The Causes of Conflict in an Advisory Relationship

Every conflict between a business advisor and a potential entrepreneur has an underlying reason that leads to discontent and disagreement:

  • when the beliefs and the ideas of both parts are incongruent,
  • when both parts feel that their input is not accepted nor respected,
  • when both parts evaluate the performance of each other with poor and unjust criteria,
  • when business advisors set unrealistic goals and assign difficult and non-accomplishable tasks,
  • when both parts don’t give feedback and value each other’s contribution in the development of a business idea and plan,
  • when two or more of the following values are in conflict (Schwartz, 1992):
      • individual interests: Power, achievement, hedonism, stimulation, and self-direction
      • collective interests: Benevolence, tradition, and conformity
      • mixed interests (Individual and collective driven): Universalism and security

Values constitute an important component of the self and personality and are distinct from attitudes, beliefs, norms and traits.