A goal conflict arises when two or more goals compete with each other and cannot be achieved simultaneously.
Recognizing and resolving goal conflicts is one of the important tasks of management, especially in strategic planning and decision-making.
Goal conflicts can occur both within individual organizational units and between different actors, and require careful analysis and consideration to find optimal solutions and compromises.
In this glossary entry we're going to show you the different types of goal conflicts, the major causes and ways to resolve goal conflicts.
What's a goal conflict?
The term "goal conflict" describes a situation in which at least two goals are pursued simultaneously that interfere with or exclude each other. These can be goals within an organization or between different organizations. Goal conflicts are a common phenomenon in the economic, political, and social spheres and pose a challenge for decision-makers.
What is a conflict of objectives example?
A classic example is the conflict between cost and quality. If you want to manufacture a product, you want to keep costs low, but at the same time offer high quality. Cheaper materials can reduce costs but compromise quality.
Another example is the conflict between environmental friendliness and profitability. A company may want to be more sustainable, but the necessary measures could increase production costs. These conflicts often require compromises or prioritization in order to find a balance.
What types of conflicting objectives exist?
Goal conflicts can be divided into different categories. One possible classification distinguishes between intrapersonal, interpersonal, and interorganizational goal conflicts:
- Intrapersonal goal conflicts arise when an individual pursues multiple goals that interfere with each other. An example of this is the desire for a high quality of life while simultaneously wanting professional success, which may involve a high workload.
- Interpersonal goal conflicts occur when two or more individuals pursue different goals that affect each other. An example is when two employees compete for a promotion.
- Interorganizational goal conflicts arise when different organizations or organizational units pursue different goals that interfere with each other. An example of this is the conflict between environmental protection goals and economic interests.
What are the causes of conflicting objectives?
Goal conflicts can arise for various reasons:
- Scarcity of resources: When resources such as time, money, or personnel are limited, conflicts can arise between different goals that require these resources.
- Interdependence of goals: Some goals are dependent on each other and can only be achieved together. In this case, achieving one goal can impede the achievement of another.
- Incompatibility of goals: In some cases, goals are fundamentally incompatible because they exclude each other. An example is the conflict between environmental protection and economic growth.
How to recognizing goal conflicts?
To identify and manage goal conflicts, it is important to conduct a systematic analysis of the goals and their interactions. Creating a goal landscape can be helpful, where all relevant goals and their relationships are depicted. Goal conflicts can manifest themselves in different dimensions:
- Temporal dimension: Goal conflicts can concern short-term and long-term goals.
- Spatial dimension: Goal conflicts can relate to local, regional, or global goals.
- Subjective dimension: Goal conflicts can be based on individual or collective goals.
How to solve conflicting goals?
Various strategies are available to resolve goal conflicts:
- Prioritization: This involves deciding which goal is more important and thus takes precedence over others. However, this method can lead to the neglect of less important goals.
- Integration: In this approach, the various goals are linked in such a way that they support each other. This can be done by identifying synergies or developing common solution strategies.
- Compromise: This method attempts to find a balance between different goals by accepting trade-offs in individual goals.
- Sequential processing: Here, the goals are pursued one after the other, with the achievement of one goal being a prerequisite for the achievement of the next.
Conclusion
Goal conflicts are a widespread phenomenon in organizations and in societal contexts. They arise when various goals are pursued simultaneously that interfere with or exclude each other. Recognizing and resolving goal conflicts is a central task of management and strategic planning.
Through systematic analysis of the goals and their interactions, goal conflicts can be identified and solution strategies developed. Various approaches are available such as prioritization, integration, compromise, or sequential processing.
