What types of conflicts may arise when groups or teams vie for resources?
What types of conflicts may arise when groups or teams vie for resources?
Introduction
If you’ve ever been a part of a group or team, or if you have had to manage one, then you know that it’s not always easy to get along with one another. You might have different ideas about how the resources should be allocated or who should be involved in what. For example, maybe some people in your team have more experience than others and so they deserve more credit for their work. Or perhaps someone on your team doesn’t like another person because they don’t think they’re competent enough (or whatever!). If this sounds like something that could lead to conflict between members of your group or team—and it probably will!—then here are some things that might help:
Who has the right to what?
A conflict can arise when groups or teams vie for resources. Who has the right to what? Who has priority? How do they decide who gets what?
In most cases, there are many parties involved in a conflict and each party believes they have a say in how it should be resolved. The two major categories of conflicts are:
Complexity; where multiple actors with conflicting interests and goals exist together (e.g., employees competing against one another).
Equality; where all actors have equal rights under law so that none can unfairly dominate over another
What is an equitable distribution of resources?
An equitable distribution of resources is one that is fair and just. Equity is a moral principle that states that people should receive fair and just treatment. In this case, equitable means fair and just; equity also refers to a division of people into categories based on their skills or abilities (for example, men vs women).
The idea behind equitable distribution has been around for centuries: it originated in Roman times when slave owners would use slaves as laborers for their farms or businesses. The slaves were treated as property—they had no rights over themselves or their lives—and so they couldn’t complain about being paid less than what others in similar positions were getting paid at other farms nearby (for example).
Does everyone get an equal share?
The logical answer to this question is yes. But when it comes to resources like money, equipment, or even time, there are some gray areas that need discussing.
Some groups may not be equal in terms of their needs and abilities. For example, one team may have more experience than another one when it comes to using certain equipment or getting things done on time.
Some groups will have different priorities or needs based on their members’ backgrounds and experiences with the project/task at hand: some people might be more likely to take breaks from work because they need them; others might want their leader’s approval before taking any breaks at all (and vice versa). These differences can lead each group down different paths during negotiations about how much money should go towards which project—leading us further down the rabbit hole of inequality!
Are the amounts distributed consistent with what will lead to the greatest good for all involved?
The first thing to do is get input from everyone involved. You will be surprised by what you hear, and if one person has a different view than others, it’s important that they be heard too. This can help ensure that the best ideas are considered and implemented in an effective way.
If there is no input from those with whom you work, then it’s possible that those who are allowed to make decisions may not have all their facts straight—or worse yet, they may be making decisions based on bad data or misinformation (which could lead to ineffective results). If this happens anyway though (and sometimes even when there is good reason for thinking otherwise), then groups should try harder at communicating with each other so everyone understands what needs doing and why it matters so much!
You can think about potential conflicts when you have to decide how to allocate resources.
You can think about potential conflicts when you have to decide how to allocate resources.
You can use a variety of techniques to allocate resources, including:
A simple formula that determines how much of each resource goes to each person or group.
A complex formula that takes into account factors such as power and influence in the group. This type of formula is often used when there is disagreement over who should get what percentage of the total budget for a project or event; it also works well when multiple people want different things from their job title but they don’t know how many positions exist within an organization (e.g., “I want this position because I think it will help my career”).
A weighted formula that assigns more value based on prior experience or seniority level (e.g., “The person with more years at Google should get more money than someone who has only been here since last week”).
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve discussed the important role that conflict can play in decision-making. We hope that you feel more prepared to deal with potential conflicts as they arise in your organization or team. As we mentioned earlier, there are many different types of conflicts—and not all will result in a split. But if you want to avoid any potential problems before they start, take some time to think through all the options before making decisions about how to allocate resources.