The theory of role conflict and role ambiguity

2.1.2.1 Conflicts

a. The nature of conflict

In an organization, leaders always are afraid of the conflicts, they consider that conflicts need to be avoided and solved soon.

According to the prospect of "human relations in administration" thought that the organization always has the possibility of conflict, conflict between the goals of the separate individuals and organizations, between the department level being in charge and ability of each person, and so on.

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According to modern views on the management, it is was found in a well-organized can still appear conflict , negative conflict will cause more problems as reducing labor productivity, affect the mental state and health of everyone, even the group disintegrated..

But there are also positive effects if the conflict creates different perspective, provide important additional information for the other views that the normal organization cannot display. It lays out the scientific evidence, forms different options suitable for more realistic conditions.

By the way, it creates conditions to show off the emotion and willingness of people. Conflict is considered positive if it leads to improvement of the organization.

b. Conflict reason

There are many reasons leading to conflicts in the organization. One of them can be

• Incomplete organization, not tightly organized, not good discipline, unclear tasks contribution.

• Informal groups in organizations, appears negative leaders, individual extremists or many excitable people

• Difficult operating conditions like the lack of resource, technical equipment, the lack of workers, the unemployment.

• The unknowlege members, the lack of necessary harmony due to the age gap, education, experience, communication.

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• Unfairness in welfare and communication.

• Inappropriate leadership, no agreement in leading…

• Besides, there are many different reasons such as: The goal inconsistency, disparity in resources, other obstacles, psychological stress from many people, the ambiguity of authority, communication is skewed...

c. Types of conflicts

Generally there are two types of conflicts:

• Functional conflict: is the one which have weak density. They can make people more active, creative and create necessary stress for work efficiency.

• Unfunctional conflict: negatively affects to organization groups, it destroys relationships of both parties.

d. Individual conflict

The most common type of conflicts is between the assigned tasks and the ability of individuals, it would be a conflict between job requirements and individual needs. There are situations, due to the requirements that staff have to work on weekends and holidays. That often conflicts with individual demands of them to entertain or rest with their family in these occasions.

The individual conflicts also appear when overworking, job unsatisfaction, stressful working.

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e. Conflict among individuals

Individuals in organizations always have differences because their value and willingness are affected by socialization and depended on family traditions, education level, and experience…Therefore the explanations about events and expectation about the relationship with other people in their organization is the huge difference. Conflict comes from the difference of value and demand of individuals.

Main reasons for these individuals include:

• Discrimation or unfair treatment in the company

• The lack of information in organization

• Conflict between members which have works depending each other but are in contradictory roles.

• Difficulties creating by surrounding environment.

Besides, there is also a form of individuals’ conflict, but this is the peak of positive conflict, it can be outside of the organization, between external relationships. Individuals in this situation will always launch a question is that:

How we can do better him/her? A typical story for this case is Steve Jobs. He criticized all other outstanding individuals in the field of technology alone, turning around Bill Gates, Microsoft and Google, Dell, everything is in the eye of Steve Jobs seems really difficult to do well. There used to explode a war of technology between Apple and Microsoft Corporates, but now, let’s try to take a look back to what they brought to our modern livers.

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f. Conflict between individuals and groups

The type the conflict between individuals and group perspectives or rights does not match. For example, in a majority of the sales team members consider that they should decrease the price for that product to consume more goods and faster.

But the group has an individual does not endorse to reduce their prices will affect profits and customers may think that they offer low qualified products. The two sides do not agree and conflicts may occur.

g. Conflict between groups

In an organization, there are many groups existing. Their interests and perspectives of the group do not unite, because the task assignment is not reasonable cooperation , lack of respect or understand each other .

Conflict between groups often come from the following reasons:

• Dependence on each other with work completion, it can happen when they work together, the dependence can be serial nature or reliance through together.

• The goal is not similar. The inherent similarities sometimes exist between groups by their personal goals.

• Threat. If there is no threath, both parties seem to cooperate better and lead to effective relationship. When one party realizes the threath against with another, they often do not announce, and use it.

• The commitment of the team. When the group becomes attached, the conflict between groups is increasing.

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• Attitude of win - lose.

Conflict will happen when there is an existance of the following conditions:

• When a person identify or express conflict situations as win - lose.

• When a group decides to pursue their separated goals.

• When a group understands their needs but trying to hide them up.

• When a group effort to increase its position.

• When a group uses intimidation to achieve obedience or submission.

• When a group overpays attention to the target, the location of it.

• When a group intends to take advantage of the other group, whenever possible.

• When an isolated group by other groups.

When conflicts occur between groups will make the information is reduced, distorted perception, creating suspicion and prevent proper understanding of human behavior and motivations of the other side.

2.1.2.2 Ambiguous role

Ambiguous role happens when labors meet the following situations:

+ Responsibility: not clear about their responsibility in certain situation, such as to be distributed a task without a clear instruction.

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+ Expecting work results: work with a person who do not unite in standards set or methods used to evaluate work results.

+ Development direction: labors do not know what direction they should develop from the beginning point.

There are some reasons for aambiguous roles:

a. Ambiguous in roles

When what people expect others in this role as opposed to what we expect to see them in other roles are considered conflicting roles. This often brings confusion, frustration for workers because it is difficult to reconcile multiple levels of power and behavior, especially when they conflict themselves.

b. Incompatibility in the role

As different people have different expectations of a person in the same role that is incompatible with the role. For example, team members who wish to grant you easy- on, while your boss then want you to be strict with your staff. It is hard to satisfy both different wishes, especially when they are so different.

Incompatibility of roles can also occur when the standards and goals of individual employees is not consistent with the standards and goals of the business; or image that they envision themselves is not coincide with the image that other people think of them.

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c. “Overload” situation

Labors have to be in charge of so many roles that may lead to overloading situations. It is an extreme form of conflict in the role.

d. “Lack of load” situation

In contrast to the overload that workers may fall into a "lack of load situation."

This occurs when an individual feels that he can actually take on more roles over or a few roles larger.

“Lack of load” also cause the stressful situation because it will afftect personal image. A person will feel unreliable, unrespected and right value. They will be bored and work uneffectively when working tasks they feel so low with their ability.