CONFLICT DEFINED

.	What happens when people in an organization disagree about the desired outcomes of that organization? What happens when peoples' values, attitudes or motives differ? What happens when I suspect that you disagree with me? In each case, the answer is that we have conflict; tension manifests itself as conflict.
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.	Conflict is frequently characterized by: opposition scarcity blockage
Specifically, we define intergroup conflict as a process of opposition and confrontation; when one group obstructs the progress of another.	Scarcity of resources can bring about conflict as each department within the organization seeks to secure for itself the scarce resources it requires for its survival; each department acts out of self interest. In order to secure these scarce resources, a department may block another department's access to the resources -- this too contributes to the level of conflict. Furthermore, one party's opposition to the proposals or action of a second party may also result in conflict. It is also useful to distinguish between conflict and competition. Competition takes place within a structure of rules. Conflict, on the other hand, generally involves some interference by one party with the other party's pursuit of its goals.