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Introduction
Conflict resolution is phenomenal in all levels of corporate and individual management. Different tools and approaches have been proposed and practiced around the world in addressing different situations. This essay explores three of them, namely: constructive controversy, power and communication.
Constructive Controversy
Intellectual conflicts can be constructive to motivate people in seeking external understanding to accommodate a wider range of views. Constructive controversy mainly encompasses unforced discussions which generate creative ways of problem solving. This can be contrasted to general debates, personal processes or concurrence seeking.
Most people form primary conclusion and rationale when faced with a problem that requires a solution (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2006). Nevertheless, this usually turns into uncertainty when challenged with different opinions which trigger the search for the truth and reasonable stances. It is always a cooperative endeavor that aims at accommodating varying perspectives from other people and yields solutions which promote positive feelings among participants.
Importantly, constructive controversies occur in cooperative contexts where players are collaborators and are open to criticism and different perspectives. In this case, participants get motivated to find creative and quality solutions through reasoning which leads to change of attitude and self esteem (Dana, 2001).
Furthermore, constructive controversy can be implemented in decision making by use of advocacy teams which develop cases for their group before reversing their initial position and then having a conclusive debate. It can also be used to enhance academic learning where students through groups, handle a problem from two opposing sides before consensus class discussions. This approach is important in promoting democracy.
Power and Conflict
From a general perspective, power plays a major role in a wide range of conflicts. As a result, there are misconceptions about power including a feeling of competitiveness and physical implication such that it flows in a single direction.
Some theorists view power as coercive when exercised over others while others view it from a cooperative stance that is, “power with” others. Additionally, power is viewed within the context of being dependent and independent. Independent theorists believe in empowerment and the ability to exercise power minus any disability.
Power therefore utilizes the interplay between an individual’s characteristics and those of the existing conflict. In this case, the individual uses a variety of resources and strategies of authority to achieve holistic goals. Significant spheres of personal power are: motivational, ethical and cognitive orientations.
Individuals may be motivated to exercise either personal or group power (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2006). This is mainly determined by the role being played, hierarchy in terms of position and culture which defines attitude towards power. Notably, competition of power arises when “power over” is exercised resulting into impairment of reasonable solutions.
On the other hand, cooperative conflicts allow several alternatives to accomplish a competitive strategy and relevant power out to be considered to achieve desired goals. Training in conflict resolution is important to avoid friction between high and low-power groups (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2006).
Communication and Conflict
Communication is a major tool in conflict resolution as depicted from several models. The coding-encoding model views communication as a process which involves encoding, transmission and decoding of information (Deutsch, Coleman & Marcus, 2006). Good communication calls for proper communication that eliminates erroneous noise which may distort the message leading to misunderstanding.
Secondly, intentionalist model looks at different meanings derived from similar words. It calls for having a shared language background that gives a common understanding as opposed to preconceived perceptions. Speakers should know the intended meaning and reflect on the interpretation of listeners. On the other hand, perspective-taking model acknowledges different point of views from participants sharing language and culture.
Successful communication as applied in conflict resolution occurs when a speaker considers the perception of listeners than having misinformed judgment and stereotypes. Lastly, dialogic model underlines collaborative and cooperative approaches in communication within particular contexts of conflicts. It considers listeners as active participants with equal role in understanding the message. This can be achieved through questions from listeners seeking clarity of ideas.
Equivalently, good communicators ought to put into account the form of the message as it may affect its content (Dana, 2001). Coupled with positive intentions, good communication makes the process of conflict resolution possible while the converse may exacerbate the situation.
References
Dana, D. (2001). Conflict resolution: mediation tools for everyday work-life. New York City, U.S: McGraw-Hill Professional.
Deutsch, M., Coleman, P. T. & Marcus, C. E. (2006). The handbook of conflict resolution: theory and practice. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
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