpersonal communication (limited vocabulary of a person in general and a specific person in particular, lack of time, deliberate withholding of information, difficulties in understanding due to information filters, inattention, difficulties in quickly understanding), a person does not take what he hears on faith. , but evaluates, drawing conclusions that differ and sometimes are opposite to what the interlocutor said.

Unbalanced role behavior in the interaction of two people leads to people not understanding that when discussing a problem, especially a complex one, the discrepancy in positions can often be associated not with a real difference in views on the same thing, but with an approach to the problem from different sides.

Different ways of assessing each other's performance and personality lead to the fact that the same work is assessed in completely different ways.

The objective source of conflicts is the value-normative system of society. In any conflict, along with the struggle for certain benefits, there is competition over values, including cultural patterns. Changes taking place in society necessitate the transformation of the normative value system. In addition, culture and subcultures constantly coexist in society, competing with each other. Under these conditions, contradictions between expectations and their implementation are inevitable.

The source of conflict is contained in the management process. Management is the choice of alternatives, the mobilization of resources, the use of power, which means forcing the governed to certain actions, limiting spontaneous behavior. In general, the management process includes the constant emergence and resolution of contradictions between the subject and the object of management. And this fills management activities with a series of conflicts.
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Stages of development and dynamics of conflict

As a socio-psychological phenomenon, conflict has dynamics, in other words, it is a process that has a beginning, certain stages of development and a final phase, i.e. ending.

It is important to note that conflict dynamics can be viewed both broadly and narrowly. In a broad sense, the dynamics of a conflict is understood as a change in specific stages of its development in time and space, in a narrow sense - the development of one of the most acute stages of a conflict situation.

Today, there is no single approach to studying the dynamics of the conflict, either on the issue of the number of its stages or on the issue of their content. Scientists share several points of view on this matter. We will present the most common of them.

So, the beginning of a conflict, as a rule, is determined by the first acts of counteraction by the subjects of the conflict. The beginning of a conflict is considered to be the moment when the conflict situation meets three conditions:

In the event that one of the subjects expresses his aggressive position, and the second remains passive, no conflict arises. In addition, there is no conflict when one of the subjects takes aggressive actions only in the imagination, and not in reality, because conflict interaction is at the planning stage. The end of a conflict can take various forms, but in any situation it implies the cessation of actions by the participants directed against each other.

The dynamics of the conflict consists of three basic periods. Each period is characterized by its stages.

1

Pre-conflict (latent) period

The pre-conflict period consists of the following stages:

• An objective problematic situation arises . Conflict can be caused by a problem situation in which disagreements arise between two or more entities. Considering that these disagreements have not yet been recognized and conflicting actions have not been taken, the situation is characterized as problematic. The catalysts for a problematic situation are mainly objective reasons. Contradictory situations that arise as a result of human interaction cause real conflicts only in conjunction with subjective factors. The condition for transition here is the subjects’ awareness of the problem situation.

EXAMPLE: In everyday life, people may not have the same aspirations, interests, motives, goals. This discrepancy can accumulate over a long period of time, initially not presenting a danger, but nevertheless being a potential threat to people. Moreover, such discrepancies can arise in any area of ​​life: family relationships, at work, in business, in production, etc.

• The subjects of interaction are aware of the objective problem situation . The content of the presented stage is the perception of the situation by its subjects as contradictory, their understanding that it is necessary to begin to take certain actions in order to eliminate contradictions. If there are obstacles to the realization of the interests of the subjects, then the problematic situation will be perceived by them subjectively and distortedly, which is due to the peculiarities of the psyche of the subjects and their social differences. The subjectivity of awareness also depends on the personal characteristics of the participants in the problematic interaction, their needs, level of education, etc. The most complex situations develop and are distorted by subjects most quickly.

EXAMPLE: People who do not coincide in aspirations, ideals, interests, motives, goals, but regularly interact with each other, can come to the understanding that they are faced with a problematic situation that requires immediate resolution in one way or another. As a result, the question arises of how the situation can be resolved.

• The subjects of interaction try to get out of a problematic situation using non-conflict methods. You should know that the awareness of subjects of a contradictory, problematic situation does not in all cases lead to the emergence of a conflict as such. In many cases, the subjects (or at least one of them) seek to resolve the situation using non-conflict methods.

EXAMPLE: If a problematic situation has arisen in a family, its members can discuss the problem at a family council so as not to aggravate the situation; if confrontation has arisen between work colleagues or superiors and subordinates, a meeting may be organized or a disciplinary conversation may be held. One participant in a conflict situation may yield to another or convince him; each party can argue its position and come to a compromise in order to avoid the problem situation escalating into a conflict. Otherwise, there is a high probability of a pre-conflict situation.

• A pre-conflict situation arises. The situation can become such if subjects feel a threat to their interests, a danger from an opponent. It is important to note that the actions of opponents here will not be considered as a potential threat characteristic of a problem situation, but as an immediate one. This is precisely the reason why the direction of development of the situation will be directed towards the conflict, i.e. an immediate threat is a psychological trigger.

EXAMPLE: Spouses at the family council did not come to a compromise, as a result of which the situation worsened and a scandal began; at a meeting or during a disciplinary conversation, employees did not come to a consensus and the situation worsened - a “debriefing” began, a showdown, a showdown, personal attacks, etc. As a result, a conflict begins.

2

Open period

The open period of conflict is the conflict interaction itself, or, more simply, the conflict itself. It consists of the following steps:

• Incident. It represents the very first clash of subjects, during which there is an attempt to use their personal powers in order to resolve the situation to their advantage. If the resources of one of the subjects are sufficient to ensure an advantage in its favor, the conflict can be exhausted. However, conflicts often develop further in the form of a series of incidents. Moreover, conflict interactions between subjects can contribute to changing the initial structure of the conflict, modifying it, and adding new incentives for taking new actions.

EXAMPLE: During a quarrel, people begin to use methods of fighting that are suitable for them: putting pressure on each other, interrupting, shouting down, intensely blaming. If one of the opponents managed to suppress the other, the quarrel may end. But one quarrel can escalate into another, becoming a serious scandal with all the ensuing consequences.

• Escalation. The escalation process can be characterized as a transition from negotiations to active confrontation. In turn, the struggle will cause new, more violent emotions, which contribute to an increase in errors and distortion of perception, which ultimately leads to an even more intense struggle, etc.

EXAMPLE: During a disciplinary conversation, a conversation between colleagues escalated into a heated argument, then people began to get personal, insult each other, and humiliate each other. Emotions began to take over, clouding the opponents' judgment. After leaving the office, one may begin to publicly accuse the other, the other may begin to win others over to his side, weave intrigues, build intrigues, etc.

• Balanced opposition. This stage is characterized by the fact that the interaction between the subjects of the conflict continues, but its intensity is gradually declining. The participants realize that continuing the confrontation using force does not produce a corresponding effect, however, the parties’ actions to achieve a compromise solution or agreement have not yet been observed.

EXAMPLE: Participants in a family scandal or a serious conflict at work begin to understand that the actions they take to achieve an advantage in their favor do not bring results, i.e. their efforts are in vain; active aggressive actions are being taken less and less. The parties are gradually realizing that it is time to come to an agreement and establish normal relations, but none of them is yet willing to do so openly.

• Ending the conflict. The meaning of this stage is that the subjects of the conflict move from conflict resistance to the search for a more adequate resolution of the situation in order to end the conflict on any terms. The main forms of ending conflict relationships can be called their elimination, extinction, settlement, resolution or escalation into a new conflict.

EXAMPLE: The conflicting parties come to mutual understanding: the spouses’ relationship improves and becomes less aggressive, because both were able to meet each other halfway and understand opposing positions; Colleagues found a common language, figured out what didn’t suit everyone, and resolved their dispute. But this may not always happen - if the end of the conflict is its escalation into a new conflict, then the consequences can be very disappointing.

3

Post-conflict (latent) period

The post-conflict period, like the pre-conflict period, is hidden and consists of two stages:

• Partial normalization of relations between subjects. It occurs in cases where the negative emotions present in the conflict have not completely disappeared. The presented stage is characterized by people’s experiences and their understanding of their position. Often there is a correction of self-esteem, attitude towards the opponent, and the level of one’s aspirations. The feeling of guilt for actions taken during the conflict may also worsen, but the negative attitudes of the subjects towards each other do not provide them with the opportunity to immediately begin the process of normalizing relations.

EXAMPLE: Spouses between whom there was a conflict realize their guilt, understand that they were wrong, but in each of them there is still resentment, indignation and other negative emotions that do not allow them to ask each other for forgiveness, forget about the scandal, or return to the old rhythm of life.

• Complete normalization of relations. Relations can finally normalize only when all parties to the conflict come to the realization that it is most important to find a way for constructive further interaction. This stage is different in that during communication people overcome their negative attitudes, achieve mutual trust and take an active part in any joint activity.

EXAMPLE: Work colleagues made concessions to each other, overcame their pride, and to some extent reconsidered their attitude towards the situation, their behavior, and the behavior of their opponent. It is likely that they will together carry out some task given by the leader, or even themselves will come to the conclusion that joint activity can unite them and improve their relationship.

In addition to the periods of conflict dynamics presented above, we can also highlight another period, which is characterized by differentiation of the parties . This means that the conflict is developing progressively, as a result of which the opposition of the participants is intensifying. The confrontation between the parties continues until the moment when any further strengthening ceases to make sense. This will be the moment when the integration of the conflict begins - the desire of the participants to come to an agreement that suits each of them.

EXAMPLE: You may have seen the feature film “Angel Falls” starring Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan. The two heroes oppose each other throughout the entire picture, they are irreconcilable enemies, their goal is to kill each other. But the situation at the end of the film develops in such a way that this goal loses all relevance for each of the characters, and, even having the opportunity to achieve it, they find another way out of the situation. As a result, the heroes not only do not kill each other, but also become like-minded people with one common mission.

Let's summarize the lesson : knowledge of the causes of occurrence and stages of development of conflicts is a necessary condition for mastering the skill of preventing and neutralizing them, because, as they say, the best way to avoid a fire is to extinguish its barely smoldering hearth than to extinguish an already raging flame. The ability to come out of any conflict with dignity comes down mainly to being able to find compromises and make concessions.

In the next lessons of our training, we will talk about ways and methods of managing, resolving and resolving conflicts, their prevention and prevention, and also touch on the topic of intrapersonal conflict in more detail.