The 5 levels of conflict (and their characteristics)

Every day many people have to deal with some conflicts of various kinds and with some people with different personalities and points of view. On the other hand, the resolution of those conflicts, if managed in the right way, could offer the possibility of improving relations and moving towards progress.

We can find 4 different levels of conflict in the main classifications: intrapersonal, interpersonal, intragroup and intergroup conflict. However, some classifications have included a fifth level of conflict, interorganizational conflict.

In this article we will explain what each of the conflict levels consists of that we just mentioned and we will also expose some ways to manage them.

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What are the characteristics of the conflict?

The word conflict comes from the Latin “conflictus” which is formed by the prefix “con-” (union, convergence) and the participle “fligĕre” (flictus=blow), so we would be talking about "coup between several" or "the coup together"

, so that the conflict would become a type of lawsuit, or the collision from the opposition of different positions. It is also worth mentioning that the word conflict, according to the RAE dictionary, has the following definitions:

• Fight, fight, fight.
• Armed conflict.
• Unfortunate situation and whose exit is complicated, trouble.
• Matter of discussion, question, problem.
• The coexistence of a series of tendencies that are contradictory to each other in the same individual.
• The hardest and most violent moment during a battle.
• In labor relations, it refers to the dispute between workers (collective conflict).

As we can see, there are various definitions to explain the word conflict. In this article we will focus mainly on the fourth definition (matter of discussion), in the fifth (contradictions in the same individual) and the seventh (conflict in labor relations).

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conflict levels

Now that we have seen what a conflict consists of, We are going to expose the different levels of conflict that we can find (intrapersonal, interpersonal, intragroup and intergroup), according to the main classifications; although in some we can also find a fifth level, the interorganizational (the latter is normally located within of the category of conflict at the intergroup level in those classifications in which only 4 levels of conflict are taken into account. conflict). Next we will explain what each of them consists of.

1. Intrapersonal conflict

The first of the levels of conflict that we can find is intrapersonal, which is used to refer to conflicts that only involve one person; being an internal dispute. Said conflict could arise from a person's own emotions, thoughts, ideas, predispositions and/or values., so that the conflict could start at the moment when that person finds herself in the dilemma in which she should choose between what she "should do" and what she "really would like to do".

When we intend to settle an intrapersonal conflict, a series of premises must be kept in mind: follow and always keep in mind one's own values ​​and analyze if they are in accordance with those of the company, carefully review the company policy, write down the council along with a list of pros and cons associated with the at the same time that it is about looking for different options that are available to resolve the conflict and, based on all this, try to choose the best option.

If necessary, it would be best to seek professional help that can guide us in this process and for this many people have employees who are in charge of it within the human resources section in order to improve the work environment, increase well-being of employees, help employees to be in optimal conditions to satisfactorily perform their duties within the company company etc

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2. Conflict at the interpersonal level

Another level of conflict that we can find would be the interpersonal one that occurs when two or even more people in an organization have a dispute or disagreement about a certain issue related to the field of work in which they work or how to achieve certain associated objectives. In addition, this type of conflict could even occur in those cases in which one of the parties had not realized that a conflict really existed.

When trying to resolve an interpersonal conflict, one must begin by defining and analyzing the real conflict, always putting it into context to see how it has impacted each of the parties to the conflict and also how all this can influence the project of the organization. Once all of the above has been done, different options should be sought to resolve the conflict, offering the possibility to all those involved to give their point of view and thus be able to find a solution that is favorable for all parties and for the organization.

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3. intra-group conflict

Intragroup conflict is another level of conflict and develops when there is a dispute or there is dissidence or a opposition between two or more people who work in the same group within an organization or a company for a common goal, having so a wide variety of opinions and perspectives on the matter.

The root of the problem in this type of case is not that there is a wide variety of opinions and perspectives, but that parts of the group do not take into account those of the others and vice versa, so that it will be more difficult to reach an agreement to achieve the objectives common.

Another factor that often influences the development of intragroup conflicts is the fact that there is a wide disparity between the personalities of various members of the group, which is not it means that disputes cannot be resolved and an agreement reached that is beneficial for all members of the group and, therefore, for the company and organization for which you work

Intragroup conflicts They should be resolved starting with a discussion within the team or work group in order to analyze what is the cause of the real conflict and how the different parties involved feel about it. Once analyzed, you could proceed to develop a brainstorm about the pros and cons. cons of the different points of view with their respective solutions to advance the project common. Finally, a decision should be made that can benefit the group as a whole and that does not give rise to new conflicts.

It is very important that there is a group consensus or, at least, that all points of view are taken into account and that decisions are not made without taking into account any of the parts of the group.

4. intergroup conflict

Intergroup conflict is one of the levels of conflict and consists of a major dispute or disagreement between different groups within a larger organization or even among those who do not have the same objectives or goals at the general.

When it comes to resolving intergroup conflicts, one could start with a debate where each of the parties involved in the conflict expose their points of view and analyze the problems that have arisen and could go appearing. Another exercise that could help is the transfer of some of the members of each of the groups to another group that has a different point of view so that they could see a different perspective to yours to solve the problem.

Finally, brainstorming should be done in order to find solutions that could have the greatest possible positive impact for all the parties involved in the conflict and, of course, for the organization they work for in order to continue evolving towards the progress. To find a solution, you could choose to carry out a vote to analyze the interest that each of the parties has in the different solutions that had been proposed.

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5. Conflict at the interorganizational level

In some classifications about the levels of conflict we can find a fifth level, the one that occurs at the interorganizational that consists of a dispute or conflict between two or more organizations, these normally belonging to the same industry. These conflicts between organizations can be of various types, as we can see below.

5.1 Substantive interorganizational conflict

This type of conflict arises when there is a fundamental disagreement between two or more organizations that are involved in a dispute. To give an example, we could be talking about a conflict for ethical reasons, such as an issue such as the treatment of animals, so that a company or organization could come into conflict with another that is carrying out a series of experiments with animals.

5.2 Cultural interorganizational conflict

In this case, we would be talking about a conflict arising from a series of disputes between two or more companies based on cultural desires and needs, although these kinds of conflicts quite often are the result of a basic misunderstanding.

On the other hand, interorganizational conflicts could arise for a wide variety of reasons such as conflicts of interest, doubtful payments by another company, relationships with suppliers, distributors and customers, unfair competition or even because of certain relationships with governments, among others Causes.

When trying to resolve inter-organizational conflicts, a good mediation between the different organizations through someone who is capable of promoting an open dialogue for an understanding between the different parties involved in the conflict can be crucial. However, sometimes it is very difficult for some organizations to reach an agreement for various reasons (eg. g., economic interests, ideology, ethical reasons, etc.), so they can only resolve or settle the dispute through the courts. There are even cases where some organizations are constantly in conflict.

On the other hand, the leadership of each of the organizations involved in interorganizational conflicts or even before any of the different levels of conflict can be useful in promoting organizational and occupational well-being and health in order to manage appropriately possible conflicts at the interorganizational level, paying special attention to the various psychosocial factors that could be behind.