According to Deng, Zhang, and Fan (2021), channel conflicts (between manufacturers and distributors) are categorized as functional or dysfunctional.
Functional conflict refers to differences in opinions between a manufacturer and a distributor regarding tasks, procedures, strategy, business ideas and other business-related issues that tend to be openly discussed and resolved and facilitate the strengthening of the relationship. In contrast, dysfunctional conflict is relationship conflict composed of strong disagreements, underlying emotions and actions (e.g. attacks, clashes and sarcasm) taken by a manufacturer or a distributor or both parties that lead to frustration and hostility in the relationship. (Loughry & Amason, 2014; Skarmeas, 2006, as cited in Deng, Zhang,& Fan, 2019, p. 178)
An easy way to separate and remember the two conflict types is that functional conflicts are task-related while dysfunction conflicts are relationship-oriented. According to Deng, Zhang, and Fan (2021), functional conflicts are viewed as healthy disagreements as participants voice their ideas and work out recommendations to stronger and equitable solutions that might not be achieved if only one person makes a decision. It results in a stronger cohesion between all those involved in the conflict.
Dysfunctional conflicts are manifested by frustration, hostility, and strong verbal disagreements. This type of conflict results in weak organizational cohesion and unhealthy behaviors, such as hiding or falsifying information (Deng, Zhang,& Fan, 2019).
Conflict Management Styles
There are 5 conflict management styles: accommodating, avoiding, compromising, competing, and collaboration. Some of these styles are used for relatively insignificant disputes or minor disagreements, while others are used for more serious disagreements that affect more than the few people involved. Let’s look briefly at each of these 5 conflict management styles.
Accommodation is the style that is often used when the disagreement is very minor and quire insignificant in the scheme of things. Nothing is much affected by an outcome one way or the other. An example of this is when a floor plan is designed for new office space and one person wants a window in a certain spot on the wall while their supervisor wants the window on a different wall. It is irrelevant where the window goes, so if the person wants the window on a different wall, the supervisor should let it be a win for the employee.
Avoiding probably the worst conflict management style. This happens when people have a disagreement but ignore that anything is wrong. Avoiding a conflict just to push it into the future may double or even triple the size of the conflict into a level detrimental to the organization as a whole rather than at a department or work group level. A pro to using this style, however, is that setting aside the conflict for a day or two gives people a chance to calm down and be more reasonable about working together toward a solution.
This next conflict management style, compromising, results in a lose-lose situation for both sides of the conflict. Each side gives something up to make the other happy. This type of conflict style is used when time is running out and you need a resolution that does not have to be perfect. The con to this style is that no one is 100% happy about the solution (Luthans, et al., 2021).
Collaboration is the best conflict management style when there are no short time constraints. It is the best style because everyone wins (win-win). People work together to solve the conflict.
There is a solution and style for every conflict. The selected style depends upon time constraints, availability of people to work together, and they determine what issues are the most important for each side.
The Conflict
look at an organizational conflict at a fictitious company, Superior Coatings, and how its upper level leaders attempted to apply their conflict management styles to resolve a situation between two different groups of employees.
One of the employee groups, the warehouse workers (WW), felt they were treated differently by company leaders than the other group who worked in the front offices.
One of the areas of contention was that the front office workers (FOW) worked from 8 am to 4 pm, with a one hour paid lunch break. The FOW group were not required to work on weekends. They also had every holiday off, earning Paid Time Off (PTO). Another perk the FOW received was the ability to leave work early on Friday afternoon and get paid for the whole 8 hours.
On the other hand, the WW worked Monday through Friday from 7 am to 7 pm. They were often required to work weekends, too, from 7 am to 1 pm. The WW were required to work holidays except for New Years Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. The WW could not leave work early on Fridays as there was no second shift to do the afternoon warehouse tasks.
As you can imagine, there was a lot of ill will and discontent among the employees. In addition, the management team at the line level avoided the situation which means, in essence, they ignored it until it festered and the WW threatened to walk out.

write a 3- to 4-page paper addressing the following questions:
1. Was this a case of functional or dysfunctional conflict? Explain your response.
2. Is the conflict a result of relationship/interpersonal issues or from tasks/roles issues?
3. Of the five styles of conflict management discussed in this case assignment and by Deng, Zhang, and Fan (2019), which would be the best option for the groups’ managers to take?
4. What other advice would you give the groups’ managers based on the concepts discussed in any of the background readings?