Conflict Management
What is conflict?
This is a natural misunderstanding emanating from individuals or groups who have divergence in attitude, values or needs. Conflict can spring (emerge) from past rivalries and difference in opinions (Eunson,2012).
WHAT ARE THE COMPONENT OF CONFLICT (Elder, 1994)
NEEDS: Necessities to human survival
PERCEPTION: Variation in analysing of matters
POWER: How people perceive power and the way they use it to solve a conflict
VALUES: Beliefs and principles regarded to be important
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS: They are significant element over how conflict is handled
HEALTH ASPECT OF CONFLICT ( Munduate, 1999)
Conflict can yield positive things?
Whenever parties involve in conflict manage to handle the dispute effectively, it can be a good thing and is likely to bear the following;
TYPES OF ORGANISATIONAL CONFLICTS (Eunson ,2012)
This is a natural misunderstanding emanating from individuals or groups who have divergence in attitude, values or needs. Conflict can spring (emerge) from past rivalries and difference in opinions (Eunson,2012).
WHAT ARE THE COMPONENT OF CONFLICT (Elder, 1994)
NEEDS: Necessities to human survival
PERCEPTION: Variation in analysing of matters
POWER: How people perceive power and the way they use it to solve a conflict
VALUES: Beliefs and principles regarded to be important
FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS: They are significant element over how conflict is handled
HEALTH ASPECT OF CONFLICT ( Munduate, 1999)
Conflict can yield positive things?
Whenever parties involve in conflict manage to handle the dispute effectively, it can be a good thing and is likely to bear the following;
- Growth and innovation (Ozkalp ,Sungur & Aytul ,2009 )
- Better thinking style
- Alternative management options
- Pressure and frustration are released
- Cohesiveness can increase
- Complacency can be challenged
- Difference can be appreciated
- Interpersonal conflict can be settled
TYPES OF ORGANISATIONAL CONFLICTS (Eunson ,2012)
- Vertical conflict: This kind of conflict occurs between hierarchical levels usually between top management and middle level management
- Horizontal conflict; this takes place between people working at the same hierarchical level
- Staff line conflict: Takes place between people doing different kinds of tasks
- Role conflict: differences may emerge from the job to individual is assigned. This is common especial when several employees report to one manager or supervisor and they receive multiple and conflicting orders or requests
LEVELS OF CONFLICT
Conflict goes through several levels before it reaches a crisis level
Discomfort: This is a feeling that things are not quite right.
Incident: Here emotions are not running high yet but something has come between the parties in question. If communication skills are used effectively to clarity the problem the situation is likely to be contained.
Misunderstanding: There may rise misunderstanding the relationship is damaged. This can open room to tension
Tension: Once tension a rises over the misunderstanding the situation is very due to a crisis. This situation creates anxiety about talking coming into contact. The emotions boil to high levels they lead to outburst of anger or avoidance which result to crisis situation.
CAUSES OF CONFLICT ref)
SCARCE RESOURCE: When two or more groups of people demand for same thing such as a pair of shoes in the shop, a mirror an inheritance, a parking space, access to a tap of water, a license to broadcast, a piece of land, love from a third person, governance of a nation state or territory. When such resources cannot be shared the conflict may arise.
ADVERSITY: Inflation can cause increase in stress and tension.
FAULTY COMMUNICATION: Having difference in meaning of certain remarks.
GOAL INCOMPATIBILITY: When there is a dash in goals of different departments, sections and divisions.
WORKFLOW INTERDEPENDENCE: This is a situation where one section benefits from the efficiency of the other and is also likely to suffer from inefficiency of the others.
POWER OR VALUE ASYMMETRY: When an individual with high status work with low status person. Individuals with high status power may refuse to give two status people a hand in doing a task
APPROACHES TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENT (Sojeb ,Othman &D’silva ,2013)
NEGOTIATION: This is an interaction between two sets of individuals, groups or nations to settle a dispute through compromises and concession. It is appropriate when the conflict is simple low in intensity and parties have equal manifestation in power.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: They include questioning framing problem assertiveness listening and influencing skills, used well can reduce tension and build platform in conflict resolution (Dwyer, 2009 ).
CULTURAL AND GENDER DIFFERENCES: When the parties have an insight to gender and culture of others who are involved. The understanding gives a strong grip of what is going on and this lessens the impact of conflict (Kamarruju ,Dollinger & Lovell ,2008)
GROUP DYNAMIC: Can be variable source of knowledge about the conflict, teams and meetings can aid in conflict management
CONTACT AND COMMUNICATION: Can help to get the parties to start talking and listening.
TIT FOR TAT
This means if you do that i will do it back to you. This is an eye for an eye. It can work with cooperation as well as hostility
E example is where n act of kindness and love being reciprocated
APOLOGY (Dwyer ,2009)
This is where one sides says sorry to the other side and the conflict it settled if the other side forgives
PRAISE -This is a powerful tool in breaking deadlocks (Eunson ,2013)
SACRIFICE (Elder ,1994)
This is giving to a point where it hurts. This can be viewed from two perspective as a weakness and secondly as being in opposition of moral and ethical superiority
NEW RESOURCES
If the conflict emanate from scarcity of resources then creation could be the ideal remedy (Eunson ,2012)
DECOUPLING AND BUFFERING
This is scenario where e the parties in conflict are separated. In work situation one employee is relocated to another department (Dwyer ,2009)
MEDIATION
This is where a third party is involved actively to seek for a long lasting solution to a conflict between two parties (Rognes & Schei ,2010 )
STALEMATES
This is where a conflict stops due to one side overpowering the other or one side ovoids the conflict
COMPROMISE (Zhenzhong ,2007)
It is referred to as splitting the difference. It is the most popular method of conflict resolution in today‘s world
Conflict handling style when used (Halpern, 2013,Zhenzhong ,2007)
Conflict goes through several levels before it reaches a crisis level
Discomfort: This is a feeling that things are not quite right.
Incident: Here emotions are not running high yet but something has come between the parties in question. If communication skills are used effectively to clarity the problem the situation is likely to be contained.
Misunderstanding: There may rise misunderstanding the relationship is damaged. This can open room to tension
Tension: Once tension a rises over the misunderstanding the situation is very due to a crisis. This situation creates anxiety about talking coming into contact. The emotions boil to high levels they lead to outburst of anger or avoidance which result to crisis situation.
CAUSES OF CONFLICT ref)
SCARCE RESOURCE: When two or more groups of people demand for same thing such as a pair of shoes in the shop, a mirror an inheritance, a parking space, access to a tap of water, a license to broadcast, a piece of land, love from a third person, governance of a nation state or territory. When such resources cannot be shared the conflict may arise.
ADVERSITY: Inflation can cause increase in stress and tension.
FAULTY COMMUNICATION: Having difference in meaning of certain remarks.
GOAL INCOMPATIBILITY: When there is a dash in goals of different departments, sections and divisions.
WORKFLOW INTERDEPENDENCE: This is a situation where one section benefits from the efficiency of the other and is also likely to suffer from inefficiency of the others.
POWER OR VALUE ASYMMETRY: When an individual with high status work with low status person. Individuals with high status power may refuse to give two status people a hand in doing a task
APPROACHES TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENT (Sojeb ,Othman &D’silva ,2013)
NEGOTIATION: This is an interaction between two sets of individuals, groups or nations to settle a dispute through compromises and concession. It is appropriate when the conflict is simple low in intensity and parties have equal manifestation in power.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: They include questioning framing problem assertiveness listening and influencing skills, used well can reduce tension and build platform in conflict resolution (Dwyer, 2009 ).
CULTURAL AND GENDER DIFFERENCES: When the parties have an insight to gender and culture of others who are involved. The understanding gives a strong grip of what is going on and this lessens the impact of conflict (Kamarruju ,Dollinger & Lovell ,2008)
GROUP DYNAMIC: Can be variable source of knowledge about the conflict, teams and meetings can aid in conflict management
CONTACT AND COMMUNICATION: Can help to get the parties to start talking and listening.
TIT FOR TAT
This means if you do that i will do it back to you. This is an eye for an eye. It can work with cooperation as well as hostility
E example is where n act of kindness and love being reciprocated
APOLOGY (Dwyer ,2009)
This is where one sides says sorry to the other side and the conflict it settled if the other side forgives
PRAISE -This is a powerful tool in breaking deadlocks (Eunson ,2013)
SACRIFICE (Elder ,1994)
This is giving to a point where it hurts. This can be viewed from two perspective as a weakness and secondly as being in opposition of moral and ethical superiority
NEW RESOURCES
If the conflict emanate from scarcity of resources then creation could be the ideal remedy (Eunson ,2012)
DECOUPLING AND BUFFERING
This is scenario where e the parties in conflict are separated. In work situation one employee is relocated to another department (Dwyer ,2009)
MEDIATION
This is where a third party is involved actively to seek for a long lasting solution to a conflict between two parties (Rognes & Schei ,2010 )
STALEMATES
This is where a conflict stops due to one side overpowering the other or one side ovoids the conflict
COMPROMISE (Zhenzhong ,2007)
It is referred to as splitting the difference. It is the most popular method of conflict resolution in today‘s world
Conflict handling style when used (Halpern, 2013,Zhenzhong ,2007)
Competing ............................... when it is an important issue for the well being of the organisation
Collaboration...............................................when both concerns are crucial to be Compromised
Avoiding.......................................................................when trivial issue are being handled
There is no chance of satisfying your interests to allow individuals to calm down and develop Clear mind
Accommodating.........................................When one realises that she is wrong when harmony and stability are crucial
Collaboration...............................................when both concerns are crucial to be Compromised
Avoiding.......................................................................when trivial issue are being handled
There is no chance of satisfying your interests to allow individuals to calm down and develop Clear mind
Accommodating.........................................When one realises that she is wrong when harmony and stability are crucial