Organizational Behavior in Chapter 10,

Organizational Behavior

In Chapter 10, Edgar Schein describes a group dynamic that occurs both within and between groups, while there is an ongoing conflict between two groups. Describe this dynamic in some detail. Do you think that his description is an adequate one for explaining the character of conflict between groups? Whether your answer is "yes" or "no," use concrete, actual example of your choosing to illustrate and justify your response.

According to Edgar Schein, in both inter-group and intra-group dynamics, conflict is always possible. For conflict to be minimized, groups must have a common language, distribute power and status in a clear fashion, establish agreed-upon norms of intimacy, friendship, and love, and have predictable rewards and punishments for group members. There is always a risk of conflict when there is a question of who is 'in' or 'out' of the group, when there is a question as to the group's purpose or leadership, or when a group attempts to take over or jockey for the authority of another group. Conflict arises and is not erased when there is a question about the group's boundaries, if the group's rules are not agreed upon, and there instability of group leadership, conflicts of communication, or identity. To function, a group must have common language provided by a common goal, leadership, and sense of values.

In today's business environment, which has grown increasingly diverse in terms of organizational culture, ethnic diversity, and cultural diversity, questions about group identity rife, and so is the danger of creating conflicts that cannot be erased by forming a common purpose and mission. People come into an organizational culture from vastly different backgrounds and with very different experiences and cultural attitudes towards the right way to view a leader and to do business. Furthermore, mergers are also more common, meaning that different corporate cultures are more frequently being combined. Although a lack of clarity about group goals, leadership, and cultural miscommunication may be the main sources of group conflict, organizations do not exist in a vacuum, and external conflicts about culture, race, gender roles, and conflicts about personal dynamics may create a permanent sense of division and a lack of unity in the workplace that cannot be healed by simply finding a common corporate mission. As workers work more hours and the divide between home and work becomes more and more blurred, personality conflicts may be just as much of factor as uncertainty about power, group rules, and rewards. Thus, although Schein is largely correct in his analysis, it must be added that the potential for group conflict is even more pernicious than ever before, as personal feelings are more likely to affect the workplace, and also as the potential for miscommunication increases as diversity of the workforce increases.