Elevating Performance through Motivation, Ethics, and Conflict Management

There is always going to be conflict however at some point, as its a part of everyday life and needs to be dealt with in a correct manner in order to be successful in a group. Its a skill that will always be needed and can only be resolved with proper communication so it does not get worse or messier for everyone. You need to understand conflict response with problem solving as they both go together in such a way, that can really benefit situation that could arise in a collaborative group. It all comes together in such a way with these four concepts where they just flow

While finding a good balance, conflicts will most certainly arise. Conflict resolution strategies must be utilized, for the team to be effective and meet the goals and objective of their assignment. These conflicts may be more evident in certain types of teams more so than in others. Conflict is common when working in teams. Its is important to have team meeting in order to lay out potential problems and disagreements and prepare to support the teams final decision. (Weinstein, 2007)

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

Conflict arises from various sources in the team setting (Capozzoli, 1995). The most common causes of conflict are values, attitudes, needs, expectations, perceptions, resources, and personalities. As we are all raised with different values, morals come into play when the team issue deals directly or indirectly with ones values, morals, or ethics. Conflicting attitudes can bring about problems as two or more team members prove to have differing goals in mind. Individual needs can cause rifts within a team when they are not satisfied. The expectations of team members are not the same on how the goal will be met. We all have different perceptions of life situation and interpret them differently. The lack of resources needed to complete a task can cause conflict. Differing personalities play a major role in team conflict.

In Tuckman’s (1965) paper only 50% of the studies identified and reported intragroup conflict. This Phase can be very destructive to the teams work as with conflict they are not going to achieve their shared goal. When the Group is at this stage the may feel that the other team members are judging them and may withhold their opinions and ideas from team discussions and with this it may cause even more tension amongst the group. Some teams/groups do not make it out of this stage as they are not willing to improvise and come up with ideas that facilitate the whole team’s ability. Supervisors of the team are highly recommend but some disagreement can make each individual stronger and more versatile and will also help the team come out of the storming

Conflict management is the detriment of many teams or groups in accomplishing its goals. This is because most people do not understand the different conflict styles and how to apply the rules and principles associated with the style you may be dealing with. In this paper I will analyze three of the five management styles discussed in the textbook Communication in Small Groups. Avoidance and competition are two styles that I believe have the greatest effect on hindering a group or team from accomplishing its goals. Collaboration, however, is a style that I believe is most effective in

Teams are now a common part of today's workforce. They are advantageous for the productivity and morale of the individual employees. Yet with all groups come conflicts. Knowing how to handle a group conflict effectively and still work together is an integral part of a successful team. This paper will take a look at what a team is and the origins of teams. It will then transition to the processes involved in creating a team and then move to advantages and disadvantages of team. Finally, this paper will discuss conflicts in a team and how to resolve them efficiently.

Southwest Airlines has come a long way since its start in 1971 with only about 30 employees. Southwest now employs over 30,000 employees. The company has put customers first from the very beginning and many believe that this is the reason for Southwest 's great success.

“Conflict is defined as a process when one party perceives that other party as negatively affecting something that the other party cares about.” (Stephen Robbins 2007, pg 1) Conflict has challenges but conflict can be beneficial to a team and can bring out the best in every team member. The benefits can help the team moving in the right direction; conflict allows people to voice their opinions and allows people to grow from conflict. Conflict gets everyone involved and it allows the team to make better choices. Solution to problems comes out of conflict. Conflict can also lead to new ideas and different ways of accomplishing a project. Conflict has benefits but there are also downsizes to conflict if left unattended conflict can destroy a team; it can make people mistrust each other. Conflict can come from not meeting project deadline and from projects going over budget.

In addition to good individual communication skills, the team itself needs to form communication skills. Cohen (2008) looks in detail of the communication skills the team should establish for good overall communication. In addition, the article also goes to explain how commutation plays a role in conflict resolution, and what group rules the team should create when conflict occurs. As a team, creating a protocol for conflict management is important. This includes how the team should communicate and behave during a conflict as well (Cohen, 2008). There are several important elements to include in this structured process. The first element is allowing members to speak up and to express feelings with respect. Secondly, is to intervene early to decrease the severity of the problem. Moreover, when the conflict occurs it is critical to establish a goal as to what all team members want and for it to be understood. Finally, the team should always remember to empathize with the other members, demonstrate appreciation, and try to understand another’s perception (Cohen, 2008).

This assessment will address Qantas Airlines as the organization. The President of the company knows that there are problems he is facing and that there are changes to the organization that need to be made. Considered here are two issues: where the organization currently finds itself, and what plans can and should be undertaken to provide change for that organization. In order to make this determination, the Ethics Matters 10-step model will be used to consider ethics and communication within the company. The Qantas Airlines organization actually measures up relatively well when it comes to Driscoll and Hoffman's 10-point program, because the company has always been about open and honest communication between leadership and employees. With this kind of communication, it is very easy for a company to move forward and be more successful than it could be if it remained closed off and unwilling to address issues. Still, there are always places where an organization could be improved.

Our group performed well, and I am proud of the contribution that I made to the team's success. We began with the idea that teamwork and compromise was going to be the way that the group should run. We recognized that, inherently, there is likely to be some level of conflict within the group, especially given that there are competing ideas. We also agreed, however, that while conflict can be positive, it can also be destructive and we felt that if we were oriented towards working as a team and pushing towards solutions, this approach would defray conflict and deliver better results (Joseph, 2013).

As the team begin to work together, they feel more at ease with each other. Some conflicts could then happen because the members feel more comfortable to express their opinions and possible disagreements.

Many people enjoy working or participating in a group or team, but when a group of people work together chances are that conflicts will occur. Hazleton describes conflict as the discrepancy between what is the perceived reality and what is seen as ideal (2007). “We enter into conflicts reluctantly, cautiously, angrily, nervously, confidently- and emerge from them battered, exhausted, sad, satisfied, triumphant. And still many of us underestimate or overlook the merits of conflict- the opportunity conflict offers every time it occurs” (Schilling, nd.). Conflict does not have to lead to a hostile environment or to broken relationships. Conflict if resolved effectively can lead to a positive experience for everyone

In addition to conflict within teams, conflicts also arise between teams in the same department. Teams can compete for attention and praise from the project manager ignoring the main objective of the teams (Topchik, 2007). Company leaders thus have to devise ways to encourage cooperation to reduce conflict and motivate the members. Inter-team conflicts can stall the progress of important work in the company.