Identifying Strategies to Minimize Workplace Conflicts - Assignment Example

Reflective Journal Name Name of Institution Reflective Journal Question 1 My experience in different organisations led to the conclusion that conflict is a common theme in the majority of work environments. Despite holding this view, I had not taken the time to conduct research on why conflict is such a prevalent factor in work environments. I was surprised by the finding that managers can spend up to 60% of their time identifying and resolving conflicts (Fiore 2009). I found the material discussed in the module to be truly educative, informative, and enriching as I prepare myself for a career in management. The module has convinced me that I have to develop an in-depth understanding of the causes of conflict in workplaces. This understanding should then allow me to become a manager who can reduce conflicts with ease and concentrate on other critical managerial functions. When it comes to the sources of conflict in the workplace, the reading provided four sources. These were competition, misinterpretation, unrealistic goals and expectations, and different values and expectations. From previous experience, I had acknowledged competition to be the foremost cause of conflict in organisations. This was where individuals with the same or different levels of seniority would have clashes because of the desire to impress top-level management. Going through the reading supplemented my understanding of the dynamics of competition. I got to understand that as a manager, I will need to create a fair environment where each worker’s input is appreciated, and the most competent are given the chance to take on more responsibility. As stated, my previous experiences had led to the assumption that competition was the main cause of conflict in the workplace. My learning experience in this module has allowed me to understand that other causes can be just as significant as competition. For example, the business world is moving in a direction where organisations employ talent from across the world. The implication is that cultural differences in values and expectations can create as much conflict as competition. Tinsley & Brett (2001, p. 361) illustrate this point by studying American and Chinese managers and noting that differences in norms affect conflict outcomes. Similarly, I will not discount misinterpretation and unrealistic goals and expectations when identifying sources of conflict in the workplace. In addition to showing why conflict occurs in the workplace, the module provided a guideline on how to mitigate workplace conflict. The suggested approaches included effective communication, the establishment of clear expectations, use of emotional intelligence, and setting and communicating consequences for inappropriate behaviour/actions (Fiore 2009). In my work experience, the default course of action has been to refer workplace conflict to my superiors. However, the study of these methods should give me the tools to reduce conflict even as I progress in my career. For example, the use of effective communication will allow me to eliminate incidences of misunderstandings, which is one of the causes of conflict. Similarly, the acquisition of people skills will allow me to assign tasks in a manner that is unlikely to cause workers to compete against each other thereby creating conflict. As stated, research has shown that managers can spend more than half of their time dealing with conflict (Fiore 2009). My understanding of these four ways to reduce conflict will allow me to spend as little time as possible resolving conflicts. This, in turn, will increase my productivity and therefore allow me to have better prospects of advancing my career in management. Question 2 One of the key lessons from the module is that conflicts are inevitable and that they will arise in different facets of life. The module covers the main sources of conflict in the workplace and suggests techniques that can be used to reduce the number of conflicts. My experience with the module has allowed me to identify weaknesses in how I dealt with the conflict scenarios in work environments. These weaknesses can be seen in a description of typical conflicts at work, how I dealt with these conflicts, and how I need to change/improve my conflict management approaches. One of the typical conflicts that I have experienced at work involves conflict over resources. To be successful at work, my colleagues and I need access to certain resources that have to be shared. This leads to competition over these resources creating conflict between colleagues who want to be productive. My usual response to this conflict has been to refer the conflict to supervisors. However, the lessons on conflict management have been very informative on ways to reduce this type of conflict. Given that I want to take up management positions at work, I will have to demonstrate that I have the skills to manage conflict. Therefore, I would like to eliminate the impulse to refer conflicts to supervisors and employ emotional intelligence to reduce hostility between colleagues who want to use the same resources. The second type of conflict scenario in my workplace involves the assignment of tasks to subordinates. In some cases, an employee has to be given a task that is outside his/her area of specialisation due to approaching deadlines or the absence of the employee who handles that work. This creates conflict as they feel that they are taking up roles and responsibilities that they are not suited for. When in such scenarios, my response to the conflict was to ignore it given that the subordinate would have to complete the assigned tasks or risk the consequences of being reported as uncooperative. However, undertaking the course has shown that I have to alter my response. According to Cerasoli, Nicklin, and Ford (2014, p. 22), both intrinsic motivation and external incentives have a positive influence on performance. Deyoe and Fox (2012, p. 6) note that managers should understand differences in what employees want and need. This should allow them to design motivation systems that will assist in reducing conflict and increasing performance. As such, I will use recognition and praise where appropriate to motivate subordinates and boost performance. I will also develop a tolerance for failure to reduce the pressure on subordinates who are assigned tasks that are outside their areas of specialisation. According to Verma (1998), a tolerance for failure combined with positive feedback facilitates training and development leading to future success and reduction in conflict. The other conflict scenario is conflict over style. The course has illustrated that managers can adopt different management styles that range from a laissez-faire approach to an autocratic approach (Dwyer & Hopwood 2013, p. 234). Similarly, I have found that individuals at the workplace approach their roles and responsibilities in different styles. This has been a source of conflict where there is a clash between the styles adopted by the manager and subordinates. My response to such conflict before the course was to hold employees accountable for failing to adopt the style preferred by management. However, I have understood that it is essential to empower employees to work in the manner that they prefer. This empowerment will increase job satisfaction, innovation, performance, and organisational commitment (Fernandez & Moldogaziev 2013, p. 1), factors that point towards less conflict in the organisation. Question 3 The perspectives on conflict reading and video links have provided new insights into my understanding of conflict and conflict resolution. I have learned that competition is a central factor in human relationships owing in part to the scarcity of resources and inequality. I have also adopted the perspective that conflict is not an issue that has to be avoided at all costs. Rather, conflict can be beneficial as it can lead to changes that boost innovation, creativity, competition, and overall performance in an organisation. Based on this view, I will approach common conflicts in the workplace in a different way. For example, the natural response to conflict over resources would be consequences for those who break the rules. My understanding of the perspectives on conflict will allow me to use emotional intelligence in a way that will reduce hostility and find creative ways to share limited resources. This response will improve my ability to resolve conflict satisfactorily while shifting the attention of colleagues towards finding ways to remain productive with the limited resources. A common conflict scenario involves conflict over style. Different individuals have different ways of approaching work. This can lead to conflict where superiors try to impose their style on other employees. My response to this conflict would be to seek empowerment whereby individuals will be free to use whichever style as long as they produce expected result. This response will reduce the number of conflicts that are related to diversity. My ability to resolve conflict will therefore improve, with subordinates increasing their performance owing to less interference from management. In summary, the perspectives on conflict have allowed me to realise that conflict should be taken as a chance to institute positive changes. As a manager, I will not take the traditional view of ignoring and avoiding conflict because they have to occur. I will use them as an opportunity to provide leadership in the workplace. Question 4 Porter’s Five Forces model is a tool that assists business in retaining and improving their competitive position and profitability in a constantly changing business environment. The tool was developed by Michael Porter in 1979, and it continues to remain relevant as it identifies five unique forces that determine whether an enterprise can be profitable relative to other businesses in the same sector (Porter 1979, p. 138). The course has outlined the five forces as competitive rivalry, bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of new entrants, bargaining power of customers, and the threat of new entrants (Porter 1979, p. 138). One of the key lessons from the Five Forces Model is that it allows a business to go beyond focusing on itself and a few known competitors when drafting business strategy. The tool encourages managers to look at entire market sectors and come up with appropriate strategies that will bring success to the firm in both the short and the long term. Importantly, I have learned that the model can apply to all types of businesses both in the developed and the developing world. When it comes to the application of the Five Forces Model, I will use it to understand both the current and future position of my organisation. First, it is important to understand whether past strategies that have been adopted by business have been successful. For example, I will use the model to measure the bargaining power of sellers to gauge whether past strategies have been successful. In case the analysis shows that buyers have excessive leverage over the firm, I will advocate for a shift in strategy. For example, I would advocate for strategies like boosting the firm’s brand recognition and serving more potential buyers so that they do not dictate prices and limit the profitability of the business. In this case, I will have used the Five Forces Model to understand how past strategies have impacted the present position of the firm. This should inform changes that will strengthen the competitive position of the business. Secondly, I will employ the Porter’s Five Forces to test the impact of changes in the business environment. It is an acceptable fact that organisations operate in an environment that experiences constant change. Businesses have to implement new strategies or introduce new products and services to remain relevant. I will use the knowledge of the five forces model to analyse whether these new strategies, products, and services have the potential to generate sustainable profitability. For example, I will need to understand the threat of new entrants when introducing a niche product to the market. If I find that there is a minimal threat of substitution and that competitors are unlikely to enter the market for the niche product, I will recommend that the new product is brought to the market. In contrast, finding a high threat of new entry and significant threat of substitution will assist in helping the firm to avoid taking steps that will compromise its competitive position in the industry as well as its profitability. In summary, I have learned that the Porters Five Forces Model is a valuable tool that can be used to monitor the success of past strategies and predict the potential of new products, services, and strategies. Question 5 In recent years, information technology has become a powerful tool for enterprises that seek to acquire and defend competitive advantages. It is also acceptable that information technology changes at a fast pace, meaning that firms need to monitor these changes and alter their strategies accordingly. Based on this fact, it can be argued that the use of information technology affects each of the five competing forces. From personal experience, I have noted the manner in which information technology can create and eliminate barriers to entry or exit for a sector. According to Drnevich and Croson (2013, p. 488) firms that invest massive sums in information technology tend to secure their position from new entrants due to large initial capital needs. In contrast, firms like Uber and Airbnb illustrate how information technology can facilitate entry into industries that have not embraced advances in information technology. Porter and Heppelmann (2014, p. 10) illustrate how information technologies can affect the other competitive factors. The bargaining power of the consumer is increased as a result of IT as they have better information that allows them to pit businesses against each other. Similarly, the use of IT can reduce the bargaining power of some suppliers as their roles can be replaced by software over time (Porter & Heppelmann 2014, p. 10). However, the suppliers of information technology can get a stronger bargaining power. Information technology allows products to have more functions thereby increasing the threat of substitutes (Porter & Heppelmann 2014, p. 10). A relevant example is smartphones which have substituted numerous products like traditional cameras. Finally, information technology affects rivalry among competitors. This is through the use of IT to reduce costs, differentiate services, and enhance the value proposition (Porter & Heppelmann 2014, p. 10). The lesson from the course material and further research is that managers across an entire organisation need to be aware of information technology as it has the power to create and destroy competitive advantages. References Cerasoli, C.P., Nicklin, J.M. and Ford, M.T., 2014. Intrinsic motivation and extrinsic incentives jointly predict performance: A 40-year meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), p.980. Deyoe, R.H. and Fox, T.L., 2012. Identifying strategies to minimize workplace conflict due to generational differences. Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business, 5, p.1. Drnevich, P.L. and Croson, D.C., 2013. Information Technology and Business-Level Strategy: Toward an Integrated Theoretical Perspective. Mis Quarterly, 37(2), pp.483-509. Dwyer, J., and Hopwood, N., 2013. Management strategies and skills. McGraw-Hill Education Australia. Fernandez, S. and Moldogaziev, T., 2013. Employee empowerment, employee attitudes, and performance: Testing a causal model. Public Administration Review, 73(3), pp.490-506. Fiore, T., 2009. Four ways to deal with workplace conflict. Viewed 10 July 2016 Porter, M., 1979. How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 57, pp.86-93. Porter, M.E. and Heppelmann, J.E., 2014. How smart, connected products are transforming competition. Harvard Business Review, 92(11), pp.64-88. Tinsley, C.H. and Brett, J.M., 2001. Managing workplace conflict in the United States and Hong Kong. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 85(2), pp.360-381. Verma, V.K., 1998. Conflict management. The Project Management Institute Project Management Handbook, Ed Jeffrey Pinto. Read More