Analyzing Conflict Management - Case Study Example

Analyzing Conflict Management al Affiliation) of the Professional Conflict Situation I previously worked in acharity organization as a communications manager, a job which entailed handling the organization’s entire communications strategy, plan, and blueprint. In this capacity, I was required to act as the mouthpiece of the organization in all situations unless otherwise. In the 3 years I worked there, there had been unconfirmed reports of misappropriation of funds by senior management, but these had never been followed up. I knew about these activities since my predecessor had handed me a previous report of an audit that was done 4 years ago and that implicated some senior employees. In my third year of employment, the parent organization based in the United States sent a team of auditors to investigate the alleged reports of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds after word reached headquarters that some planned activities and events had not been fulfilled in the previous financial year despite finances being availed. As the communications manager, I would come to play a huge role in the subsequent investigation. The auditors’ report revealed that 3 senior managers were involved in embezzlement of funds, these being the chief financial officer, the chief information officer, and the procurement manager. I presented my predecessor’s report to the auditors, and this formed the basis of the investigation. I was required to put out word that the three had been relieved of their duties and appropriate legal action would be taken against them. However, there was a problem. Since he knew I was aware of what had been going on and had aided the investigations, the financial manager acted out of malice and falsely accused me of having been privy to everything, and knowingly aided them in their activities. Being innocent, I clearly denied the allegations and indicated my willingness to be investigated. It turned out that the CFO was closely related to the chairman of the board, and so they were looking for a fall guy in order to spare the CFO. Analyzing the Conflict As previously stated, the auditors’ report recommended that the CFO, CIO, and the procurement manager be relieved of their duties and appropriate legal action taken against them. However, after I had been falsely accused of being involved in the scandal it later turned out that the chairman of the board was a close relative of the CFO. In this regard, I was summoned by the board and asked to accept a transfer to another branch. I quickly realized that cover-up was in the offing, and I was the biggest collateral involved. The reason given was that sacking the CFO would cause disharmony in the company, since he was very popular with employees and despite his involvement in embezzlement of funds he was very good at his job. I was offered a better package in the new branch and promoted to CEO. I refused the offer. I was not going to compromise my ideals for money or a better job offers. I told the board that I believed I had done the right thing and that I was willing to be investigated and cleared. They said that was not my concern, and that the company’s image was more important than anything else; I should take the offer and prevent the situation from going out of control and getting played in the public arena. I firmly refused the offer, and stated that if I was sacked I would institute legal proceedings against the company and reveal the truth; I was not budging. In retrospect I would have just accepted the offer, but that was naïve, selfish, and short-term thinking. What about the other employees, they had nobody to protect them. As the biggest victim I was supposed to represent them. And what about in future if the scandal came up again and I was working elsewhere? That would put me in a very precarious situation. I stood my ground, and eventually had my way; they did the right thing. The type of conflict involved in this case was purely intergroup. The board and the CFO were of the opinion that hiding the truth and enticing me would make the situation dissipate, but the junior employees and I felt that accountability and appropriate measures had to be taken, otherwise next time I would be them or some other person that would be “sacrificed” in order to satisfy a few individuals’ needs. If I could reenact the situation, I would employ the following methods to promote a collaborative culture and resolve the project: Smoothing This method is effective because it considers all other parties involved in the conflict. Unlike the power struggle method, it does not focus on self needs, but collective interests. The problem with this is that it may leave room for the party that shows more concern to be easily manipulated without achieving desired goals. In my case it worked because I was not just thinking about myself but the affected colleagues and I stood my ground on this. Bargaining The bargaining method is also very effective because each party states its conditions and then necessary concessions are made. Depending on progress, each party can make new conditions or concede more ground until a concrete agreement is reached. In my case, I made it very clear that I would not accept the offer and the accused persons had to be sacked or transferred. The board was bargaining with me by making new offers and trying to talk me down, but I refused to make any concessions. Bargaining is often effective (especially in a situation like mine) when the party that feels aggrieved makes the demands and remains firm, so that it is left to the other party to bargain, having seen that the aggrieved is not backing down. This method also worked in my situation because I was quick to firmly rebuff the offers I was made. In bargaining, if parties allow themselves to be boxed into a corner very early there are little chances of recovering. The solution lies in being fast out of the blocks and then setting the pace. Conclusion I have learnt that conflict management is an integrative and collaborative activity that calls for commitment from all parties. Conflict management in educational settings is particularly challenging because of the need to put on a united front regardless of the situation. Promotion of collaborative work environments helps foster good relations and remove helps people appreciate one another despite their faults. I have also learnt that since educational settings are composed of generally intelligent and knowledgeable people, it is better to be diplomatic rather than rash and aggressive, since people in such settings are quite civil. It is worth noting that it is often very difficult for people to collaborate if they are not aware of the abilities/talents of others. For instance, if I am the head of an organization I will be aware of the value of the chief information officer despite existent flaws/weaknesses. As a result, he/she may err once in a while and trigger conflict but rather than focus on his/her mistakes I focus on his/her contribution. This will help us move on quickly and find resolutions despite what happens. In conclusion, I must say that conflict management involves simple solutions that are right under our noses, but more often than not we tend to overthink and lengthen the time it takes to resolve problems. For instance, when you wrong someone and you know you did, saying sorry goes a long way towards preventing the situation from reaching the conflict stage. References Barge, J. K. (1994). Leadership: Communication skills for organizations and groups. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Greenberg, J. (1996). Managing behavior in organizations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Greenhalgh, L. (1986). SMR forum: Managing conflict. Sloan Management Review, 27, 45-51. Owens, R. G. (1995). Organizational behavior in education (5th Ed.) Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Putnam, L. L. & Poole, M. S. (1987). Conflict and negotiation. In F. M. Jablin, L. L. Putnam, K. Roberts, & L. W. Porter (eds.), Handbook of organizational communication (pp. 503-548). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Read More