The four-stage conflict-process model is a very useful framework to understand the episode of any conflict. Below model will be able to describe and analyse conflict as chain of episodes and tend to unfold conflicts in a particular sequence.
Stage-1] Precursor Conditions for Conflict (Potential Antagonism)
You may refer to this stage as the source of conflict where presence of antecedent/precursor conditions that create opportunities for conflict to arise. Some of these antecedent conditions refer to scarcity of resources, heterogeneity of members and diversity of goals, values, perception; degree of dependence between groups; insufficient exchange of information, etc.
These precursor conditions need not necessarily lead to conflict and may be present in the absence-of conflict as well.
Stage-2] Perceived & Felt conflicts (Cognition and Personalization)
The antecedent/precursor conditions may or may not lead to conflict. If a conflict is perceived, it does not mean that it is personalized ("felt conflict"). The situation may be ignored if it is seen as minimally threatening.
However, if situations start hurting individual/party goals/feelings to a reasonable level, conflicts gets to the phase “FELT Conflict level” where individuals become emotionally involved and parties experience feelings of threat, hostility, fear or mistrust.
Stage-3] Manifest Conflict & Conflict Resolution (Conflictive and Conflict-management
Manifest behaviour is the action resulting from perceived and/or felt conflict. At this stage, a conscious attempt is made by one party to block the goal achievement of the other party. Such behaviour may range from subtle, indirect and highly controlled forms of interference to more open forms of aggressive behaviour like strikes, riots and war.
Most conflict-handling behaviours are displayed in several forms like resignation and withdrawal, appeasement and compromise, confrontation and collaboration, et.
Stage-4 ] Consequences (Aftermath)
Stage-4 ] Consequences (Aftermath)
The interplay between evident conflict behaviour forms and conflict handling strategies influence the consequences. These consequences (in terms of performance of the group, the level of satisfaction and management of organizational conflicts and quality of relationship in the involved parties, change of structure and policies etc.) in turn influence the antecedent conditions and probability of future conflict.
Sometimes, the aftermath sows the seeds of yet another conflict episode in which case the entire process is repeated.