There are three types of conflict, personal or relational conflicts, instrumental conflicts, and conflicts of interest:

• Personal or relational conflicts are usually about identity or self-image, or important aspects of a relationship such as loyalty, breach of confidence, perceived betrayal, or lack of respect.
• Instrumental conflicts are about goals, structures, procedures and means: something tangible and structural within the organisation or for an individual.
• Conflicts of interest concern the ways in which the means of achieving goals are distributed, such as time, money, space, and staff. They may also be about factors related to these, such as relative importance, or knowledge and expertise. An example would be a couple disagreeing over whether to spend a bonus on a holiday or to repair the roof.