The Concept of Constructive Conflicts - Example

THE CONCEPT OF CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICTS by Student’s name Code+ course name Professor’s name University name City, State Date THE CONCEPT OF CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICTS Introduction Conflicts are inevitable in any business organization. Conflict has been described as an inherent part of the contemporary workplace (Deutsch 1994). The type of conflicts depends on its origin, the parties involved as well as the way in which people react to it. Fundamentally, conflicts are disagreements that occur due to different views and opinions, different personalities, varying temperaments, and the different interests of people may have in the event or situation prompting conflict. The ways in which people react to conflicts are very different and this can be attributed to personality differences. Whenever there is a conflict, a person will try to avoid it, accommodate it, prevent it or handle it. Avoiding and preventing conflicts are ways that are adopted by the pessimistic people who do not like to tackle challenges and new ideas. Such people are not aggressive and cannot manage to introduce change within an organization. Managing groups and leading teams in encouraging constructive conflicts may take the pragmatic approach, the relation builder approach, the self empowered approach, or the conciliator approach. This paper seeks to explain the concept of constructive conflicts within an organization by responding to the issues of paper one, and laying focus on the various ways of managing conflicts as well as comparing such methods to the traditional views on conflicts in the light of work groups. RESPONDING TO THE ISSUES IN ASSIGNMENT ONE Before responding to the former issues, it is of great importance to understand what such issues entailed. The issues in assignment sought to obtain answers to these questions: what is the difference between the constructive and destructive conflicts? Is it really practical that constructive conflicts can yield good results? Is the issue of constructive conflicts workable in the workplace setting? Responding to these issues may be quite complex. Perhaps the most important starting point is trying to explain what constructive conflicts are, the extent to which they are applied in the average workplace setting and how they are likely to impact on the performance of work groups or other departments within the organization. Constructive conflicts are said to exist where the manager oversees discussions and debates among the employees and managers of various departments over a new product or a new course of action (Deutsch 1994). Such discussions entail immense brainstorming sessions. Each and every member may give their views on the subject and should remain open to challenge and reason. Many managers argue that conflicts should either be prevented or avoided at all costs for the peaceful existence and continuity of the organization. Psychologists however argue that conflicts, if well managed and controlled, can be very helpful to an organization. This, they argue, is because through conflicts new ideas can be obtained as people engage one another in healthy competition-oriented reasoning. Studies carried out on the concept of encouraging constructive conflicts among the team members revealed that constructive conflicts within an organization is a rich source of new ideas. Additionally the reports indicated that constructive conflicts that entail brainstorming helps the managers of an organization identify weaknesses early enough so that they can be dealt with. Where a company intends to introduce a new product line, it should encourage the positive war of ideas among the employees and all members of the company’s departments (Dipaola & Hoy 2001). Brainstorming is most effective where the employees put aside their emotions and personal differences to concentrate on coming up with the best idea. They should feel free to express their opinions and thoughts about the status quo and the need to change as well as ways in which such change can be achieved. Having explained the idea of encouraging constructive criticism, it is easy to respond to the issues handled previously starting with the difference between the constructive conflicts and the negative conflicts. Positive or constructive conflicts are beneficial to the company since they seek to establish an equilibrium point. This is a point where both parties are satisfied. At this point, the company gains a great deal as it will have in its workforce many united employees who are ready to come up with ideas and develop them into something worth implementing. Negative conflicts on the other hand are those that entail the conflicting parties employing emotions and personal differences. Such conflicts do not stand to help anyone. They are destructive and have negative impacts to both parties in the conflict. Here, the parties do not come to any form of agreement but rather end up in a stalemate and no headway is made. The constructive conflicts are associated with positive result s in an organization (Menon et al 1999). Negative conflicts on the other hand are detrimental and cannot achieve interdepartmental cohesion. Where the departments of an organization relate closely with one another, constructive conflicts are likely to occur with each department trying to be a better performer than the other. This comes up with the aspect of inter-departmental competitions. The management can encourage such competitions through objectively in one particular financial period. However, it should be noted that in encouraging constructive criticism, the management should not rely on the financial results only to reward the best performer. They should look at such things as the department that came up with the most lucrative idea. THE PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES APPLIED IN AN ATTEMPT TO ENCOURAGE CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICT Positive conflicts are and should be an integral part of the planning process of any business organization in the contemporary business world. Planning entails the setting down of a pre-determined way of trying to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. In setting up such strategies, the contemporary business world dictates that the employees be involved. Having the employees at the center of the planning process increases the chances of conflict (Menon et al 1999). This is because ideally, in real practice, employees are opposed, even with no reason, to the views of the manager. The first step towards achieving fruitful positive conflicts is to make a peaceful environment full of trust. ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP The first method of introducing and implementing constructive conflicts in an organization is through upholding organizational citizenship. This is the practice of making an employee feel affiliated to the organization. It gives the employee a sense of belonging to the organization. This sense of ownership makes the members of staff strive to come up with the most appropriate ideas that are bound to benefit the organization just like an actual shareholder may work hard to come up with an idea that will benefit the organization in which he or she has substantial interest (Leslie 2006). Making the employees feel attached to the organization could take different forms. These will be discussed one by one. The first way of achieving citizenship within an organization is altruism. This method ensures that all the people that need to be aided in an organization are aided. Employees in an organization do not work at the same speed. This means that in order to improve efficiency within the organization, the weaker and less efficient employees need to be assisted through team work and the combined effort of the other group members (Kirchhoff 2008). The second method of building citizenship within the organization is through the principle of sportsmanship. This is where the spirit of sportsmen is instilled in the employees. This entails that the employees embrace cohesion and proper communication channels rather than gossiping and relying on unfounded rumors as these are a base for destructive conflicts within the organization. The fourth way of ensuring functional citizenship within the organization is the principle of conciseness. This ensures time management in group dynamics. This means or implies that whenever there is an event or an activity that is time-bound, the employees should be on time as a group. They should manage time collectively and not a case where one employee completes a task today and the other completes his or hers two weeks from today. The fourth and final way of achieving such spirits of citizenship is the principle referred to as the civic virtue. This one is of the argument that all members of an organization are equally important. They are considered as being at the same level and that no employee is more important than the other. They should be given equal chance and opportunity whenever such arises. PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT Establishing a psychological contract between the employer and the employees is of paramount importance in achieving productive constructive conflicts. Psychological contract can be achieved through various ways. One such way is making sure that those people that are resistant to change and rebellious to the ideas of the mangers are included in the decision making process (Kirchhoff 2008). This has been termed by the managers of change as taming the wild employee. By involving them in the decision making process, ways are paved for change to take place I the organization more smoothly. They can be effective when in the decision making panel. They are however a menace and a serious hindrance to development when not included in the change process. This method has been used and found to work in various situations including in leadership and political circles. The resistant people usually make good leaders as they tend to have better ideas that can be used to challenge the status quo. The second method of establishing a psychological contract is creating a climate of trust. This can be done with much ease depending on the relationship between the manager and the employees. Where the manager is an authoritarian supervisor, it is very difficult to achieve a trusting environment. To create a climate of trust, the manager should be the type that is participative and involves the employees in the decision making process. In simple words, trust cannot exist between a theory X manager and the employees. On the contrary, it is very easy for there to be trust between a theory Y manager and his juniors. This is means that in an attempt to achieve a climate of trust, the managers must adopt an approach that makes the employees feel respected. ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE Like any other institution, there must fairness and equal treatment of the members of the organization for there to be prosperity. This is to say that one of the major determinants of a company’s success is the way in which the employees are treated. To encourage constructive conflicts, the employees must be made to have a feeling that they are equal (Coy & Woehrle 2000). This is because in the event that they are not equal, one will feel that the other is using the authority of their position to oppress them. For instance, there cannot be a constructive conflict between the theory X manager and the employee. In case they hold contradicting ideas, the employee will feel like, since the manager treats him as a child, his opinion does not count at all. Distributive organizational justice There are various types of organizational justice that can be employed in encouraging constructive conflicts. The first type of such justice is the distributive type of organizational justice. This type of justice embraces the principles of equity and equality. It is difficult for people to differentiate between equity and equality. It is not easy even to the educated elite. In an organizational context it is important to understand the difference. Equity entails a situation where those seeking something from the employee are ready to adopt such a thing themselves (Collins 2009). In other words, before the manager expects the employee to adopt a certain conduct, he or she should be ready and willing to act as per the requirements of the conduct. On the other hand, equality calls for equal treatment of persons in similar circumstances. This may mean that people at the same level of employment or management, should be subjected to the similar circumstances. Again, this is one of the best ways of achieving an environment of trust and encouraging free communication of ideas. A manager who does not observe the provisions of equality cannot gain the trust of the employees and as such he or she can be said to be an instigator of negative conflicts within the organization. It is said that an organization whose management tolerates the withholding of information by the employees is bound to fail (Kirchhoff 2008). This is because withholding of information leads to distortion of the same. Distorted information is a cause of enmity and serious hostility in the organization. Equality in the distribution of resource and information as well as opportunities is a good ground for constructive conflict. Procedural organizational justice This is a type of institutional justice that entails the involvement of the employees in the decision making process. This takes the approach of participative management. Participative management also referred to as consultative management is a type of administration whereby the managers and the employees make decisions in consultation with one another (Dipaola & Hoy 2001). It entails the participation of all staff members in the making of strategic decisions. This encourages constructive conflicts in the sense that the management may resolve to award the best ideas and contributions by the employees. This will cause the employees find the need to support and justify their views the best they can. It however should be noted that this wars of ideas and thoughts by the workers of the organization, is managed and controlled by the management. The management therefore acts as a regulatory body that prevents destructive and negative conflicts. The role of the managers in constructive conflicts is therefore to ensure that the systems and the right procedures are observed. Interactional organizational justice This type of justice is concerned about the interpersonal relationships and communications in the organization. Interpersonal links rely to a great extent on the personalities and conducts of the parties that are interacting. The interpersonal skills to great extent depend on the way the employee is handled by the supervisors. The supervisors that treat their employees like young children that need guidance and threat of punishments in order to perform, lowers the morale and self esteem of the staff (Dayton 2012). A demoralized workforce is not capable of effective and productive interpersonal communications and relationships. An organization that encourages positive interpersonal relationships is bound to experience constructive conflicts among the many small groups that make up the entire workforce. COMPARING THE PROPOSED PRINCIPLES WITH THE PREVIOUS PRESUMPTIONS The fundamental issue underlying this comparison is how an organization should handle conflicts. Traditionally, the managers were advocating and actually practiced prevention and evasion with regard to conflicts within the organizations. Evading conflicts or even preventing conflicts was assumed to be the best ways to the key causes of instability in the organizations. It was until recently when psychologists came up with a theory proposing that, carefully managed, conflicts can be very helpful in boosting the performance of the organization and enhancing efficiency (Robinson 2010). Carefully monitored conflicts improve the efficiency of communication in the firm or the organization. This is because once the employees decide to open up and speak about their woes in the organization; the management is capable of detecting weaknesses well in advance. Weaknesses that are detected in good time are better dealt with than weak points that are discovered at the late stages (Dayton 2012). For instance, a conflict that is known early can be managed better than a situation where it has matured to the extent of the workers downing their tools. Research has it that in organization where constructive conflicts are discouraged in the teams, the products fair poorly in the market. This is because the workers are demoralized and cannot work efficiently. On the contrary, encouraging constructive conflicts among the members of a team yields good returns and high sales in the market. The proposition of the psychologists is that the employee should be fully informed on their roles and obligations. This means they should be allowed to make clarifications from the management and other supervisors. In this form of vertical communication, the employees are likely to air their grievances whilst challenging the status quo (Kirchhoff 2008). It has been established by various theories that the difference between a good leader and a manager keeps the status quo while the leader challenges the status quo. It is worth concluding that constructive conflicts are a breeding ground for future leaders. Compared to the traditional pessimistic ways of looking at conflicts, the contemporary approach of handling conflicts with a positive attitude is a positive move for the management of an organization. Whereas the traditional methods were cowardly and paranoid, the contemporary approach of taking the conflicts as a healthy part of an upright society and trying to reap the best out of it is seen to be progressive. The stalemates and industrial deadlocks that are associated with ignoring conflict are detrimental to the corporate image of the organization. A stalemate is associated with poor communication since the managers are not in a position to handle problems well in advance. It is highly recommended therefore that all business settings embrace the positive approach to conflicts. Looking at the possible positive outcomes of a conflict is the first step towards accepting change in an organization (Leslie 2006). The tendency to resist change is characteristic of almost all employees in almost all organizations. This is usually because the change is introduced without the knowledge of the employees. Where constructive conflicts are encouraged, the employees are left to give their ideas on the coming change. Through the discussions, the managers are capable of predicting the overall reaction of the workforce to the change. Additionally, managers are capable of noting the areas they can alter before introducing the change. THE PRINCIPLES TO BE PRACTICED FURTHER There are many issues that this paper has mentioned that should be practiced further and key among them are the innovative approaches to the implementation of the concept of constructive conflicts. These approaches are: the pragmatic approach, the conciliator approach, the self empowered approach and the relation builder approach. The justification as to why these approaches should be practiced further will be analyzed singly. The pragmatic approach This is among the most effective approaches to the implementation of the concept of encouraging constructive conflicts among the workforce of the company. In the case of a conflict, this approach advocates for putting aside emotions and personal differences (Leslie 2006). This is because the personal differences and the emotional engagements are likely to distort clear thinking and positive attitudes as well as unity of direction. This approach is also efficient in the sense that it advocates forgetting of the past and moving on. It focuses on the question: how can this conflict be solved? The self empowered approach This is where the leader of a team takes it upon himself and says: this is what I am doing about it. This approach is also very effective in getting the employees to accept change since they look up to the manager as their role model and tries to emulate him (Dipaola & Hoy 2001). This is especially so with Theory Y managers. This means that to lead a team into embracing the idea of constructive conflicts, the manager must himself practice an optimistic approach towards the same. The relationship builder approach In this approach, the members concerned first establish relationships or personal links. From here, they work on the issue as friends and colleagues at the same time. This one is also a very effective approach that needs to be looked into further. People working as friends are less likely to encounter personal difference in handling constructive conflicts. The conciliator approach This is where the team leader assures the rest of the members he indeed is sure that there is a way they can work it out. This approach, just like the above mentioned three approaches, focuses on the role of a group leader in managing constructive conflicts within the team. QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW These are matters that call for further research and review. Which management style should be adopted in order for a firm to reap maximally from constructive conflicts? To what extent should employees be involved when the decisions being made are strategic? 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