Human Resource Management Competencies - Case Study Example

Case study on conflict management Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecture Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 6th September, 2012 Executive summary This management report starts at looking for ways in which conflict can be managed especially in organizations. Basing on the recent studies that show reduced conflict in an organization leads to better performance; there is the need for appropriate measures that have to be taken. To help us through the report, a case study has been given which will help us base our argument on the topic under discussion. In the discussion, the report is going to look at various approaches in which conflict can be managed and strategies used to handle conflict in the workplace. Also in the discussion, there will be a report on ways in which conflict can be handled. With the help of theories put forward to discuss the conflict issues supported by the types of conflict, basing our argument on the case study, this can be a learning platform for organizations with frequent conflict situations. To make a summary of the report about to be given, recommendations will be put forward on how conflict can be settled amicably without any individual in the organization feeling oppressed. In the recommendation part, strategies have been laid to ensure the organization performance is high and personal respect is upheld in the organization. By the suggestions put forward, it is evident that there are easy ways in which conflict can be settled and the recommended strategies are: Do not shout at people when asking for their work. Ensure you use the first person while communicating Do not be aggressive in communication Ensure that you consider other employee’s ideas in conflict management. Introduction There are many definitions put forward describing what conflict is and among them conflict can be described as a situation in which the interests of an individual do not agree with other peoples interest hence lack of coordination in the tasks that they are doing. Many are the times when conflict which is as an event of continuous disagreement is confused with the word dispute whereby dispute is as a result of continuous conflict. Hulling and Xin (2008) suggests that conflicts mostly occur when one party perceives that their views are not respected by another party or other individuals. At this point conflict is seen to have two major ways: position or on interest and tasks. To resolve any kind of conflict, there is the need for negotiation which is a step taken by two parties or individual to came to an agreement on how they can settle for the position and tasks in which they stand for with no party feeling oppressed. This therefore brings us to the topic on conflict management. In the business sector more and more business leaders are coming up with productive ways in which conflict can be resolved among the employees in the workplace. By adopting skills that show respect for individual space and organizational culture, businesses are now minimizing cases of conflict and with this, there is high performance as proper modes of communication are being adopted. Source of conflict In this case study, we see Dan who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Personal Investments Ltd (PI) invites Tabitha his friend to join him in their organization as they need more aggressive investment approach in order to stay in the market and still attract more customers in their firm. Tabitha is employed to work alongside with Dan and in doing so; she requests that she be given freedom to choose where to work with flexibility. Junior analysts in the company seem to enjoy every bit of Tabitha’s stay in the company as they appreciate the new approach in which Tabitha controlled things in the company. However, as much as she wants to see the company change to a new dimension, she is making the company change in a very fast way which is making most senior staff among them Susan not appreciate her presence in the company. The source of conflict in this case is that there is a party that does not respect other people’s views and ideas. Tabitha is given a position in the company with the consideration of other employees in Personal Investment Company and instead of discussing the way forward and knowing what she is expected to do; she comes in with her own rules and regulations of how she would like to operate. Though it might make sense that she wants the company to increase on its performance, there is still the need for respect of the old practices and the culture upheld by the organization (Kankanhalli, Tan andKwok-Wee 2006). Conflict also emerges when Tabitha wants to overthrow everyone’s ideas and stand on firm grounds that if the company dos not follow her strategy, she will be packing and going. Type of conflict in the case study The above discussed case takes two types of conflict which are task conflict and relationship conflict. Timmins (2011) suggests that task conflict is caused by people having different ideas and methods towards achieving a certain goal. It also involves different views on how a particular event or situation can be handled. Relationship conflict is a situation whereby members i n an organization have conflict on the approach in which they are going to handle issues.(Singleton, et al 2011).The theory of task conflict is at odds in empirical findings of its relationship with team effectiveness. Some studies suggest task conflict contributes to positive performance of organizational teams while others have found it to slightly contribute to negative performance. Referring to the theory of task conflict, task conflict is found in the case study where Tabitha prefers an aggressive approach to investment while senior partners prefer a conservative approach. Relationship conflict also occurs where there is also disagreement on how much time can be taken to achieve certain results in the organization and a disagreement on whom to cooperate with. One instance where relationship conflict is seen in the case study is jealousy among the workers where the senior partners feel jealous over Tabitha’s achievements. The social defence theory explains the conflict in PI, where the company’s senior partners wants to retain its traditions but new generation of employees like Tabitha wants to change how the organization operates (Doyeo and Fox 2011). By this, conflict is created as the methods and approaches in handling organizational goals are betraying the organizational culture. The way in which Tabitha is handling issues in the organization and the way in which she is approaching the problems in the firm seem to be totally against other members in this workplace. Approaches used in the case study for conflict management The Thomas model of conflict management that draws upon the contingency theory of conflict management suggests five approaches to conflict resolution (Sample 2010). These approaches are: avoidance, accommodation, competition/domination, compromise/sharing, and finally collaboration. The approach used by Dan in solving this conflict at PI is through collaboration; in the case study, Dan is referred to as the great equalizer as he tries to make parties work together and satisfy its concern (Long, Zhong-Ming and Wei 2011, p.190).Tabitha does resolve her conflict by competition where she uses her personal achievement to say that other companies need her and she put other people down and personal attacks. Susan does this by compromise where she puts the organizational interest at hand and says that by doing this; there will be equal opportunities for investment and contribution of ideas. (Jamilo, Mulki and Boles 2011). Another approach that was used by the two actors used in solving their conflict was by focusing on the interests of the company rather than individual interest (Gull, Habib-ur-Rehman and Zaidi 2012) Source: Sample, P 2010, Thomas-Kilman conflict Mode Instrument: Profile and Interpretive Report. Viewed at. https://www.cpp.com/pdfs/smp248248.pdf.Accessed It’s true that Tabitha wants to see the company grow and adopt the latest trends in the investment market but there is a lot of complain from senior members in the organization of the way that she is managing the company assets in order to achieve this goal. This forces Dan to try and convince Tabitha that as much as she wants fresh energy and strategies to be adopted, she has to consider the pace at which she is generating things. This is resolved by Dan trying to convince Tabitha to stay in the organization as she has been a great asset but they agree on the control that they are going to take in order to focus on the interests of all the stakeholders in the organization. Strategies effective for conflict management Solutions to these two kinds of conflict are: in task conflict, amicable ways to settle on this is to look at the issue the parties are disagreeing on and look at the task of information that can cause the conflict. Parties should be allowed to agree to disagree on the right ways to handle the issue at hand and in settling the disagreement; it is wise that the parties involved consider the decision in which they are going to reach and its impact on the organization (Piyush, Dangayach and Mittal 2011, p.54). In Relationship conflict possible ways of agreement is that both parties should know the roles they play in decision making and the boundaries restricted to them in a company, everyone has responsibilities and these responsibilities have boundaries on where they can be practiced. Goozer, et. al (2009) suggests that there are effective strategies that can be used in conflict management among them are coming up with strategies of mutual gain for all (Goozer, et. al 2009, p.1780). By this, all member of the organization are given a platform to discuss the major issue at hand and with this, a lot of suggestions will be given and a selection of the most suited solution is adopted by the company. This strategy is important as there is a lot of brainstorming for everyone and thus there is creativity in business performance (Voutsas 2011). With this in mind, it will be true to say that overall interests are achieved and all members will be comfortable in delivering of success because they have the same strategies to go about a certain goal (Martin, Davis and Krapels 2012). Another strategy that can be effective is the use of objective criteria in solving conflict (Jae-Hwa 2009). By this, the aim of the conversation should not be to lure a party to agree with a certain party or to divert from the party’s ideas but the aim is to look at the main objective or goal that an organization wants or is focusing on. By doing this, fairness will be considered in terms of the procedures and standards to be adopted in organizations goals. Another strategy might be and is usually used by many organizations is to work on individual’s communication skills (Kassim and Radzuan 2008). This helps as one is able to put across their thoughts and opinions and speak out on what is in their mind. By doing this, an opportunity is given for other people to see if they agree with one’s intensions. Working on communication skills will help other members in an organization to know the intension of every individual and this will reduce the chances of arguing which way is to be taken. How strategies chosen can be implemented in the analysis The above strategies can be successful if implemented in the organization by coming up with goals that have mutual benefit for all. Tabitha in all her decisions should involve everyone in the decision made and give a chance to other members of the organization to agree or to disagree on the decisions that she has made rather than making decisions and implementing them and not every individual is comfortable with her decisions. Also in making effective implementations, there is the need for agreeing on how certain criterion is to be approached (Levasseur 2011, p.207). Tabitha should not shut down the old ways in which the company is tightly glued to but should accommodate on the old practices that can be combined with the new approaches in order to achieve the set objectives. The mode and tone of communication really matters in an organization and should be highly considered (Mailitlo, Bhutto, Anwar and Mahar 2012, p.715). In this analysis, Tabitha seems to be very educated in the market performance and hence is rude towards any suggestion put forward by any employee who does not side with her. It is also observed in the conversation that she does not care for any action taken by the management hence she talks with a lot of emotion to Dan. Communication in order to resolve conflict should be done in a neutral tone and consider having it in an assertive way rather than doing it in an aggressive way (Suzzanne and Barbara, 2012). Recommendation and conclusion The above report has stated ways in which conflict can occur in the workplace and has shown that workplace conflict can be attributed to one person particularly a leader having different approaches towards a certain goal which might be against the wish of others(Kibby and Donn 2008). Using the theory stated above on how one can overcome conflict, it becomes easy for open dialogue among individuals that facilitates effective communication. This report therefore recommends that for easy solving of conflict, one must first understand the situation at hand and look at both sides of the conflict. As a manager, one should be a non partisan member not supporting either of the side but coming up with a decision that will be of positive influence to the firm. Another way to resolve conflict is to agree that there is a problem that exists that needs to be solved (Dijkstra, Beersma and Evers 2011). In this, while settling the conflict, all members should be invited forward to contribute towards problem solving and this should not only include the leaders but all employees. To ensure the communication process is successful, the parties involved should not intimidate or see the other party as lesser beings in contribution of ideas. With mutual respect for each other, it will be possible to ensure a conflict free company. Reference List Deyoe, R, & Fox, T 2011, 'Identifying strategies to minimize workplace conflict due to generational differences', Journal Of Behavioral Studies In Business, vol.4, pp. 1-17. Dijkstra, M, Beersma, B, & Evers, A 2011, 'Reducing conflict-related employee strain: The benefits of an internal locus of control and a problem-solving conflict management strategy', Work & Stress, vol.25, no.2, pp. 167-184. Goozner, M, Caplan, A, Moreno, J, Kramer, B, Babor, T, & Husser, W 2009, 'A common standard for conflict of interest disclosure in addiction journals', Addiction, vol.104, no.11, pp.1779-1784. Gull, S, Habib-ur-Rehman, & Zaidi, S 2012, 'Impact of Conflict Management Styles on Team Effectiveness in Textile Sector of Pakistan', International Journal Of Business & Management, vol.7, no.3, pp. 219-229. Huiling, D, & Xin, D 2008, 'PROJECT MANAGEMENT, CRITICAL PRAXIS, AND PROCESS-ORIENTED APPROACH TO TEAMWORK', Business Communication Quarterly, vol.71, no.4, pp. 456-471. Jae-Hwa, S 2009, 'Developing constructive and proactive conflict management strategies in healthcare', Journal of Communication in Healthcare, vol.2, no.1, pp. 78-94. Jaramillo, F, Mulki, J, & Boles, J 2011, 'WORKPLACE STRESSORS, JOB ATTITUDE, AND JOB BEHAVIORS: IS INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT THE MISSING LINK?’ Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, vol.31, no.3, pp. 339-356. KANKANHALLI, A, TAN, B, & KWOK-KEE, W 2006, 'Conflict and Performance in Global Virtual Teams', Journal of Management Information Systems, vol.23, no.3, pp. 237-274. Kassim, H, & Radzuan, N 2008, 'Resolving Conflict: Enhancing Engineering Students' English Fluency through Workplace Situation', International Journal Of Learning, vol.14, no.11, pp.51-60. Kirby, B, & Donn, C 2008, 'STUDENT JOURNAL USE IN A CONFLICT RESOLUTION COURSE', Employment Relations Record, vol.8, no.2, pp. 66-82. Levasseur, RE 2011, 'People Skills: Optimizing Team Development and Performance', Interfaces, vol.41, no.2, pp. 204-208. LONG, C, ZHONG-MING, W, & WEI, Z 2011, 'THE EFFECTS OF CONFLICT ON TEAM DECISION MAKING', Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, vol.39, no.2, pp. 189-198. Maitlo, Q, Bhutto, N, Anwar, N, & Mahar, S 2012, 'Conflict Management - Home versus work', Interdisciplinary Journal Of Contemporary Research In Business, vol.3, no.9, pp. 712-720. Martin, J, Davis, B, & Krapels, R 2012, 'A Comparison Of The Top Six Journals Selected As Top Journals For Publication By Business Communication Educators', Journal Of Business Communication, vol.49, no.1, pp. 3-20. Piyush, M, Dangayach, G, & Mittal, M 2011, 'A Study of Critical Project Success Parameters in Different Organizational Conditions', Advances In Management, vol.4, no.8, pp. 50-56. Singleton, R, Toombs, L, Taneja, S, Larkin, C, & Pryor, M 2011, 'WORKPLACE CONFLICT: A STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVE', International Journal Of Business & Public Administration, vol.8, no.1, pp. 149-163. Suzanne, M, & Barbara Mae, G n.d., 2012,'Conflict management metaphors: assessing everyday problem communication', The Social Science Journal, vol.40, pp. 137-142. Timmins, F 2011, 'Managers' duty to maintain good workplace communications skills', Nursing Management - UK, vol.18, no.3, pp. 30-34. Voutsas, K 2011, 'Effects of Heterogeneity in Work Teams: Creativity or Conflict?’, Insights To A Changing World Journal, vol.5, pp.115-120. Sample, P 2010, Thomas-Kilman conflict Mode Instrument:Profile and Interpretive Report.Viewed at. https://www.cpp.com/pdfs/smp248248.pdf, Accessed on 6th September 2012. Read More