CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Dealing with Conflict in the Workplace



Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of Conflict Management in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on Techniques for Resolving Conflict in the workplace. The research also analyzes many aspects of Conflict Management and tries to gauge its effect on the workplace conflicts.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction4

Conflict Resolution Approaches5

Leadership and Intervention7

Conclusion8

References9

Dealing with Conflict in the Workplace

Introduction

What do we mean when we talk about conflict? It is often described as occurring when the actions or beliefs of one or more members of one group are “unacceptable” to—and therefore resisted by—one or more members of the other group. Contemporary definitions—useful in the context of leadership and group conflict—focus on expressed struggles between interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, or interference from others in achieving their goals. This definition underscores the critical role of perception in that the resolution of conflict will depend on perceptual changes in one or more of the parties regarding their differences. It also underscores that the parties involved are connected in some important way.

Not all disagreements become full-fledged conflicts. However, conflict is a likely outcome when competition emerges over scarce resources; parties use threatening, contentious influence over each other; or there is an abuse of power. Its processes are remarkably predictable and follow similar patterns. Conflict begins with misperceptions or attributions of the other interdependent party followed by a commitment—usually to different positions—on how to proceed. When both parties demonstrate evidence of aggression—often in the form of hostility, sarcasm, or scapegoating—parties feel justified that people who harm them deserve to be harmed in return. Coalitions then form against each other. As the conflict escalates, the parties get trapped by it and end up spending far too much time, energy, and resources on it. Without an intervention, the escalation will become destructive.

Conflict Resolution Approaches

Whenever you probe people's understanding of how to cope with conflict, they are often transported by memory to their families of origin—what they learned about conflict as well as ways of handling conflict—and to their particularly bad experiences of its collateral damage. The ways we handle conflict become a matter of habit based on what we have learned. The good news is that we can change our learned responses to new and more effective ways of coping if we need to improve how we handle conflict. Following are the different approaches to resolve conflict:

Avoidance is characterized by physical or emotional withdrawal. The party is aware of conflict but does not confront the issues. There is low assertiveness (getting one's own needs met) and low cooperation (helping get the other's needs met), and the outcome is called loselose. Too much avoiding, though, is likely to result in important decisions getting made by default (Avruch, 2008).

In accommodation, a party tries to preserve harmony at all costs. Usually this means sacrificing one's own interest and needs (low assertiveness) to satisfy the others' needs (high cooperation) and is called ...