Conflicting demands: when no one says what should give way

Conflicting demands arise when two managers, two systems or two concerns ask for things that do not go together, and no one says what should give way. It is solved in the organisation, not by the individual.

Updated October 6, 2026 · 3 min read

What the law says

aml § 4-3 (2) aUnclear or conflicting demands and expectations in the work are a psychosocial working environment factor.Regulation § 1A-1 aThe same factor is named in the regulation on the performance of work, which requires it to be surveyed and risk-assessed where relevant.

Arbeidstilsynet points out that demands can be formal or informal, and come from managers, colleagues, partners – or from the employee themselves, for instance professional or moral values that clash with what is asked. The latter is often called role conflict.

What Orgpuls asks

The factor «Conflicting demands» is measured with three statements, answered on a five-point scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree:

«I rarely get tasks without knowing what should be deprioritised»
«The demands from different quarters hang together»
«I know who decides when two things collide»

Read the number right

Which statement is lowest? Is prioritisation missing, do the demands not fit together, or is it unclear who decides?
How many people order work? Groups that work for several managers or departments often score lower.
Together with workload? Conflicting demands and a high workload often reinforce each other. Read more about workload and time pressure.

Common causes

Typical causes:

several people ordering work from the same team, with no one prioritising between them
goals and targets pulling in different directions, such as quality and speed
new tasks added without anything being taken away
no clear final say when two demands collide
demands that go against professional judgement or ethics

Three measures that work

One person decides when two demands collideSettle in writing who has the last word when demands from different directions do not fit together, and make it known to everyone. Time: One decision. Watch: «I know who decides when two things collide»

Workshop: Responsibility mapThe team maps the most important tasks: who orders, who carries out, who approves. Where two people order, you choose one. Time: 90 min. Watch: «The demands from different quarters hang together»

A new task in, another one downWhen the leader hands out a new task, they say at the same time what is to be deprioritised. Time: Ongoing. Watch: «I rarely get tasks without knowing what should be deprioritised»

The research behind it: research on role conflict. Unclear priorities between several people who order work is a strong source of stress, and it is solved in the organisation, not in the individual.

Measure whether it helped

Run a short pulse on the factor a couple of months after the measure is in place. If the number does not move, the measure missed the cause, and you need to go back to the group and ask again. Read more about getting from results to measures and going through the results with your employees.

Sources

This is general information, not legal advice. We checked what the law says with Lovdata and Arbeidstilsynet in September 2026.

Role clarity: when people do not know what is expectedA low role clarity score in your work environment survey? What the law says, what the number means, common causes and three measures for clearer roles.Read the article →Workload and time pressure: when the score is lowA low workload score in your work environment survey? What the regulation says, how to read the number, common causes and measures that work.Read the article →

See where you stand

Orgpuls measures «Conflicting demands» and ten other factors anonymously, and suggests measures where the number is low. The first 15 days are free.

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