Organizational conflicts represent a complex phenomenon that involves many actors and different process variables, linked through circular relationships of cause and effect.
Considering the social nature of the subject, “conflict means perceived divergence of interest, or a belief that the parties’ current aspirations cannot be achieved simultaneously” (Rubin, Pruitt, & Hee, 1994, p. 5). In organizational contexts, conflict arises when the cognitive and emotional frameworks of the parties have no trust in a common ground sharing the same interests or realizing different subjective goals simultaneously in a win-win game (Deutsch, 2006).