Individual Assessment Consisting of Three Parts - Assignment Example

Individual Report Name Course Lecture Date Executive summary This report is divided into three major parts. The first part will deal with conflict management. This part sets out to establish what conflict management is about and what it encompasses. It will also give a brief overview of conflict management, its history, current situation and the major players. Another component that will be included in this section is the major techniques of conflict management and an evaluation of the most applicable one. This will be followed by an explanation of how it can be applied in my life as a student and also its application in the workplace. This will be followed by the second part which is a reflection on what I have learned about myself, how failing a module has affected me and what I plan to do in the future in addition to what I have been able to learn. This will be followed by the third and last part which will be an action plan, assessing my employability currently, what I plan to achieve, steps to achieve this and the obstacles that I may face and how I will be able to overcome the obstacles. Contents Executive summary 2 Contents 3 1.1 Conflict management 4 1.2 Overview of the topic 4 1.2.1 History of conflict management 4 1.2.2 Current situation of conflict management 5 1.2.3 Major players in conflict management 6 1.3 Conflict management techniques 6 1.4 Most effective and applicable technique 7 1.5 Application of the technique as a student and also in future workplace 7 2. Part II- Reflection 8 2.1 What I have learnt about myself 8 2.2 How failing a module has affected me 8 2.3 What to do in the future 9 2.4 What have you learned about motivation? 10 3. Part III: Action Plan 10 3.1 Assessment of my employability 10 3.2 What I plan to achieve this summer 11 3.3 Steps to take to achieve the above 11 3.4 Obstacles to achieving your plans and ways to overcome them 11 References 13 1. Part 1: Research, analysis, evaluation and application 1.1 Conflict management Conflict management is termed as the practice of being able to identify and at the same time handle conflicts that are likely to arise in sensible, fair and efficient manner. Conflicts seems to be a natural part of businesses and thus it is essential that people understand conflicts and measures that can be put in place so as to handle and resolve them (Wallensteen 2002). Every employee is striving to prove how much they are valuable to their organization and this can at times lead to a lot disputes between the employees. 1.2 Overview of the topic 1.2.1 History of conflict management Human beings have for a long period been waging conflicts and thus they have since time in memorial being engaged in various ways to end the conflicts. In every society, they have been the application and use of various ways to curb fights, for example, through the use of adjudication and mediation. The diversity and breadth of the conflict management field is as a result of the long history of the field and its modern day character. In discussing the history of conflict management, it is essential to note the period between American and French revolutions as well as the period of the First World War (Wallensteen 2002). The revolutions that occurred in the late 1770’s recognized the essential role that can be played by participation in governance as well as the fundamental human rights. Many intellectual leaders of the time such as; Jean Smith, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison just to mention a few, came up with a number of processes and procedures which could be used in managing difference and avoiding tyrannies. At the same time they also discussed the practical and moral issues that were related to dealing with conflict and a great emphasizes was made of reasoning. The path of the progress was not that smooth since wars and oppression were not abolished completely. A lot of explanations for the above stated social ills and ways in which they could be avoided were discussed. Other groups that were more reformists heightened their efforts and they undertook measures to advance justice. At the same time, the religious institutions were also developing in ways that seemed to be relevant to conflict management. Pacifist commitments and sentiments have for a long period being elements of religions and they expressed withdrawal from worldly conflicts (Brock 1968). Mohandas Gandhi also draws a lot from his Hindu tradition and he developed a very powerful strategy of the most popular civil disobedience and after sometime he experimented with the various diverse ways of countering severe discrimination that had been imposed on the Indians who were living in South Africa. 1.2.2 Current situation of conflict management Workers in the conflict management profession tend to differ on the future directions of the discipline. The differences are mainly internal while some are related to the public policy and its relation to other fields. A major controversy exists when it comes to the universality of conflict management practices and theory. Apparently, ways of mediations, forms of negotiation as well as the styles of confrontation and settling of disputes tend to vary based on religion, national cultures, gender, social classes and also based on other social grouping (Banks & Kelman 1984). Another current issue in conflict management is the use of violence in wage conflicts. The practitioners in the field all agree that violence is wrong. Nevertheless, a number of them oppose resorts to violence while others are of the belief that some kinds of violence are necessary and effective. Another current issue related to the level at which the field can be viewed as an area of study or a profession since most academic work seems to be more focused on the offering training to the practitioners. There has also been a lot of debate about codes of conduct and certification and who would be responsible to accord them and under which domains of practice. 1.2.3 Major players in conflict management Based on the fact that, conflict management seems to be an area that is widely studied, it is essential to know the major players in conflict management. Players in conflict management can be termed as the individuals who play a role in ending a conflict situation. Players in conflict management usually differ based on where the conflict has occurred and also based on the parties that are involved. For example, the major players in international conflict management are the states as well as the United Nations. For example, when two states are in a conflict other states may intervene so as to try to end the conflict (Bercovitch & Jackson 2009). Also bodies such as the UN may intervene in a bid to end the conflict. When conflict arises in organizations, it is usually the work of the immediate supervisor and the manger to try to manage the conflict. Other employees in the departments can also act as mediators in a bid to end the conflict. 1.3 Conflict management techniques Conflict is an issue that is most prevalent in the modern day world. People usually engage in conflicts, in schools, workplaces and also in social gatherings. Conflicts ought to be managed in ways that builds a collegial and personal relationships rather than harming them. There are five major techniques of conflict management and they include collaborating, avoiding, competing, compromising and accommodating. None of the techniques are a solution to all conflicts and each of them needs to be applied based on the given situation (Human Security Center 2005). This section will only major on three of these techniques and they will include competing, collaborating and accommodating. Competing occurs when an individual purses his own concerns irrespective of the resistance that one may face from the other individual. Collaborating on the hand entails attempting to work with the other individuals in a conflict so as to arrive at a win-win solution to the problem that they may be facing. That is, the solution is mostly the one that makes both parties feel satisfied (Wallensteen 2002). The other technique is accommodation. It involves the search for a common good for both parties and it requires a high level of cooperation as well as low levels of confrontation. 1.4 Most effective and applicable technique Of the three techniques that have been discussed above the most effective and applicable technique is accommodating (Human Security Center 2005). This is based on the fact that it leads to a lose-win situation for both parties involved in the conflict and it is usually characterized by suppressing emotional levels. 1.5 Application of the technique as a student and also in future workplace This technique can be applied in my future workplace in that, I will always try to end the conflict by giving in to the wishes of the other party. For example, if an argument arises since we do not agree on the most effective way of doing something for instance, when deciding on the promotional methods that the company can adapt to introduce a new product in the market, I will certainly give in so that the one that has been chosen by the other party can be used. I will also apply the technique in the educational setting. For example, at times in schools we are required to work in groups on certain tasks and a conflict arises since no one in our group wants to present our tasks before a panel of lectures. I will certainly take up the task and volunteer to present it (Cortright 2008). 2. Part II- Reflection 2.1 What I have learnt about myself After some reflection of the previous years, I can comfortably say that I have learned a lot over the last one year. I have been able to learn and acknowledge the fact that, I tend to gain a greater level of control over myself. Currently I am now able to adapt as well as teach myself aspects that I need to know or at times, let go of the things that I think I should not know. Also, through my personal reflection, I have been able to know that, I am a realistic and an analyst. Based on this, I acknowledge the fact that, everything happens for a reason and in most instances; I usually try to find the reason for things that happens to be in my everyday tasks. Additionally, I am able to look at issues in a more realistic manner and come up with measures that will offer the best results. 2.2 How failing a module has affected me By failing a module, I have been able to realize the negative aspects associated with poor time management and carelessness in school and mostly when handling assignments. The main reason why I failed the module is that, I was not able to manage my time appropriately. Thus, I was not able to accomplish the assigned tasks within the required time limit. Assignments usually have penalties if they are not completed on time and this mainly affects the final grade that one gets in that particular module. I was also able to note that, I worked on the assignment in a hurry. Thus, I did not have an adequate amount of time to refer to various sources. Therefore, the work that I presented was sparse and lacked in content. By failing the module, it has in a way increased the pressure of the coming years. I have been able to realize that, though I had been able to pass a great number of modules in that semester, I failed in one and there had to be a good reason why I failed. After a great level of reflection, I was totally convinced that the main reason why I failed was due to poor management of my time and also carelessness when handing assigned tasks. 2.3 What to do in the future Based on the fact that I failed in one module, I will put some measures in place to ensure that this does not happen again in the coming academic years. For example, when tackling an assignment on a certain module I will make sure that I start working on the assignment on time. By doing so, I will have ample amount of time to do research and offer a more detailed response to the questions. I will also be able to avoid the penalties due to late submissions and not following the format outlined for the assignments. Another measure that I will take is to ensure that, I do not waste time. In regard to this, I will not spend a lot of time with friends and my time will be dedicated to tackling academic work. I noted that I spend a lot of time on issues that are not academic such as going out with friends as well as attending various social gatherings. I plan to spend and limit the time I spend with my friends in the quest of timing by time in the most responsible way. I used the results to know my weak areas and I would have used the results in making sure that I put measures in place to avoid failing some other modules in the future. 2.4 What have you learned about motivation? I have been able to learn that motivation is an essential aspect when it comes to academic and future career success. Based on my own reflection, my motivation seems to have failed me and in its place my patience took over. I was not able to sit and work on the assigned tasks early and preferred spending time with friends other than focusing on my academic work. This has lead to my poor performance in the report and based on that, I was able to realize that I had made a bad decision and it acted as a learning point for me to use in the future. Thus in the future, I plan to dedicate more time to my academic studies so as to avoid failing any of the modules. 3. Part III: Action Plan 3.1 Assessment of my employability My attitude seems to be maturing and I am able to tell the difference in myself between 2013 and 2014. Over time, I have become more social with strangers and more open to new people and ideas. I give all credits to the fact that I attended the University of Surrey, where I was trained to become more independent and this has played a great role in the maturity of my personality. I hope to gain more skills in the two years that I have left in the university. Personally, I believe that skills do not have any limit and one can keep developing them based on the fact that the world is evolving at a very fast rate and new skills need to be incorporated to our lives. At the same time the old ones needs to update or changed so as to conform to the current situation. I will continue to develop my skills in my area of study and interest. I am also lacking in experience and I hope to make up for it in the upcoming vacations and also after my graduation. 3.2 What I plan to achieve this summer I plan on reading more frequently on topics that are related to international business and management. By doing so, I will gain a lot of information and this information will help me in understanding my area of study well. It will also assist me when discussing a great number of topics with people and gain information from them this will result in better communication. 3.3 Steps to take to achieve the above To achieve the above, I have received some lecture notes from a close family friend who have been studying at Harvard University in the United States on some topics that are included in my course such as analysis, marketing and business ethics. I will make sure that I finish reading and studying them before the year start. By doing so, I will have more information to help me in getting through with the next academic year smoothly. 3.4 Obstacles to achieving your plans and ways to overcome them There are obstacles that I need to change and are within my personality change and I need to overcome them. Every since my high school days, I was never the type of students to start on assignments early. I have always been the type to work on them at the last minute and this is a form of habit that I need to overcome to ensure that I excel in my academic work. In response to this, I plan to be setting alarms for all the actions and assignments that I have to work on and ensure that I finish them before engaging in any other activity. I also plan to undertake a lot of research on the topics and this will assist me in making more concise and accurate discussions on the assigned topics. References Banks, M & Kelman, H 1984, Conflict in World Society: A new perspective on international relations. Wheatsheaf Books Ltd. Sussex. Bercovitch, J & Jackson, R 2009, Conflict Resolution in the Twenty-first Century: Principles, Methods, and Approaches. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. Brock, Peter. 1968, Pacifism in the United States: from the colonial era to the First World War, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. Cortright, D 2008, Peace: A history of movements and ideas, Cambridge university press, New York. Human Security Center 2005, Human security report 2005, Oxford university press, New York. Wallensteen, P 2002, Understanding conflict resolution: war, peace and the global system, Sage, London Read More