Workplace mediation is a helpful management practice for every organization. Since conflicts frequently occur, it is reasonable to identify effective solutions to these situations. Workplace mediation can be an appropriate option because it implies that an independent person guides a meeting between conflicting parties. This individual is responsible for proving that the two sides can freely express their visions of a problem and develop a path to resolve the issue. The specified intervention implies many techniques and approaches that can help facilitate productive discussion. A conflict between Trevor and Sue will be analyzed to determine the effectiveness of workplace mediation (Evans, 2015). Even though a compromising strategy could have produced better outcomes, the mediation approach was effectively used because three specific techniques allowed for solving the conflict, and this information improved my own conflict management skills.
Conflict Defined
To begin with, one should define the conflict under consideration. The issue occurred between Trevor, a manager, and Sue, a part-time employee. There was a significant order, and the team had difficulties meeting the deadline because it was short-handed. That is why Trevor asked Sue to come to work on Friday. After she refused because Friday was the day that she typically spent with her family, Trevor became upset and angry, which made him aggressively coerce Sue to agree (Evans, 2015). That situation resulted in a direct confrontation on Thursday when Trevor made an implicit suggestion that Sue would have problems because of her refusal to satisfy his claim (Evans, 2015). That is why Sue filed a grievance that her manager bullied her into working extra hours against her will and possibilities.
Analyzing the Mediation Approach
It is possible to state that the mediation approach was effective. The most significant result refers to the fact that this intervention helped solve the conflict. In particular, the mediator did her best to ensure that Trevor and Sue were ready to meet and discuss the issue. The guided conversation allowed the conflicted individuals to express their visions, which helped them resolve the issue (Evans, 2015). This outcome was not surprising because the research field describes the versatile advantages of workplace mediation. For example, Kalter et al. (2018) stipulate that the given approach implied short-term and long-term benefits. When individuals are satisfied with the mediation process, it is more likely that their future work environment will be productive and cooperative (Kalter et al., 2018). That is why there is no doubt that the intervention under analysis was effective.
However, it is possible to add that a different conflict management approach could have been better. This statement refers to the use of compromise to solve various disputes. The suggested strategy encourages give and take condition which focuses on fulfilling each groups concern (John-Eke & Akintokunbo, 2020, p. 307). In other words, when a conflict occurs, participants should be ready to settle the dispute harmoniously. Each side should take a specific step forward to resolve the existing challenge. If Trevor and Sue had utilized a compromising conflict management approach, they would have solved the conflict shortly without the help of the mediator.
Describing Three Mediation Techniques
The video under review is helpful because it presents essential information regarding how workplace mediation can be implemented. In particular, the mediator relied on three specific techniques that contributed to achieving positive outcomes. Firstly, it is good that Trevor and Sue were asked to participate in individual consultations. This approach is beneficial because it allows the mediator to assess how the conflict affected the persons and whether they are ready to participate in a group discussion. Furthermore, one-to-one conversations are important since they help establish a connection between the mediator and the individuals.
Secondly, it is excellent that the mediator draws attention to organizational aspects. Wang et al. (2018) stipulate that the introduction to mediation is a helpful technique. This strategy allows the participants to understand why they are involved and what outcomes they can expect from the given activity. As for the mediator from the video by Evans (2015), she made opening statements to provide Trevor and Sue with all organizational details. Thus, the mediator set the agenda, introduced expectations, and defined specific goals that could be achieved, which made the participants feel comfortable during the conversation.
Thirdly, positive outcomes were achieved because the mediator managed to stay objective. While she listened to Trevors and Sues answers, she did not disclose her personal attitude toward the conflict. This technique also manifested itself in the fact that the mediator did not offer any solutions because she facilitated the participants to develop their own strategies to resolve the challenge. Furthermore, the objective attitude implied that Trevor and Sue saw that the mediator did not show a preference for any of them. This fact allowed the two to participate openly and productively in the activity.
Recommending Additional Mediation Techniques
In addition to that, the mediator could rely on three additional techniques to improve outcomes. The first potential option is highlighting the rewards that can be achieved after solving a conflict (Program on Negotiation [PON] Staff, 2022). One should stipulate that the mediator is not expected to offer any financial or other benefits to the participants if they resolve the issue. Instead of that, the responsible person should emphasize the benefits that the participants will witness if they solve the issue. This information can serve as additional motivation for the parties to engage in conflict management.
The second alternative technique relates to making an agreement. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD, 2022), mediators typically create formal agreements that all conflict parties approve. This strategy is beneficial because it demonstrates that people in conflict have robust intentions to resolve the existing challenge and prevent it from happening in the future. This statement denotes that it is not even obligatory to create a formal document to achieve such advantages. In the given case, the mediator could suggest signing an agreement to let Trevor and Sue understand whether they were ready to take specific steps to improve their relationship.
Finally, even though the conflict occurred between Trevor and Sue, talking to other team members could be useful. These individuals could provide useful information because they could describe what the workplace relationships had been before the conflict. The mediator could find this data helpful in understanding whether disputes were common. As the Expert Panel (2019) stipulates, it is necessary to promote collaboration in the workplace to improve productivity. That is why if the mediator had engaged other team members in the discussion, she would have created the feeling that all the individuals are responsible for maintaining a good workplace environment.
Understanding Conflict Management
It is worth admitting that the conflict under analysis has provided me with helpful insights. On the one hand, I have understood that there is no absolute truth in a dispute. Each side interprets the issue in a particular manner so that there are two or more visions of the same situation. Thus, I have learned that every conflict from my past could be interpreted in different ways. That is why it was an evident mistake that I frequently entered into a dispute without listening to my opponents opinions. However, I can use this information to avoid similar problems in the future. Since the given video has demonstrated that mediation can help solve workplace conflicts, I will rely on this approach. In particular, I will ask for mediation when I enter a conflict and suggest being a mediator to help my colleagues respond to a challenge.
Conclusion
This report has overviewed a conflict and how a mediation approach can be used to resolve it. The video by Evans (2015) has revealed that the mediator played a decisive role in helping Trevor and Sue address the existing challenge. The given management strategy was effective because three specific techniques were implemented. These steps included relying on individual consultations, articulating organizational aspects, and staying objective. However, positive outcomes could also be achieved if the mediator relied on alternative techniques. For example, they consist of highlighting the rewards, making an agreement between the parties, and talking to other team members. Scientific evidence also demonstrates that the implementation of the compromising management approach could allow Trevor and Sue to respond to the challenge better. However, I still believe that mediation is a helpful conflict management strategy, which makes me sure that I will rely on it in the future.
References
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. (2022). Mediation at work.
During an event during which I acted as manager, a number of measures were taken to ensure a high-quality experience for attendees and staff. Because the event was focused on refugees and related themes, it was vital for the conduct to be influenced by effective but empathetic methods. The services provided were delivered in an adequate, respectful, and timely manner. Generally, the staff and management reacted to instances or issues in a mature manner, especially in regard to coordination and resource allocation. The attendants of the event varied, but many had faced adversaries both as refugees and single parents. As such, the event and the performance of the staff and the managerial team worked in accordance to appropriately provide for them. Overall, both the leadership and employees were able to conduct the services and their approach well, with only a few issues.
The main issue occurred between the leadership team and some of the workers at the event. This was due to both the lack of clear instructions on the side of management and the inability of employees to perform adequately in particular tasks. Such issues created further problems, which led to instances during which services or delivery of items were not done efficiently. The varying clarity of instructions frustrated the employees and caused them to consider the event to be poorly managed. However, a number of employees also performed poorer than expected in tasks that did not require input from management. This conflict likely arose from an insufficiently constructed social structure within the event. The lack of a concise hierarchy and outline of tasks prevented both the leadership team and employees from achieving their goals as intended.
Conflict theory is a potential tool that can be used to analyze the issues that occurred within the event. Conflict theory proposes that inequality arises from one group dominating another (Crossman, 2020). Within the theorys scope, inequality is a hindrance to progress and inherently negative. As such, it is possible that without a viable structure to outline the responsibilities and tasks of the individuals working at the event, inequality became prevalent. In instances in which inequality is present, the maintenance of the status quo is undesirable and should be transformed into something that prioritizes equality. The leadership team lacked clear instructions and goals and may have reacted to the requests of workers inappropriately. Therefore, they were unable to assist the workers adequately. As a result of this power imbalance, the workers were unable to perform well or had no desire to do so.
The recommended steps for working on another similar event would be to provide both the workers and the managerial units with clear and effective roles, responsibilities, and tasks. This includes defining the necessary inherent features of the events and which staff members may be appropriately selected for completing them. Additionally, in the instance of conflicts or issues, the leadership team must be instructed on how to handle and resolve incidents. It must be clear that the relationship between the leadership team, the workers, and the attendees must be professional, respectful, and courteous. Having prior training and response methods discussed with the staff can directly contribute to efficient and conflict-free problem-solving during the event. It is vital that as a manager, I and other individuals performing in leadership roles address instances in which workers are unsatisfied with our response.
Reference
Crossman, A. (2020). The sociology of social inequality. ThoughtCo. Web.
In order to have order and efficiency, an organization groups work duties into different departments then staffs the department. The organization has an overall mission and strategy while the departments have their specific goals which all lead to profit-making. As the people interact in the different departments interact, there will arise conflict due to different reasons.
It could be cultural differences, inadequate resources or goal incompatibility. The top management can use two main methods to deal with the conflict. It can either use the rational or political approach. In using a political approach, the management has to understand the different kinds of power, the sources of power and the impact they have on the employees. Conflict within an organization is a common occurrence.
As some degree of conflict occurs in all relationships involving people, these forces must be managed to achieve results properly aligned with the desired outcomes of the organization. This paper will examine the nature of intergroup conflict and how power and politics are applied in order to resolve conflict and attain organizational goal.
Competition and Conflict
There is a difference between conflict and competition in the organization. Conflict adversely affects the productivity of the workers and the ultimate bottom line of the company. It is not healthy at all.
Competition can be healthy between the different departments as they strive to be the best in order to get rewards and other forms of compensation (Makin, Cooper & Cox, 1996, p. 233). However where competition goes too far to instill prejudices, negative attitudes, biases and stereotyping then the competition has become unhealthy and it should be addressed by management.
Sources of Intergroup Conflict
Goal Incompatibility
This is where the goals of one department are in conflict with the goals of another department. Goal incompatibility ends up leading to hostility, stereotyping behaviour, biases and prejudiced behaviour (Gallinsky, 2002). The marketing department wants to use financial resources to run promotions and other advertising campaigns while the finance department is concerned with cutting costs.
This causes a lot of conflict as the marketing manager seeks to have his quarterly operational budget while the finance manager tells him that the costs are too high and to look for cheaper alternatives. The marketing department may also get into conflict with the manufacturing department.
The marketing manager wants a diverse variety of goods to satisfy customer wants. He also wants new products and existing products to be produced quickly and taken to distribution points. However all these mean manufacturing costs for the manufacturing department and reaching a compromise may prove to be a difficult task.
Differentiation
Another source of conflict is the differences in the cognitive and emotional orientations of the different staff in the organisation. When it comes to work, different departments may have different deadlines for the completion of the work. One department may be constrained by time and experience a lot of time pressure while another group does not have any time constraints.
This causes conflict as one group feels rushed while another feels that the other group is dragging its feet or delaying them. When it comes to negotiating for resources and other needs, one department may be at a higher status in terms of the revenue they bring to the organisation.
This causes inequality at the negotiating table. Each of the groups has different esteem needs. There could also be differences in the information that different departments have causing conflict (Spoelstra & Pienaa, 1991, p. 191).
Where one department does not have the correct or the latest information it causes misunderstandings. There are certain groups who have higher expertise than others in certain areas causing conflict. Cultural differences are other thorny issues.
In an organisation with no training on embracing cultural diversity, there will be problems. People will not understand other peoples values, habits and attitudes in life. People tend to distrust people who are different from them (Gallinsky, 2002)
Where there are mergers, it is difficult to merge the old staff and new staff work values, culture and ethics. Organisations are great at aligning the production and financial structures however integrating organisational values prove to be difficult.
There is also the challenge of personality differences. The marketing manager may be highly outgoing with a friendly, warm personality while the scientist is a bit reserved and withdrawn. There will arise conflict where one feels the other is invading his space while the one feels that the other is a bit cold and detached
Task Interdependence
The conflict occurs since one department has to rely on another in order to complete its work. There are very few cases where there is pooled interdependence. This refers to the situation where a department does not rely on another department to conduct and accomplish its tasks (Rahim, 2010, p. 150) Conflict occurs in several ways. It may be that work is done in sequential fashion. One group does its work then it passes the work
to another group to continue with the second step. Therefore the output of one group serves as the input of another group (Spoelstra & Pienaa, 1991, p. 189). If one group feels that it is receiving poor quality work or the work is always late, conflict arises.
This is usually the type of task interdependence present in a manufacturing plant. The product needs to be assembled first before it is considered for paint work. Multiple departments may also be giving input to one group so information is being sourced from different sources. A good example of this is in the operating theatre. There is need of one single input from the nurses, technicians, surgeons and anaesthetists.
Limited Resources
Conflict may arise where there are inadequate resources. This is a major source of conflict since the members end up feeling others are preferred over them (Rahim, 2010, p. 150) Each department may want a larger share of the office space, equipment, manpower or human resources. Where there are limited resources it ends up with one group winning while another one loses (Spoelstra & Pienaa, 1991, p. 190).
In an organisation, the department that gets access to certain resources may appear to be prestigious or influential or powerful. Scarce resources may lead managers to commit unethical actions such as inflating the departmental budget in order to gain access to higher financial resources.
Other managers may opt to work behind the scenes to ensure their department gets certain resources. This causes managers to fight and have conflict and people end up taking sides against another.
The Political and the Rational Model in Solving Intergroup Conflicts
The approach that will be used to solve the conflict will depend on the degree of goal incompatibility, differentiation, task interdependence and limited resources. A political approach is used where the degree of the mentioned variables are high.
Power and influence are used to solve conflicts. Where the conflict is not high, the management will be able to use a rational approach. Politics can be defined as the use of power to achieve certain results or outcomes.
Power and Authority
Power is the ability of an individual to influence others or the decision making process in an organisation. Authority refers to the role that has been conferred upon the individual by the organisation in terms of duties and responsibilities. An individual may be placed as the operations manager while another is under him as the operations officer.
Power is different from authority in several ways. Authority is different because it is conferred by the organisational structure. It mostly flows vertically, from the managers to the subordinates (Shukla, 2004, p. 109). Power however has certain aspects that enable the staff and departments to experience it horizontally.
Authority comes from the position or role that one plays in the organisation. Subordinates also respond very well to authority rather than power. They are more likely to be concerned with the orders the bosses have given out rather than listen to people or departments that are deemed to be powerful in the organisation.
Vertical Sources of Power
Formal Position: This comes from the position an individual occupies in the organisation. A person at the top will have certain rights, responsibilities due to the position he occupies. This is seen by many to be a legitimate source of power since it is power that has been given formally by the owners or board of the company.
Financial Resources: In this form of vertical power it mainly rests with the top managers as they are the ones who decide how the resources will be distributed.
Top management are the ones who decide the reward compensation programs, the bonuses and even the salary increases. The subordinates realise this and they do their best not to make any manager angry or disappointed in their work so that they can get the resources that they need.
Control of decision premises: The manager who is able to restrict the flow of information to those who are lower than him has a lot of power. If he is the one preparing the minutes he knows how to structure the agenda to suit his needs
Empowerment
This is where the management shares power with the other staff in the organisations (Nelson & Campbell, 2004, p. 226). They give them opportunities to gain skills and expertise in order to participate in decision making of the organisation. It gives the employees a chance to prove themselves.
They become more self-confident. They are also highly motivated to work for the organisation since they are being trusted to make decisions and their skills and talents are being used. The three stages of empowerment for the employees is job meaning, self-determination, competence and having an impact in the organisation.
Horizontal Sources of Power
Horizontal power is not achieved through a hierarchical system in the organisation. Some departments have more say than others in accordance to the financial contribution they make to the organisation. The sales and marketing teams bring in more money so they are valued or are more powerful. There are events or occurrences that strengthen a departments position within an organisation.
A manager therefore needs to be strategic when charting his activities and events for the year. If he ends up leading the organisation to address a growing need within the organisation or he helps the organisation deal with an emerging challenge outside the organisation, his departmental power will grow. There events or activities have come to be known as strategic congruencies.
Dependency : In an organisation the department that relies on another department for information, knowledge, materials or any other outputs finds itself vulnerable. However the department that is being relied on by over five departments finds itself in a very powerful position.
Financial Resources: This is another source of power. In a business it is all about achieving the bottom line or making a profit. The department that is deemed to be steering the organisation towards such a goal is deemed to be powerful. The management does everything to ensure that the organisation gets what it needs in terms of financial and non-financial resources.
For these departments even in times of scarcity of resources they find themselves having most of the resources they need. They have a higher priority over other departments when it comes to the distribution of these resources. With these scarce resources that they are given they make even more profit.
Centrality: This brings in the issue of support staff and operations staff. The operational departments such as production are seen to be contributing directly to the firms total output. Other support staff such as human resources may be seen not to be contributing directly to the firms primary output and eventually to the firms bottom line.
Those departments with direct staff or operations staff are more powerful. Their requests are heard fully before other departments can really lay out their issues. One of the ways of recognising the central departments is their relationship to the organisational strategy (Shukla, 2004, p. 112)
Non-substitutability: This comes in where there are certain staffs in the organisation that cannot be easily replaced. There is no one else with the level of skills and expertise that they possess.
This gives them power. It could be an individual or a whole department. The organisation will find itself seeking for third party services or expertise when the individual is on leave or he leaves the organisation suddenly either through dismissal or resignation.
Coping with uncertainty. Another source of power is when a department handles the aspect of uncertainty well. The truth is that in an organisation there will always be uncertainty to some extent on market sales, promotions and other interactions with the external environment.
A department that therefore assists the organisation to deal with uncertainty is perceived to be very powerful. Managers should therefore strive to take advantage of these strategic congruencies.
Organisational Politics
Appropriate use: There are certain dangers of using politics to resolve conflict in the organisation. First of all, it often involves the use of deceptive or dishonesty. It usually causes even further conflict aggravating the existing tense feelings. Most people feel anxious, insecure and nervous in a working environment where there is a lot of conflict. It also increases the level of job dissatisfaction and may lead to certain levels of employee turnover.
In this environment, the staff will exhibit low work morale, inferior outlook, low quality of work results and errors. There will be poor decisions made as people seek self-satisfaction showing a deviation in the staff from achieving team work and the organisational goals.
However politics can be used positively in the organisation where this form of power is not abused. The proper and acceptable use and view of politics is where it is used as a tool for the bargaining and negotiating of rights and tasks in the organisation. In this way it helps to solve conflicts and equips staff in negotiation and decision making skills.
Domains of Political Activity
Structural Change and Management Succession
Political power may be implemented through structural change in the organisation. It may occur in diverse ways. The management may change the responsibilities or tasks of certain individuals. This is where the managers will be found in meetings negotiating and striving to be heard so that they can maintain the responsibilities and roles that they had before.
The organisations staff may experience a high level of transfers, promotions, dismissals or retrenchments and hiring of new staff (Rahim, 2010, p. 155). This occurs mostly at the top management level. To provide a buffer for themselves managers usually engage in informal networks for support, communication and cooperation is required for survival.
Members in the different departments can even be exchanged so as to reduce the level of intergroup bias and attitudes. It will create understanding as staff experiences the challenges that other staff in other groups experience.
The methods of communication within the organisation can even be altered so as to find a medium that gives clearer communication between the groups.
Resource Allocation
Political power may also be demonstrated by the degree of resources allocated to staff or groups. When speaking of resources it includes a wide range of resources such as employees or manpower, salaries, office equipment and operating budgets. In an organisation there are groups that will be given more resources than others.
The discrepancies in the degree of resources given to different departments increase the tendency towards disharmony in an organisation (Alderfer & Smith, 1982) Power is also vested in departments that control critical inputs for other departments in the processing process (Shukla, 2004, p. 114)
Political Tactics for Using Power
There are different tactics that managers use to get what they want. The use of power where there is intergroup conflicts requires the manager to be skilful or even sly. Lack of preparedness may cause him or her not to accomplish their goal.
Building of coalitions: In order for a manager to be able to use this strategy, he must have a high level of interpersonal skills. To build a coalition does not happen in a formal environment, most of the time it occurs in informal meetings. Building the social networks assists the managers to accomplish certain tasks (Boyatzis, 1982, p. 122).
Before a major meeting, the manager engages other managers either in one on one session or in hurdles of threes in order to convince them to see and advocate for his point of view. The manager must be perceived to be acting in the best interests of other managers and the organisation as a whole. The foundation set by the manager should be one of trust, mutual respect and harmony.
Expansion of Networks: A second strategy that the manager may use is to work towards expanding the size of his network. This is where an individual either seeks out relationships with other new managers or gets a way of getting the managers who are not sympathetic to his side.
The organisation opts to transfer or promote individuals to come to strategic positions so that they can fight for the departmental access to certain resources or privileges. There is also the approach of bringing people who are against the system closer to management so as to win their support. A good example is where there are certain managers against the promotion and salary system in the organisation.
In order to get their support the management promotes the managers and brings them to be in the committee. This way they can see the challenges involved in the administration of the promotion and salary policies and appreciate the approach the organisation in order to achieve balance and harmony.
This is known as modelling the desired behaviour for the staff so that the top management is able to accomplish its task with the staff support (Boyatzis, 1982, p. 122)
The Control of decision premises: In this political tactic, the manager may choose not to reveal all the information to the other managers so as to influence them to do what he wants. Similarly, he may only tell the other managers the favourable information concerning his department and hide other negative information that will not help him achieve the results that he wants.
This method of control of decision premises actually refers to the act of restraining or constraining the boundaries of decision making which is what the manager is doing by giving selective information.
The manager is affecting the foundation of decision making which is access to information (Gareth, 1997, p. 165). A university department while campaigning for additional resources will emphasize its growth in recent time periods. Another strategy is in manipulating the agenda during meetings.
Items that the manager wants to receive crucial attention will be placed will be discussed early when the other managers have a lot of energy to discuss and give their contribution.
Other items that are deemed to be less crucial at that time are placed at the end of the meeting when the people are tired and in a hurry to leave since the attention given to them will be obviously low. The manager may also choose to call attention to certain items in the agenda and even offer viable alternatives so that he can kick off a discussion.
Use of legitimacy and expertise: In an organisation there are those managers who are known to be experts in certain fields. In this strategy, the manager will seek to give other managers his requests relevant to his area of expertise.
Due to his recognition in that domain, the other managers will agree to his request quickly. If the request involves some area that is a bit too complex, the manager can choose to involve third party professional or technical experts in order to increase the weight of his request in his favour. In other scenarios, change in an organisation is most of the time resisted by the
established systems in the organisation for a long time. The management can use politics to remove these people in order to institute the changes that they desire (Shukla, 2004, p. 111)
Balancing preferences and power: the manager cannot afford to be silent since his department will not get the support and resources that are needed. The managers should use power implicitly, wisely or slyly and make his requests explicitly.
There are requests that are usually considered in an organisation because there were no other viable alternatives suggested by other managers. Other managers suggestions could have missed selection and appropriate discussion simply because the requests were ambiguous, unclear and confusing. One should be clear about his requests in meetings.
The manager has to take a risk and speak out. Managers are in a position to influence the agenda of meetings (Shukla, 2004, p. 110)
Power should never be announced. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth. People in the organisation know the departments and individuals who are powerful. If a manager draws undue attention to the power or say he has, other managers will not support him as they will find him to be self-seeking or selfish.
Managers must therefore balance the rational and political nature of their work. They should use politics positively to achieve desired goals.
Conclusion
There are different ways in which intergroup conflicts can be resolved however the use of political power should be used with caution due to the precarious side effects it may have. There has to be a balance. Political power is a great tool for managers to solve intergroup conflicts that will usually be there in any organisation.
References
Boyatzis, R. (1982). The competent manager: A model for effective performance. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.
Daft, R., Murphy, J., & Willmott, H. (2010). Organization theory and design. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Galinsky, A. (2002). Creating and reducing intergroup conflict: The role of perspective-taking in affecting out-group evaluations. Volume of Research on Managing Groups and Teams, 4, 85113.
Makin, P., Cooper, C., & Cox, C. (1996). Organizations and the psychological contract: Managing people at work. Westpost, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Morgan, G. (1998). Images of organization. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Nelson, D., & Campbell, J. (2004). Quick understanding organizational behavior. Mason, OH: South Western College Publishers.
Rahim, M. (2001). Managing conflict in organizations (3rd ed.). Westport, CT: Quorum Books.
Shukla, M. (2004). Understanding organizations: Organizational theory and practice in Indi. New Delhi, India: Prentice Hall.
Spoelstra, H., & Pienaa, W. (1991). Negotiation: Theories, strategies and skills. Cape Town, South Africa: Juta Academic.
There is no doubt that both conflict and cooperation are part and parcel of employment relationships. There are different forms of industrial conflicts. These include: Overt (boycotts, pickets, sabotages, strikes, bans, etc); covert (absenteeism, work to rule, theft, go-slow, indifference, etc); individual or collective conflicts; and proactive conflicts.
There are several reasons suggested to explain why industrial conflicts occur. In many cases, industrial conflicts are caused by lack of employment security, moribund managerial control and poor remunerations. In addition, an industrial conflict may emerge when the interests of the employer and his/her employees collide. For example, this may happen when the employer wields control and demand enhanced productivity from his/her workers.
On the other hand, employees may expect an increased remuneration to compensate for their efforts. As a result, an industrial conflict may occur when employees earnings are not increased to reflect their efforts. It is thus imperative that employers provide their workers with excellent working environment, increased participation, job security, good management strategies and better earnings in order to avert an industrial conflict.
The state plays an integral role in industrial relations. The characteristics of workplace industrial relations are directly affected by adjustments in the character of state interventions in the labor market. The state intervenes in the labour market by imposing restrictions on managerial prerogatives as well as protecting the reproduction of labourforce.
In the last three decades, the Australian government adopted a corporatist regime as an intervention strategy in the labour market to foster social partnerships between the labour unions, state and employers. During this period, economic concessions (such as wage reductions) were done by the state.
On the other hand, business organizations gained from subdued industrial conflicts as well as low inflation. However, the corporatism accord came to an end when the Howard administration took helm in 1996. The new government modified state policies in order to diminish the role of the state in the economy.
Some of the policy changes included privatization of some sections of the public sector (e.g. abolition of Public Service Board), marketisation of state services and reduction in state expenditure. Although the federal government adopted managerialism and marketisation strategies from mid 1980, it still plays a vital role in the labour market to date.
The basic role of management is to merge, distribute and utilize resources to realize the objectives of the organization. Business organizations employ different management control strategies. Some of these management control strategies are:
Direct control: examples include tight supervision and industrial discretion.
Responsible autonomy: employees are granted autonomy and status at work.
Other forms of controls include: technical control; personalized control; commitment-based control; and bureaucratic control.
There are a number of factors that influence the choice of management control strategy. Some of these factors include: state regulations; market forces; and employee acceptance/resistance. An organization may choose to adopt a management control strategy for a particular group of workers based on several factors. These include:
The need to sustain good working relations with workers: For example, eliminating union workplace may hurt existing relations with workers.
Cultural factors: The choice of the management control strategy is determined by the cultural factors both at the organizational and national level.
Labour market and product market conditions: This entails competition based on quality, price and innovation and surplus or shortages of labour.
State regulations: the state play an important role in the determination of the management control strategy to be adopted by an organization.
Disagreements between co-workers are a common scenario in the workplace. Thus, they should be addressed to promote healthy working relationships. Conflicts affect the emotions and result in a tense work environment where no meaningful discussions can be conducted. This affects the conflicting parties, as well as the team. Such an environment results in reduced job satisfaction since employee relationships are strained, and morale goes down.
Consequently, this causes stress to employees and, eventually, lowers their productivity levels. Engaging in activities that bond employees together and encouraging them to understand each other is an excellent move to prevent conflicts. These activities include coaching, welfare activities, and team building. The management should be involved in staff activities as part of the team both at professional and personal levels. Management should show their faith in the employees power to resolve their differences even without intervention.
Introduction
Conflicts between workers have been experienced in many organizations. An example is a case in a local government office where an employee argued with a colleague. The employee was experiencing some personal problems and had been remorseful the whole week. Thus, the colleague abused her verbally, stating that she was always in a foul mood and that no one would smile at her miserable face. The offended employee was in tears and went to her line manager.
However, she was shocked to realize that the manager was not interested in solving the case. This made her lose her respect for the manager, and she became no longer interested in her job (Donaldson, 2011). Employees who find themselves in conflict with their colleagues suffer from emotional distress. Also, they are often dissatisfied with their jobs (Doherty & Guyler, 2008).
Analysis
Distress in the workplace reduces the employees morale. The verbal attack that this employee got from her colleague demoralized her. Encouraging employees to work as a team reduces the chances of conflicts. The management should encourage staff welfare activities to prevent personal problems. This gives them an avenue to share and assist one another. Today, the world is experiencing fast, economic developments and there are many expectations from employees. Coping with work and family responsibilities can be a cause of distress (Lee, 2008). The management should facilitate the resolution of conflicts among employees (Khan, 2009).
The issue of job satisfaction also comes up when the line manager ignored her report of abuse. She was also not satisfied with the job. In this case, she did not receive the support that she expected from her line manager. One can solve this issue by recognizing the worth of employees to the organization. Everyone needs a listening ear, which managers should offer their employees (Abbas, 2009). They should make employees understand by showing them that there is no good or bad person; people just disagree. Creating this attitude helps employees approach disagreement professionally. If managers listen to their employees, conflicts may not affect their job satisfaction. In this case, conflicts become part of the normal challenges expected in the job environment (Wall & Callister, 1995).
Emotions influence the job environment. She broke into tears, and this affected her performance. Team building is also a good opportunity for employees to interact and learn from each other. It helps them to separate their professionalism from their personalities. The management should conduct employee coaching to ensure that incidences like the one, in this case, do not occur. Coaching entails highlighting the personality traits of the team members and encouraging employees to respect each others weaknesses (Carter, Byrnes & American Management Association, 2006).
Conclusion
The job environment brings people from diverse backgrounds with different personalities. One should approach conflicts like any other challenge expected in the job environment to promote peaceful relations among the employees. Listening, working as teams, and developing a culture where employees share and resolve their problems reduce conflicts. Coaching promotes understanding and enables employees to learn and respect one another.
References
Abbas, Q. (2009). The Impact of Work Life Conflict on Job Satisfactions of Employees in Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Management 4 (5), 63-83.
Carter, G.L., Byrnes, J.F., & American Management Association. (2006). How to manage conflict in the organization. Watertown, MA?: American Management Association.
Doherty, N., & Guyler, M. (2008). The essential guide to workplace mediation & conflict resolution: Rebuilding working relationships. London: Kogan Page.
Donaldson, E. (2011). Preventing Stress in Organizations: How to develop Positive Managers. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.
Khan, M.A. (2009). Impact of Task Conflict on Employees Performance of Financial Institutions. European Journal of Scientific Research, 27 (4), 479-487.
Lee, K. L. (2008). An Examination between the Relationships of Conflict Management Styles and Employee Satisfaction. International Journal of Business and Management, 3 (9), 11-25.
Wall, J.A. & Callister, R.R. (1995). Conflict and its Management. Journal of Management, 21 (3), 515-558.
Conflict management is an art which concentrates on the relationships between men. Every time human beings develop interests over something by nature, a conflict must arise. Therefore, it will take the energy of a strong character to sort out the conflict between people. The conflict solver must not be partisan in order to succeed. Otherwise a partisan person will lead to problems in resolution of conflicts.
Conflicts did not start today. It started at the time of Adam and Eve when Eve developed interest against what God had told them. It has also been noted in history that conflicts existed between the Homo sapiens and the Homo erectus. Therefore, conflict is part of man and there should be proper mechanism of sorting out the conflicts (Keyton J; 2004);.
Conflicts arise in relationships every time people fail to agree on issues. In this case study, am assessing my fathers conflict management styles. To start with, there exist various criteria for conflict management; Collaboration, compromising, competing, avoiding and accommodating.
Avoiding style is supported by the following three examples:
Withdrawal: Whenever a debate with someone reaches a critical point, he normally reneges (pulls aside) in a diplomatic manner. He lets fate to take its own course and the conflict to resolve by itself.
Postponing: Whenever there is a crisis, he postpones it until a later date. Not that he intends to resolve the conflict at such a later date but because he wants the issue to settle down naturally. Postponing of a conflict is more or less the same as avoiding it.
Pretence: My father pretends that there is no conflict at all as a way of settling the conflict. He avoids the other party and pretends that nothing is happening at the moment. This also makes the other person in conflict to perceive the conflict as imaginary and of no consequence. In the end, the conflict dies a natural death (Pfeffer J, 1992)..
Conflict in an organization arises of two parties pursue different goals. From the perspective of human resource management it is when two groups become closely related and create loyalty to each other burying their internal differences which will lead to conflicts. There are many ways conflict resolution can be managed and each way depends on the form of person solving the conflict. There are two types of people in conflict resolution, a leader and a manager. By nature, each of the two will have different ways of solving conflicts (Pfeffer J, 1992)..
To begin with, there is a difference between a leader and a manager. Some of the differences between a leader and a manager include
the manager always acts as administrators while leaders are always innovating ways of solving conflicts
Managers always follow the letter of the law by asking how and why and when while the leaders always are looking for what and why. This creates a great difference in conflict resolution
In school reform and other organizations managers focus on the system that is set while leaders focus on people
Leaders will always do the right things while managers will like accuracy and they like doing things right
Leaders can nature something and develop it into something big while managers maintain status quo
Managers do not have creativity. They keep photocopies of the past while leaders will have originality and creativity
Leaders are always on their own without emulating any character while managers always refer to known characters especially those with classic good behavior. This means that managers are people who emulate others through imitation without originality
Managers always rely on control and management while leaders base their egos on trust
Leaders always like team work and groups while managers like dealing with individuals
Leaders have long run vision unlike managers whose perspective is shorter and how to satisfy specific goals (xi) Leaders always will have their vision on the horizon. (Pfeffer J, 1992).
The differences and distinction that we have emulated above between a leader and manager is very useful in conflict resolution. The differences show how a leader behaves as compared to a manger. From the statement above, we learn that leaders will try to influence characters and behavior of people either in groups or individuals, regardless of the idea or reason. A leader always will find himself leading while a manager will wait for a position to be created for him. Once the position has been created for him, he will be given power to exercise. The leader does not wait for positions to be created for him. He has the power to influence anyone at any time. This clearly shows the approaches they will follow in solving conflicts (Pfeffer J, 1992)..
Assume a conflict between employees of a group or a conflict of goals of an organization. The manager will try to look at the set rules and regulations within the organization while the leader will look at a vision to provide leadership but will eventually direct the position or influence taken. Always visions from leaders appear simple, vibrant, imaginative which are easily acceptable by the group influenced. He understands how to approach human differences among individuals. The leader visionalizes the future state of events, compares with the present before approaching conflicts (Pfeffer J, 1992)..
As it is, it shows that effective leaders do not show off or he does not want to be seen as the head through authority. They try to create and sustain competition among groups through attainment of the objectives and vision attained. They view the employees of an organization as people as compared to a manager who sees human beings as resources. When approaching conflicts from this perspective then a problem arises. The manager will like to solve the problem as though he was dealing with machines and emotionless equipments of the company while the leader solve the problems as though he is dealing with human beings who has feelings, families and reasoning. This difference in approach is due to the roles played by the two. The role of the manger is to organize resources to achieve the organizations objectives. People being resources form the perspective of a manager, he finds them as part of the equipments.
To be successive in conflict management, there is need for a manager to mix leadership and management. (Pfeffer J, 1992).
Sources of conflicts in an organization
Conflicts in an organization arise when there is competition among groups or employees and this may take the following forms:
each group becomes more closely knit and elicits greater loyalty from its members; members close ranks and bury some of their internal differences
Group climate changes from informal, casual, playful to work- and-task-oriented, concern for members psychological needs declines while concern for task accomplishment increases
Leadership patterns tend t changed from more democratic toward more autocratic, the group becomes more willing to tolerate autocratic leadership
Each group becomes more highly structured and organized
Each group demand loyalty and conformity from its members in order to be able to present a solid front.
What happens between competing groups?
Each group begins to see the other groups as the enemy, rather than merely a neutral object
Each group begins to experience distortions of perception- it tends to perceive only the best parts of itself, denying its weaknesses, and tends to perceive only the worst parts of the other group, denying its strengths, each group is likely to develop stereotypes of the other ( they dont play fair liked we do .)
Hostility toward the other group increases while interaction and communication with the other group decreases, thus it becomes easier to maintain negative stereotypes and more difficult to correct perceptual distortions
If the groups are forced into interaction for example, if they are forced to listen to representatives plead their own and the others cause in reference to some task-each group is likely to listen more closely to their own representatives and not to listen to the representative of the other group, except to find fault with his presentation, in other words, group members tend to listen only for that which supports their own position and stereotype.
What happens to the winner?
The winner retains its cohesion and may become even more cohesive
He tends to release tension, lose its fighting spirit, become complacent, casual and playful (the fat and happy state)
The winner tends toward high intergroup co-operation and concern for m embers needs, and low concern for work and task accomplishment
The winner tends to be complacent of the enemy team, there is little basis for re-evaluating perceptions, or re-examining team operations in order to learn how to improve them (ORourke J.S).
What happens to the loser?
If the situation permits be cause of some ambiguity in the decision (say, if judges have rendered it or if the game was close), there is a strong tendency for the loser to deny or distort the reality of losing, instead, the loser will find psychological esc apes like the judges were biased, the judges did not really understand our solution, the rules of the game were not clearly explained to us,, if luck had not been against u at the one key point, we would have won and so on
If loss is accepted, the losing group tends to splinter, unresolved conflicts come to the surface, fights break out, all in the effort to find a cause for the loss
Loser is more tense, ready to work harder, and desperate to find someone or something to blame the leader, itself, the judges who decided against them, the rules of the game (the lean and hungry state)
Loser tends toward how intergroup co-operation, low concern for members needs, and high concern for recouping by working harder
Loser tends to learn a lo about itself as a group be cause positive stereotype of itself and negative stereotype of the other group are upset by the loss, forcing a re-evaluation of perceptions, as a consequence, loser is likely to reorganize and be came more cohesive and effective, once the loss has been accepted realistically (Robbins S, 2004);.
Preventing Intergroup Conflict
Relatively greater emphasis given to total organizational effectiveness and the role of departments in contributing to it, departments measured and rewarded on the basis of their contribution to the total effort rather their individual effectiveness
High interaction and frequent communication stimulated between groups to work on problems of inter-group co-ordination and help, organization rewards given partly on the basis of help which give to each other
Frequent rotation of members among groups or departments to stimulate high degree of mutual understanding and empathy for one anothers problems
Avoidance of any win-lose situation, groups never put into the position of competing for some organizational reward, emphasis always placed on pooling resources to maximize organizational effectiveness, rewards hared equally with all the groups or departments (Pfeffer J, 1992).
Conflict management
After identifying sources of conflicts and how to prevent conflict from occurring, the next stop is to identify means of conflict resolution. There are many ways of conflict resolution followed by leaders and managers. Among them is watching and shying away. This form or method of conflict resolution is mostly used by managers. Leaders cannot follow this method but will take the conflict head on collision but use diplomatic means to cool the tempers (Shim J; 1999);.
Managers at times may also use the approach of watch and see in conflict resolution. However leaders will use other techniques if the problem proves to be difficult. He will use techniques such as divide and rule which is normally used by dictators in political circles. This method is good especially where there is a potential crisis which can be solved by divide and rule (Macan T.H., 1994);.
The other method available for conflict management is co- leadership. This is where the leader comes to a com promise and agrees to share out responsibilities of leadership or leadership structures between two or three groups or entities. This form of leadership was used in earlier days in the Roman Empire where leadership was divided between the pope and the king. Currently we are hearing the same being negotiated in one of the African countries where the former secretary general of the United Nations is trying to solve a conflict using this method. This method cannot succeed in areas of management. You cannot have co-management and therefore it is hard to incorporate co-leadership or co-management in running the management position (Margulles N. and Wallace J, 1973).
Unlike leadership, the management has duties and responsibilities which are accompanied by power which you cannot find in leadership.
Similarities in leadership and management conflict resolution methods
Both the manager and a leader exercise authority in solving the conflicts
Both are symbols of authority in an organization, society or group
They both have some goals to achieve or vision and they must have followers who will assist in the achievement of goals
In the process of conflict of conflict resolution, there must be self sacrifice and passion and there must be correctness of either vision or goals. Their behavior for both should be outstanding to that one of the conflicting parties
They must be able to attract confidence to termination and persistence so that they will be able to solve the conflict without major problems or challenges
They should be a symbol of good image to the people who are conflicting. This is possible through competence, credibility and trustworthy. This will make themselves become role models to be followed by the conflicting parties
Expectations and confidence should be attracted from the part of the conflicting parties
They should be both in a position of authority to convince the conflicting parties to change their stand in the conflict
They should be able also to communicate to the conflicting parties in understandable language that is acceptable
They should be reasonable and able to manage conflicts (Brass B and Riggio R; 2006);.
Conclusion
Conflict resolution in an organization depends on the culture and structure of an organization but when groups conflict, the management should be able to identify group leaders who will be used in the conflict resolution. However, failure to identify leaders of conflicting parties, the management may not be able to identify the problem. Instead, the problem may be complicated leading to high job turn over and in the long run leading to the loss in the company.
Methods identified of conflict resolution apply both to managers and leaders and if followed properly, groups, team, organizations and other get together will work or live in harmony.
Reference
Brass B and Riggio R; (2006); Transformational Leadership; Routledge, Burns. J.M Leadership, and School Leadership and Administration.
Keyton J; (2004); Communication and Organizational Culture; Sage Pub.
Macan T.H., (1994); Time Management: Test of a process Model. Journal of Applied psychology.
Margulles N. and Wallace J, (1973); Organizational Change techniques and Applications (Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman ORourke J.S, Management Communication- A case analysis approach.
Pfeffer J, (1992) Managing with power: politics and influence in organization Boston: Harvard business School press.
This paper will discuss conflict management as discussed by two authors namely; Cahn Dudley and Abigail Ruth in their book Managing Conflict through Communication. These authors have insisted that communication is the best way that individuals should use to settle their disputes. People should not engage in fights or become enemies because of conflicts. There are better ways that can handle conflicts and they will be discussed in this paper.
Main body
Conflict can be described as the actual opposition of interests and needs. Conflicts can occur between different individuals or within an individual. The concept of conflict can be used to explain many social aspects of life like fights that occur between people, conflicts of interest and social disagreement. (Cahn and Abigail, 2010). Conflict can also be used as a reference for wars and revolution in the political arena. When there is a no proper mechanism to resolve the conflict, there is a possibility of the development of stress and tensions within the people involved.
When there is a conflict of interest, actions and values, the possibility of conflict is very high. There are several ways that can help to avoid or quell conflict. The first one is accommodation. This means to surrender or forego a persons needs or his wishes in order to accommodate the needs of the other people. The second way to avoid conflict is avoidance. It is possible for individuals to avoid conflict by ignoring the subject of conflict or by simply changing the topic. Although this is not a permanent measure, it helps individuals to buy time.In circumstances that the conflict is intense, an individual can decide to leave the place or cutting off ties with the conflicting parties.
Collaboration is also another effective way of managing a conflict. Individuals can choose to work together towards a solution that will be beneficial to both parties. This is the only situation that both parties emerge as winners. This form of conflict management requires that there be enough communication and trust within the individuals involved.
Compromise also helps in conflict management. This involves reaching an agreement which is the ultimate aim of resolving a conflict. (Cahn and Abigail, 2010). Another form of conflict management is competition. This involves an individual being assertive and being able to outweigh the ideas of other people.
These ideas have helped me in life since I have been able to use some of them to mange my own conflicts. The authors have said that it is good for an individual to learn to compromise his or her own ideas and listen to those of others. I have been able to use this form of conflict management in my life many times. I once entered into an argument with my friends over who would be the leader of our choir group. I really wanted to have this post since I was the one who had formed it. However, my friend wanted the post too. A conflict ensued and our choir group was at the verge of a split. We decided to sit to negotiate the stand off since matters were getting out of hand. We decided that the leadership would be held on a rotational basis which I agreed. The authors have also discussed why it is important to stop and think. One when faced with a conflict should put to a halt the issue and then think about it. This helps one to come up with a solution when the mood is not charged.
Conclusion
The authors have really helped me since I now have different way which I can handle conflicts. The different forms of conflict management that the authors have given are very important. Conflicts can be managed through communication instead of creating animosity between individuals. This paper has also given life experiences that show elements of conflict management.
Reference
Cahn, D, & Abigail, R. (2010). Managing conflict through communication. Boston: MA:Pearson.
The selected report describes a two-week period of a human rights-related issue in Aleppo, Syria, that took place between 9 and 23 August 2012 ( Satellite imagery analysis, n.d.). The conflict analyzed in the report concerns the largest city in Syria, which is situated in the northwest of the country. As of July 2012, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mentioned that the situation in Aleppo was so dramatic that it could be designated as a civil war ( Syria in civil war, 2012, para. 1). Therefore, several major world organizations were involved in the elucidation of the issue.
When it became apparent that the situation in Aleppo was getting out of control, Amnesty International, USA (AIUSA), started searching for support from Earth observation (EO) organizations to obtain reliable and actual data on the conflict. The AIUSA addressed the Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for help ( Satellite imagery analysis, n.d.). The process of acquiring imagery was promoted by the use of the Quickbird-2 satellite, which was operated by DigitalGlobe, Inc. Another technology employed for obtaining images was the IKONOS satellite operated by GeoEye, Inc. With the help of these tools, it became possible to receive images of many incidents happening through Aleppo during the two-week period.
Despite the high level of EO technologies quality, there were some difficulties in obtaining a clear picture of the whole city. The problem was that Aleppos landscape was largely made of multi-story buildings situated too close to one another for the satellite to see down to the narrow spaces between them ( Satellite imagery analysis, n.d.). However, even though some challenges emerged, they did not prevent EO professionals from collecting data on the major destructions caused by the conflict. In total, EO technologies allowed observing 117 cases of damage to Aleppos infrastructure and buildings in the period between 9 and 23 August.
The issue was reported with the help of images obtained by EO technologies and a detailed description of the events happening in the city during the period observed. The report is well structured so as to present information in a concise but quite informative manner. Each of the images is accompanied by a detailed description of the objects and areas captured on it. The organization that prepared the report was Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights Project ( Satellite imagery analysis, n.d.). Data sources were the Quickbird-2 satellite and the IKONOS satellite. Data were accessed by the reporting organization from DigitalGlobe, Inc. and GeoEye, Inc.
As for me, this type of analysis and reporting is a rather professional and effective one. All the vital information has been presented and explained in detail. The report contains a variety of images with the mentioning of their direct locations. Additionally, reporters acknowledge that some of the citys areas were impossible to capture with EO technologies and assume that more damage could have been done to Aleppo ( Satellite imagery analysis, n.d.). I think that the organization chose this type of reporting because it allows making clear conclusions about the human rights issue based on imagery obtained, as well as on explanations following it. Another probable reason for selecting this report type is to justify the severity of the conflict by providing reliable evidence from some of the most professional EO organizations.
Management and organization of work in medical institutions are difficult since it is necessary to combine responsibilities and actions into functional units, determine the lines of communication, and develop coordination models. A rank hierarchy is an effective form of organizing the work in which relations are highly structured in terms of authority and responsibility. However, there are conflict situations in any group of people whose behavior depends on the distribution and knowledge of duties. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the conflict between a radiology manager and a radiology MRI supervisor and to express a personal opinion of the effectiveness of the applied approach.
Essence and Ways to Avoid
The essence of the conflict is that the radiology manager wants to shorter the exams despite warnings by the MRI supervisor about possible quality deterioration. Even the radiology directors request not to risk quality does not affect the radiology managers actions, and he is fired. The problem is that the manager has the authority to make decisions on changing the MRI machine protocols by himself, although he does not practice MRI exams. I consider the decision to fire the manager is correct, despite his recognition of the mistake. The healthcare sector is not an area in which one can make mistakes and sacrifice quality for the sake of profit.
To improve on the response, the described issue has to be discussed with the supervisor directly involved in the exams, and the radiology director to take into account all possible risks. The set of relations between subordinates and managers should be well established and clearly stated. The authority delegated to the radiology manager must be consistent with the assigned duties and the principle of parity (Liebler & McConnell, 2016). It means that responsibility should not be greater than these powers to fulfill ones duties without provoking a conflict. Also, changes in the internal and external organizational environment must be monitored to adjust the structure if necessary.
Conclusion
To sum up, management and leadership in healthcare institutions have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the performed work. Solving conflict situations is crucial in providing patients with highly qualified medical care. There are numerous approaches to the organization of work and the interaction between members of staff to achieve mutual understanding. In this regard, it is important healthcare superiors and subordinates to respect and work together to resolve conflicts.
Reference
Liebler, G., & McConnell, C. R. (2016). Management principles for health professionals. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Carter McNamara stated that A job is a collection of tasks and responsibilities that an employee is responsible to conduct. (McNamara, 2008). Thus, a team is needed in an organization to complete the job. However, Paul Glen indicated that Complete satisfaction just isnt part of the human condition. We are a restless and ambitious species. (Glen, 2003) thus, conflict is sure to arise. However, the concept of conflict negotiation within teamwork helps in approaching conflict management. As a manager or leader it is a fundamental duty to maintain the goal of the company by resolving conflict through negotiation.
On a personal basis I feel that I am quite able to handle the situations arising from conflict and negotiation issues. My Face-to-Face Communication Style is generally subdued to make people understand through logic and proper judgment. To achieve this goal listening is needed and I am a good listener. This makes me accepted to all. To back this listening skill I make it necessary in Giving Feedback, otherwise, listening would surely fail. Now comes the second part of Working with others that involve proper Power orientation and Conflict negotiation Skills. It is obvious that I maintain a Formal organizational relation with both the superiors and subordinates. This makes me accessible to both the parties and it incorporates trust. (Taylor, 1993). Thus, I would not judge myself a highly Power-Oriented but a moderate method is more acceptable for me. However, the most Preferred Type of Power is situational as it is most important and effective to exhale power on situations needed only and not always. Logically, I maintain this impression of a person with integrity and of trust making me accessible and these places me at the negotiating position. My Preferred Conflict-Handling is making the members of a team to understand that the other party also possesses a standpoint and it is helpful to listen to the other party and understand the thought process. Once this is clarified, the main aspects of conflict seize to exist and creative conflict arises out of general conflict. (Robbins & Judge, 2009)
As a conflict manager in a leadership role the issue relating to the case of Atlantic Scaffolding Company and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (CASE 16-CA-26108) would be an interesting one. While there is no dispute that Respondents general foremen are supervisors and excluded from the protection of the Act, the parties do not agree as to the supervisory status of the foremen. (National Labor Relations Board, 2008) The process of advocacy and inquiry is one of the fundamental standpoints of in conflict management. Here the conflict manager in a leadership role gathers enough information about the conflict and places them in front of the conflicting parties. This clarifies misunderstand generated between the parties and resolves the issue mostly by making suggestion by the conflict manager or way-out formulated by the parties themselves. This is the most logical way out otherwise it would cause harm for both the parties with stoppage of job and waste of production time.
It is essential to make the parties understand that they work as a team. Team learning is the fundamental aspect of modern organization. It involves in-house training and creating environment of collaboration and teamwork. It is a very important part of the management and this creates a fraternity that enables the organization to work efficiently with speed. Once teamwork ethics are well taught it becomes easy for a company to achieve its goals and conflict resolution and negotiation would no longer be needed.
References
Glen, P. (2003). Job Satisfaction: Its Highly Overrated. 2009. Web.
McNamara, C. (2008). Employee Task and Job Analysis. Web.
National Labor Relations Board. (2008). Atlantic Scaffolding Company and United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. CASE 16-CA-26108. Web.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2009). Organizational behavior. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Taylor, B. (1993). In Search of Identity: Clarifying Corporate Culture. 2009. Web.