The following factors may be causes or complicating factors of conflict:

• Time

• Structural design
  • task interdependence , power distributions , resource scarcity, goal incompatibility , uncertainty
• Personal Differences
  • Faith , Ego , Experience , Personality , Prejudice , Poor training , Oversensitivity , Values , Aims , Substance use (Caffeine & other stimulants / narcotics may amplify and distort the emotional impact of conflict situations)
• Communication - miscommunication (semantics and cultural differences) & Signal to Noise (S/N ratio) of communications & poor listening skills

Behaviors that may cause/complicate conflict

• Intellectual

• Emotional
• Interpersonal
• Managerial / Leadership
• Communication - miscommunication (semantics and cultural differences) & Signal to Noise (S/N ratio) of communications & poor listening & storytelling skills
  

Knowledge results from humans interacting with their environment and upon each other. As human interaction is the source of knowledge, it is necessary to ask what factors may impede the effective generation of knowledge and the sharing of know-how. Knowledge sharing / creation can only occur in the context of a 'safe space' but unfortunately many organisations find it difficult to maintain those conditions of culture and lived values that make for a safe space. This represents a paradox and a challenge to all key role players in such institutions who profess to support KM to take an honest, objective look at themselves. There are a number of behavioural factors related to power politics which are known to impede KM activities. These behaviours are particularly important because they are emulated in a cultural context (Katz and Kahn). Behaviours that negatively impact knowledge sharing and the practice of KM include:

• Uninvolved, disinterested leadership