Systematic Organizational Conflicts Identification and Resolution Using Perception Mapping and Function Relationship Analysis

Authors

  • Dongliang Daniel Sheu National Tsing Hua University
  • Mei Hui Tsai

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6977/IJoSI.201409_3(2).0003

Abstract

This research proposes a set of methods to analyze the relationships between people's perceptions and organizational goals, ultimately identifying and solving complex organizational conflicts using modified TRIZ Perception Mapping, Function Relationship Analysis, Solution Directions, and Business Inventive Principles. Organizational perceptions are usually fuzzy and obscure, making conflicts in them difficult to detect. However, they may cause friction between colleagues and create significant negative impacts on organizational performance. This research proposes an augmented perception analysis, and links organizational perceptions with phenomena and performance indices to form a function relationship diagram, thus enabling a structured unequivocal identification of conflicts within an organization. TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) tools such as Cause Effect and Contradiction Chain Analysis (CECCA), Solution Directives, and Inventive (Business) Principles can then be used to locate root conflicts and resolve complex organizational problems.
Contributions of this research include: 
(1) Enhancing Perception Mapping Method. An "Inhibit" relation is added to the existing "Lead to" relation. With the additional relaxation of a one-to-one relationship to multiple-to-multiple relationships and the introduction of organizational phenomena/performance indices into the perception map, this method is able to clearly identify organizational conflicts in a structured way. Objective logical reasoning instead of subject feelings can now be used to identify conflicts in complex perception relationships in organizations.
(2) Enabling us to link individual perceptions to organization performances through the Function Relationship Diagram. It helps us identify which perceptions are causing performance problems, thereby allowing us to solve the problems at their root cause(s). It also helps us to locate the conflicts between people’s perceptions, enabling us to resolve or prevent friction.
(3) Structured application of TRIZ technical tools such as CECCA, Solution Directives, and Business Inventive Principles on solving fuzzy business problems.
Keywords: TRIZ, Perception Map, Conflict identification, Conflict Resolution, Function Relationship Diagram.

Author Biographies

Dongliang Daniel Sheu, National Tsing Hua University

Mei Hui Tsai

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Published

2015-10-01