What Causes Conflict?
While often uncomfortable, conflict is common. It can result from a number of different causes.
Disputes and conflict can be a healthy part of life leading to greater understanding and improved collaboration.
Or it can lead to broken relationships, a loss of trust or escalation into even more entrenched, unproductive conflict.
As dispute resolution professionals we know that in the majority of cases, conflict can be resolved through clear communication and improved mutual understanding. This can be achieved through mediation. Find out more about mediation with the Interact Community Dispute Resolution Service (ICDRS).
1. Information Problems and Poor Communication
Misinformation or a lack of information are very common causes of conflict. Sometimes people believe something is true without it actually being true.
This is common in a cross-cultural conflict where assumptions mislead, and communication is not good enough. However, information problems can happen at any time. Too little, missing context or a host of other reasons for information problems can lead to people being upset with each other.
One of the common responses that people have when they are in conflict with someone else is to shut down communication. Refusing to communicate can seem like it is a good way to prevent conflict from escalating, but it is a short-term strategy. It usually makes things worse in the long term. If there is no communication, misunderstandings are not resolved, and the conflict continues to simmer along, disrupting how people interact and work together.
2. Conflict of Interest
Interests are what we think are important or want. A conflict of interest, whether perceived or actual, can be a source of conflict.
Sometimes, there really is an issue where there is competition for some sort of resource, money, or whatever that will require a compromise to resolve.
Sometimes with more examination of the problem and a greater understanding about what the interests really are, a solution that is better than a compromise can be found for the conflict.
3. Different Priorities
Sometimes, we use different sets of criteria for evaluating and prioritising ideas or things that are important to us.
What seems important to me may be something you think is trivial and not worth bothering about. Unless there is a mutual understanding and agreed way of working out what is essential, someone is going to be upset, probably trying to push someone who is reluctant to do something they don’t think matters and conflict is the result.
In mediation, we can help you identify these “values” conflicts where there are different values or priorities that need to be understood and reconciled.
4. Strong Emotions
Emotions are our guidance system and provide us with rapid feedback on danger and opportunity. Past trauma and life experiences can also trigger them. Intense emotions, sometimes out of proportion to the current situation can be a source of conflict and a barrier to conflict resolution.
If someone is caught up in strong emotions, they are unable to think rationally, making it harder to resolve issues.
Mediation is a structured but flexible process that helps people maintain their emotional control. If their emotions do start to become too much for them, the mediator can help with strategies to avoid an escalation causing harm.
5. Perceived or Real Inequity or Unequal Control
Competition for power, or over what feels fair, is a common source of conflict. It can be real, such as one group always getting the best training times or a say in decisions, or it can be perceived, such as a sense that the same few people run everything. Either way, people who feel shut out or treated unfairly tend to dig in. Clear, transparent processes and a fair hearing go a long way, and mediation gives everyone an equal voice at the table.
Conclusion
Most conflicts can be resolved, or at least made workable, once people understand what is driving them. Sometimes an independent mediator is the best way to get there.
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