Conflict in Human Services Organizations: Resource or Liability?

Abstract

The authors examine dimensions of conflict in the context of complex organixations in general and human services organizations in particular. The implications of theory and related research on conflict for the human services are discussed and some potentialities of controlled conflict as an organizational utility are suggested].Rt~A,NI~A:TIt3NS e na ci e a v a r to ORGAMZATIONS endeavor to 0 mediate, conciliate and arbitratẽ &dquo;-~ conflict. Human services institutions founded, in part, on traditional organizational premises appear habitually bound to a perception of conflict as a liability. When conflict is perceived as a facilitator of organizational change, and change is viewed as a si.ne qua non for organizational vitality, managed organizational conflict may become a utility (Deutsch, 1973;Robbins, 1974). Managed conflict may be reconceptualized as a source of energy and creativity for organizational renewal.Human services organizations, wedded to notions of confli~ct avoidance or resolution alone by precedent and tradition, may sacrifice vitality and capacity for selfrenewal in the quest for stability and predictability. These circumstances persist, inconsiderate of research that suggests the plausability of efforts to create and capitalife upon healthy tensions and the utility of a controlled level of organizational conflict in effective human functioning ~wmg, 1964; Kelly, 1969;DuBrin, 1974). This study explores determinants of organizational conflict and examines dimensions of con'-fhctive relationships manifest in hum.an services organizations where conflict is neither unusual nor always destructive. Organizational MilieusThe environment of an organization, as well as arrangements for integrating operating systems and subsystems, constitute its functional design and the administrative arena within which conflict is manifest in the course of change. Dependencies and relationships within and between organizations and their environments, and competitive resource needs of organizations which arise as they pursue their goals, are sources of conflict. Conflict at interorganizational, unit and subunit levels may be expected when resources are finite, and perceived or real &dquo;wi,n~los~&dquo; notions of resource allocation prevail. Common task and resource de-