Conflict naturally emerges in nearly all groups. Conflict grows out of differences over valued beliefs, and it can be mild, moderate or severe. Mild to moderate conflict can have a beneficial catalyzing effect on a team by bringing out issues that require discussion, acknowledging real differences, and preventing hidden agendas and subgrouping. Severe conflict can handicap a team, preoccupy group functioning, damage relationships, and seriously impair an organization. Conflict only occurs when such influence does not work, and influence behavior escalates.
People also differ in their styles, or the way they tend to understand and deal with situations.
They often behave in ways that are intended to influence others, and the Storming stage is where these maneuvers are initially tested. The Myers-Briggs has been widely used as a way for people to explore their interpersonal, problem solving, and conflict styles. Self-monitoring refers to the ways people calibrate their behavior based on people's reaction to them. The Mach Scale has also been devised to explore how manipulative people can be. This selection of links describes some of the team- and organizational based causes of conflict, their symptoms and effects, and how they can be managed.