Description
Our study found that almost all HR professionals (99%) deal with conflflict. The most common causes of conflflict are warring egos and personality clashes (86%), poor leadership (73%), lack of honesty (67%), stress (64%), and clashing values (59%).
PAGE 1 PAGE 1
Psychometrics Canada Ltd. 800-661-5158 www.psychometrics.com
Warring Egos,
Toxic Individuals,
Feeble Leadership
A study of con?ict in the Canadian workplace
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 2 PAGE 2
Foreword
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“Con?ict...What if we are both right?”
Loesje
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 3 PAGE 3
The Research
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“Con?ict...What if we are both right?”
Loesje
“The most intense con?icts, if overcome, leave behind a sense of security and calm that is not easily disturbed. It
is just these intense con?icts and their con?agration which are needed to produce valuable and lasting results.”
Carl Gustav Jung
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 4 PAGE 4
Executive Summary
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 5 PAGE 5
Frequency, Cause, Effect
Do you have to deal with con?ict in the workplace?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Yes, always
5.9%
Yes, frequently
31.5%
Yes, occasionally
61.7%
No, never
0.8%
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 6 PAGE 6
What negative outcomes of workplace con?ict have you witnessed?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 20 40 60 80 100
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
People left the organization
Personal insults /attacks
Sickness / absence
People were ?red
81%
77%
76%
43%
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 7 PAGE 7
What are the main causes of con?ict?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 20 40 60 80 100
what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Personality clashes / warring egos
Stress
Poor leadership from the top of the organization
Lack of honesty and openness
Clash of values
86%
73%
67%
64%
59%
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 8 PAGE 8
Dealing with Con?ict
Whose ultimate responsibility is it to ensure con?ict is managed
more effectively?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
hr No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Senior leadership /
executives
15%
Everyone
66%
Managers
11%
Mine
7%
HR
1%
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 9 PAGE 9
What training have you received on managing workplace con?ict?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Formal training in con?ict management
Informal peer-to-peer coaching
Relationship management training
Mediation skills training
Advice from the internet
HR Professionals
52%
37%
37%
29%
13%
17%
12%
11%
9%
7%
7%
56%
Employees*
*Employee sample from “Fight, ?ight or face it” a report
authored by business psychology ?rm OPP.
None
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 10 PAGE 10
Leading Through Con?ict
How important is con?ict handling as a management / leadership skill?
How effective is managment / leadership at dealing with con?ict?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
hr No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Effective
13%
Very effective
4%
Somewhat effective
64%
Not at all
18%
Very important
32%
Critically important
61%
Important
6%
Somewhat important
< 1%
Not important at all
0%
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 11 PAGE 11
What could managers do to address con?ict at work more effectively?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 20 40 60 80 100
No, never h Yes, frequently Yes, always
Be a model of the right behaviors
Improve consultation in day-to-day management
Identify and address underlying tensions before things go wrong
Act as mediators when con?ict develops
Provide more clarity over what’s expected
Not let their egos get in the way
Manage toxic individuals who create con?ict more ?rmly
84%
83%
77%
75%
57%
56%
50%
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 12 PAGE 12
Different Environments - Different Needs?
1. Identify and address underlying tensions before things go wrong.
2. Be a model of the right behaviors.
Percent of respondents in various work sectors who indicated what
managers could do to address con?ict at work more effectively.
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 20 40 60 80 100
f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 20 40 60 80 100
f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 20 40 60 80 100
f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 20 40 60 80 100
f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
83.5%
84%
80.6%
89.1%
84.8%
80%
83.6%
87%
Business
Government
Education
Not-For-Pro?t
Identify and address underlying tensions before things go wrong
Be a model of the right behaviors
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 13 PAGE 13
Bene?ting from Con?ict
What positive outcomes have you experienced from workplace con?ict?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
77%
57%
54%
40%
31%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Better understanding of others
Better solutions to problems and challenges
Major innovation / idea was born
Improved working relationships
None, no positives
Higher performance in the team
Increased motivation
21%
13%
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 14 PAGE 14
Generating Positive Outcomes
Avoiding – “I’ll think about it tomorrow”
Accommodating – “It would be my pleasure”
Competing – “My way or the highway”
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“A good manager doesn’t try to eliminate con?ict; he tries to keep it from wasting the
energies of his people. If you’re the boss and your people ?ght you openly when they
think that you are wrong - that’s healthy.”
Robert Townsend
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 15 PAGE 15
Collaborating – “Two heads are better than one”
Compromising – “Let’s make a deal”
How to effectively manage con?ict
1
2
3
4
5
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“I argue very well. Ask any of my remaining friends. I can win an argument on any
topic, against any opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often,
as a sign of their great respect, they don’t even invite me.”
Dave Barry
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 16 PAGE 16
Insights
Con?ict is unavoidable
Con?ict can have negative consequences
Con?ict can have positive bene?ts
Managing con?ict is an important leadership skill
Dealing with con?ict is everyone’s responsibility
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“Whenever you’re in con?ict with someone, there is one factor that can make the dif-
ference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.”
William James
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 17 PAGE 17
Psychometrics Canada
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
Psychometrics Canada Ltd. 800-661-5158 www.psychometrics.com
© 2009 Psychometrics Canada Ltd.
MBTI and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries. The
MBTI Certi?cation Program is of?cially recognized by CPP as a qualifying program to administer and interpret the MBTI instrument. Strong Interest Inventory
®
,
FIRO-B
®
, CPI 260
™
, CPI
™
434 are registered trademarks of CPP, Inc.
CONFLI CT STUDY
doc_277068313.pdf
Our study found that almost all HR professionals (99%) deal with conflflict. The most common causes of conflflict are warring egos and personality clashes (86%), poor leadership (73%), lack of honesty (67%), stress (64%), and clashing values (59%).
PAGE 1 PAGE 1
Psychometrics Canada Ltd. 800-661-5158 www.psychometrics.com
Warring Egos,
Toxic Individuals,
Feeble Leadership
A study of con?ict in the Canadian workplace
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 2 PAGE 2
Foreword
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“Con?ict...What if we are both right?”
Loesje
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 3 PAGE 3
The Research
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“Con?ict...What if we are both right?”
Loesje
“The most intense con?icts, if overcome, leave behind a sense of security and calm that is not easily disturbed. It
is just these intense con?icts and their con?agration which are needed to produce valuable and lasting results.”
Carl Gustav Jung
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 4 PAGE 4
Executive Summary
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 5 PAGE 5
Frequency, Cause, Effect
Do you have to deal with con?ict in the workplace?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Yes, always
5.9%
Yes, frequently
31.5%
Yes, occasionally
61.7%
No, never
0.8%
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 6 PAGE 6
What negative outcomes of workplace con?ict have you witnessed?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 20 40 60 80 100
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
People left the organization
Personal insults /attacks
Sickness / absence
People were ?red
81%
77%
76%
43%
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 7 PAGE 7
What are the main causes of con?ict?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 20 40 60 80 100
what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Personality clashes / warring egos
Stress
Poor leadership from the top of the organization
Lack of honesty and openness
Clash of values
86%
73%
67%
64%
59%
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 8 PAGE 8
Dealing with Con?ict
Whose ultimate responsibility is it to ensure con?ict is managed
more effectively?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
hr No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Senior leadership /
executives
15%
Everyone
66%
Managers
11%
Mine
7%
HR
1%
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 9 PAGE 9
What training have you received on managing workplace con?ict?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
p p a a a f f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Formal training in con?ict management
Informal peer-to-peer coaching
Relationship management training
Mediation skills training
Advice from the internet
HR Professionals
52%
37%
37%
29%
13%
17%
12%
11%
9%
7%
7%
56%
Employees*
*Employee sample from “Fight, ?ight or face it” a report
authored by business psychology ?rm OPP.
None
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 10 PAGE 10
Leading Through Con?ict
How important is con?ict handling as a management / leadership skill?
How effective is managment / leadership at dealing with con?ict?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
hr No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Effective
13%
Very effective
4%
Somewhat effective
64%
Not at all
18%
Very important
32%
Critically important
61%
Important
6%
Somewhat important
< 1%
Not important at all
0%
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 11 PAGE 11
What could managers do to address con?ict at work more effectively?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 20 40 60 80 100
No, never h Yes, frequently Yes, always
Be a model of the right behaviors
Improve consultation in day-to-day management
Identify and address underlying tensions before things go wrong
Act as mediators when con?ict develops
Provide more clarity over what’s expected
Not let their egos get in the way
Manage toxic individuals who create con?ict more ?rmly
84%
83%
77%
75%
57%
56%
50%
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 12 PAGE 12
Different Environments - Different Needs?
1. Identify and address underlying tensions before things go wrong.
2. Be a model of the right behaviors.
Percent of respondents in various work sectors who indicated what
managers could do to address con?ict at work more effectively.
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
0 20 40 60 80 100
f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 20 40 60 80 100
f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 20 40 60 80 100
f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 20 40 60 80 100
f f f d s a what No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
83.5%
84%
80.6%
89.1%
84.8%
80%
83.6%
87%
Business
Government
Education
Not-For-Pro?t
Identify and address underlying tensions before things go wrong
Be a model of the right behaviors
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 13 PAGE 13
Bene?ting from Con?ict
What positive outcomes have you experienced from workplace con?ict?
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
77%
57%
54%
40%
31%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
No, never Yes, occasionaly Yes, frequently Yes, always
Better understanding of others
Better solutions to problems and challenges
Major innovation / idea was born
Improved working relationships
None, no positives
Higher performance in the team
Increased motivation
21%
13%
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 14 PAGE 14
Generating Positive Outcomes
Avoiding – “I’ll think about it tomorrow”
Accommodating – “It would be my pleasure”
Competing – “My way or the highway”
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“A good manager doesn’t try to eliminate con?ict; he tries to keep it from wasting the
energies of his people. If you’re the boss and your people ?ght you openly when they
think that you are wrong - that’s healthy.”
Robert Townsend
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 15 PAGE 15
Collaborating – “Two heads are better than one”
Compromising – “Let’s make a deal”
How to effectively manage con?ict
1
2
3
4
5
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“I argue very well. Ask any of my remaining friends. I can win an argument on any
topic, against any opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often,
as a sign of their great respect, they don’t even invite me.”
Dave Barry
CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 16 PAGE 16
Insights
Con?ict is unavoidable
Con?ict can have negative consequences
Con?ict can have positive bene?ts
Managing con?ict is an important leadership skill
Dealing with con?ict is everyone’s responsibility
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
“Whenever you’re in con?ict with someone, there is one factor that can make the dif-
ference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.”
William James
CONFLI CT STUDY CONFLI CT STUDY
PAGE 17 PAGE 17
Psychometrics Canada
A S TUDY OF CONF L I CT I N THE CANADI AN WORKPL ACE
Psychometrics Canada Ltd. 800-661-5158 www.psychometrics.com
© 2009 Psychometrics Canada Ltd.
MBTI and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries. The
MBTI Certi?cation Program is of?cially recognized by CPP as a qualifying program to administer and interpret the MBTI instrument. Strong Interest Inventory
®
,
FIRO-B
®
, CPI 260
™
, CPI
™
434 are registered trademarks of CPP, Inc.
CONFLI CT STUDY
doc_277068313.pdf