Challenging Situation in a Corporate Setting - Case Study Example

CONFLICT RESOLUTION MANAGEMENT IN A CORPORATE ENVIRONMENT Table of Contents Background 3 Literature Review 4 Analysis 8 Conflict Resolution Recommendations 10 Reflection 10 References 12 Background This paper aims to discuss a specific conflict situation encountered in a corporate setting, and the one chosen by the Researcher is the one pertaining to the conflicting ideas and viewpoints among individuals about how a certain task is to be carried out. This scenario is prevalent in many organizations with personnel who are diverse in personalities, manner of thinking, and styles in carrying out a task. Conflicting ideas and viewpoints often lead the job not efficiently fulfilled, alongside the probable feeling of hostility and animosity among concerned individuals. This may further lead to an unhealthy work environment, if not handled appropriately. On the other hand, conflicting ideas and viewpoints about how a task is to be undertaken may also promote a challenging situation and a heightened competition that can result in better outcomes. This is the positive aspect of the mentioned conflict, which does not discount the probable negative aspect as earlier depicted. It is thus, a management duty to ascertain that conflicts are minimized and that they do not hamper the work environment. It is important to consider that people’s personalities and approaches to conflicts are significant dimensions that need consideration and the efficiency level of outcomes have corresponding connection with the effectiveness level of performance alongside the level of stress and conflict within the organization.1 Conflict originates in circumstances and styles that individuals use when facing a disagreement.2 The manner in which people respond to the discord that contributes in defining organizational life also helps in creating the individual experience at work and shapes his responses.3 Conflict styles are generally an expression of responding to particular satiations, shaping the individual’s social environment, affecting the level of the current conflict and his corresponding experience of stress. Awareness of potential approaches and understanding of the consequences of conflict can provide a powerful set of tools with which people can shape their own work climate, since an employee’s work environment is in part a product of his own making.4 A work environment with a prevalent feeling of animosity and hostility is one undesirable probable effect of conflict, and it is to this account that it must be addressed appropriately and immediately. Literature Review Conflict is an awareness of discrepancies, irreconcilable desires, and incompatible wishes by parties involved.5 Pruitt and Carnevale6 state that conflict management styles are related to the quality of agreement reached during negotiations. Conflict management styles can produce a persistent effect on organizational life through impacts of conflicts, which an individual is experiencing.7 Likewise, conflict levels contribute to the amount of stress experienced by employees, indicating the negative effects it can impact on individual and on his capacity to perform on daily tasks. It is significant to mention that experience of conflict is not just an external condition, but also a function of conflict management styles by people themselves.8 The effective and timely resolution of conflict lies in the organization and the management team who ensures that everything is properly in order and functioning in order to smoothen the delivery of outcomes. As teams develop to become self-managing and assume an increased responsibility, they acquire the capacity to make implementation decisions.9 Adverse ideas and viewpoints often lead individual employees in conflict, which may challenge ideas toward further reinforcement in one end, and delay and impede an expected job output in another. In understanding the nature of conflict, it is important that one is aware about its type. Relationship conflict, also called affective conflict, involves interpersonal incompatibilities that include affective components of friction and tension.10 Some of the common expressions of this type of conflict are issues that involve dislike among group members, feelings of hostility, annoyance, irritation, frustration, and dislike.11 Task conflict, on the other hand, involves “differences in viewpoints and opinions pertaining to the group’s task.”12 Also called cognitive conflict, its nature pertains to differences in ideas and opinions about the task.13 In their study about conflict resolution strategies, Jhen and Mannix14 suggest that higher group performance is associated with a particular pattern of conflict. They furthered that low, increasing levels of process conflict characterize high performing teams. In the findings of their study, Jhen and Minnix suggest that conflict must be examined as a dynamic process, rather than a static event. It was also suggested that the homogeneity implied by group value consensus tends to reduce relationship and process conflict and is negatively associated with cognitive and affective conflicts.15 On the other hand, the study conducted by Smith, et al16 about conflict and health care development suggests that an intervention that improves primary care depression treatment significantly increases ensuing employment and reduces workplace conflict. In this light, key decision makers must be guided by a set of values, often referred to as organizational culture, which sees employees as valued stakeholders whose concerns must be addressed aptly.17 An effective conflict resolution strategy might be one of these concerns. Likewise, the manner of approaching conflict may be viewed in two dimensions: “desire to satisfy one’s concern” and “desire to satisfy others’ concern,”18 which Rahim and Bonoma19 referred to as “concern for self and “concern for others.” Both dimensions influence an individual’s conflict style in varying degrees, wherein a collaborating and integrating style shows a high concern for others, while an avoiding, competing, and dominating style would indicate a low concern for others and a high concern for self. This basic scheme has for a long time dominated the realm of conflict resolution.20 Likewise, the concept of “conflict management style” has been an ongoing debate, not only whether there is really such a thing,21 but also whether it is an individual disposition, a strategy,22 or a plain intention.23 Many organizations are unable to speed the internalization of new information and innovation thereby representing such as a strategic role conflict, in which managers face inconsistent behavioral expectations based on deploying existing competencies and experimenting with new ones.24 It is then important to precisely describe strategic role conflict as well as the contingencies that go along its occurrence and the responses associated with its resolution. Hence, organizational controls must be aligned with the type of change in the external environment in the pursuit of minimizing, if not eliminating, conflicts in the workplace. As culture plays a big role in the emergence of conflict in the workplace, it becomes more and more important in determining the level of conflict in which employees involve themselves. study confirm that traditional Chinese norms of concern for authority and concern for collective interest are stronger among Hongkong Chinese managers than their American counterparts, while norms of discussing parties’ interests and synthesizing multiple issues are stronger among Americans than among their Hongkong Chinese counterparts.25 These findings show the important role played by culture and norms in the likelihood for conflict to emerge. This emphasis on cultural background is exemplified by a study conducted by Brew and Cairns,26 which suggests that face-negotiation theory of conflict predicts one’s choice of conflict style, which is closely associated with face-negotiation needs, which vary across cultures. Among Anglo-Australian and Chinese respondents, it was suggested that Anglo respondents scored higher in assertive conflict styles and lower in non-confrontational style than their Chinese counterparts did. Both Chinese and Anglo respondents preferred direct communication strategies. Assertive and diplomatic conflict styles were mounted for Anglos while solution-oriented conflict styles for Chinese. However, in applied setting, the influence of role perceptions may reduce simple predictions based on cultural dichotomies, and thus, may reduce the level of assertion and power.27 The findings prove a flexible model of conflict management that incorporates Eastern and Western perspectives. It must be noted that the nature of conflict in a corporate environment may be a minimal one, as compared with the conflict and violence experienced in correctional and school settings, just like what the study of Ringstad28 suggested. The study indicates strong occurrences of conflict and violence in correctional establishments and schools, which of course, have a different nature than that of the corporate setting. Analysis The conflict cited in this paper, specifically pertaining to the conflicting ideas and viewpoints about how a certain task is to be carried out, may be analyzed as being caused by personal disposition (level of agreeableness, assertion, negativity, etc.) and cultural background. In a competitive corporate setting, it is expected that people are more assertive and strong-willed, and are thus, more inclined towards involvement in conflict than the ones who have a high level of agreeableness and cooperation.29 Conflicting ideas and viewpoints in the workplace suggests diverse perception of people in an organization, often not being linked through a denominator that integrates all ideas. Stress is often the likely result of workplace conflict,30 which in one way or another, may influence the level of performance and job outcomes that an individual or group delivers. Although conflicts of this nature (conflicting ideas and viewpoints about how a certain task is to be carried out) may be viewed by others as constructive to the work environment, the negative impacts that it produces, given its consistency in occurrence, prove the well-meaning significance that workplace conflicts must be avoided and prevented. Constructive and positive elements influencing the level of challenges in a job or competitiveness among individual employees may be sought elsewhere in the job process, but not by enhancing workplace conflicts with a view that it can increase the level of competition and extroversion. The negative implications to people about conflict of this type (and most others) suggest that workplace conflicts cause anxiety and heighten the level of stress.31 A healthy environment is thus, one in which conflicts are minimized, cooperation and productivity are highlighted, and challenging and interesting tasks aiming to boost confidence and efficacy are resorted by the management in improving the manner in which people approach their jobs. Conflict Resolution Recommendations In view of the mentioned conflict in this paper, the following are recommendations aiming to lessen or avoid it: √ conducting a comprehensive psychometric personality test before each employee enters the organization, ensuring that this aspect is given a great consideration in hiring individuals; √ with an understanding that conflict resolution managers are able to effectively resolve workplace conflicts, a manager who is low in “avoiding” stance and high in “concern” for others style should be appointed to the position of Conflict Resolution Manager or Grievance Committee Head; √ conducting in-house seminars about conflict management in order for employees to understand the effects of conflict in both the organization and their personal well-being; √ developing effective mechanisms for conflict resolution, which must be clear in the policies & guidelines of the company. Reflection This topic on conflict resolution management provided me with good insights about the nature of conflicts and their usual existence in the workplace. I have come to an idea that because people have diverse backgrounds, personalities, and ways to approach a situation, conflict arises. Conflict is due to the notion that one person believes that he is right, or that he should dominate a certain discussion or task, or that his ideas must be the one to be placed into surface. Redirecting the values of people is one thing that I see as valuable and relevant in conflict resolution. Looking at the perspective of others or putting one’s feet on the shoes of the other would enable one to perceive the things that the other perceives. Hence, cooperation and understanding – desirable traits in the workplace - will occur, as opposed to conflict. Moreover, I believe that a strong management culture that seriously aims to battle workplace conflicts will help ascertain that such will not pervade in the work climate. References Amason, A. Distinguishing Effects of Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict on Strategic Decision Making: Resolving a Paradox for Top Management Teams. Academy of Management Journal, 1996. Blake, r. & Mouton, J. The Managerial Grid. Houston, IX: Gulf, 1964. Boulding, K. Conflict and Defense. New York: Harper and Row, 1963. Brew Francis P. & Cairns, David R. Styles of Managing Interpersonal Workplace Conflict in Relation to Status and Face Problem: A Study with Anglos and Chinese. (International Journal of Conflict Management, 2004) Vol. 15 (1) pp. 27. Floyd, Steven W., & Lane, Peter J. Strategizing Throughout the Organization: Managing Role Conflict in Strategic Renewal. Academy of Management Review, 2000. Friedman, Raymond A. & Tidd, Simon T. What Goes Around Comes Around: The Impact of Personal Conflict Style on Work Conflict and Stress. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 2000, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 35. Jhen, Karen A. & Mannix, Elizabeth. A Longitudinal Study of Intra-group Conflict and Group Performance. In Press – Academy of Management Journal, 2000. Knapp, M., Putnam, L & Davis, L. Measuring Interpersonal Conflict in Organizations: Where Do We Go From Here? Management Communication Quarterly, 1988. pp. 414-429. Kochan, Thomas A. & Dyer, Lee. Managing Transformational Change: The Role of Human Resource Professionals. (CAHRS Working Paper Series: Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies [CAHRS], 1992.) Laiken, Marilyn E. Models of Organizational learning: Paradoxes and Best Practices in the Post Industrial Workplace. NALL Working Paper #25, 2001. Pruitt, D. G. and Carnevale, P.J. Negotiation in Social Conflict. Pacific Groves, CA: Brooks/Cole, 1993. Rahim, M. & Bonoma, T. Managing Organizational Conflict: A Model for Diagnosis and Intervention. Psychological Reports, 1979. pp. 1323-1344. Ringstad, Robin. Conflict in the Workplace: Social Workers as Victims and Perpetrators. National Association of Social Workers: Social Work, 2005, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 305-313. Smith, Jeffrey L., Kathrin M. Rost, Paul A. Nutting, Anne M. Libby, Carl E. Elliott, & Jeffrey M. Pyne. Impact of Primary Care Depression Intervention on Employment and Workplace Conflict Outcomes: Is Value Added? The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, 2002. Thomas, K. Conflict. In S Kerr (Ed.). Organizational Behavior .Columbus, Oil: Grid, 1979. pp. 151-181. Tinsley, Catherine H. & Brett, Jeanne M. Managing Workplace Conflict in the United States and Hongkong. Academic Press, 2001. Read More