Comprehensive Evaluation of Equilibrium - Research Paper Example

Question 2B

Social norms of equilibrium tend to encourage us toward perpetuating the status quo as a preferred approach to life. Explain the ways in which norms of equilibrium can adversely affect conflict resolution attempts at the personal level and at the professional level.

Social norm functions are regarded as a process of coordinating the expectations of an individual in order to ascertain his/her multiple requirements and equilibrium. There exist various phenomena of norms that include contracts, property rights, justice and communication among others. These would certainly assist the individuals to develop uniformity with respect to the behaviors concerning the maintenance of a better social relationship. Social norms comprise customary behavioral rules along with regulations on the basis of which an effective association and interaction is developed with others. Social norms often play an effective role towards the development of values, beliefs and other attributes in the life of an individual in order to have a sustainable social life. Additionally, social norms also assist the individuals to remain much obligated towards family along with community. In this regard, a society is required to be based on certain norms so that individuals are able to accomplish their required objectives in an efficient manner. Moreover, individuals will be facilitated with the opportunity of developing their behaviors in compliance with socio-cultural and other related aspects prevailing in a society. Consequently, individuals developing their respective behaviors in compliance with others will be able to develop appropriate traits along with personalities in order to have equilibrium in every aspect of their life (Durlauf&Blume, 2007).

In order to determine that social norms of equilibrium tend to encourage individuals towards perpetuating the status quo as a preferred approach to life, it can be stated that social norms are identified to be of significant importance in the life of an individual. This can be justified with reference to the fact that social norms provide the rules and the attitudes through which individuals will be facilitated with the opportunity of accomplishing their objectives and identifying their rights in an efficient manner. Individuals with the provision of shared values and attitudes will specify them about the activities to be performed or not in certain situations. Social norms are acquired by individuals in an informal manner through making social interactions with community groups and societal members. These norms are not recognized under social obligations as there are vast and unlimited resources available for enforcing them in a society and amid individuals. Humans are intensely sensitive towards the behavior of individuals as they are surrounded with diverse identified traits along with attributes of others. On the basis of social norms, individuals are able to recognize their economic, social along with civil rights. It comprises certain rules along with regulations in accordance with which behaviors of an individual are regulated. Respectively, social norms aid individuals in developing their thoughts, behaviors along with feelings in compliance with the ethics and the beliefs of a society. Social norms are strengthened by devoting certain standards through which people of a society are required to execute their activities and develop their behavior along with cultural aspects (Prentice, 2012). Thus, these are various positive aspects of social norms which assist in developing equilibrium in the behaviors, values and beliefs amid people encouraging them towards perpetuating the status quo as a preferred approach to life.

It is worth mentioning that social norms have provided certain effective rules along with regulations in order to maintain an equilibrium society and behavior amid individuals. In this regard, it can be affirmed that social responsibility is a prime concern for an entity which may include both a corporate sector and individual performing activities for providing benefits to the society. Moreover, individuals and corporate sectors are required to act in a balanced manner in accordance with the determined social norms and responsibilities. Correspondingly, entities acting according to the recognized social norms i.e. social responsibility will be facilitated with the opportunity of executing their activities for the benefit of a society in an immense manner. Additionally, individuals and corporate sectors complying with social responsibility norms will be able to develop a stability concerning the economy along with the ecosystem through their operations. Social responsibility will also assist in developing equilibrium for two essential factors that include societal welfare and environment. Respectively, social responsibility will influence the individuals and the business entities to acquire transcendence values, beliefs and ethnicities to act in a social responsible manner. In this context, it can be ascertained from the above discussion that social norms play an effective role towards the development of equilibrium behavior in a society. Furthermore, business entities with the adherence of social norms will be able to conduct their respective activities and operations ethically. Subsequently, social norms will ensure that business entities and individuals act with the motive of enhancing social development and welfare activities (Crilly et. al. 2008). In this competitive and varying business environment, business entities are often required to perform their operations and activities in an ethical along with social manner with the intention of making sustainable development and greater performances in diverse cultural environments. Moreover, business entities adopt several practices along with policies in adherence with developed social norms in order to retain an effective interrelation within and outside the organization. In this regard, practices and policies developed in accordance with social norms and business ethics will assist an entity to maintain a suitable working environment, minimizing conflicts amid employees by a certain degree. On the other hand, business entities with developed policies and practices will be facilitated with the opportunity of making greater contribution towards the development and welfare activities of societies. Contextually, business entities possessing efficient policies will be able to maintain better social interaction and most vitally can diminish conflict situations at large (Dimitriades, 2007).

Social norms can also be recognized as one of the effective elements for resolving conflicts amid individuals representing different cultural and social groups in a society and business entity. It can be affirmed in this regard that conflict resolution is a process of mitigating conflict situations in a peaceful manner. In this regard, conflict amid social and cultural groups can be mitigated through developing effective communication of ideas and beliefs that hold by them with the assistance of collective bargaining. On the other hand, it can also be viewed that there are several situations or circumstances, wherein conflict resolution with the assistance of social norms have adversely affected the resolution process (Deutsch et. al., 2011). It is worth mentioning that social norms of equilibrium can adversely affect conflict resolution attempts both at personal and professional level. This can be justified with reference to the fact that conflicts may arise with the provisions and implementation of social norms on the basis of certain human-rights standards amid individuals and corporate sectors towards the accomplishment of predetermined targets. Social norms of equilibrium can be identified to pose threat to individuals of society at the personal level through raising ‘conflict of interest’. In this regard, social conflict may arise amid individuals due to self-interested behavior. It can be affirmed that the cultural along with the social aspects relating to a particular community might differ on the basis of ethics, traditions and religious beliefs among others. In this respect, a society comprising diverse cultural people may pose challenges and raise conflicts for developed social norms with regard to ethnic violence and interest conflict. Conflict situations at the professional level may arise due to biasness, favoritism and depriving confidence along with cohesion that prevail amid the individuals residing in a society. The social along with the economic environment of a country can be recognized to be changing on a continuous basis due to various factors such as diverse culture, increased level of globalization and changing preferences of people on a global context. In this respect, social norms are required to be modified according to the changing economic conditions in order to maintain a stable social environment or otherwise, conflict situation may arise due to existing social norms and interest of the people (Haider, 2009).

Social norms of equilibrium are determined to have great influence on the development of a society and in shaping the behavior of individuals. Social norms are devised and implemented with the intention of preventing conflict situations. On the other hand, it can also be apparently observed that social norms often adversely affect conflict resolution process at certain times through the acceptance of adverse or violent actions that are performed. Contextually, social norms that have been formulated and implemented in a society are principally based on certain standards and regulations on the basis of which individuals are required to behave and execute their activities. However, the implemented norms may not correspond with the attitudes and beliefs of an individual, as these norms might vary with the attributes of social along with cultural group. The developed social norms can be accepted or discarded by one specific social or cultural group, resulting in generating conflicts amid them. The aforementioned factor may develop conflict situations amid different social and cultural groups, adversely affecting the conflict resolution attempts both at personal and professional level. Conflicts arise amid individuals and corporate sectors due to traditional beliefs and violent behaviors that include maltreatment, partner violence, suicide, youth violence and community violence among others. Respectively, individuals and business entities develop opposing behavior along with attitudes for the developed and implemented norms and regulations in a society (World Health Organization, 2009; Cole et. al., 1998).

In the conflict resolution procedure, there are certain factors such as competitive orientation, inappropriate resolution process and disagreement with determined norms that might adversely affect the process or intensifies conflicts amid individuals and business entities of a society. In the present competitive business environment and changing social as well as economic conditions, social norms are often determined to develop a perception of win-lose situation or competitive scenario, promoting individuals to execute their activities in a self-motivate - manner. Consequently, individuals will conduct their operations with the motive of accomplishing their self-requirements and objectives. In this similar context, individuals will act without concerning the influence of their behavior on others in order to achieve their needs. Moreover, individuals will also disregard social norms under the influence of self-centered motives. The changing global environment and social norms are ascertained to increase complexities relating to behaviors, policies along with values amid individuals representing different cultural groups. Therefore, the developed social norms are ineffective in meeting the cultural values, standards and beliefs of different cultural groups, making the method of conflict resolution much more ineffective. In this regard, the social norms acting as a conflict resolution method will further intensify the conflict situation in terms of restricting an individual towards accomplishing his/her objectives. Subsequently, the social norms developed for minimizing hostile situations will have an adverse impact on the behavior along with the attitude of individuals in their personal as along with professional life (Wall &Callister, 1995).

The norms that are developed and implemented in a particular society can pose threat in terms of developing conflicts amid individuals on the path of their cultural beliefs, attitudes, requirements and interests if the conflict resolution policies are not structured and formulated appropriately. In this respect, inappropriate conflict resolution process will negatively impact the cooperation and the trust of individuals towards the norms and the values developed. Additionally, the norms with miscommunication and without cooperative manner will negatively affect the policies undertaken in the conflict resolution process. Respectively, individuals will act in violating the developed social norms in a more intensified way with the aim of accomplishing their respective objectives (Gorodnichenko& Roland, 2011). Societies are based on the individuals who belong to different culture and possesses diverse moral and beliefs. In this regard, social norms are required to be developed in accordance with the needs and the preferences of different cultural people in order to maintain equilibrium. It can be affirmed that the social norms may adversely affect the conflict resolution methods, which in return may increase aggression amid people due to the formation of hostile relationship with different groups of people. The hostile relationship amid individuals will certainly generate crucial challenges in conflict resolution attempts at personal along with professional level. In this respect, the conflict resolution process cannot be conducted in an appropriate manner as the needs and the requirements of the people belonging to different cultural groups cannot be fulfilled without their cooperation, trust and support. Additionally, devising and implementing policies on the basis of the requirements of the individuals or a specific group will intensify the conflict situation with other individuals or groups. Correspondingly, the difference in the values along with the beliefs of different cultural people is the major driving aspect affecting the adoption of social norms (Hassert et. al., 2008). Thus, it can be comprehended from the above discussion that conflict is an integral nature and characteristic of human behavior. There are certain norms on the basis of which individuals are required to act and behave in order to maintain equilibrium. However, individuals interacting with individuals belonging to other social and cultural group may develop opposing attitudes and behaviors with regard to their interest. The developed social norms depicting the values, beliefs and ethnicity on the basis of which individuals should act may oppose the beliefs and the attitudes of individuals of one or other cultural group. In this context, the developed norms may satisfy the needs and the requirements of individuals of one particular cultural group or may be inappropriate for other groups. Respectively, the developed conflict resolutions may intensify the conflict situations amid individuals of different cultural groups. These are the various ways on the basis of which social norms of equilibrium adversely affect conflict resolution attempts at personal along with professional level.