Effective managers are successful within the workgroup and organization when a style is used to resolve a conflict. People do experience conflict in their lives. There has always been a lot of interest in how to manage conflict once it appears in the open, and that is important. What is not so common is a concern for preventing unnecessary conflict, so it does not start in the first place. Managers are capable of using all five resolutions skills to deal with conflict in the workplace.
Organizations of all types need good managers in order to survive when dealing with conflicts that will occur within a workplace. Many people holding management positions will be confronted with issues between two people or two groups with opposite goals. An effective manager will recognize sources of conflict and learn to use conflict resolutions to benefit their organization. Managers will be called on to settle the disputes of subordinates, and should never shy away from conflict. The effective handling of conflict is a necessary part of a managerial duty. Recognizing the different aspects of a conflict and the different manners in which conflict escalates allows a manager to deal with situations more effectively. Managers essentially can draw upon conflict resolutions such as avoidance, accommodation, forcing, compromise, and collaboration which are proven to be effective in stimulating constructive conflict in the workplace.
Avoidance involves ignoring or suppressing a conflict. Avoidance is appropriate for trivial issues, when emotions are high and a cooling-off period is needed, or when the cost of confrontation out-weighs the benefits of resolving or worsening problems. Looking the other way can be an effective...
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...forward (Kaye, 1994). Managers need to look at conflict as and opportunity to be effective in using the skills necessary that is important in getting things done. Effective managers need to recognize sources of conflict and learn to use conflict to benefit employees and the organization.
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http://web.mit.edu/collaboration/mainsite/modules/module1/1.11.5.html
Managers and associates continually face conflict in the workplace. Using the five conflict resolution styles and knowing when to use them makes resolving differences easier.
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.
Conflict Resolution: Understand to Achieve. Whenever people unite to work as a team for anything more than a brief duration, some conflict is normal, and should be expected (Engleberg, Wynn & Schutter, 2003). Because of the inevitability of conflict, being able to recognize, address, and ultimately resolve it is vitally important, since unresolved conflict may have undesirable effects, including reduced morale, or increased turnover (De Janasz, Dowd & Schneider, 2001). Just as conflicts within team environments vary, so do methods for resolving them.
Huan, L. & Yazdanifard, R. (2012). The Differences of Conflict Management Styles and Conflict Resolution in Workplaces. Business & Entrepreneurship Journal. 1(1), 141-155.
Conerly (2004), further states two things attribute to the way conflict is managed. One is the importance of meeting your own goals and the other is the importance you attribute to relationships and wanting to get along with others.
Conflicts in the workplace are one of the most challenging managerial tasks because of the differences in people’s morals and principles (Mayhew, 2013). It’s a double-edged sword because managers needed to use his person skills to gain the confidence of his subordinates and at the same time, be firm and bold in upholding company policies (Mayhew, 2013). An effective manager handles potential issues with a precautionary approach, keeping in mind that conflicts may arise due to diversity of opinion, values, and individual backgrounds (Mayhew, 2013).
When considering your conflict management style with others, be it; personal or professional, we tend to use the style that seems appropriate to the conflict.
Finally, it is important to seek the assistance of a mediator or third-party facilitator if the conflict cannot be resolved internally. Conclusion In conclusion, conflict is an inevitable part of working in teams or groups. However, by using effective conflict resolution strategies, conflicts can be resolved, and a cohesive and productive team can be established.
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).
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.
It is ideal for individuals to practice problem-solving because it is meant to satisfy the needs or desires of both parties. In a work environment, a person should take into consideration the outcome of certain behaviors that can affect their professional career and livelihood. Therefore, this conflict resolution style works to one's advantage as far as maintaining neutral relationships within a workplace and introducing approaches that accommodate everyone. Advancing one's professional career requires a positive reputation and demonstrating leadership skills. Then again, not all work environments allow people's problem-solving strategies to flourish. The conflict resolution style of smoothing becomes incorporated when workers are heavily concerned with maintaining their job. For this reason, it is beneficial to acknowledge and accept various points of view to move towards a consensus. However, it is a temporary fix for a problem that will eventually resurface to respond or push back against conflicting parties. Being a smoother usually strives to avoid conflict when an issue is not as important as the relationship. However, in a work environment when business needs to be handled becoming a problem-solver seeks to find a resolution for the
Gross and Guerrero (2000) supported Rahim’s conflict management styles and identified that these styles are associated with organizational climate and culture, job satisfaction. Their research on 50 employees uncovered some facts include employees who were involved in unmanaged conflict end up in job dissatisfaction and subsequently their performance deters (p. 208). The competence-based model developed by Canary, Cupach and Serpe (2001) contrast with Rahim’s theory, where the effectiveness of conflict management styles is based on the situation and understanding of individuals (p. 81). They tried to find a resolution for the conflict instead of implementing the strategy to reduce tension by applying conflict management styles, resulting in inconsistent outcomes (p. 531).
(Asawo, 2011). Conflict can occur in any setting and as leaders in organizations guide and