Seatcor Manufacturing Company - Personal Conflict - Case Study Example

Name: Professor: Institution: Course: Date: Executive summary Conflict can be defined as a disagreement between two or more individuals or groups, with each individual or group trying to gain acceptance of its views or objective over others. The case study of Seatcor Manufacturing Company falls under personal conflict. Personal conflict is divided into two parts, namely; intra-personal and inter-personal conflicts. On this case, inter-personal was applied since the conflicts were between parties. The factors responsible for this interpersonal conflict are competition, stereotype, different values and exploitive nature of human beings. There are several players in the conflict who included Joe, Amanda, Mitchell, Ken and the workers who do not smoke in the company and The major issues causing these conflict include gender and power imbalance. For Seatcor Manufacturing Company to manage these conflicts effectively the following strategies were recommended; avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising and collaborating conflicts. Table of content 1.0 Executive summary…………………………………………………………………………..2 1.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..4 2.0 Type of Conflict………………………………………………………………………………5 3.0 Players in the conflict………………………………………………………………………….8 4.0 Major issues in the conflict……………………………………………………………………9 4.1 Gender…………………………………………………………………………………9 4.2 Power Imbalance………………………………………………………………………9 5.0 Strategies appropriate for the effective management of this conflict………………………..10 5.1 Avoiding……………………………………………………………………………..10 5.2 Accommodating……………………………………………………………………..10 5.3 Competing…………………………………………………………………………...11 5.4 Compromising……………………………………………………………………….11 5.5 Collaborating…………………………………………………………………………11 6.0 Ways of implementing the above strategies……………………………………………...….11 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………12 References………………………………………………………………………………………..13 1.1Introduction Conflict is an unavoidable aspect of everyday life. It can be defined in many ways and can be considered as an expression of hostility, antagonism, rivalry, negative attitudes and misunderstanding. It is also associated with situations that involve contradictory or irreconcilable interest between two opposing groups. Singh (2008) define conflict as, “the struggle between incompatible or struggling needs, wishes, ideas, interests or people. Conflict arises when individuals or groups encounter goals that both parties cannot obtain satisfactorily.” According to Jeanty (2011), it can be defined as a disagreement between two or more individuals or groups, with each individual or group trying to gain acceptance of its views or objective over others. Conflicts arise from many sources that can be classified in many ways. For example, personal and organizational role or source, resource, goal and structural are sources of conflict. Alper (2000) has proposed seven main sources of inter-personal and inter-group conflict, namely; concern for self, different goals, resource issues, power issues, different ideologies, varied norms and relationship. Conflict may emerge between two or more individuals who disagree on a matter that threatens their respective needs, values or goals. How the parties in a disagreement view this threat determines to a great extend how heated the conflict can become. With only so many opportunities and resources available within any social setting, it’s not uncommon for conflicts to arise. In contrast, when handled effectively, conflict may result to personal growth and create the change needed to improve interpersonal relations overall (Borisoff & Victor, 1999). The main source of conflict is when an individual perceive someone or something as a threat to some area of his well being. These threats trigger psychological or emotional responses and when this happens, his ability to view and approach the situation in an objective manner is hampered which makes it seem like there is a limited number of solutions to a particular problem (Bhatti, 2010). This essay will focus on the type of conflict, the players in the conflict and their role, the major issues in the conflict, strategies that will be most appropriate for the effective management of this conflict and how these strategies will be implemented in Seatcor Manufacturing Company. 2.0 Type of conflict Consador (2011), argue that manager spend at least twenty percent of their time in dealing with conflict issues. Therefore, it is very important for managers to understand the types of conflict they dealing with so that they can know the techniques to deal with the conflict in each type of category. Since our main purpose is to understand and manage conflict in companies, we will limit the level of conflict to personal level, group level and organization level (Consador, 2011). Therefore, conflicts can be classified as: The case study falls under personal conflict. Personal conflict can be divided into two parts, namely; intra-personal and inter-personal conflicts. According to (Consador, 2011), intra-personal conflict occurs within an individual. It can develop out of his own ideas, thoughts, values, predispositions and emotions. This conflict occurs when an individual argue with himself about something. The management should keep in mind that all employees have conflict within themselves. This conflict arise within an employee whenever his/her motives and drives are blocked or when he/she is confronted with competing goals and roles and he is unable to take decision. Conflicts in individuals are basically caused by unacceptability, incomparability and uncertainty. Normally, individual has a number of competing roles and goals. Therefore, an individual experiences three types of conflict within himself, which include; frustration, goal conflict and role conflict and may result to aggression, withdrawal, fixation and compromise. Inter-personal conflict occurs when an individual is in conflict with other individuals. This is viewed as a major level of conflict and can occur between siblings, spouses, co-workers, neighbors and roommates (Consador, 2011). This type of conflict is characterized by people not liking one another or not agreeing with one another, pointing out the weakness of other person, expression of hostility towards one other and criticism. In the case of Seatcor Manufacturing Company, Joe and Amanda do not agree with each other in most instances. For example Amanda does not agree with how Joe Gibbons and two junior managers under Amanda drafted and completed a five-year plan for the assembly plant which would serve as the basis for several major plant reinvestment and reorganization decisions that would be proposed to senior management without involving her. Also on several occasions, the two managers, Mitchell and Ken, have openly defied job-related instructions from Amanda. Amanda has raised her concerns about smoking at the workplace, but Joe apparently supports Mitchell and Ken. Factors which are responsible for inter-personal conflict could be differing values, exploitive nature of human beings, competition and stereotype behaviour (Lewicki et al, 2007). A competing environment occurs in a company where competence is rewarded and workers who are able to show results are given more attention and in such environment, every time an individual gets rewarded it creates dissatisfaction among others. Other experiences a feeling of dissatisfaction because their self respect is challenged (Lewicki et al, 2007). From the case study, Amanda is extremely tenacious and bright and well-trained business graduate and from all reports, she has been doing a good job in her new position and since Joe is retiring in two years time, Amanda is the best candidate for that position. However, Joe is challenge by this reward and have vowed that when he retired he wanted a man to take over his position and has gone ahead to promise Mitchell a promotion to head the desk assembly plant when he retires and this has resulted to a conflict between Joe and Amanda. Individuals working in a company may have different values, preferences, cultural background and beliefs (Lewicki et al, 2007). Joe believes that a woman should not hold a senior office in a company then though they are qualified and as a result he has vowed that when he retires he wants a man to take over. There are rumours that Joe has promised Mitchell, a promotion to head the desk assembly plant when he retires in two years time. Furthermore, to gain the trust of the two managers, Joe has allowed the two to break some of the rules and regulations at the workplace. For example, although there are several non-smokers at the workplace, Mitchell and Ken have been allowed to smoke at the workplace. He has also not included Amanda in the planning process at all. Instead, Joe has selected two junior managers working under Amanda to draft and champion the five-year plan for his plant. This has result to a conflict between Joe and Amanda. Sharp judgment and stereotyping lead people to evaluate others first and form opinions of them through hurried judgments. These types of perception distortions lead people to behave in biased ways towards each other resulting in conflicts (Lewicki et al, 2007) . In the case of Seatcor Manufacturing Company, since Joe has worked his way up through the ranks to his present position and has successfully operated his division for five years with marginally competent staff and he also runs a good ship, there is a perception that he makes good judgment but it is evident that some of this judgments has result to conflict in the plant. To start with, his judgment to allow Mitchell and Ken to smoke in the work place has created a conflict between the two junior managers and the non-smokers workers and they have threatened to leave the organization if the issue is not addressed quickly which will be costly to the company. Secondly, his judgment to exclude Amanda in the planning process and involving her two juniors has created a conflict between him and Amanda and also between Amanda and the two junior staff. 3.0 Players in the conflict There are several players in the conflict; The conflict between Amanda and Joe Joe and Amanda do not agree with each other in most instances. For example Amanda does not agree with how Joe Gibbons and two junior managers under Amanda drafted and completed a five-year plan for the assembly plant which would serve as the basis for several major plant reinvestment and reorganization decisions that would be proposed to senior management without involving her. The conflict between her two junior managers (Mitchell and Ken) and Amanda On several occasions, the two managers, Mitchell and Ken, have openly defied job-related instructions from Amanda. For instance, Amanda has order Mitchell and Ken not to smoke in the workplace but they didn’t stop smoking since Joe apparently supports them. The conflict between smokers and non-smokers Although there are several non-smokers at the workplace, Mitchell and Ken have been allowed to smoke at the workplace. Several workers feel the secondary smoke in the workplace is endangering their health and want a nonsmoking policy enforced. The non-smokers have threatened to leave the organization if the issue is not. 4.0 Major issues in the conflict 4.1 Gender In the case of Seatcor Manufacturing Company gender is one of the issues causing conflict .Joe believes that a woman should not hold a senior office in a company then though they are qualified and as a result he has vowed that when he retires he wants a man to take over. There are rumours that Joe has promised Mitchell, a promotion to head the desk assembly plant when he retires in two years time. On the other hand, Amanda believes that anyone can hold a senior office provided that he/she is qualified. In this case, Amanda feels she is more qualified as compared to other staff and she should be appointed as the vice president and general manager of the assembly plant desk. This issue has caused a conflict between Joe and Amanda 4.2 Power imbalance Power imbalance is a situation where one party has more power than the other. Joe ranks higher in the hierarchy of command as compared. This difference in power has brought about conflict between them in that even Amanda’s Junior (Mitchell and Ken) managers can no longer take instructions from Amanda but from Joe and hence undermining her power which in turn has caused conflict between Amanda and his subordinates. 5.0 Strategies appropriate for the effective management of this conflict Based Ruble & Thomas, (1996) there are five conflict management styles which can be used strategies for managing inter-personal conflicts. They include 5.1 Avoiding Avoiding is a style low on both cooperativeness and assertiveness. It is an intentional decision to take no action on a conflict or decide to stay out of it. When one party to the conflict has no interest in their own goals or in maintaining a good relationship with the other party to the conflict, he or she may decide to withdraw and not deal with the conflict. In some situation, it may be necessary to avoid the conflict (Ruble & Thomas, 1996). For instance, the parties to the conflict in the case of Seatcor Manufacturing Company are angry and require sometime to cool down it may be necessary to use avoidance style. 5.2 Accommodating It’s a conflict management style where the party in conflict is concerned about the goal of the party been met but are relatively not concerned with getting their own way (Ruble & Thomas, 1996). Here, the party in conflict is more interested in keeping a good relation and therefore puts the interest of the other party over and above of that of his own and therefore sacrifices his interest so as to resolve the conflict. Some of the situation where this style can be used is when one party finds out is wrong or when one party have way as a way to remind the other party that they also owe them a similar treatment later on (Van de Vliert et al, 1990) 5.3 Competing This is an uncooperative but assertive style where the party in conflict wants to satisfy their own interest at the other party expense. This is appropriate when knows he is right (Ruble & Thomas, 1996). 5.4 Compromising It’s a conflict management style where all parties to the conflict are willing to listen to each other and sacrifices their initial expectation for the sake of resolving the conflict (Ruble & Thomas, 1996). It’s an intermediate style, in that there is both assertiveness and cooperativeness since all parties give up something to resolve the conflict. 5.5 Collaborating This is a win-win situation which is high on cooperativeness and assertiveness where the parties are interested in continued and long term relationship and that the concern of all parties is satisfied to the maximum (Thomas, 1996). Collaborative involver a thorough and open discussion of the conflict and coming up with a solution than is satisfactory to all parties. This style is suitable when both are committed to a final solution or there is need to have different perspective to resolve a conflict. 6.0 Ways of implementing the above strategies For Seatcor Manufacturing Company to implement the above recommended strategies they must do the following; Establishing common One of the main sources of conflict is incompatible goals. To reduce this, the management should come up with common which can be agreed upon by the individual, the group and the organization at large. In the Seatcor Manufacturing Company, the board should ensure that all staff are involved in the planning process and this will result to all subordinates having a common goal Reducing interdependence Another source of conflict is interdependence between line and staff managers and for this reason the less the interdependence among the employees. In Seatcor Manufacturing Company, such interdependence may not be avoided. However, the separation can be done physically so as to resolve the conflict. Exchange of personnel Another method of reducing confliction is exchange of personnel of the conflicting parties for a specified period of time. This is very similar to role reversal and is aimed at bring more understanding between the parties through forcing them the present and depend the other party’s position (Rahim, 2002) Conclusion From above analysis, it is clear that conflicts are inevitable and part of our life. However, all conflicts can be resolved and for us it’s to know how to manage them effectively since unresolved conflicts are a source of trouble. It is therefore important that Seatcor Manufacturing Company resolve all those conflicts that are within the company before they blow out of proportion. It’s recommended that they use the above named strategies to resolve the conflict. References Alper S, Tjosvold D & Law (2000), Conflict management, efficacy, and performance in organizational teams Personnel Psychology, 53, 625-642 Alper S, Tjosvold D & Law (2000), Conflict management, efficacy, and performance in organizational teams, Personnel Psychology, 53, 625-642 Borisoff, D., & Victor, D. A. (1989) Conflict management: A communication skills approach. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Bhatti S (2010) Conflict Management Strategies Retrieved on 19th September 2011 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/conflict-management-strategies.html Consador K (2011) Types of Organizational Conflict Retrieved on 19th September 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/facts_5468214_types-organizational-conflict.html Jeanty J (2011) what is Conflict? Retrieved on 19th September 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/about_4576718_what-is-conflict.html Lewicki et al (2007) Conflict and its management Journal of Management, 21, 515-558 Ruble, T. L., & Thomas, K. W. (1996) Support for a two-dimensional model for conflict behavior Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16, 143-155 Rahim, M. A. (2002) Toward a theory of managing organizational conflict. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 13, 206-235. 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