Managing Conflicts Within Groups

Buchanan, A. H. (2001). Organizational Behaviour:An Introductory Text (4 ed.). (F. T. Hall, Ed.) Pearson Education.

Conflict is a stubborn fact of organizational life. Regrettably, it is an inevitable when organizations incorporate individuals with such diverse scopes of life. As conflict is identified in organizational work teams, an analytical approach to conceptualizing conflict is the first step. Further development will then focus on the different sources of conflict and how it can compromise the common goal of the team if it is not handled correctly. Searching for ways in which to manage conflict and avoid conflicts in work teams will bring together the underlying focus of this paper.

Disagreements are unavoidable in any business. A humble stage of disagreement can be helpful in creating enhanced thoughts and approaches, stimulating apprehension and resourcefulness, and motivating the appearance of long-suppressed tribulations. Conflict resolution approach must intend at keeping disagreement at a stage at which different thoughts and viewpoints are completely voiced but uncreative conflicts are discouraged. Encouragement of conflict situations is suitable if the project leader recognizes circumstances of 'group-think.' Group-think is a circumstance where disagreement hardly ever occurs because of high-minded group unity, which results in poor choices and insufficient production. Group-think conquers when there are a large number of members in a group that just agree with anything, with the outcome that there is no grim assessment of the circumstances and innovative thoughts are not recommended. Group members connect larger significance to status, stillness and calm in the group relatively than to procedural capability and capability. Members are unwilling to voice their impartial outlook in order to shun away from offending the

Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2016). Organizational Behavior: A Practical, Problem-Solving Approach. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

This course project is designed to give you real life practical experience while examining some of the key elements of organizational behavior as they apply to a specific organization.Additionally, the project offers you the opportunity to develop and create your own recommendations for the organization.

Knights, D. & Willmott, H. 2007. Introducing organisational behaviour and management. Australia : Thomson, 2007, pp. 344-372.

We should be prepared. Also, we need to hold firm to our principles. Do not forget we have something the supplier wants; they need us as much as we need them. When something is important to us, stick to our guns. Suppliers will respect us for it. Moreover, we do not be intimidated. We do not automatically accept the contract terms a supplier suggests/offers us. Remember that it is their job to get the best possible outcome for their company. However, that is our job too. Furthermore, acknowledging the strengths in the supplier’s proposal or positive past performances before identifying weaknesses can make them more receptive to considering our point of view. Additionally, we have to Control the Negotiations. We have to leading the agenda, tabling the objectives, and control the pace of the meeting all help to assert our position in the negotiation process.

Although there will be times of sadness, tension, or anger between two partners, sources of these types of problems may come from unrealistic demands, high expectations, lingering issues and/or certain behavior one partner may not like that which exists in the relationship. Conflict resolution uses honesty, a strong willed mind to consider one’s partner's perspective regardless of the situation, and lots of communication between the couple in question.

Competition is when an individual “achieves a victory through force, superior skill, or domination”. This type of approach fails to address the root cause of the conflict and suppresses the desires of other conflicting individuals; therefore resulting in future conflicts over the same issues. Collaboration is when all conflicting parties recognize something is wrong and needs attention. This is an ideal approach. When collaborating, groups respect each others ideas, opinions, and suggestions, and understand each others point of view. This allows group members to eventually accept the logic of a different point of view and accept that logic; therefore resulting in a consensus. Compromise is when each group gives up something of value to the other group. This is an appropriate approach when: there is insufficient time, issue not worth time or energy, or there’s no realistic or easy agreement.

In planning for my negotiation, I reviewed the Supplier Payoff Matrix for each of the issues to be resolved. The issues which were likely to offer least resistance were the Electronic Integration and the Inventory. The next issues that were likely to have some pushback were the Quality and lot size. We kept to the last the more contentious issues that included price, volume flexibility, development fees and contract term.

Global business environment has become more unstable, supplier negotiations have taken important new role on helping improve corporate competitiveness. The goal of most supplier negotiations today is no longer just to get the lowest price. It is also to find new and innovative ways to meet a wide variety of business challenges, often by tapping into the knowledge and expertise of the supplier community and a good relationship.

The second form of conflict management is Compromising. This form brings along the idea that losing something is adequate when an individual gains a little. Both sides come to the middle to help serve the team and project on hand while making it possible for each person to maintain a portion of his or her original idea. The drawbacks of using this method are values and objectives can be lost in the process if they are compromised. Some of the demands from the other side may be too severe to come to a middle ground on. This method can also create other conflict if no respect for the compromise or the other team members exists. When this method is used to its full potential people of equal roles are equally committed to the team. “When the issue is to complex to just abandon the others ideas or perspectives and when the specific task that is being dealt with is only moderately important.” (Improving group, organizational or team dynamics when conflict occurs, 2008)

Organisational Behaviour (OB) is the study of human behaviour in an organisation. It is a multidisciplinary field devoted to the understanding individual and group behaviour, interpersonal processes and organisational dynamics. OB is important to all management functions, roles and skills. Since organisations are built up levels - individual, group and an organizational system as a whole, it is important for managers to understand human behaviour in order to meet the organizations overall goals. I found several key learning areas that are meaningful, interesting and relevant to my work over the course of studying this unit. These key learning areas have not only expanded and improved my view of organisational behaviour but they also have

For many of us, every day is a struggle to avoid conflict. Yet avoidance is practically impossible since the core characteristics, ideas and beliefs of each individual often conflict with our own. Differences of opinion, competitive zeal, and misinterpretations, among other factors, can all generate ill feelings between co-workers within an organization. While we can’t avoid conflict, we can learn how to sidestep negative confrontations by becoming familiar with the types of conflicts that most commonly arise in the work place and by learning how to resolve them.

Organisational behaviour is the study of individuals’ actions at work and how their behaviour affects the organisations performance. The studies focus on three areas of behaviour in organisations; individuals, groups, and structure (Robbins, DeCenzo, Coulter and Woods 2014; Robbin, Judge, Millet and Boyle, 2013).