Categories of conflict 

Here’s a useful framework to categorize the types of conflict as the basis to help you understand and manage the situations you might find yourself in. 

Value Conflicts 

Value conflicts relate to the beliefs people have to give meaning to their lives – their interpretation of what’s ‘good’ and ‘bad’ or ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. Different values don’t need to cause conflict – disputes only arise when people try to force their values on others. 

Relationship Conflicts 

Relationship conflicts are caused by strong negative emotions, misperceptions or stereotypes, poor communication or miscommunication, or repetitive negative behaviors. They fuel disputes and lead to an unnecessary escalating spiral of destructive conflict.  

Data Conflicts 

Data conflicts occur when people don’t have the necessary information to make wise decisions, are misinformed, disagree on which data’s relevant or interpret information differently. Often these are caused by poor communication.  

Interest Conflicts 

Interest conflicts result from competition over perceived incompatible needs – when one or more of the people believe that, to satisfy their needs, the needs and interests of the other person must be sacrificed. This often relates to an individual’s position or seniority in an organization. 

Structural Conflicts 

Structural conflicts are caused by things outside of the people in dispute, like limited physical resources or authority, geographic constraints, time, and organizational changes. Because the individuals can’t control structural conflicts they can seem like a crisis.  

Cultural bias 

Cultural bias can cause conflict. It’s the process our brain goes through where we tend to judge other things based on our own cultural preferences, or the norms of a particular culture.  

Unconscious biases are those impressions that exist in our unconscious mind and unknowingly inform our opinions of people. 

When we make judgements about people, we all have biases. We’re aware of many of them but sometimes they’re completely subconscious and reflect our cultural and social experiences.  

No matter how unbiased we think we are, these aspects of human nature shape how we interact with people and how we make decisions. They’re blindspots in our rational decision-making and we’re unaware that they exist. As one famous psycholost, Daniel Kahneman said: “The brain is a machine for jumping to conclusions.” 

We make judgements within seconds of meeting someone, about everything from their competence, their friendliness and even honesty. If we don’t counter these preconceptions, we can make mistakes that jeopordize our working relationships, and hinder teamwork and creativity.  

We live and work in a diverse society. So we must be aware that our subconscious biases can affect how we think and feel about people we come into contact with.     
 

Can we really argue against the brain being a machine for jumping to conclusions! 

Semantics 

Semantics is about the language we use.  

Have you ever been in a conversation where you think you’re talking about the same thing as somebody else but, because you’re using different language, you’re not quite sure? This often ends up with you ‘agreeing to disagree’. 

It’s only semantics but it winds people up and causes conflict. 

There’s more information about cultural bias in the Backwards Brain Cycle video. It runs for around seven minutes but tells the fascinating story of ‘unlearning’ to ride a bike. You’ll find the link in the Managing Conflict Resources.