The 5 Levels Of Conflict (and Their Characteristics)
Every day many people must deal with some conflicts of various kinds and with some people with different personalities and points of view. On the other hand, the resolution of these conflicts, if managed correctly, could offer the possibility of improving relationships and moving towards progress.
We can find 4 different levels of conflict in the main classifications: intrapersonal, interpersonal, intragroup and intergroup conflict. However, some classifications have included a fifth level of conflict, interorganizational conflict.
In this article we will explain what each of the levels of conflict consists of that we just mentioned and we will also present some ways to manage them.
The word conflict comes from the Latin “conflictus” which is formed by the prefix “con-” (union, convergence) and the participle “fligĕre” (flictus=blow), so We would be talking about “coup among several” or “coup together”, so that the conflict would be a type of lawsuit, or the collision based on the opposition of different positions. It is also worth mentioning that the word conflict, according to the RAE dictionary, has the following definitions:
As we can see, there are various definitions to explain the word conflict. In this article we will focus mainly on the fourth definition (matter of discussion), the fifth (contradictions in the same individual) and the seventh (conflict in labor relations).
Conflict levels
Now that we have seen what a conflict consists of, We are going to expose the different levels of conflict that we can find (intrapersonal, interpersonal, intragroup and intergroup), according to the main classifications; although in some we can also find a fifth level, the interorganizational (the latter is normally located within the category of conflict at the intergroup level in those classifications in which only 4 levels of conflict are taken into account). Below we are going to explain what each of them consists of.
1. Conflict at an intrapersonal level
The first level of conflict that we can find is intrapersonal, which is used to refer to conflicts that only involve one person; being an internal dispute. This conflict could arise from a person’s own emotions, thoughts, ideas, predispositions and/or values so that the conflict could begin at the moment in which that person finds himself with the dilemma in which he must choose between what he “should do” and what he “really wants to do.”
When we try to resolve an intrapersonal conflict, we must keep in mind a series of premises: always follow and keep in mind our own values and analyze whether they are in line with those of the company, thoroughly review the company policy, write down the council along with a list of pros and cons associated with it at the same time as trying to look for different options that are available to resolve the conflict and, based on all this, trying to choose the best option.
If necessary, it would be best to seek professional help that can guide us in this process and for this many people have employees who are in charge of it within the human resources section in order to improve the work environment, increase the well-being of the employees. employees, helping employees to be in optimal conditions to satisfactorily perform their functions within the company, etc.
2. Conflict at the interpersonal level
Another level of conflict that we can find would be the interpersonal one that occurs when two or even more people in an organization have a dispute or disagreement about a certain issue related to the work environment in which they work or how to achieve certain associated objectives. Furthermore, these types of conflicts could occur even in those cases in which one of the parties had not realized that a conflict really exists.
When trying to resolve an interpersonal conflict, you must begin by defining and analyzing the real conflict, always putting it in context to see how it has impacted each of the parties to the conflict and also how all this can influence the organization’s project. . Once all of the above has been done, different options should be sought to resolve the conflict, offering the possibility to all those involved to give their point of view and thus be able to find a solution that is favorable for all parties and for the organization.
3. Conflict at the intragroup level
Intragroup conflict is another level of conflict and develops when there is a dispute or there is dissidence or opposition between two or more people who work in the same group within an organization or a company for a common objective, therefore having a wide variety of opinions and perspectives on the matter
The root of the problem in this type of case is not that there is a wide variety of opinions and perspectives, but that some parts of the group do not take into account those of the others and vice versa, so that it will be more difficult to reach an agreement to reach common objectives.
Another factor that often influences the development of intragroup conflicts is the fact that there is a wide disparity between the personalities of various members of the group, which does not mean that disputes cannot be resolved and an agreement that is beneficial cannot be reached. for all members of the group and, therefore, for the company and organization you work for.
Intragroup conflicts They must be resolved starting with a debate within the team or work group in order to analyze what is the cause of the real conflict and how the different parties involved feel about it. Once analyzed, you could proceed to develop a brainstorm about the pros and cons of the different points of view with their respective solutions to advance the common project. Finally, a decision should be made that can benefit the group as a whole and that does not give rise to new conflicts.
It is very important that there is a group consensus or, at least, that all points of view are taken into account and that decisions are not made without taking into account any of the parts of the group.
4. Conflict at the intergroup level
Intergroup conflict is one of the levels of conflict and consists of a significant dispute or disagreement between different groups within a larger organization or even between those who do not have the same objectives or goals at a general level.
When resolving intergroup conflicts, one could begin with a debate where each of the parties involved in the conflict present their points of view and analyze the problems that have arisen and may arise. Another exercise that could be useful is the transfer of some of the members of each of the groups to another group that has a different point of view so that they could see a different perspective to yours to solve the problem.
Finally, brainstorming should be done in order to find solutions that could have the greatest positive impact possible for all parties involved in the conflict and, of course, for the organization for which they work in order to continue evolving towards progress. To find a solution, one could choose to carry out a vote to analyze the interest that each of the parties has in the different solutions that had been proposed.
Related article: “8 strategies to improve the work environment of your company”
In some classifications of conflict levels we can find a fifth level, which occurs at the interorganizational level, which consists of a dispute or conflict between two or more organizations, normally belonging to the same sector. These conflicts between organizations can be of various types, as we can see below.
5.1 Substantive interorganizational conflict
This type of conflict arises when there is a fundamental disagreement between two or more organizations that are involved in a dispute To give an example, we could be talking about a conflict for ethical reasons, such as an issue such as the treatment of animals, so that a company or organization could enter into conflict against another that is carrying out a series of experiments on animals.
5.2 Cultural interorganizational conflict
In this case, we would be talking about a conflict arising from a series of disputes between two or more companies based on cultural desires and needs, although These types of conflicts are quite often the result of a basic misunderstanding
On the other hand, interorganizational conflicts could arise for a wide variety of reasons such as conflicts of interest, dubious payments by another company, relationships with suppliers, distributors and customers, unfair competition or even due to certain relationships with governments. , among other causes.
When trying to resolve inter-organizational conflicts, good mediation between different organizations through someone qualified who is capable of promoting an open dialogue for understanding between the different parties involved in the conflict can be crucial. However, sometimes it is very difficult for some organizations to reach an agreement for various reasons (e.g. economic interests, ideology, ethical reasons, etc.), so they can only resolve or settle the conflict through judicial means There are even cases in which some organizations are constantly in conflict.
On the other hand, the leadership of each of the organizations involved in interorganizational conflicts or even in any of the different levels of conflict can be useful in promoting organizational and work well-being and health in order to adequately manage the conflicts. possible conflicts at an inter-organizational level, paying special attention to the various psychosocial factors that could be behind it.
