Conflict Management What do really know about conflict management within an organization? We know that there are issues that almost every manager, leader, or employee will have to deal with at least one time or another within the workplace. Conflict can be defined by Rahim (1986), as an interactive process due to a disagreement between two people (Shabbir, Atta, & Adil., 2014). Conflict Management is an apparatus for dealing with complicated differences in a facility to bring about a better and peaceful outcome (Shabbir, Atta, & Adil., 2014). When there is a lack of communication or miscommunication between people, things can become complicated and create issues causing conflict. This paper will educate the reader on conflict management, …show more content…
Communication is a personal process in which behavior and information exchange between two people (Bethel University, 2006). People have these communication problems because they are unaware of the fact that they do not know how to effectively communicate.
For example, have you ever heard the saying, “It is not what you say but how you say it?” Well, I was a line leader for a company called Aldelano that was operated through Kellogg’s.
Aldelano’s purpose was ship out Pringle’s for Kellogg’s, to different stores or franchises for Kellogg’s. This particular day at work the line I was assigned to ended up having miscounted, that is when a specific order for inventory’s count of that product is off. Usually, when a miscount occurs, it can take up to as long as two or three hours to find the pallet in the warehouse. My supervisor, who verifies my count sheet and a Q. A. Supervisor (Quality Assurance), walks up to me on the production floor and starts to yell at me to get my line together to go find the pallet. In return, I then start to yell at my line for them to come on so we can find the pallet. In turn, everybody now has an attitude and nothing but tension in the air. This is now where conflict can be
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It is absolutely impossible to reflect an organizational life without considering the numerous amount of ways that we interact with others through communication. Interpersonal communication is how information is transferred through verbal or non-verbal communication and electronic media or information technology (Bethel University, 2006). Face-to-face has been a prime example in verbal communication but with new advanced technology over the years the way we communicate has been upgraded. Some examples of interpersonal communication are; telecommunication, emails, text messaging, or even social media. These are all new technological ways in which we communicate but sometimes the message is not delivered the way we want it to be or it can get misinterpreted. That is way the best way to deliver a message has always been face-to-face. I cannot even count how many times I have received an email or text message from a supervisor or advisor and not have a question or two that I need to ask them. That way if there are any misunderstandings then things can get addressed right then and
College life can be quite the adjustment for most new students. When entering the collegiate atmosphere, there are new, sometimes unspoken, social rules and norms. With so many new social elements for students to acclimate to, already difficult situations, such as any form of conflict, are often particularly difficult to address. Fortunately, with a clear understanding of the various forms of conflict management, new students can learn to effectively communicate regarding any subject matter they may encounter.
In several occasions, conflict occurs in the communication of one or two people. Several people have thought of conflict as cases involving pouring of furious anger in a communication process. Nonetheless, conflict is the misinterpretation of an individual’s words or values (Huan & YAzdanifard, 2012). Conflict can also be due to limited resources in an organization (Riaz & Junaid, 2010). Conflict may as well arise due to poor communication or the use of inappropriate communication channel of transmission of information between the involved parties. Management of conflict has various conflict management styles that include avoidance style, forcing style, passive-aggressive style, accommodating style, collaborating style and compromising style. Workplace conflict comes in two different kinds: task involving conflict, which focuses on the approaches used in resolving the problem and blaming conflict that has the aspects of blame and never brings element of resolving problems between the conflicting parties. In the perception of several individuals, relationship conflict is negative.
There are all different types of communication that people will use through out their life. The most important type of communication is interpersonal communication. Interpersonal communication differs from other forms of communication in that there are few participants involved, the participants are in close proximity to each other, there are many sensory channels used, and feedback is immediate. Interpersonal communication is the information received from listening to what someone else is saying. Interpersonal communication always uses intonation, diction and enunciation to give meaning to information. Intonation, diction and enunciation sometimes give more meaning to what is being said than the actual words themselves. In the following paragraphs, I will explain to the reader the importance of interpersonal communication in business.
Steve A. Beebe, S. J. (2008). Interpersonal Communication. In A. a. Pearson, Interpersonal Communication, Relating To Others- Fifth Edition. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education, Inc.
Many people enjoy working or participating in a group or team, but when a group of people work together chances are that conflicts will occur. Hazleton describes conflict as the discrepancy between what is the perceived reality and what is seen as ideal (2007). “We enter into conflicts reluctantly, cautiously, angrily, nervously, confidently- and emerge from them battered, exhausted, sad, satisfied, triumphant. And still many of us underestimate or overlook the merits of conflict- the opportunity conflict offers every time it occurs” (Schilling, nd.). Conflict does not have to lead to a hostile environment or to broken relationships. Conflict if resolved effectively can lead to a positive experience for everyone involved. First, there must be an understanding of the reasons why conflicts occur. The conflict must be approached with an open mind. Using specific strategies can lead to a successful resolution for all parties involved. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument states “there are five general approaches to dealing with conflict. The five approaches are avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise, and collaboration. Conflict resolution is situational and no one approach provides the best or right approach for all circumstances” (Thomas, 2000).
Communication is the process of conveying information to each another using words, actions, or by writing the information down to be read by another person. Communication is something that most people do at some point each day, and is an important part of life especially in a working environment. “The concept of communication is an essential part of every profession, and it is required to foster and maintain healthy relationships”( Jasmine, 2009, para. 1).
A group can only be called a team if the members are actively working together toward a common goal. A team must have the capability to set goals, make decisions, solve problems, and share responsibilities. For a team to be successful, trust must be earned between its members by being consistent and reliable (Temme & Katzel, 2005). When more than one person is working on a particular task, inconsistent views or opinions commonly arise. People come from different backgrounds and live through different life experiences therefore, even when working towards a common goal, they will not always see eye to eye. Major conflict that is not dealt with can devastate a team or organization (Make Conflict Work, 2008). In some situations, conflict can be more constructive than destructive. Recognizing the difference between conflict that is constructive to the team and conflict that is destructive to the team is important. Trying to prevent the conflict is not always the best way to manage conflict when working within a team setting. Understanding conflict, what causes it, and how to resolve conflict effectively, should consume full concentration.
Thomas, K. W. (1992). Conflict and conflict management: Reflections and update. . Journal Of Organizational Behavior, 13(3), 265-274.
In order of being able to analyze the sources of conflicts regarding the clothing manufacturer, I will present the Conflict Process Model according to McShane and Von Glinow. Therefore, I will first define what conflicts are, and second present the different sources of conflicts and carve out which conflicts are involved regarding to the given case. The third step is to explain two different strategies to minimize these conflicts in future. Finally, I will provide a recommendation and conclusion.
Mrs. Harmon had to be able to empathize well with her employees and employer in order to understand the conflict within the organization. By doing this she analyzed every individual’s field of experience in order to learn their individual argumentation style and how they addressed certain issues. This was useful for Mrs. Harmon because she was not able to have a better understanding of each individual as well as how to address the conflict if she did not possess a certain amount of background information. A major issue with communication and how individuals interact is with the field of experience. The field of experience allows for areas of empathy among individuals. When an individual is able to address the varying views of individuals,
that may result in a struggle for power or position. Conflict management, therefore, can be
Swinton, Lyndsay (2006). Workplace Conflict Management: Strategy for Successful Resolution. Retrieved November 14, 2010 from http://www.mftrou.com/workplace-conflict-management-strategy.html
Although communication as a whole has been studied for centuries, interpersonal communication is a newer field of focus. Communication scholars have concentrated on more than just “business proceedings” communication since the late 1940s. By adding the aspect of “shared meaning and building relationships” (Caputo, Hazel, McMahon & Dannels, 2002, p. 9), interpersonal communication has surfaced as an essential field to study. Just as the study of communication has altered, so have the method individuals communicate. While face-to-face (FtF) communication was the central mode of interpersonal communication, we now communicate using a variety of tools including computer-mediated communication. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) was defined by John December as “a process of human communication via computers, involving people, situated in particular contexts, engaging in processes to shape media for a variety of purposes.” (Thurlow, Lengel, & Tomic, 2004, p. 15).
“While the absence of organizational conflict is often considered a sign of good leadership, it can actually signal that management is out of touch with significant changes in the marketplace” (Frates, 2014). Conflict can occur between anyone and over anything. In many ways conflict can be both healthy and unhealthy. The different types of conflict that will be identified are Intra-organizational conflict and Inter-organizational conflict. By the end of this paper I will have explained conflict management styles, the purpose of conflict resolution strategy, and strategies to reduce cost and legal liabilities.
Be it organizational or personal, here are the major two different kinds of communication; Impersonal: one-way communication mainly used for facts, policies, instructions, notes, etc. Interpersonal: Two-way communication i.e. discussions, arguments, open forum, etc.