What is Conflict - Research Paper Example

Humans experience conflict everyday in their personal lives and in the organizational culture. Conflict can be interpreted in two dimensions: the theorist’s perspective of the conflict and the environment where the conflict takes place. The environment may include conflict between individuals or families or nations. The conflict can also be inter-psychic in which the conscious mind and the unconscious mind conflict with each other. Thus, conflict can occur in many contexts. How the mediators interpret conflict and its resolution paves the way to their selection of an appropriate approach towards reconciliation.

Sarah Netter’s article, “Was Southwest passenger too fat to fly?” (2009) describes a conflict according to the above mentioned definitions of a conflict. The main character of the incident is an Illinois man, Emery Orto, who is 6-foot 350-pounds by size. He was returning to Midway to celebrate his wife’s birthday but the Southwest Airlines refused to let him fly from Las Vegas. He was not at all ready to purchase a second ticket despite his large size. Although Orto had been able to gain many people’s sympathies, the fact remains that he acted irrationally.

Critical analysis of the incident tells that Orto was at mistake, not the Airlines. The personnel informed him that the customers unable to lower both armrests should book the additional seat at the booking time and that with only one seat, he was going to make himself uncomfortable as well as the co-passengers. The Southwest Airlines’ customer of size policy has it that the additional seat will be offered at a discounted rate and refunded afterwards if goes unoccupied, which is a very good offer which Orto should have availed.

He had also been offered the opportunity to show to the Airlines that he could accommodate only one seat without upsetting his seatmates, but he refused. One cannot make out what was the reason he did not take the chance of boarding the plane and letting the personnel see that he was right. According to the Southwest Airlines (2009), putting forward the rule of an additional seat for large passengers became vital when the customers who felt terribly uncomfortable sitting next to an obese seatmate started raising objections.

Moreover, the over-weight passengers disturb the plane’s weight and balance which is very dangerous. Since it is the responsibility of the Airlines to assure safety to all passengers, Orto had to be enquired. Hence, this conflict goes very well with the textbook’s definition of a conflict. 2. I would approach this conflict according to the Human Needs Theory, according to which basic human needs of a human being must be satisfied in order to resolve the conflict. Orto needs to be satisfied; however, he must also understand the policy of the airlines.

The question that what factor decides which passenger is stout and which is skinny has a straightforward reply. The Airlines’ policy says that it is the size of the person that determines his obesity, not his weight nor the extension of the seat belt. If an obese person gets allowed to fly with only one seat, that would only happen if he is able to lower or extend the seatbelt. If he cannot lower it, this decides that he is obese. A good example can be of a pregnant woman. Despite her being over-weight, if she can lower the armrest, it is okay if she books one seat.

Staff can be also instructed to use measuring tape to