Meaning and definition
The concept of conflict, being an outcome of behaviors, is an integral part of human life. Wherever there is interaction, there is conflict. Conflict can be defined in many ways and can be considered as an expression of hostility, negative attitudes, antagonism, aggression, rivalry and misunderstanding. It is also associated with situations that involve contradictory or irreconcilable interests between two opposing groups. It can be defined as a disagreement between two or more individuals or groups, with each individual or group trying to again acceptance of its view or objectives over others.
Follett most simply defines conflict as "the appearance of difference, difference of opinions, of interests."
Louis R. Pondy has defined the term 'conflict' to describe:
i. Antecedent conditions, for example, scarcity of resources, policy differences among individuals, etc.,
ii. Effective states of the individuals involved, for example, stress, tension, hostility, anxiety, etc.,
iii. Cognitive states of individuals, i.e., their perception of awareness of conflictful situations; and
iv. Changed behavior ranging from passive resistance to overt aggression.
Conflict is a psychological state of mind when people are in a state of dilemma whether to do or not to do a thing, is a state of conflict, in organization, conflict may imply difference of opinion with persons or groups and sometimes they manage to showdown and slowdown other and plan strategies for that.
A process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or is about to negatively affects something that the first party cares about.