We can define a conflict of interest as a situation in which a person has a private or personal interest sufficient to appear to influence the objective exercise of his or her official duties as, say, a public official, an employee, or a professional. The functional conflict is helpful in the achievement of the goals of a group.

intra- group conflict are largely negative in that such a struggle lowers the morale and weakens the solidarity of the group. For example, conflict involves contact; it takes place on a conscious level, it is personal, it involves violence or at least the threat of violence. You may want to schedule a follow-up meeting in about two weeks to determine how the parties are doing. Personal conflict of course has its positive side also. Relationship conflict focuses on interpersonal relationships.

There has never been a Lime or a society in which some individuals or groups did not come into conflict. Surplus value is created; the profit industrialists hold on to caused by workers producing more than the employers actually need to repay the cost of hiring labourers. From forms of development of the productive forces these relations turn into their fetters (legcuffs). Litigation is a judicial form of conflict when someone, individual or group, asserts its claims to certain rights on the basis of objective factors, subjective factors being excluded. The mushrooming conflicts include, the labour unions versus government, Muslims versus Christians, especially in Northern Nigeria, husband versus wife, mother – in-law versus daughter –in-law, one ethnic group against another and owners versus employee’s/ management in most oil companies. Conflict must be perceived by the parties to it; whether or not a conflict exists is a perception issue. Just as one does not judge an individual by what he thinks about himself, so one cannot judge such a period of transformation by its consciousness, but, on the contrary, this consciousness must be explained from the contradictions of material life, from the conflict existing between the social forces of production and the relations of production. Acknowledge that a difficult situation exists.

Conflict can also cause members to actively listen to each other as they work to accomplish the organizations’ goals.

Conflict is an ever present process in human relations. 7th ed. As for inter-group conflict every group tries to eliminate it as far as possible. In other words, it is difficult to exaggerate the part that struggle plays in consolidating a group internally.

Simmel attributed war to a deep seated antagonistic impulse in man. People's life experiences and opportunities depend on the ranking of their social category. Use our classwork notes and past questions to prepare and pass Waec, Jamb and Neco once. Social change causes cultural lag which leads to conflict. They provide alms to the poor and also set up educational institutions so that the youth can have access to formal as well as higher education. Cooley writes, “It seems that there must always be an element of conflict in our relations with others as well as one of mutual aid; the whole plan of life calls for it; our very physiognomy reflects it, and love and strife sit side by side upon the brow of man.

3 Views of Conflict: Traditional View, Human Relations View, Interactionist View of Conflict.

Conflicts also occur in groups, associations and between groups as a result of difference in opinions, Differences in in the interpretation of the aims or objectives of a group or association, Absence of mutual trust and understanding amongst people brings about conflict, It occurs when someone is domination other members of a group. Many observes such as Starik (1993), Hemmati et al (2002) and Buyese and Verbeke (2003) have argued that the natural environment and future generations should also be considered among company’s important stakeholders. The capitalist society is characterised by the bourgeoisie and proletariat. As a result, many dominated groups will struggle with other groups in an attempt to gain control. According to Cooley, conflict and co-operation are not separable things but phases of one process which always involves something of both.

Briefly stated the causes of conflict are: No two men are alike in their nature, attitudes, ideals and interests. Are differing personality styles part of the problem? Before going any further, let us first give a brief description of what conflict is.

It is on this basis that Perrow (1986) suggested that “organizations generate power, it is the inescapable accompaniment of the production of goods and services which comes in many forms from many sources, it is contested and it  is certainly used”. What is the negative impact on work or relationships? Such action becomes conflict, however, only if the deliberate attempt is lo oppose.