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Managing Conflict in the Small Group 299

Types of Conflict
Conflict in and of itself is neither necessarily helpful nor harmful to a group. What
matters is what the conflict is about, how it is initiated, and how it is managed. The
Speaker Committee—Kevin, Lori, Chris, Diedre, and Tony—met several times and still
made little progress. Kevin either missed meetings or came late; the others were angry
with him. The committee couldn’t agree on anything. They continued to argue about
whether they should select entertaining or educational speakers, whether they should
book one major speaker or several lesser-known ones, whether they should decide by
consensus or majority vote, and, most of all, what they should do about Kevin.
Occasionally, one of the members would ask a question that encouraged the others to
examine the criteria by which to make their decision, and occasionally a member
would make a suggestion that received widespread support. In general, though, they
exhibited problems in managing their conflicts. The conflicts in this group of stu-
dents reveal the three types of conflicts found in groups. All three, task, relational,
and process, are readily recognized by group members (Table 11.1). 20

TABLE 11.1
Task Conflict Substantive or intrinsic conflict that occurs over ideas, Types of group
meanings, issues relevant (intrinsic) to the task at hand. conflict
21
This work-related conflict is the basis for effective decision
making and problem solving and is seen by group
members as necessary for good decisions to emerge. 22
Relationship Conflict Affective or extrinsic conflict that occurs over interpersonal
power clashes, likes and dislikes that are unrelated
(extrinsic) to the group’s task. This conflict is often
23
given as the reason for members leaving groups and is
associated with stress, dissatisfaction, frustration, and
burn out. 24
Process Conflict Procedural conflict that involves both task and relational
25
dimensions of a group. Logistical procedural conflict is
over task-like efforts related to the group’s management
of its charge and how it is to go about problem solving.
Coordination procedural conflict is over more relational
concerns like distribution of member responsibilities and Task Conflict
workloads.
Conflict resulting from
disagreements over
Task conflict, also called intrinsic conflict, provides the vehicle by which ideas, ideas, information,
proposals, alternatives, evidence, and reasoning are challenged and critically exam- reasoning, or
ined, doubts are brought into the open, and the group works together to find the best evidence.
solution. Opinion and innovative deviance described earlier are usually indicative of
task conflict. In our example, the Speaker Committee debated whether an entertain- Relationship Conflict
ing or educational speaker would be a better choice. The ensuing argument helped Conflict resulting from
members clarify the purpose of the Speaker Series and presented good reasons for personality clashes,
considering each type of speaker. likes, dislikes, and
Relationship conflict, also called affective or extrinsic conflict, is conflict that competition for power.
originates from interpersonal power clashes, likes and dislikes unrelated to the

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