Conflict Handling and Managing Teams - Coursework Example

The conflict that occurred in the movie as a result of factors such as differences in personality of the characters, the existence of goal incompatibility, and also a competitive reward system that made other characters take advantage of their colleagues

An abrasive personality is an individual who is competent at what he does and is also achievement-oriented. These individuals are however difficult to work with since they tend to be very domineering and seek out all means of exerting control over others. They also tend to be impatient and have difficulties in delegating duties or trusting others to do the right thing. The character David Bunzik does not perfectly fit in this type of personality. But he exhibits some traits of this personality during the argument on the plane which gets him sent to rehab. He however has a boss who exhibits all the traits of an abrasive personality.

In the movie has several conflict-handling styles are employed especially between David Bunzik and Doctor Buddy. The job responsibilities are clarified so as to reduce conflicts. The two parties also find ways of coming together in order to foster an understanding amongst them. The two characters result in changing their focus to much larger goals so as to minimize the level of conflict between them. These methods do work since they are able to get through with the therapy and achieve the desired results.

I have learned that there is a need to understand the different characters that exist in the workplace. Another lesson from the movie is that conflicts that are a part of human interaction can be resolved to enhance coexistence.

Managing Teams

The team in the movie “Remember the Titans” went through all the stages of group development. First, the team underwent formation, a period during which Washington was hired to take over as the coach of the T.C. Williams High School.  During this period Washington decides to honor his predecessor (Yoast) with an assistant coordinators position. Patton declines this position at first. During the storming stage, the white players of the team pledge to boycott their team if Yoast does not accept the offer. The athletes are also involved in racial-related conflicts in their camps. After seeing how bad the situation had gotten Yoast decides to accept the offer and at this point, the team enters the norming stage. The conflicts are resolved following the rigorous coaching by William. The team enters the performing stage as demonstrated in the scene where even after the loss of their star player, they still go ahead and win the championship.

One of the strategies that were employed by the two coaches was that of helping the members of the team to stay together and to view matters as a team. The two coaches were instrumental in creating the rules for the team in order to establish team spirit.  The issues that plagued individual members did not escape the two coaches who ensured that they dealt with them firmly. The coaches also celebrated the team’s success. All these actions help in ensuring that a team mentality is developed among the different members of the team.

I believe the two coaches handled their team in a very professional manner. If I had been managing the team, I would have sort to grant the team members more autonomy much earlier so as to facilitate the members to develop a sense of responsibility towards the team.

The lesson here is that teams are usually built through the tactful use of skill. For the team to achieve its goals, all the members need to play their part.

Organizational Culture

The organizational culture in Enron Corporation that is the subject of the movie is very wanting. The values held by the organization do not uphold upright integrity. This is evident since the management team diverts the corporation’s money to offshore accounts. The lack of integrity is also evident as the executives end up with criminal cases. The executives are also involved in other shady deals such as betting in the oil markets and the electricity crisis in California. The organization is characterized by a lack of security for the employees. This is evident when most of them are fired without much of an explanation and this ends up creating tension and stiff competition.

Lack of integrity led to the loss of customer trust in the organization. This is evident when the corporation is audited and once the results come out the executives try to seek ways of preventing the report from being brought into the open. The firing of employees which led to the cutthroat competition may have impacted badly on the performance of the organizational performance. This is because employees who feel threatened at their place of work tend to go slow on the job and even seek other opportunities leading to loss of employees.

The recommendations that I would have made for Enron Corporation would have included that they seek ways of developing values that promote integrity in the corporations. The “organization should seek ways of promoting equality among the employees” and ensure that there is more teamwork and upholding other employees to ensure that there is security for their work (Burchell & Kolb, 54).

I have learned that it is important to “develop a good organizational culture since this is critical to ensuring there is the success of the organizations” (Burchell & Kolb, 58). Among the most critical values that an organization must uphold is integrity and promoting teamwork while seeking employee security.