Defining Conflict / Identifying Personal Mediation Skills - Essay Example

Humans experience conflict everyday in their personal lives and in the organizational culture. Conflict can be interpreted in two dimensions: the theorist’s perspective of the conflict and the environment where the conflict takes place (Strasser & Randolph, 2004, p.4). The environment may include conflict between individuals or families or nations. The conflict can also be inter-psychic in which the conscious mind and the unconscious mind conflict with each other. Thus, conflict can occur in many contexts.

How the mediators interpret conflict and its resolution paves the way to their selection of an appropriate approach towards reconciliation. Mediator’s perspectives and how they look at the situation shapes the mediation approach and the resolution process. Communication is the best way to resolve a conflict (Cahn & Abigail, 2007) at all levels: personal, cultural, political, organizational or international. However, sometimes conflict becomes positive for example in environment where injustice prevails, conflict may be able to bring justice into action.

Conflict Analysis Fisher (2000) states that a correct analysis of conflict can be done through “objectivity and neutrality rather than personal experience and strong emotion.” Thus, conflict analysis becomes a process in which we evaluate the conflict from different standpoints and devise resolution strategies based on this evaluation. Conflict analysis includes an understanding of the background history of the situation; an examination of all groups involved directly or indirectly; an understanding of the points of view of people involved; and an evaluation of how the people relate to each other.

Mediation Mediation is “a structured and staged process” (Doherty & Guyler, 2008, p.9) in which a third party intervention is sought for reconciliation between individuals or groups (Moore, 2003). The purpose of mediation is to make possible the re-establishment of mutual tolerance between the parties involved. However, mediation itself depends upon the friendly signals shown by the opponents leading to friendly re-union and cooperative bonding. Strasser and Randolph (2004, p.22) affirm that mediators should “accept conflict as an inescapable facet of human existence, with the possible consequence of reconciliation.

” Mediators should understand that conflict cannot be eliminated entirely. If mediators start thinking that they will be able to eradicate conflict completely, then this perception will be a barrier to an effective implementation of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process. It will also make the mediators forceful and aggressive toward resolution. Thus, the mediators need to adjust their behaviors and attitudes so that they can efficiently deploy conflict management techniques. Mediation Strategies for Work-related Conflict Alan Price and HRM Guide Network contributors (2011) discuss a report, Fight, Flight, or Fact It, jointly authored by business psychology firm OPP and the CIPD, which states that “the average British employee is spending more than two hours a week dealing with conflict.

This adds up to the loss of more than 370 million working days a year, costing UK employers more than ?24 billion.” Research suggests that the major causes of workplace conflicts are stress, reduced budget, short deadlines and heavy workload. Fewer conflicts occur due to clashes between points of view and behaviors. Whatever the