Informal Conflict Resolution - Case Study Example

Issues and Interventions in “Informal Conflict Resolution: A Workplace Case Study” The issue is informal conflict resolution involving Tim, a senior editor, and Laura, a younger and new editor. Tim made a pass during Laura during an out-of-office social affair. Laura rejected his advances. Tim apologized for what happened in the office, but his constant apology for the next three months annoyed and bothered Laura. Soon, she informed other co-workers of what happened that strained the work environment further. Laura resigned from her job position and took a new editorial job for the same organization. However, she was unhappy with this position and wanted to go back to her old one, but she was undecided on how to deal with Tim. I .Issues Inventory Hocker and Wilmot (2011) asserted that conflicts cannot be avoided, even in a formal setting like the workplace. They stressed that it is essential to understand the issues involving interpersonal conflicts and finding ways of resolving them. This section discusses the issues in the case study involving Tim and Laura. Absence of Guiding Policies for Sexual Harassment Cases The organization does not have guiding policies for sexual harassment cases. This is clear from Laura who does not seem to know how to deal with what happened to her. She has been sexually harassed, but she just accepted a mere apology from Tim without going through the right reporting and intervention process. The absence of guiding policies resulted to ineffective conflict resolution approach on the part of Tim and Laura. Insufficient Orientation for New Employees Regarding Sexual Harassment Policies The organization should orient all employees regarding policies, procedures, and guidelines on sexual harassment, so that the right measures are activated once it happens. This should include measures in ensuring that employees are properly trained in dealing with and reporting these incidents. If Laura and Tim only knew what to do, they would have been more aware of the next steps they should do to handle their conflict. Tim would also be able to better handle himself in the future. He will know what harassment means and how he can stop it, provided that he received adequate orientation and training on harassment procedures. Lack of Management Support for Employees with Grievances Laura feared for her job so she did not report what happened to her. There must be an absence of management support for employees like her because she values her fear more than truly resolving the conflict. The management should offer support and guidance, especially informal means, since Laura enjoys her job position. This is a good opportunity for the management to help Laura deal with what happened and to improve policies and awareness to avoid similar incidents from happening in the future. Absence of Third Party Intervention The case shows that it is important to have third-party intervention (Hocker & Wilmot, 2011, p.283). It may be the HR or the management, depending on organizational policies. Laura cannot properly handle Tim’s behaviors and attitudes, so it is important to have internal help. HR may be specifically suitable because this is a human resource management concern. II. Intervention I realized that this conflict cannot be settled without any help from other individuals. They need a third-person party who can mediate the issue and help them settle it. The HR is an ideal source of support for this kind of problem. An HR employee should provide guidance for Laura and to help Tim also deal with his improper behaviors, before and after the harassment incident. HR can also offer further psychological resources for the two, since the event surely affected them in different/similar ways. The resolution should remove ill feelings of discomfort and awkwardness. It must also prevent future incidents from recurring. In addition, the policies and procedures in managing different kinds of conflicts must be clear to all, including that for sexual harassment cases. Employees must have conflict-resolution skills and be aware of and follow policies. Cupach, Canary, and Spitzberg (2010) emphasize that employees must be trained to have conflict management competence, so that they can effectively cope with different conflicts. The company must conduct conflict resolution training and orient all employees of the diverse needed policies that attend to usual organizational conflicts. This way, employees are equipped with tools and policies that can help them manage interpersonal conflicts personally and as a group. In addition, escalation and reporting processes and systems must be clear and kept confidential. This can ensure that employees will preserve the right to privacy and have their issues resolved at the proper levels. Moreover, I realized that avoidance style is not a good conflict resolution style. Laura avoided resolving the problem using proper company rules and guidelines. She did not want her work to be avoided, as well as her working relationship with Tim and others. The problem with this conflict approach is that it does not analyze the causes of the problem and provide long-term solutions. Instead, Laura only gained an immediate solution which is not even a real solution, which is ending the issue by not talking about it anymore. Furthermore, too much aggression in resolution is also not a good conflict management approach. Tim is too apologetic to the point of harassing Laura. I think he just really likes her and wants her attention. His efforts, however, are ineffective and he drives Laura even farther away from him. Tim needs better conflict management and interpersonal skills to improve how he deals with workplace romance and conflicts. Laura needs immediate help to resolve the issue. HR and the management do not need to terminate Tim. They can offer guidance for him, so that he can change his attitudes and behaviors. Furthermore, HR should help Laura get her job position back. HR should address her transition needs and other emotional resources needed to deal with this conflict. Hence, the case study shows the role of conflict resolution knowledge and skills, as well as proper organizational policies and procedures, in managing interpersonal conflicts, before they become sources of low morale and high attrition rate. Conclusion The case study highlights the role of conflict resolution competence in organizations. This competence, however, is not something natural to all, and entails involvement and guidance from organizations. Organizations must provide trainings for conflict management competence and orientations regarding various workplace conflicts and proper measures and policies to respond to them. Laura can still get her old position provided she gets proper HR and management support, while Tim needs intervention to change his behaviors too. Hence, the solution to these issues is not singular, but composed of different actions and changes in how people see, deal with and report conflicts to the right people and through the right avenues. References Cupach, W.R., Canary, D.J., & Spitzberg, B.H. (2010). Competence in interpersonal conflict (2nd ed.). Illinois: Waveland. Hocker, J.L., & Wilmot, W.M. (2011). Interpersonal conflict (9th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Read More