Category: Conflict

All Conflict In Organisation Is Dysfunctional

Introduction

The topic is going to discuss several conflicts and its impact is different organisations. It also discusses about the conflicts that emerges as a dysfunctional issues for employees within the organisation. Proper ideas and arguments have been made by several authors in order to reduce political and social conflicts to work it in a dysfunctional system.

Discussion

Conflicts have become more relevant in educational system that any other social companies on earth. According to Alimba (2017, p.150), conflicts are mainly occurred in educational systems than in business organisation which can create dysfunctional of several financial wealth and status. The conflicts that has been generated will be continue to support front line staffs within the organisation which creates major problems for employees as well as managers to maintain its financial and economical status. As argued by Kiitam et al. (2016, p.134) the dysfunctional of conflicts have been generated due to improper work of colleagues and management team which create some specific and crucial problems to manage rules and regulations within the organisation.

Contradicted by Rahim (2017, p.386) the judgements made by the previous author is incorrect as functionality of specific problems can be its best solution that can help to remove dysfunctional to work within a relevant organisation. According to Tripathi and Sarangi (2019, p.11) the arguments made by Alimba is correct as it argues that cognitive conflicts have occurred when there are two more interacting social organisation become aware of their thoughts and perceptions that has been taken in order to manage proper workforce within the organisation. Several conflicts have been stated based on the perception of educational purpose of school and its dysfunctional have also been mentioned by showing several conceptual evidences. As agued by Jones (2016, P.87) it has been made sure that conflicts are widely generated due to lack of enhancement and opportunities that have been managed by removing dysfunctional of a specific industry or organisation.

Rahim 2017 has been argued with the basic suggestions that have been provided by Tripathy and Sarangi. It describes the basic situations regarding social and conceptual activities in different private sector of organisation that can help to remove conflicts from the work field. In addition to this Tripati and Sarangi provided the exact benefits that have been achieved by managing the conflicts within the organisation. Proper suggestions have been provided by them in order to fulfil the criteria which mention the growth and development of opportunities for employees within the company.

As argued by Kiitam et al. (2016, p.124), the judgements made by Jones is incorrect as it describes the performance and increment criteria of proper efficiency and reliability of work which helps to remove several conflicts within the organisation. In addition to this Kiitam provides basic rules and guidelines to maintain proper management system within the company which helps to create specific thoughts regarding the dysfunctional of conflicts.

As contradicted by Alimba (2017, p.126), proper suggestions have not been discussed by Kiitam that can create unnecessary issues within the systematic criteria of organisation. It can easily increase the conflicts with the employees and the work that has been allocated to them are not done in a proper way. The reviews made by Jones and Rahim regarding the conflict issues are quite same as they define functional and strategic method to remove specific issues and problems that are related to conflicts within the organisation. As argued by Jones (2016, p.67), the guidance that are provided by Rahim is correct as it shows the reliability and viability towards the work that has been done within the organisation. Social and political conflicts have been removed by these strategies in order to create some specific and relevant decisions to avoid dysfunctional. In additions to this, some certain comments have been made by Tripathi and Sarangi (2019, p.45) in order to create necessary rules and policies to remove every conflicts in educational and contractual system schemes within a specific and particular organisation. Contradictions have been made based on the suggestion provided by Rahim and Alimba which basically argues on the system of social and political conflicts that have been generated by the manager and administration of organisation which can increase the dysfunctional within the work.

According to Rahim (2017, p.78), proper judgements and ideas are not followed by Jones which can create a specific issue regarding the management of social and economical conflicts within the organisation. It has been suggested that dysfunctional in conflicts can be removed by recruiting more talented employees within the organisation for educational and cultural purpose to increase the efficiency of work. In addition to this several criteria have been implemented manage conflicts by removing dysfunctional of systematic issues within the organisation. Social and political conflicts have been removed in order to make the working environment suitable for employees as well as for managers.

As contradicted by Kiitam et al. (2016, p.130), several concepts that have been made by Jones are incorrect as it does not mentioned the preferable way of removing unusual conflicts that have been created and generated by dysfunctional of ideas and concepts within a specific organisation. Conflicts can be generated in both public and private sector organisations that can create some unnecessary issues regarding social and economical factor within the organisation. It can easily affect the work performance of employees and managers that will lead to downgrade the status of the company. The judgements made by Tripathy and Sarangi have been similar and equal to that of reviews that have been provided by Rahim. Thus there are several conflicts in organisation that act as dysfunctional in specific working environment. It can lead to degradation of workforce by engaging social and political conflicts within a specific organisation.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that arguments have been made by several authors that can create unnecessary interruption of conflicts within a specific organisation which acts as a dysfunctional for employees. The suggestions that have been provided by author can be able to degrade several conflicts that have been removed from organisations.

References

1. Alimba, NC 2017. Dysfunctional consequences of conflict on teachers’ productivity: A theoretical insight. AFRREV IJAH: An International Journal of Arts and Humanities, vol.6, no.1, pp.146-161. viewed 12 August 2019, < https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ijah/article/viewFile/152303/141898>
2. Jones, LA 2016. The application of organisational conflict management: A mixed method exploration of conflict training and perceptions of NHS managers. viewed 1 August 2019, < http://orca.cf.ac.uk/88233/1/LESLEY%20JONESV6.pdf>
3. Kiitam, A, McLay, A & Pilli, T 2016. Managing conflict in organisational change. International Journal of Agile Systems and Management, vol.9, no.2, pp.114-134. viewed 9 August 2019, < https://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:39181/n2006067509.pdf>
4. Rahim, MA 2017. Managing conflict in organizations. Abingdon: Routledge. viewed 16 August 2019,
5. Tripathy, M & Sarangi, I 2019. Practicing the Strategies of Interpersonal Conflicts Management in Business Organisations to Accede Development and Effectiveness in Personal Health. Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, vol.10, no.1. viewed 22 August 2019, < https://www.academia.edu/download/59388870/IJPHRD_January_2019_Full_Martono_5_Eksemplar20190525-8477-zapfz7.pdf#page=233>

Psychological Approaches to Study of Conflict

Expression of the Innate

This approach is built on the theories of human aggressiveness .There are many differences in the theme of human aggressiveness . Innate / Inborn aggression is aggression that you can’t avoid and is used to fight / to ensure the survival of humanity. According to the theorists : Lorenz , Freud , and Ardrey , ‘we do not learn aggression , it is an inborn mechanism to insure the survival of our species’. The theorist Freud referred to aggression as the , ‘death instinct’. In other words , aggression ensures the survival of humans.

Instincts also play a role in aggression , as humans instinctively protect themselves from anything that may threaten our survival. This instinctive response may lead to aggression .Some research shows that the hormone testosterone stimulates aggressiveness .For example , in some sports , athletes with high levels of the hormone will not be allowed to take part /play.

The levels of testosterone that are in young male youths account for the high levels of violent actions by youth. Another thing is that us humans would do anything to protect our relatives .The Genetic Seeds of Warfare(1989) states that , ‘ in their protection of their immediate kin , people are often suspicious of , and aggressive towards strangers’.

Conflict as a result of Misperception and Miscalculation

According to this approach , miscalculation , misperception , and poor communication are involved in the event of social conflict. An example of this is the Cuba Missile Crisis . This was when the United States and Soviet Union came close to nuclear war . Here , the individual ability to make decisions is not in control as the members tend to group think .

The groups that are involved in the conflict tend to have bad impressions about each other . The human drive blinds the individuals in the group from seeing the good things about the other group and seeing when they’re wrong themselves .What they see is only opposing images about the other group/ their opponent.

Social Conflict as a result of Frustration-Aggression theory

Frustration is an emotion that is evoked during a situation when one is blocked from reaching a desired goal/outcome .Aggression is behavior that is intended to harm others , e.g., murdering a person for money or their belongings. Aggression is not automatically caused by frustration , but frustration can be a trigger to aggression .

According to the Frustration – Aggression theory , aggression occurs when an individual is blocked by some kind of barrier from a desired goal . This approach was proposed by John Dollard , Neal Miller , Leornard Doob , Orval Mowrer , and Robert Seas in the year 1939 , and later elaborated by Neal Miller in 1941 and Leornard Berkowitz in 1969 .

This theory seeks to describe why people scapegoat . Thee likelihood would be that , the person blocked will respond aggressively / attack the person who blocked them from the desired outcome. According to this theory , it’s the Frustration – Aggression principle that underpins the Marxist – theory of class.

This theory has been used & studied in many areas , including social psychology , clinical psychology , sociology , ethology , and medical research . This theory pays special attention on the social sciences , precisely psychology . This theory pays special attention on the social sciences , precisely psychology . In this theory , frustration is not seen as an emotional experience , it’s seen as the intervention with the goal response . In other words frustration is seen as an event and not as a state.

Examples of common connection between frustrating occurrences and aggressive responses include : a child who throws a tantrum because she can’t reach her favorite toy. As stated by Miller , aggression is one of the many possible outcomes of frustration . According to Pastore ( 1950) , ‘ the occurrence of the aggressive response (to the frustration) depends on the subject’s understanding of the situation .

According to this theory , when the individual expects the frustration , the likelihood of being aggressive reduced , depending on whether or not the person has experienced something similar to that case. In many cases , aggressive reactions are directed towards the cause of the frustration. .

Basic Human Needs Theory: ‘conscious agreements arrived at through processes of negotiation will carry on to break down if they continually frustrate Human Needs(Bradshaw ,G Conflict Management for South African Students : Theory and Application). From the Marxist perspective , conflict is inevitable and even becomes desirable when the social structures frustrates the needs of the masses/ working class .Thus it’s only the revolution by the poletariot that can result in the ultimate change in the societal structure . Only then can a classless could be realized.

Although this theory is one of the psychological approaches to the study of conflict , it has several non-psychological elements. According to Burton (1990) , ‘ social conflict is normally the result of frustrated human needs , as humans beings have no choice but to persue the fulfillment of their needs in the long term ‘.The people tend to respond violently when their basic needs are frustrated .

Davies (1988 :26) , who was a well known needs theorist presented 4 categories of needs namely :’Social affectional needs , self -actualization needs , self esteem , dignity or equality needs , and physical needs ‘.Humans first achieve the physical needs prior to the other needs . However , this is not always the case , as in the case of a person who is killed because of their religious beliefs because they abandoned their state of being safe.

There was conflict among the scholars as some of them said that an unspecified amount of the needs the others suggested were not primary human needs . Davies differentiated ,’ Substantive and Instrumental needs'(1988:26).

Conflict Management Strategy with the Partner

Conflicts are the common occurrence at every site. In my opinion conflicts usually occurs where there is difference in the opinion and if there is power on other and if there are some disputes between the people. If there are some high expectations also leads to the conflicts where we cannot reach the expectations of the partner. If there is a shortage of resources and if there is no one taking the responsibility towards the resources, then it leads to conflicts.

So to overcome all these conflicts there are some strategies from PMBOK which we need to apply during the conflicts with the partner. As a stakeholder myself and the partner should check over the resources and get the update of the resource which we need during the project and make sure that there is an availability. Then in this case we need to discuss with the partner about the budget we need to invest for that resources. We need to strive hard to always minimise the conflicts by avoiding and withdrawing all the decisions which we made by our own and avoid the conflicts. Both the stakeholders should maintain the commitment towards the project and the ownership and the communication between the partner should be strong whereas the success of project highly depends on it. There should be a mutual benefit to the partner in every stage. There must be a trust between the partners. Compromising or reconciliation is necessary during the conflicts to minimise it and to maintain good bond between them.

Conflict resolution should be maintained at early stages to minimise the conflicts. We should not hang on with the issue we have to resolve it as soon as possible to minimise the conflicts. We should not force our partner to our needs. We need to communicate with the partner as well when we are taking the decisions and ask for the expertise judgement and make the partner happy to meet his needs and desires as well as ours. We need to come to one decision together by communicating effectively. We need share the time with our partner to know his plans and needs and as well as desires to complete the project so that we can complete the project on time under budget by our effective communication and spending our time with the partner. (Carberry).

We should not be ridiculous towards our partner. We should maintain a friendly relation between our partner. We need to take the partner to other perspective in order to listen to them and try to understand what the other people is trying to say. We should not blame at our partner for everything. (Seidman, 2017 April 17)

In my opinion there should be no disputes with the builder. Because he is main body of the project. The builder is the main who brings a profit to our project and satisfies us and makes us happy with the final end result. The main conflicts with the builder would be at budget and the duration of the project and the resources.

To overcome all the conflicts regarding the above we must discuss well with the builder at earlier stages. We ourselves must try to dispute the issues by maintaining all the documents. There will be a largest financial investment and the builder should protect the investment by taking an advice at expert who have more experience. There should be no disputes about this investment. There would be some conflicts if there is no visit to the site together with the builder and the partner. We must start the work after the visit so that builder estimates all the surroundings and obstacles etc., we should not make him convince with us. We must go with the ideas of builder where he will satisfy our needs. Everyday sheet should be maintained where there will be a up to date data with the builder as well as the owner. If there is any change in contract price, then the builder should inform the manager at earlier and should maintain good relationship with everyone in the site and the work should not be stopped regarding the personal issues and there should not be any lag in work or project. The builder should be responsible for everything which is happened at the site. If we cannot speak to the builder directly, we need send the letter or an e-mail officially about the issue to resolve it as quick as possible. We have to know the root of the problem to solve the issue.

Many conflicts occur due to the miscommunications and changes in the plans and the disorders in work. So, there should be an everyday communication between the partner and the builder and the owner. We have to be active in listening to the opposing parties and find the key to solve the certain problem. This shows the opposing parties that we are considering the decision of them to resolve the issue and make him satisfied.

Conflict resolution is to make a good and best decision but not the personal feelings. Both the parties should sit together and have focus on the solution. When the conflicts arise with the builder we must always be compromised to the issue and solve the problem. The expectations have to be clearly expressed to the builder so that he can meet our satisfactions to the best of his work. (Jones, August 16th, 2017)

Encountering Conflict Invites us to Reconsider Existing Ways of Thinking

When an individual experiences conflict, their existing opinions, viewpoints and stereotypes are challenged. This is demonstrated in both Dalia Mogahed’s ‘Being Muslim in America’ speech and Ronan Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’ using a variety of techniques to encourage viewers to reconsider their current ways of thinking and to challenge any stereotypes and judgments they have. Individuals experiencing conflict can lead them to rethink their current world view. Expanding your knowledge can help to breakdown the predisposition of stereotypes and judgments. Sharing stories can help develop a connection and understanding between two individuals.

Encountering conflict can bring on change and challenging a person’s current world view. Shown in Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’, when the participants are confronted with something that conflicts what they believe in, they are encouraged to change how they think and view the world. A great example of this was when the group visited Elcho island and immersed themselves in the lives of the aboriginal inhabitants there. While on the island they were witness to the indigenous Australians killing a turtle. Many from the group found this experience very confronting and some found it disturbing. When Jasmine found out that the turtle they had caught was going to be killed she was immediately put in a state of distress. She thought that it was cruel and unjust that they were killing the turtle. After she had a conversation with Marcus however, she accepted that their culture was different from her own joined the rest of the group. While there she stated ‘I’m still here’. By pointing out that she was still there, she was telling the group that, even though she did not agree with it, she accepted that it is the Aboriginal culture. In Mogahead’s speech, she recounted the events of 9/11 from her perspective. She explained the dread and fear about what had happened and said that ‘one person’s actions turned me from a citizen to a suspect’. This quote highlights how the actions of a few can influence the perception of many. She told the audience how she had ‘never feared anyone knowing she was a Muslim before’, she felt like she was now a suspect of the general public instead of a regular person. Coming from this situation she grew and adapt to the new world and her identity became stronger because of the challenges she experienced.

Knowledge and understanding is a key factor in the breakdown of prepossessed ideas. In both Mogahed’s ‘Being Muslim in America’ speech and Sharkey’s First Contact,’ the viewer is introduced to facts that can challenge what they know and believe. In Mogahed’s speech, she points out that ‘80% of news coverage involving Muslims and Islam is negative’. This knowledge alone goes to show how the media can change what we think and how we view others. Whether this change is positive or negative, we can subconsciously be influenced to view and treat other people differently. In addition to this, Mogahed pointed out that ‘most Americans don’t know a Muslim’. This further highlights how judgments can be made before we even know someone. In Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’, the individuals are put through many challenges and new experiences that cause them to reconsider how they view Aboriginal Australians. Due to the fact that they had these experiences many of the contestants changed their views about Indigenous people by the end of the season.

Sharing stories and personal experiences can help to create mutual understanding between individuals. In Mogahed’s speech, she shares the story about how she ‘came out’ as a Muslim and why she did it. By doing this she made it easier for the audience to understand and relate to her story. She described how she ‘did not passively accept the faith of her parents’ she ‘wrestled with the Quoran’ until she ultimately accepted the Islam culture. In Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’, the participants visited and stayed overnight in jail. While there, they had many chances to talk to the inmates there. Over the two days, they stayed there, most of the participants had a drastic shift in perspective. The aboriginal inmates sharing their challenges and struggles that ultimately lead them to where they are now, personified the stereotypes of a ‘criminal’ or ‘bludger’. The participants were shown that behind the statistics on a screen, there are personal stories that reach much deeper than surface level.

In both Dalia Mogahed’s ‘Being Muslim in America’ speech, and Ronan Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’ The viewers are strongly encouraged to challenge and reconsider what they think and how they stereotype others around them. Each source shows the journey of people and society and invites the viewer to rethink how they view others and what they believe in. When confronted with conflicting situations or world views, and individual is encouraged to change.

When an individual experiences conflict, their existing opinions, viewpoints and stereotypes are challenged. This is demonstrated in both Dalia Mogahed’s ‘Being Muslim in America’ speech and Ronan Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’ using a variety of techniques to encourage viewers to reconsider their current ways of thinking and to challenge any stereotypes and judgments they have. Individuals experiencing conflict can lead them to rethink their current world view. Expanding your knowledge can help to breakdown the predisposition of stereotypes and judgments. Sharing stories can help develop a connection and understanding between two individuals.

Encountering conflict can bring on change and challenging a person’s current world view. Shown in Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’, when the participants are confronted with something that conflicts what they believe in, they are encouraged to change how they think and view the world. A great example of this was when the group visited Elcho island and immersed themselves in the lives of the aboriginal inhabitants there. While on the island they were witness to the indigenous Australians killing a turtle. Many from the group found this experience very confronting and some found it disturbing. When Jasmine found out that the turtle they had caught was going to be killed she was immediately put in a state of distress. She thought that it was cruel and unjust that they were killing the turtle. After she had a conversation with Marcus however, she accepted that their culture was different from her own joined the rest of the group. While there she stated ‘I’m still here’. By pointing out that she was still there, she was telling the group that, even though she did not agree with it, she accepted that it is the Aboriginal culture. In Mogahead’s speech, she recounted the events of 9/11 from her perspective. She explained the dread and fear about what had happened and said that ‘one person’s actions turned me from a citizen to a suspect’. This quote highlights how the actions of a few can influence the perception of many. She told the audience how she had ‘never feared anyone knowing she was a Muslim before’, she felt like she was now a suspect of the general public instead of a regular person. Coming from this situation she grew and adapt to the new world and her identity became stronger because of the challenges she experienced.

Knowledge and understanding is a key factor in the breakdown of prepossessed ideas. In both Mogahed’s ‘Being Muslim in America’ speech and Sharkey’s First Contact,’ the viewer is introduced to facts that can challenge what they know and believe. In Mogahed’s speech, she points out that ‘80% of news coverage involving Muslims and Islam is negative’. This knowledge alone goes to show how the media can change what we think and how we view others. Whether this change is positive or negative, we can subconsciously be influenced to view and treat other people differently. In addition to this, Mogahed pointed out that ‘most Americans don’t know a Muslim’. This further highlights how judgments can be made before we even know someone. In Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’, the individuals are put through many challenges and new experiences that cause them to reconsider how they view Aboriginal Australians. Due to the fact that they had these experiences many of the contestants changed their views about Indigenous people by the end of the season.

Sharing stories and personal experiences can help to create mutual understanding between individuals. In Mogahed’s speech, she shares the story about how she ‘came out’ as a Muslim and why she did it. By doing this she made it easier for the audience to understand and relate to her story. She described how she ‘did not passively accept the faith of her parents’ she ‘wrestled with the Quoran’ until she ultimately accepted the Islam culture. In Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’, the participants visited and stayed overnight in jail. While there, they had many chances to talk to the inmates there. Over the two days, they stayed there, most of the participants had a drastic shift in perspective. The aboriginal inmates sharing their challenges and struggles that ultimately lead them to where they are now, personified the stereotypes of a ‘criminal’ or ‘bludger’. The participants were shown that behind the statistics on a screen, there are personal stories that reach much deeper than surface level.

In both Dalia Mogahed’s ‘Being Muslim in America’ speech, and Ronan Sharkey’s ‘First Contact’ The viewers are strongly encouraged to challenge and reconsider what they think and how they stereotype others around them. Each source shows the journey of people and society and invites the viewer to rethink how they view others and what they believe in. When confronted with conflicting situations or world views, and individual is encouraged to change.

Can Power Exist without Conflict?

Frank Herbert’s once said, “Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible” With examples such as Al Capone vs Bugs Moran to Hitler vs the allies, there has been conflict. What do both these examples have in common? The power they craved could not happen without conflict. My Name is Piper Rasborsek and I am a key speaker for this year’s 2020 Gold Coast Youth leader Summit. The topic this year is Truth, Conflict and Power. This speech will prove a direct nexus between the acquisition and maintaining power and a direct correlation to the conflict required. Power is the ability to act in a particular way and the capacity to do it. A conflict is in some cases a serious disagreement or argument. Even though power can be virtuous for those that are not corruptible, power cannot exist without conflict. Our thirst for power can be dangerous and placed in the wrong hands, thus causing conflict in society. Power comes with conflict because it causes a lack of empathy towards others whether intentionally or unintentionally. Power causes jealousy between in most cases two opposing parties. There is proof through novels such as ‘Animal Farm’, A Black mirror episode titled ‘Nosedive’ and a well-known movie ‘The Godfather’. It is up to us to make a change. We cannot take back the past but we can change the future.

In today’s society, power cannot exist without danger. A modern example of power becoming dangerous is the North Korean leader ignoring basic human rights. When a person has a taste of power, they want more and more and in the wrong hands, it leads to conflicts like increase in crimes, manipulation and fraudulent actions. Imagine this, you vote for a specific leader and they promise you all these things and next minute they promote the dangerous ideas that cause conflict in your society. That does not sound like power without conflict. North Korea use brutal means of punishment and arbitrary arrest that put the North Korean society at risk of injury and even death. This shows the disgusting consequences that occur once power is in uneducated and immature hands. An author from the twentieth-century who believes in communism, George Orwell once said, “We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.” This is a clear indication of Orwell’s ideologies, which he later used, in his famous allegorical novella Animal Farm. Animal Farm is a perfect example of the danger that occurs when an individual is met with power. Napoléon becomes dangerous when he starts killing animals because they disobey him and deceive him. This is a perfect example from the novella that shows the consequences of power and the danger that will come with attaining power. We and only we can change this cycle from occurring and sustain safety within our society.

For the past decade, social media and social status have shaped our ideologies and opinions of how we are as people. Black mirrors ‘Nosedive’ is a textbook example of how power causes lack of empathy among individuals. China are guilty of having a social credit system that is very close to what you would imagine happening in a dystopian future. The social credit system makes people base each other from social interactions through to trustworthiness. The app causes the power as well as the conflict not so much the people. The app determines whether you get a good job or buy a house. The app is a reference to modern apps such as Instagram and Facebook. It makes us question what would happen if we gave social media this power in our society. Would it create conflict among us? If you score low- bad luck. However, the real question is; what would happen if we adopted this idea? This shows the modern lack of empathy that can deteriorate a person’s self-worth. In the episode ‘Nosedive’ the main characters friend bans her from the wedding and says on a phone call “don’t come. I do not want you here. I don’t know what’s up with you, but I can’t have a 2.6 at my wedding!” This is a clear indication of how power clouds someone’s judgment and cause complete lack of empathy. If you only had a certain amount if likes, would your friends treat you the same? Having lack of empathy is toxic and cruel but preventable if we stand together and thwart world leaders from the power that causes insensitivity.

Jealousy is a green-eyed monster that destroys someone’s life if it takes over. It clouds a person’s opinions as well as their ideologies. In 1929, Al Capone and Bugs Moran had a fight named the ‘infamous valentine’s day massacre’ because of the jealousy they had for each other and the power they craved from one another. These two notorious mobsters were known for their jealous power hungry attitudes. An arguably famous masterpiece movie ‘The Godfather’ made in 1972 shows the two conflicting families as jealous of the opposing family, through the violent gunfights. ‘The Godfather’ represents power with jealousy but also real life instances like employment, money, friends and families. Everyone wants or has power over someone and this causes conflict whether it be a physical altercations or verbal. Donald Trump is guilty of being jealous especially with the previous president of the United States, Barrack Obama. Trump always criticises Obama because he is a confident and well-spoken leader. Trump is a volcano of jealousy just waiting to erupt. You can say this about many people that feel they are losing power to another person. The idea of losing power drives people crazy. Especially when they are people of power.

In Conclusion, power cannot exist without conflict. With power comes danger, lack of empathy and jealousy. Our thirst for power can be dangerous and placed in the wrong hands, thus causing conflict in society. Whether the conflict is intentional or not, it is an inevitably. It is our responsibility as Generation Z to become the Generation of Change.

Bibliography

1. Gettys, T. (2020, January 10). ‘Volcano of self hatred’. Retrieved from https://www.rawstory.com/2020/01/trumps-volcano-of-self-hatred-fuels-his-jealousy-of-obama-and-could-be-the-key-to-beating-him-in-2020-anthony-scaramucci/
2. Jones, M. S. (Director). (2016). Nosedive- Black mirror [Motion Picture].
3. Kobie, N. (2019). China Social Credit System.
4. Orwell, G. (1945). Animal Farm.
5. Vucci, E. (2018). North Korea. Singapore: AP Photo.

The Relation of Communication and Conflict

“Communication can be defined as the exchange of an information, thought and emotion between individuals or groups. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient.” Effective communication is huge for managers in the associations to play out the essential elements of the executives.

In order to run an organisation effectively, one of the main factors is to have good communication among the fellow peers. The communication must be from both the sides of the management. The managers must convey what they are expecting from the employees and vice versa. By not having a proper communication, it may lead to misunderstanding and as a result, there may be a conflict among the employees, which would have dire consequences in the management and would negatively affect the company’s operations. In order to mitigate such problems, it is important to have meetings, brain storming sessions, timely feedback on work, being straightforward in communicating any issues instead of being passive aggressive (In which case, it which would only lead to conflicts later).

In addition, it is important to be mindful of the diversity of the employees and understand the cultural differences. For example, some employees may not feel comfortable discussing a certain issue as it may hurt their cultural sentiments. “For efficient communication, it is necessary that the receiver understands the meaning of the message and indicates it to the sender through some expected reactions” (Ivancevich, Matteson, 2002).

A new strategy, system will not succeed, without organizational adoption; thus, communication is essential to the effective implementation of organizational change (Schweiger and Denisi, 1991). DiFOnzo suggests, poorly managed change communication results in rumors and resistance to change, overstating the negative aspects of the change. The model of planned organizational change displays the importance of communication. Robertson et al. ,1993)

Every organization must have all types of communication like downward communication, upward communication, horizontal communication, and diagonal communication which will enable smooth transition of information among all the employees including the management. Downward communication moves from the top management to the employees. This kind of correspondence is trademark for organizations with a legitimate style of the executives. Alongside, upward communication flows from employees to top management which lets the management know the situation about the work done. Diagonal communication streams between individuals, which are not on the equivalent hierarchical level and are not in an immediate relationship in the authoritative progressive system which is hardly used in reality. Finally, horizontal communication moves between individuals who are on the same level of management.

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Knowledge about treatment options, decisional conflict, treatment intention and preference for participation in decision making. Use of the PANDAs decision aid reduces decisional conflict, improves knowledge, promotes realistic expectations and autonomy in people with diabetes making treatment choices in general practice. Concludes that the fact that operational managers continue to use some techniques and reject others may not be related so much to ignorance of more sophisticated methods as to an explicit or implicit assessment of their relevance to the practical problems. The quality of these selection decisions directly impacts the quality, cost, and safety of the final product. You might never have heard of a decision aid, but there’s good evidence from a newly updated Cochrane review that they can help people facing decisions about treatment or screening feel better informed about the options and clearer about what matters most to them. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the impact of computerized decision aids on patient-centred outcomes related to SDM for seriously ill patients

There is no shortage of expert opinion on how to negotiate, as a quick scan of any bookstore’s shelves will reveal. Being held within the confines of a low-risk classroom environment you have all the chances to continuously fine-tune your tactics and approach to negotiation, learning how to transform into a pragmatic yet persuasive opponent. Successful negotiators are optimists. If you expect more, you’ll get more. A proven strategy for achieving higher results is opening with an extreme position. Negotiation is defined as a discussion among individuals, each one trying to present his best idea to come to a conclusion benefiting all. However, the opening move is risky for poorly informed negotiators. A first offer that lands within the bargaining zone becomes a liability. Although physicians may not think about interactions with patients as negotiations, principles of negotiating are in play and are important in communicating with patients. We sometimes overlook the importance of negotiation in business, because we don’t know what might be possible.

Draw a conclusion together and then talk about what clues were used to come to that conclusion. Some conclusions are more obvious than others. Sometimes the most obvious conclusion isn’t necessarily correct. Inference is just a big word that means a conclusion or judgement. If you infer that something has happened, you do not see, hear, feel, smell, or taste the actual event. Failure lies in poor experimental design, or flaws in the reasoning processes, which invalidate the results. The whole point of their mission was to gather the data necessary for the Israelites to find the best way of conquering the land. They give you hints or clues that help you ‘read between the lines.’ The skill requires children to put together various pieces of information, and relies on good word knowledge. Making inferences means choosing the most likely explanation from the facts at hand. Through direct practice, group discussion and case scenarios, participants will master assertive communication techniques and effective strategies to defuse and resolve workplace conflict.

Conflict resolution involves the reduction, elimination, or termination of all forms and types of conflict. This interactive seminar will broaden your understanding of conflict and teach the application of conflict resolution techniques to diffuse workplace disputes and disagreements. The potential for conflict in information systems development projects is usually high because it involves individuals from different backgrounds and orientations working together to complete a complex task. Conflict is nearly inevitable in most organizations, and many leaders suppress it, viewing it as a negative for the team. Conflict management is one of the next frontiers in software development productivity. Project managers routinely deal with conflict, both from internal and external sources. The implications of shunning confrontation range from a breakdown of communication and damaged relationships to lowered organizational productivity and morale. Conflict exists when disagreements lead to arguments and struggles between people with competing ideas and/or personal interests. There are three main methods for resolving conflict: avoiding the conflict, defusing the conflict, or using confrontation to draw out the causes of conflict, usually through the use of problem-solving meetings.

As noted, targets of ingratiation typically like the ingratiatory, and this happens even if the flattery is quite extreme. There are many ways in which people can ingratiate themselves. Since most people like others who admire and are nice to them, ingratiation is a pretty good strategy most of the time. Thus, ingratiation is a strategy for social influence, and it is typically used quite a lot by salespeople. Because people generally want something from people who have more power or status, the typical example of ingratiation is a lower-status person flattering a higher-status person. The best negotiators either don’t care or don’t show they care about who gets credit for a successful deal. The best negotiators either don’t care or don’t show they care about who gets credit for a successful deal. When you ask someone for advice rather than issuing demands or attacks, you frame your negotiation as a joint problem-solving task and establish a norm of collaboration.

Why Conflict is Essential for Progress

I would like to take you through a voyage back in time, turning back the cyclical clock to a pivotal encounter in my existential development- my childhood, the year 2006 if I’m not mistaken, the moment when my mother, in her unorthodox parenting methods, demanded that I, at my own hand, flush my most treasured item that I was so reliant upon, down the toilet- in my juvenile expression, my ‘dummy’. I’m deeply aware of the laughable nature that fashions, however to my infantile self, it was not merely a ‘dummy’ but a portal to my naivety, my refusal to evolve- an inanimate object that possessed such life force over me, devastated when it lost all means of survival. Conflict- a fundamental pillar facilitating our human existence, broadened in nature, practically uncredible to encapsulate within a singular dimension. Possessing a duality of its ability for corruption and allowance of progression, the means in understanding this is through how this is given expression within texts, specifically in Harper Lee’s bildungsroman novel Go Set A Watchman and Toge Sankichi’s poem Shadow emulating humanity’s response regarding the essence of conflict.

The nature of ideological conflict catalyses the impediment of progress and fractures growth. Much like the flushing of my childhood ‘dummy’, its often effortless to succumb to any means of continuation and reject any form of progression out of antagonism. Mimicking this notion, Harper Lee’s Go Set A Watchman relays the complications arising from progression post conflict as “It’s always easy to look back and see what we were… It’s hard to see what we are now”. The convenience to resort back to the notions of long held beliefs is manifest in the literal language, which signifies to us listeners, Jean Louise’s- the protagonist, difficulty in her growth. The protagonist’s inability to develop through her unchangeable ideologies is evident in the hyperbolic statement as “you will be the same at sixty as you are now”, imagine that listeners, forever being stuck in your ways, ageless in ideals across an aging sequence, sanctioning for progression to be hindered. The juvenile outlooks Jean Louise possesses extends to that of her exterior world as “she would have walked beneath yellow-ringed pines rising to a brilliant eastern sky” denoting the visceral imagery as a resemblance of her youth and naivety, which is figuratively diminished as “[she] blew smoke carefully into the still air”. The beauty of her surroundings is lost within her emotive state as the cigarette, an epitome of destruction, ironically offers a sense of comfort, any listeners attempting to quit smoking disregard that. The wreckage of an environment hindering growth and progression is similarly evident in Toge Sankichi’s poem Shadow entailing the City of Hiroshima’s atomic bombing as it was “bleached by the sun, hit by the rain, buried in the dust”. The negative connotations that “bleach”, “hit” and “buried” evoke, liken to both a literal destruction of a city, and a parallel to the novel, a metaphorical destruction of ‘what once was’ an allusion we all can empathise to, alluding to the lack of hope and progression. The city, although progressing physically, loses all culture substance as the traditions and values become corrupted through the “Atomic Bomb Historical Site” taking credibility as a motif of a tourist attraction site, and not just because of the ‘joys’ that come with an overwhelmingly large group of people (notice sarcasm) as “[people] have their picture taken” in which the inner conflict within the poet, much like Jean Louise’s views on her father and society, didactively exerts immorality impeding any development to occur- much like a ‘dummy’ being flushed down a toilet.

One’s maturation is catalysed despite the exterior corruption of the contestment of preconceived beliefs, sanctioning for progressive succession. Although the ‘dummy’ incident left me susceptible to a refusal upon acceptance, it was through that hardship, and the symbolism attached that I was able to ‘let go’ or should I say ‘flush’ my naivety away and embark upon maturity. This is likened to Harper Lee’s novel Go Set A Watchman as Jean Louise’s progression concerning the awakening of maturity regarding the exterior world and those that dwell within it is evident upon her discovery of her father’s morality as she was “an emotional cripple, leaning on him, getting the answers from him, assuming that [her] answers would always be his answers”. Listeners notice the accumulation conveying her ideological conflict of her awareness of her father’s ethical principles, and an emotive awakening in her discovery of her father being merely a man, I found this authenticity to be stimulating. Progression within the novel is manifest in the recurring motif of the ‘car’ as Jean Louise “was careful not to bump her head”, something we can all fall victim to. The symbolic car denoting progression signifies one’s acceptance into maturity, and her evasion of the ‘car’ epitomises her acceptance of change, about time if ask me. Utilising conflict as a means of growth is similarly apparent in Toge Sankichi’s poem Shadow as “movie theatres, bars, open air markets” denotes affirmative images of civilisation, apologies to any introverts listening, in which the accumulation is followed by “what’s burnt rebuilt” signifying the reality of the bomb, with “rebuilt” likening to that of progression and futuristcal renewance . The poem entailing the aspect of preconceived notions as “wounds of your memories” metaphorically equate to psychological scars of the city paralleling to Jean Louise’s questioning her beliefs on Atticus and equates her ‘memories’ of him to now be that of a psychological scar, apologies to any parents listening. The poem much like the novel indeed gives us hopeful connotations as “finishing a large-scale restoration” projects the diction of “restoration” of a tone of renewance which sanctions us listeners to bear witness to the progression evident. The novel and poem simultaneously uphold refusal to provide conflictual matters authority, I’m a prime example of this, my ‘pacifier’, notice the progressive and maturated differing in term, has certified for my own personal progression thus enabling it attainable.

Listeners, conflict in its abundance of devices, possesses the authority to condemn and hinder progression or catalyses one’s envelopment towards progressive growth, palpable in Harper Lee’s novel Go Set A Watchman and Toge Sankichi’s poem Shadow. Through its expression within texts, conflict can assist in one’s diminish into reluctance or the escalation of one’s self- take it from a ‘Dummy’, don’t mind the pun, merits for your cooperation- until next time.

Peace and Conflict around the World

The United States federal budget allocated a military budget of approximately $693 billion for it’s Department of Defense. Spending only a quarter of that, i.e. $116 billion annually could have fed 650 million people and end world hunger. However, in a realist world, security and political interests remain a top priority. When the biggest super of the world spends this enormous amount of money on the military, it goes to show how even the modern world has been plagued by wars and conflicts.

The inception of the United Nations following the League of Nations has upheld a third catastrophic World War from proceeding but the Middle East has been a breeding ground for terrorist groups such as ISIS/ISIL and rebellions ravaging the African continent with groups such as Boka Haram. These are perhaps a case of structural violence (hunger, political repression, psychological alienation) caused by the instability created by imperialists. Despite the rise of liberalism, trade has created power imbalances and not facilitated peace everywhere. The end of imperialism brought the rise of post-colonialism which has further raged internal conflicts.

Peace in these area seems unlikely at the moment as these are cases are not just at a latent stage, but a confrontational stage where the states and terrorist groups don’t just have different goals but are unwilling to listen to each other. Before ISIS/ISIL, the terrorist group Al-Qaeda terrorised the world with infamous attacks such as the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre. Despite the assassination of Al-Qaeda’s leader Osama bin Laden, the group continues to terrorise the Asian continent and even more terrorist groups are on the rise. These rising terrorist groups suggest that conflicts in the Middle East are in an infinite game. Some examples of conflicts in the Middle East include countries such as Yemen, Syria, Palestine and in Africa such as Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Nigeria and Congo.

An ideological conflict caused by the difference between norms, values and ideology also seems to be on the rise. Some of the pressing issues in the world at the moment is the ethnic cleansing of Uighur Muslims in China and the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Due to diplomatic alliances, even Muslim majority country Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan has denied the truth regarding the oppression on the Uighurs. The case is different for Myanmar as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is being testified at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague for Rohingya genocide.

Ethnic cleansing is a relational conflict caused by political (ideology) and social (religion, cultural difference). In the case of China, Uighurs are being punished for being Muslim. In Buddhist majority Myanmar, the cleaning was again a suppression of Muslims. Cases of suppression due to religion can be seen in India where Hindu ‘cow protectors’ have killed Muslims accused of killing cows. Due to India being a Hindu demographic region, even the police were unable to protect the Muslims. Another case in India is the Mir nomadic tribe which an ambiguous faith of being both Hindu and Muslim, who have to travel from one village to another being expelled for following both religions. Oppression can also be seen for the LGBT community in Russia.

In other news, Hong Kong is in the midst of conflict for democracy. Hong Kong under the ‘One country, two systems’ had enjoyed their autonomy whilst under the British rule and isn’t ready to compromise on their rights. Their decline of freedom under the Chinese government is seeing a backlash with riots running for many months and is hanging on a deadlock from either party.

In the United States, the 2020 presidential elections are going at a full swing where a Marxist dimension of inequality has been the focal point of the popular presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders. Senator Sanders has emphasised how the middle class in the US is disappearing and that taxes are favouring the rich. The top 1 per cent have increased their share of the wealth from 23 per cent in 1989 to nearly 32 per cent in 2018. The enormous wealth has therefore resulted in the wealthy class having more power and prestige in the society. Perhaps, if a president focuses on income equality, many of the societal conflicts could, therefore, be solved.

To make sure that we do not have more conflicts or that they can be resolved sooner, there is a need for to identify the deep-rooted reasons for the conflicts—understand the causal factors behind the conflict. It goes beyond satisfying just the parties and underlying resources must be identified. Negotiating interests should go beyond meeting just the base needs and focus on facilitating ways to respect the underlying values and identities.

For all the cases at the crisis, hopefully, there will be negotiations or human rights violators will be presented to the court. Justice is important for the psychological healing of the victims and for the assurance that such incidents do not repeat itself. Peace enforcement, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peace consolidation processes are utmost necessary to make sure that the crisis can come to an end and we can have peace and stability. A better way forward could be for the UN to get involved before the crisis at the open conflict, unstable peace and peaceful stage so that further conflicts do not escalate.

References

1. https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/fy2020/FY20_Green_Book.pdf
2. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/07/how-much-would-it-cost-to-end-hunger/
3. https://www.csis.org/analysis/return-isis-iraq-syria-and-middle-east
4. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/13/world/africa/nigeria-boko-haram.html
5. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/13/world/africa/nigeria-boko-haram.html
6. http://www.filmsouthasia.org/film/akashvani-voice-from-the-sky/
7. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/world/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-rohingya-myanmar-genocide-hague.html
8. https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks
9. http://africasunnews.com/wars.html
10. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/20/mobs-killing-muslims-india-narendra-modi-bjp
11. http://www.filmsouthasia.org/film/akashvani-voice-from-the-sky/
12. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/12/11/no-support/russias-gay-propaganda-law-imperils-lgbt-youth
13. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-48607723
14. https://feelthebern.org/bernie-sanders-on-economic-inequality/

The Features of Conflict Management

Knowing the existence of conflict as well as managing it is essential in our personal and professional lives. A conflict occurs when two persons or entities have no common or similar ideologies or opinions which creates minor disagreement to heated confrontations between the two parties.

To better understand conflict, it is also important to know the root cause of it. There are four major sources of disagreements ranging from social, organizational, change, and external influences. Social or interpersonal source of struggle includes differences related to culture, gender, and language. Small talks within an organization is also a common interpersonal conflict. When conflict arise from organizational source, this means there are varying opinions regarding company structural concerns, people management styles, workload and reward system issues. Implementing a change is the third source of conflict. One can react differently when redundancy of roles will occur or streamlining responsibilities to cope with worldly and cost-effectivity trends. Lastly, the external environmental factors such as local and foreign economic transactions and political relationships can also be a source of conflict.

When we hear the word conflict the first thing comes into one’s mind is it is right away a negative situation, but in reality, a conflict can serve as a threat and an opportunity depending on the situation. On one hand, the existence of a conflict is an opportunity to learn new personal and professional strategies, boost one’s enthusiasm and improve one’s interpersonal skills and communication. On the other hand, a conflict can be a threat when it creates poor cultural environment, declines one’s motivation and social interactions, loses trust among two parties, and can also lead to serious mental anxieties.

In order to ensure uncovering the opportunities or benefits rather than the threats or bad outcomes of having a conflict, conflict management comes into picture. By having an asserting or cooperating behaviour, we may know the high or low importance of personal or other party’s concern. In handling conflicts, there are five different styles which are forcing, withdrawing, smoothing, compromising, and problem-solving. These strategies are also intertwined with the behaviours we foster. Different styles will be applicable depending on the given situation and, there are negative and positive outcomes in every strategy we take. When a swift decision is needed to be made and you have high concern about yourself, forcing style can be used. If you have low concern about yourself and about others and when the conflict can be considered small, withdrawal is appropriate. Smoothing is a good strategy when you have low concern about yourself and high concern about the other and when we know if we are in the disadvantage state or potential better situations with the other party exists. When we have moderate concern for both yourself and others, if both parties have willingness to take their parts without wasting further time and if the situation tells both have same level of power. Lastly, collaborating or problem-solving is best chosen when there is ample of period for resolution, trust has already been built, reaching an agreement is necessary and you have a high value for yourself and for others.