Week Ten - Conflict Management Processes

To demonstrate how conflict can be managed, we had to act as the mediator of a work conflict as detailed in the case study ‘The Problem with Teamwork’ (Miller 2009) in the tutorial (in week 11).  Our job as mediator was not to make decisions (as would be if we were arbitrators), but to help those in conflict communicate and together resolve their issues, providing guidance where necessary (Dana 1982).

Conflict in organizations can be broken down into incompatible goals, interdependence and interaction (Miller 2009).  It can be seen within groups, between groups, between individuals, or between organizations, and can cause short- and long-term complications within organizations.  Common strategies to manage conflict involve avoiding the situation, accommodating (letting the other side have their way), compromising (sharing the problem), and collaborating (working together to find an optimal solution for all parties involved) (Miller 2009).  Furthermore, it has been argued that responsive leadership and employee participation in decision-making helps to avoid worker-management conflict (Morrill & Rudes 2010).

Bargaining and negotiating are two other popular ways to manage conflict.  These are often more formal and may be vocalized through chosen leaders of a group.  They can aim to maximize one’s own gain (distributive bargaining), or the gains of both parties (integrative bargaining).

Conflict management can be influenced by one’s perceptions of the conflict and the positions of those around them (including themselves), and relationships with others (this can be linked to critical approaches (week seven) which demonstrates the importance of power in relationships).  It can further be influenced by cultural factors (discussed in week six) which can lead to unsuccessful management of conflict due to different approaches being introduced in the one conflict.

Understanding how to manage conflict is vital in understanding communication in organizations today, and especially vital if hoping to work as a communication professional in the future.

References

Dana, D 1982 ‘Mediating interpersonal conflict in organizations: Minimal conditions for resolution’, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 3, no. 1, pp.11-16.

Miller, K 2009, Organizational communication: approaches and processes, 6th ed, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Boston, MA.

Morrill, C & Rudes, DS 2010, 'Conflict resolution in organizations', Annual Review of Immunology, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 627-651.