Price: €549
Result preparation time: 72 hours
Number of participants: 3 to 5 people
Participant structure: 1 manager and 2 to 4 subordinates
Test format: joint test for a work group
Do conflicts between the manager and subordinates constantly arise in your work group, but you do not understand why they keep recurring?
This test will help you see how the manager and employees perceive requirements, decisions, responsibility, control and their interaction with one another. The result will show the main causes of tension and what needs to change to reduce conflicts and improve their work together.
Take the test as a complete work group and find out what prevents the manager and subordinates from working together effectively and avoiding conflict situations.
What the test assesses
The test “Analysis of Conflicts Between a Manager and Subordinates” is designed to identify the causes of conflicts, recurring disagreements, hidden resistance and tension within a work group.
The participation of the group manager and between two and four subordinates is required. The answers of the manager and the employees are analysed separately and then compared with one another.
The test examines not only open disputes, complaints and individual conflict situations. It analyses the way people interact within the group, how tasks are assigned, how decisions are made, how responsibility is distributed, how work performance is monitored, attitudes towards initiative, feedback, the expectations of the manager and employees, access to resources, workload and financial matters.
The visible cause of a conflict may be a specific situation: an uncompleted assignment, a missed deadline, criticism of a result, redistribution of duties, an employee’s refusal to perform additional work, disagreement with a managerial decision, a dispute between subordinates, the level of pay, a bonus, a work schedule, leave or insufficient information.
However, the same conflict often recurs under different circumstances because its main cause lies deeper than an individual workplace incident.
A manager may believe that an employee is avoiding responsibility. The employee may perceive the same situation as a lack of clear instructions, constantly changing requirements or excessive supervision.
A subordinate may believe that they are showing initiative. The manager may perceive their actions as a breach of the established procedure and an attempt to change an approved decision independently.
One employee may consider the distribution of duties fair. Another may perceive it as the repeated assignment of the most difficult or inconvenient work to them.
The test helps determine exactly where the perceptions, expectations and actions of the manager and subordinates diverge, which situations trigger conflicts and how the behaviour of each participant affects the condition of the entire work group.
The main purpose of the test is to identify the actual causes of conflicts between the manager and subordinates, separate them from visible triggers and show which changes may reduce tension and improve workplace interaction.
The result is not based only on the position of the manager or one employee. The answers of all participants are analysed separately, after which a comparative analysis of the work group is carried out.
What the analysis of conflicts between a manager and subordinates means
Conflict analysis does not mean looking for a manager or employee to blame.
Its purpose is to identify the mechanism that creates, maintains or intensifies tension within the work group.
Conflict may arise because of unclear tasks, different expectations, an inconsistent working procedure, insufficient information, changing decisions, broken agreements, an uneven workload, insufficient resources, financial pressure, competition between employees or differences in the understanding of responsibility.
In some groups, the manager and employees understand the causes of the problem but continue to follow their habitual pattern of behaviour.
The manager increases supervision because they do not trust the quality of the work being performed. The employee perceives the additional supervision as distrust and stops showing initiative. The reduction in initiative confirms the manager’s belief that stricter supervision is necessary. As a result, the conflict begins to sustain itself.
Another situation is also possible. An employee does not report a problem in time because they fear criticism. The manager learns about the problem too late and reacts more sharply. The employee then avoids open discussion even more strongly.
Conflict may also arise between subordinates. One employee believes that they perform most of the shared work. Another believes that their contribution is not recognised. The manager may not notice the internal tension until it begins to affect deadlines, quality and the transfer of information.
The analysis helps establish which actions trigger the conflict, how each participant responds to tension, which roles develop within the group and why an initial workplace problem gradually develops into a personal confrontation.
How the test for a work group is completed
The test is intended for a work group consisting of three to five people.
The participants are:
- one group manager;
- two to four subordinates.
The manager answers a separate block of questions designed to reflect their authority, responsibilities and role in managing the group.
All subordinates answer the same block of questions. This makes it possible to compare their perceptions of the manager, workplace rules, the distribution of duties, interaction with colleagues and the general atmosphere within the group.
Each participant answers the questions separately.
The participants must not complete the test together, discuss specific questions or coordinate their answers with one another.
This procedure is necessary so that each person describes their own perception of the workplace situation rather than adapting their answers to the position of the manager or colleagues.
The answers of the manager and each subordinate are stored separately. After all blocks have been completed, individual, paired and group analyses are carried out.
The following are compared:
- the position of the manager and the overall position of the subordinates;
- the position of the manager and the position of each employee;
- the positions of the subordinates in relation to one another;
- the perception of rules, duties and decisions by all participants;
- similarities and differences across the four areas of the model of Iv.Spolan.
The test examines the work group as a single system of interaction. The result is therefore not based only on the manager’s answers and is not reduced to a simple total score for all participants.
What is examined in the test
The test analyses workplace interaction through four areas of the model of Iv.Spolan: Behaviour, Choice, Demand and Money.
Each area is examined separately for the manager and every subordinate.
The results are then compared in order to identify similarities, differences, sector gaps, persistent conflict relationships and recurring patterns within the work group.
Behaviour
Behaviour shows how the manager and employees act before a conflict, during a conflict and after it.
The manager’s block examines how the manager assigns tasks, communicates changes, supervises work performance, responds to mistakes, discusses problems and provides feedback.
It analyses whether the manager is able to explain a complaint calmly, separate an employee’s mistake from a personal judgement of that person, listen to another position and acknowledge insufficient information or an error in their own decision.
The test examines whether the manager uses public criticism, pressure, a raised voice, threats of punishment, comparisons between employees, ignored questions, excessive supervision or sudden changes in requirements.
The subordinates’ block examines how employees respond to assignments, supervision, criticism, changes in decisions, additional workload and disagreement with the manager.
It analyses whether an employee reports a problem in advance, asks clarifying questions, acknowledges their own mistake, respects agreements and is able to discuss a difficult situation without turning it into a personal confrontation.
The test also examines reactions such as silence, passive resistance, purely formal completion of a task, deliberate slowing of work, ignoring an assignment, hidden criticism of the manager, spreading dissatisfaction among colleagues or attempting to bring other employees onto one side.
The behaviour of subordinates towards one another is analysed separately.
One employee may provide colleagues with incomplete information, avoid shared responsibility, take credit for a collective result or shift mistakes onto another person.
Another employee may avoid reporting dissatisfaction for a long time and then suddenly refuse further interaction.
The test helps identify which actions reduce tension and which turn a workplace disagreement into a persistent conflict.
Behaviour after the conflict is also considered. The manager may consider the issue closed once the task has been completed, while the employee continues to perceive the situation as unfair. The employee may believe that they have apologised and resolved the problem, while the manager continues to restrict their independence.
Such differences frequently become the cause of a new conflict.
Choice
Choice shows how decisions are made within the work group and how the right to influence the working process is distributed.
The test examines which decisions the manager makes independently, which matters are discussed with employees and whether subordinates have a genuine opportunity to express disagreement.
It analyses how the manager distributes tasks, appoints responsible employees, sets deadlines, delegates authority and responds to employee proposals.
The manager may believe that subordinates have sufficient independence. Employees may perceive the same system as a lack of clearly defined authority and a requirement to accept responsibility for decisions they did not make.
The opposite situation is also possible. The manager believes that an employee should independently choose how to complete a task. The employee expects precise instructions and interprets the absence of detailed guidance as inadequate management.
The test examines whether an employee has the right to refuse an additional task, suggest a different deadline, point out insufficient resources or warn that the work cannot be completed within the required scope.
It analyses whether a subordinate can openly express disagreement or is forced to appear to agree and then resist the decision afterwards.
Within the block concerning interaction between subordinates, the test examines how decisions are made regarding shared tasks, who effectively becomes the informal leader, who gives way, who avoids responsibility and who attempts to control the work of other employees without the appropriate authority.
The test helps determine how clearly participants understand workplace decisions, whether the formal management structure corresponds to the actual structure and where struggles for influence arise.
The ability to reconsider a decision when circumstances change is also examined.
In some groups, conflict is maintained not by the original mistake, but by a refusal to acknowledge that the previous plan no longer corresponds to the actual situation.
Demand
Demand shows what the manager expects from subordinates and what employees expect from the manager, their colleagues and the workplace.
The manager’s block examines expectations concerning initiative, discipline, speed of work, independence, loyalty, quality, willingness to perform additional tasks and attitudes towards the overall result.
The manager may expect an employee to notice a problem independently and propose a solution. The employee may believe that they are only required to perform specifically assigned tasks.
The manager may consider additional work a normal part of team interaction. The subordinate may perceive it as the constant expansion of duties without agreement or compensation.
The subordinates’ block examines expectations concerning clarity of tasks, support, recognition of results, fairness, career opportunities, access to information, stability of rules, the work schedule and the manager’s attitude.
One employee may expect regular feedback. Another may regard frequent discussions as a sign of distrust and prefer greater independence.
One subordinate may expect public recognition of their contribution. Another may consider freedom from interference in their work more important.
The expectations that employees have of one another are also analysed.
An employee may expect colleagues to help when the workload is high. Other members of the group may believe that each person should independently complete their own part of the work.
Conflict arises not only because expectations are not met, but also because those expectations have often never been stated or agreed.
The test helps determine the actual expectations of each participant, separate them from formal job duties and establish which requirements are understood by the entire group and which exist only in the mind of one person.
Money
Money shows how pay, bonuses, penalties, resources and material responsibility affect relationships within the work group.
The test examines how clearly participants understand the rules governing pay, bonuses, additional work, overtime and financial responsibility.
It analyses whether employees perceive the distribution of bonuses and other rewards as fair.
The manager may believe that a financial decision is based on work performance. An employee may believe that their contribution was undervalued or that different rules are being applied to different people.
The test examines how work resources are distributed, including equipment, budget, working time, information, access to clients, support from other departments and the ability to use additional tools.
An employee may be responsible for a result without having sufficient resources to achieve it. The manager may believe that the necessary opportunities have already been provided.
A financial conflict may arise even without a direct dispute over salary.
Issues involving money may reveal a struggle for recognition, influence, status, access to opportunities and the right to make decisions.
One employee may believe that they are receiving more duties without a corresponding increase in pay. Another may perceive differences in pay as evidence of unequal treatment by the manager.
The test helps determine whether the financial issue is an independent cause of conflict or whether it reveals deeper problems involving management, recognition and the distribution of responsibility.
Conflicts between the manager and subordinates
The main focus of the test is the manager’s interaction with each subordinate and with the group as a whole.
A manager may use the same management style with every employee but receive different reactions.
One employee perceives a direct instruction as a clear assignment. Another perceives the same form of communication as pressure and a lack of trust.
One subordinate requires detailed supervision. Another works more effectively when given independence.
Conflict may arise when the manager does not take these differences into account or when employees expect completely individual rules while performing shared work.
The analysis examines whether some employees receive more trust, more information or important assignments more frequently from the manager.
It also examines whether other participants perceive these differences as justified or as evidence of the manager’s personal preference.
The test helps determine where a conflict is connected with a specific employee, where the problem arises from the general management style and where tension is maintained by mismatched expectations across the entire group.
Conflicts between subordinates
The test analyses not only the relationship between the manager and employees, but also the interaction between subordinates.
Conflicts within the group may be connected with the distribution of tasks, transfer of information, deadlines, responsibility for the shared result, competition, personal influence and different attitudes towards workplace discipline.
One employee may regularly correct a colleague’s mistakes and believe that they are performing another person’s work. The other employee may perceive those actions as interference and an attempt to demonstrate superiority.
Informal alliances, internal divisions, hidden competition or the persistent opposition of one employee to the rest of the group may develop.
The manager may not participate directly in the conflict, but their decisions, lack of response or uneven distribution of attention may intensify tension between subordinates.
The test helps determine which conflicts arise directly between employees, which are connected with managerial decisions and which are maintained by the general organisation of work.
External causes of conflicts
Not every conflict develops solely within the work group.
Interaction between the manager and subordinates may be affected by changes within the company, budget reductions, staff shortages, the loss of clients, a change of ownership, restructuring, remote work, changes to the schedule, relocation of the office, new requirements or prolonged uncertainty.
The manager may be under pressure from senior management and transfer that tension to subordinates.
Employees may be unaware of external restrictions and perceive changes in the manager’s behaviour as personal distrust, unfairness or a deterioration in their attitude.
A subordinate may experience pressure caused by family, financial or medical circumstances, affecting their workplace behaviour and their ability to interact with the group.
The influence of other departments, clients, owners, partners, the bonus system, internal rules and corporate culture is also analysed.
The diagnosis helps separate an internal problem within the work group from pressure created by external circumstances and determine which factors must be considered when looking for a solution.
Recurring conflicts
Particular attention is given to conflicts that regularly arise according to a similar pattern.
The specific trigger may change, but the sequence of actions remains the same.
The manager assigns a task, the employee does not clarify unclear conditions, the result does not meet expectations, the manager intensifies the criticism, the employee becomes defensive and both sides then regard the other side as the cause of the problem.
Another pattern is also possible.
One subordinate fails to complete their part of the work, another compensates for the missing result, tension accumulates, the manager does not intervene and the conflict eventually becomes open.
A recurring conflict shows that participants are not responding only to the current situation. A stable sequence of actions has already developed within the group.
The test helps identify the starting point of this sequence, the actions of each participant and the moment when a workplace difference becomes a conflict.
It examines whether previous conflicts were genuinely resolved or only temporarily stopped.
Unexpressed complaints, broken promises, the absence of a clear solution and the continued use of the previous working procedure may cause the same problem to recur.
What the result shows
The test result shows the main causes of conflicts between the manager and subordinates, as well as the mechanism through which tension develops within the work group.
The analysis includes separate indicators for the manager and each employee across four areas: Behaviour, Choice, Demand and Money.
A comparative analysis of the answers is also carried out, and the Sector Balance Ratio (SBR) is calculated.
The result helps identify:
- which situations most frequently trigger conflict;
- how the manager perceives the causes of problems;
- how each subordinate perceives the causes of conflicts;
- where the positions of the manager and employees coincide;
- where substantial differences in perception exist;
- which actions by the manager intensify tension;
- which actions by subordinates intensify tension;
- which conflicts exist between employees;
- how clearly tasks and workplace requirements are understood;
- how the right to make decisions is distributed;
- how duties and responsibility are distributed;
- how freely employees can express disagreement;
- which expectations were not agreed;
- how consistently workplace agreements are respected;
- how financial matters affect the group;
- what role the management style plays;
- which conflicts recur according to the same pattern;
- which problems are connected with external circumstances;
- what the manager can change in the management of the group;
- what each employee can change in their own behaviour;
- which issues require joint reconsideration.
The result is not generated automatically solely on the basis of the total score.
The answers of all participants are considered together. Similarities, contradictions, recurring patterns of behaviour, differences in expectations and sector gaps within the work group are taken into account.
The manager’s answers, the answers of each subordinate and the relationship between the positions of all participants are assessed separately.
On the basis of the analysis, a conclusion is provided regarding the main causes of conflicts, the manager’s role, the employees’ roles and possible directions for changing workplace interaction.
What is included in the result
After the test has been completed, an individual, comparative and group analysis of the answers of all participants is carried out.
The customer receives:
- an overall review of the condition of the work group;
- a separate analysis of the manager’s answers;
- a separate analysis of the answers of each subordinate;
- an analysis of the Behaviour of the manager and employees;
- an analysis of the Choice of the manager and employees;
- an analysis of the Demand of the manager and employees;
- an analysis of the Money area for the manager and employees;
- a comparison of the manager’s position with the position of the group;
- a comparison of the manager’s position with the position of each employee;
- an analysis of interaction between subordinates;
- identification of the main causes of conflicts;
- identification of recurring conflict patterns;
- an analysis of task assignment and the transfer of information;
- an analysis of the distribution of duties and responsibility;
- an assessment of compliance with workplace agreements;
- an analysis of differences in expectations;
- an assessment of the influence of the management style on the group;
- an assessment of the financial influence on workplace relationships;
- the Sector Balance Ratio (SBR);
- identification of external sources of tension;
- a description of actions that intensify conflict;
- a description of actions that may reduce conflict;
- personal conclusions for each participant;
- general directions for changing interaction within the group.
The result is prepared manually on the basis of the manager’s answers, the answers of the subordinates and calculations performed by the MediaIEU system.
What the test is not
The test does not identify a manager or employee to blame.
The test does not divide participants into those who are right and those who are wrong.
The test does not determine who is a good or bad manager, or who is a strong or weak employee.
The test is not a staff appraisal and does not assess the professional qualifications of the participants.
The test is not intended for the automatic making of decisions concerning dismissal, demotion, punishment, changes to an employee’s salary or changes to an employee’s position.
The test is not an internal investigation and does not establish a violation of employment law, discrimination, harassment, financial misconduct or any other legal violation.
The test is not a medical, psychiatric or psychological diagnosis.
The test does not replace an HR specialist, organisational psychologist, mediator, lawyer, occupational safety specialist or trade union representative.
The test does not guarantee that conflicts will automatically stop after the result has been received.
Changes in workplace interaction depend on the extent to which the manager and employees are prepared to consider the result, reconsider their own actions and respect new agreements.
Where threats, violence, coercion, discrimination, harassment, violations of employment rights or risks to health are present, the appropriate specialists and competent authorities must be contacted.
The purpose of the test is to provide a systemic analysis of the work group through Behaviour, Choice, Demand and Money, and to identify the causes of conflicts and the mechanisms through which they recur.
Who this test is for
The test is suitable for work groups consisting of three to five people, with one manager and between two and four subordinates.
The test may be used by:
- the manager of a small work group;
- the manager of a department or division;
- a small business owner;
- a project team;
- a small administrative group;
- a group of specialists working on a shared task;
- a company analysing a specific workplace conflict.
The test may be useful when the participants:
- regularly encounter the same conflicts;
- understand assigned tasks differently;
- cannot agree on duties and responsibility;
- do not trust the manager’s decisions;
- consider the distribution of workload unfair;
- experience constant supervision or insufficient management;
- cannot discuss workplace problems openly;
- experience conflicts concerning deadlines and work quality;
- experience competition between employees;
- do not understand one another’s expectations;
- believe that their contribution is not recognised;
- experience conflicts concerning pay or bonuses;
- return to previous complaints;
- experience tension following changes to the structure, management or working conditions;
- seek to determine the role of each participant in the development of the conflict;
- are prepared to answer the questions separately and receive a comparative result.
The test is also suitable for a group in which there is no permanent open conflict, but distance, irritation, distrust, hidden resistance or refusal to cooperate are gradually increasing.
The analysis makes it possible to identify the problem before the tension begins to affect deadlines, work quality and the stability of the entire group on a continuing basis.
Conclusion
A conflict between a manager and subordinates rarely consists only of one assignment, one decision or one mistake.
It is usually formed through a sequence of actions, reactions, expectations and accumulated complaints.
The manager may believe that they are increasing supervision to protect the result, while employees perceive their actions as distrust.
An employee may believe that they are defending a professional position, while the manager perceives their behaviour as a refusal to carry out an assignment.
One subordinate may believe that they are helping the group, while others perceive their actions as interference and an attempt to manage colleagues.
Without comparing all positions, each participant continues to see only their own part of the situation.
The test “Analysis of Conflicts Between a Manager and Subordinates” helps examine the work group as a single system of interaction.
It shows where the conflict begins, how it develops, which actions maintain it and why the same problems recur.
The result contains an overall analysis of the work group, a separate analysis of the manager, a separate analysis of each subordinate, a comparative picture of the interaction, the main sector gaps and possible directions for change.
The main purpose of the test is not to find someone to blame, but to understand the actual conflict mechanism and the role of each participant in its development or resolution.
Conditions of this test
The test “Analysis of Conflicts Between a Manager and Subordinates” is a joint test for a work group consisting of three to five people.
The required participants are:
- one manager;
- two to four subordinates.
The test cannot be completed without the participation of the manager.
The test is not intended for a group consisting only of employees without their immediate manager.
The manager answers a separate block of questions.
Each subordinate answers the same employee question block.
The answers of each participant are stored and analysed separately. A comparative analysis of the manager, each subordinate and the group as a whole is then carried out.
The price of the test is €549.
The result preparation time is 72 hours after payment and the answers of all participants have been received.
The result is provided in digital format to the email address specified while completing the test or placing the order.
The result is prepared on the basis of the manager’s answers, the answers of all subordinates, calculations across the four areas of the model of Iv.Spolan and an individual analytical review.
Placing an order, paying for the test, completing the test or submitting answers constitutes acceptance of the general MediaIEU terms governing the ordering, payment, completion and receipt of test results.
General testing conditions
The conditions stated above apply only to the test “Analysis of Conflicts Between a Manager and Subordinates” and specify its format, price, result preparation time, number of participants, group structure and completion procedure.
The general MediaIEU terms governing ordering, payment, test completion, processing of answers, receipt of results, refunds, limitations, copyright, personal data and technical matters also apply. These terms are provided below on this page.
Where the specific conditions of this test differ from the general MediaIEU terms in relation to the price, format, result preparation time, number of participants, group structure or method of providing the result, the conditions stated for this specific test shall apply.
