Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL

Conflict
It may happen, that not only one, but two or more interrelated subjects want to be heroes. Each
one tends to force the other to align with him, but does not want to adjust himself. Both (or more)
become harmful one to another, not because of differences in beliefs, values or interests, but just
because of disagreement about the chosen method of behaviour. If one possesses much more
power he/she may override the other (or others) for the period that this advantage remains. This
may be for a long or a short time; then positions may change. Thus, instead of seeking to find a
common solution and a ‘win-win’ situation, the subjects remain in opposing positions that may for a
while create a ‘win-lose’ scenario, but in the long run almost always result in a ‘lose-lose’ situation.
That is a conflict.
Coordination
The emergent effect of coordinated actions (or synergy effect) may bring to life an absolutely new
quality - two men may be able to take a piano to the 5 th floor in ten minutes, which either one
separately may never be able to do it. Or, it may accelerate the quantitative parameters - when
three waiters serve all clients together, as a team, the service response time is usually about onetenth,
because it is not necessary to wait for ‘your’ waiter.
Subjects, taken together to a dangerous situation, may have no choice but to coordinate their
actions or to not survive. Imagine an island with 100 barbarians - absolutely selfish, never
communicating, each very similar in their abilities - all living separately, paying no attention to one
another. That may be possible if the island produces food sufficient for 100. But if the climate
changes, and there is only enough food for 80 species to survive – they may all die, because this
resource will distribute more or less equally among them, which means everyone will be able to
find about 80 percent of what is needed. That would be the paradox of full freedom. Nature would
never allow this. Sooner or later, two or three of the barbarians, being extremely selfish and very
ill-mannered, would decide to come together to search food and share the spoils, to protect each
other from outside aggression, or even attack the other barbarians. Now these three will definitely
survive. There are a lot of resources around. Others may decide do the same – and also survive,
but not all of them; there will be losers - those who are feeble, or were too late in grouping with
others.
Thus, those who cooperate, up to a maximum of 80, may survive. But not for free. Though being
inherently selfish and striving exclusively for their own interests, they must limit themselves to the
scope of behaviours that is agreed upon and accepted by others. This requires seeing others,
communicating with others, taking others into account – this may be very oppressive in the
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