Two groups in conflict: intergroup
The staff nurses of the orthopedic ward and the nurses of the operating room repeatedly blame each other at shared meetings when clients are sent late for surgery, and each group defends its own unit's routines. The conflict is not between two individuals and not within one team; it is between two unit groups. Conflict between groups, units, or departments, such as two wards competing over schedules, resources, or procedures, is intergroup conflict. The fact that both units are under the same chief nurse does not change this. They belong to one nursing service, but the disagreement is between two distinct groups with their own goals and routines.
Levels of conflict
Conflict is classified by where it occurs. Identifying the parties is the key to naming the type.
| Type | Parties | Example |
|---|
| Intrapersonal | Within one person | A nurse torn between two values |
| Interpersonal | Between two or more individuals | Two staff nurses disagreeing over a shift swap |
| Intragroup | Among members of one team | Staff of one ward disagreeing about break times |
| Intergroup | Between groups or units | Ward and operating room blaming each other |
| Organizational | Between staff and the organization's policies or structure | Nurses opposing a new hospital staffing policy |
Why the other types are wrong
Interpersonal conflict involves individuals; here whole groups blame each other. Intragroup conflict occurs among members of a single team; the ward nurses and operating room nurses are separate unit groups. Organizational conflict arises between staff and the organization's policies, structure, or goals; neither group is opposing a hospital policy. They are opposing each other.
Managing intergroup conflict
Intergroup conflict often grows from interdependence, unclear handoffs, and competing priorities. Useful strategies include focusing on a shared goal (clients reaching surgery on time), clarifying each unit's responsibilities, jointly mapping the process from ward to operating room, agreeing on handoff times and checklists, and using collaboration rather than blame. The chief nurse may bring representatives together to solve the problem jointly. Collaboration addresses the causes and produces a solution both groups support.
Exam takeaway
Key point Identify the parties. Two units or departments in conflict, even within the same nursing service, is intergroup conflict.