Dealing with Conflicts in the Workplace

Conflict results from real or perceived opposition to one’s values, actions, desires or general interests. Conflicts may occur internally or externally between individuals or groups; conflict within a team environment can cause frustration, and occasionally anger. However, conflict resolution can also often generate positive results for the team. Conflict management skills remain in demand; conflict may be managed successfully by reaching an agreement that satisfies the needs of both the individual(s) and the team as a whole

By understanding the types of conflict resolution styles, managers can use appropriate conflict resolution styles to promote and generate healthy conflicts, increase productivity of all team members, increase employee morale and increase overall customer service.

A positive conflicts have a positive consequence, it helps in making better decision and to be aware of the external environment. Most of the time, the employees are affected by the magnitude of negative results. Leaders need to recognize the main six conditions that cause conflict in an organization which are interdependency, differentiation, scarce resources, incompatible goals, ambiguous rules and communication problem. Once the cause of the conflict is known leaders or employees could apply the five category model which are problem solving, forcing, yielding, avoidance and compromising tactics to resolve conflicts. In some situation, a third party might be involved to resolve a conflict as a mediation, arbitration or inquisition and use the conflict management approaches.

Conflicts can happen in everyday life with people and in organizations. Conflicts need to be handled so that the situation does not escalate further. Most people look at conflicts as a bad situation, but not all conflicts are bad, some are good, especially when discussing an idea within a group. In an organization there are times when a conflict may need to happen for an issue to be resolved, but when this happens the people involved need to look at if this conflict is really necessary to resolve the issue. How to address conflicts in a group and how a manager can bring up the conflict without making them worse is what will be discussed next.

Whenever there are people, there always will be conflict. Opinions vary, misunderstandings and miscommunications occur, and people have different values and priorities. All of these things create conflict in our life and at work. The problem is not conflict itself, but rather how we deal with it. As long as it is resolved effectively, conflict can lead to personal and professional growth. There is no universal accepted definition of conflict. Conflict can be viewed as functional or dysfunctional depending on how each person perceives it, manages it and resolves it. (Iglesias & Vallejo, 2012)

Conflicts are inevitable. It is necessary for the advanced practice nurse to have skills in approaching conflicts, negotiations, and resolutions (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, & Grady, 2014). According to Hamric et al. (2014), you do not have to feel pressured to instantly agree with other teammates; however, be respectful and listen intently and identify what you are able to offer to the team.

The business world is highly competitive from every perspective; competition for office space, virtual space, markets, customers, clients and with colleagues. It is the responsibility of people working together in their day to day business transactions to have finely tuned interpersonal skills, knowledge and experience to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcomes for themselves and their employers. In environments such as these, conflicts, arguments and disagreements occur as part of people’s working lives. Conflicts in the workplace may lead to unhappiness for those in the conflict and of course, this will impact on their own professional performance. These conflicts create so many other problems, not just for the people who are in conflict, but also for their colleagues. Effective conflict resolution and management are therefore paramount for people to be able to solve their workplace differences so that they may enjoy their work personally and professionally. Apart from that, understanding and recognizing positive and negative disputes in the workplace is a significant part of being a well-organized manager. It also improves positive efficiency, receptiveness, and effectiveness in attaining goals. This essay will discuss the causes of conflict in the workplace, importance of resolving workplace conflict, how to deal with workplace conflict include poor communication and competition. It also argue interpersonal skills

Conflict is a fact of life - for individuals, organizations, and societies. The costs of conflict are well-documented - high turnover, grievances and lawsuits, absenteeism, divorce, dysfunctional families, prejudice, fear. What many people don't realize is that well-managed conflict can actually be a force for positive change.

Tell of a conflict that you recently encountered. It could be a conflict at work, in the news,

People will have disagreements everyday. Commonly, people cannot find ways to agree because we are all different in many ways. Our family upbringing, religious beliefs, cultural background, traditions, ethnicity, and gender are some of the factors that allow us to form our perceptions about life. These characteristics cause us to have diverse opinions on the way we handle various situations. Whenever a group people try to apply their viewpoints to certain circumstances, the outcome is usually conflict. "Conflict is defined as two or more individuals who fail to agree or have

Conflicts are daily phenomenon experienced in every organization on a daily basis. They are unavoidable, and the organizations must learn how to cope with them to ensure

Conflict is a process in which one party perceives that its interests are negatively affected by another party (Kinicki 2009). This is a normal and natural part of any work place. When it occurs, there is a tendency for morale to be lowered and decreased productivity. However, conflict can be useful, it can push conflicting parties to grow, communicate and urge the flow of new ideas. For this to happen, leaders need to understand why conflict occurs and take the correct steps to resolve it. According to psychologists Art Bell and Brett Hart, there are eight common causes of conflict within the workplace; conflicting resources, conflicting styles, confliction perceptions, conflicting goals, conflicting pressures

A positive conflicts have a positive consequence, it helps in making better decision and to be aware of the external environment. Most of the time, the employees are affected by the magnitude of negative results. Leaders need to recognize the main six conditions that cause conflict in an organization which are interdepent, differentiation, scarce resources, incompatible goals, ambiguous rules and communication problem. Once the cause of the conflict is known leaders or employees could apply the five category model of problem solving, forcing, yielding, avoidance and compromising tactics to resolve conflicts. In some situation, a third party might be involved to resolve a conflict as a mediation, arbitration or inquisition and use the conflict management approaches.

Conflict is inescapable, having the ability to recognize, understand, and resolve conflicts are important in both personal and professional lives. Myatt (2012) states that conflict in the workplace is unavoidable; if left unresolved, workplace conflict may result in loss of productivity and the creation of barriers that can inhibit creativity, cooperation, and collaboration. It is vital to embrace conflict and address problems through effective conflict-resolution tactics because if not handled appropriately, conflict will escalate. “If not handled properly, conflict may significantly affect employee morale, increase turnover, and even result in litigation, ultimately affecting the overall well-being of

As the name would suggest, conflict resolution involves the reduction, elimination, or termination of all forms and types of conflict. In practice, when people talk about conflict resolution they tend to use terms like negotiation, bargaining, mediation, or arbitration. In line with the recommendations in the "how to" section, businesses can benefit from appropriate types and levels of conflict. That is the aim of conflict management, and not the aim of conflict resolution. Conflict management does not necessarily imply conflict resolution. “Conflict management involves designing effective macro-level strategies to minimize the dysfunctions of conflict and enhancing the constructive functions of conflict in order to enhance learning and effectiveness in an organization” (Rahim, 2002, p. 208). Learning is essential for the longevity of any group. This is especially true for organizations; Organizational learning is essential for any company to remain in the market. Properly managed conflict increases learning through increasing the degree to which groups ask questions and challenge the status quo (Luthans, Rubach, & Marsnik, 1995).