However, in view of this, this paper will present a synthesized meaning of conflict and power, determine how power can constrain or exacerbate conflict and discuss ways for leaders to integrate conflict mediation into organizational culture with examples of scenarios in each analysis.
Wilmot and Hocker defines conflict as being, “an expressive struggle between at least two interdependent people with incompatible goals, scarce resources and interference from achieving a specific goal”. ( ) Conflicts are inevitable, these conflicts can arise in intimate relationships, between parents and children, between siblings, in friendships and in the work place. While conflicts will never cease to exist, they can evolve into very complex creatures, and as "most of us are notoriously inaccurate at describing our own behavior in a conflict"(p. 129). There has become a great need for an assessment model to begin to thoroughly understand all of the elements that play into complexities of conflict. The Hocker-Wilmot Conflict Assessment Guide is so important because it aides us in describing the nature of conflict, this include; its history, precipitating events, the parties ' assumptions about conflict in general, the conflict elements, and past or potential transformations of those elements. Additionally, conflict styles are addressed, as is the perceptions of the opposing view, and the style of the system as a whole. The guide assesses the role of power in the conflict, describing the parties ' attitudes toward power, their areas of dependency and sources of power, their view of the balance of power, any unrecognized sources of power, and whether destructive forms of power balancing are occurring. The assessment should describe the parties ' goals, their
Considering that the majority of the human population acts out of self-interest, the normal progression of an ongoing dispute is that individuals protect their own image by seeking out to hurt the other person’s image instead. According to Hocker & Wilmont (2014), “people, especially when they feel low in power, may assume that escalation is the best route in conflict” (Hocker & Wilmont, 2014, p. 83). Comparatively, people are a lot more cooperative when trying to resolve the problem when their image or character is not threatened or criticized by others (Hocker & Wilmont, 2014).
Conflict can be defined as a struggle between people with opposing needs, ideas, beliefs, values, or goals (Understanding Conflict and Conflict Management). When conflict occurs in the workplace, it can reduce moral, lower productivity, increase absenteeism, and can ultimately lead to serious or violent crimes (Gatlin, Wysocki, & Kepner, 2002). Studies show that managers spend at least 25% of their time resolving workplace conflict (Gatlin, Wysocki, & Kepner, 2002). Productivity of managers and employees are affected by the amount of conflict they experience on a day to day basis. How much people are affected by different conflicts can be dependent on their personal conflict style. Each individual personality will handle a given situation in a different way.
Adapted from Rahim, A., & Bonoma, T. V. (1979). Managing organizational conflict: A model diagnosis and intervention. Psychological Reports, 44, 1327, as cited in "Learning material on interpersonal conflict: Rahim’s model" (n.d.)
Organizational development practitioner Rick Buccheri discussed his experiences of conflict management in several organizations. Primarily, his discourse was about the United Parcel Service and the Transportation Security Administration. He outlined his working theory that institutions should encourage “conflict engagement.” This is where individuals, groups, and systems would identify underlying conflicts that have yet to be expressed. Bucherri says good conflict engagement for at any level is as follows:
In today’s organizations conflict and power are important elements to the success of any company but can also create negative long term impacts if not addressed. Organizations require enough power within the leaders to get through conflict and enough conflict within individuals to create new innovations. Not all conflict is bad but when there is conflict individuals with power must assist in aligning conflict resolution to assist in understanding for everyone involved in the conflict. The need for successful conflict resolution is vital for employees so that they are capable of moving on and understanding why the conflict was overcome.
Conflict is part of our human disposition; consequently, it is customary within organizations. “Left unanalyzed and unchecked, it can be a destructive force that consumes time, money and human resources. Learning the various ways that people resolve conflict and expanding their conflict resolution styles can lead to better results” (Sadri, 2012). Within organizations employees have personal beliefs, styles and attitudes, and backgrounds that at times can cause disagreements, inconsistencies and ultimately, conflict. It is the intent of this paper to examine the archetype of conflict as an
While conflict can be a healthy part of an organization, conflict managed poorly has significant impact on an organization. What further exacerbates this issue is when there is an imbalance of power. This paper examines the relationship of conflict and power. It will address how imbalance of power can impede one’s efforts in managing conflict in the workplace. It will also identify ideas on how to integrate ways to mediate conflict into the culture. Lastly, the paper will use a case study to illustrate these concepts.
Fischer, K. (2009) Power, Conflict, & Negotiation. [Power Point Slides]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web Site: https://learn.liberty.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/BMAL500_D12_201720/BUSI500_LUO_8WK_DEV_ImportedContent_20110311033412%281%29/BUSI500_LUO_8WK_MASTER_ImportedContent_20110218040324
In a one page essay, discuss how both power and self-esteem may be considered assets in conflict situations.
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
Conflict is defined as to ‘be incompatible or at variance; clash:’ (oxford dictionary) and this can arise in a number of ways – but most simply through a disagreement of ideas which inevitably leads to an argument and therefore conflict. There are many ways to manage and attempt to resolve conflict – in this essay the modes will be broken down into the level of assertiveness and their respective effectiveness for the team rather than individuals. All of my given examples will be within a workplace as I find these to be most appropriate and relevant.
little to no power. The different individual perceptions of power within a conflict can affect communication.
Conflict is an occurrence in virtually any organization, regardless of how large or small it may be. It is exceedingly difficult to get people to agree with one another about everything all the time, especially when they are competing for the same resources (Tsang, 2012, p. 84). This difficult is naturally exacerbated when there are stratifications between people, which frequently occurs in organizations. Organizations may have different categories of employers such as those in sale, marketing, finance, human resources, etc. The three main views of conflict which also play a significant part in the resolving of conflict are the traditional, the human relations, and interactionist views. There are points of similarities and differences between all of these views.