Conflict in a group can be challenging, but beneficial. When is conflict not beneficial to a group, and how can the problem be resolved?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: All groups can benefit from some degree of conflict to be effective. There are two types of conflict in groups: functional and dysfunctional. Functional conflict helps team members put ideas "through the wringer" to test them out, and keeps them from settling for the "easy" solution. In functional conflict, group members can challenge others' views without getting personal. Dysfunctional conflict can be destructive to a team's process. It usually occurs when disagreements get personal; group members then tend to "shut down" and productive communication falters. To avoid dysfunctional conflict, members should limit criticisms to ideas, and not the person who expresses the idea.