Conflict in the Modern Business Environment: Intrapersonal & Interpersonal - Essay Sample

Introduction

Conflict is a situation whereby two or more people realize that they have incompatible objectives due to which they think that they are unable to go along with one another. When it comes to the modern turbulent business environment, it is impossible to see a conflict-free organization.

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Comprehension

The two types of conflicts that I identify are intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts. The main difference between the two is that intrapersonal conflict is a disagreement within an individual, while interpersonal conflict is a disagreement between two people. Because each of the employees has his/her personality, their ideas may differ, resulting in a battle.

Reflecting on my conflict scenario, I was involved in an interpersonal conflict between three other registered nurses and me. I was asked by our unit manager to be in charge of a team of registered nurses. At some point, two of the nurses did not want to work with me, all because I asked one of the nurses to limit the amount of time that she spends on the phone. She was always on the phone, checking Facebook, Instagram instead of taking care of her assigned patients. It got to a point as the team leader I had to say something to her, and she did not like it. The nurse was so annoyed that she threatened to resign from the hospital, and when I heard about the threat, I had to get the nurse leader involved.

One of the effects of conflict is that it damages the employee's morale. According to Jeong (2018), lower confidence occurs because conflict raises work tensions and interrupts the cooperation among the team members. Another damaging effect conflict has on a team is that it decreases the performance as well as the productivity of a team. Friction causes inadequacies, and as a result, the team leader has to devote his/her time to resolve the conflict, which leads to time wastage (Jeong, 2018). Organizations have to consecrate resources such as the human resource department's intervention or hiring a mediator to resolve conflicts.

Application

This section involves empowerment, group dynamics, delegation as well as constructive group roles and behaviors. In any given organization, handling challenging behavior necessitates coming up with a plan to manage anger as well as other emotions. Also, an increased understanding of the organization may be regarded as a benefit of conflict resolution. The discussions required for resolving conflicts expand awareness, providing insight to people on how to achieve personal goals without challenging others. Effectively resolved conflicts increase group cohesion, leading team members to develop greater mutual respect and renewed confidence in working together (Wallensteen, 2018). Individuals carefully examine their goals, thus understanding things that are highly important to them. Improved self-knowledge sharpens their focus and, as a result enhancing employee effectiveness.

Analysis/Synthesis

The reasons for organizational conflict may be many and varied. Some of them are different attitudes, values or perceptions, poor communication, poor organization structure, lack of teamwork, and so on. The internal predisposing factor that may contribute to conflict includes feelings, thoughts, values, cultural upbringing, skills, and education level, and so on. As stated by Wallensteen (2018), the initiation of conflict is generally signaled by negative feelings or rather 'negative professional psychology' such as anger and confusion, among others. On the other hand, the external variable factors may include body language, demeanor, voice, eye contact, and behavior that are not under my control. As a mediator, it is crucial to be an active listener, be aware of every verbal nuance, and read body language.

In my case scenario, lack of openness and honesty in the working relationship is a significant factor contributing to conflicts. Different expectations about nurses' level of performance is another factor that contributes to conflicts. As mentioned by Wallensteen (2018), defining nurses' roles at the hospital can be challenging. The level of education and nursing job profile is equally similar for all registered nurses, but promotions do not apply across the board. The nurse that was upset because she was told to limit her time on the phone and had a grudge with me that I did not even know. She did not like that I was made the team leader, and she has been with the company longer than I have. Therefore, my promotion was the cause of the conflict.

Working conditions is also another factor that contributes to conflicts. Most nurses reported that they experienced stress at work. There is a lot of controversy in the workplace due to the consequence of inadequately applied management approaches (Wallensteen, 2018). Cases of inconsistency between registered nurses' actions and the accepted norms create tensions and conflicts as well. The organization members must come up with ways of keeping the disputes at a minimum level before they worsen and become the major obstacle to their work. The only way to resolve such conflict is through effective conflict management.

A Plan to Resolve the Conflict

Managing these conflicts is crucial to prevent the breakdown of the care teams and, ultimately, patient care. To help solve the dispute mentioned above and promote a competent health care team as a leadership consultant, my plan would include listening to the issues, ask the involved parties to come up with a resolution and guide the conversation, widen my perceptions and awareness of those around the environment and me, learn collaboration, be open and ask for honest feedback. I should put in mind that conflicts can happen at all levels. I should not assume that the upper management is uninfringeable to disagreements. I should also take into account that different groups of employees have different needs. Knowing the issues affecting the involved parties will assist in developing a more proactive plan.

According to Cherry & Jacob (2016), integrating respect when resolving conflicts is very imperative. I must ensure that I listen to both sides to make a verdict. This will also provide me with a better understanding of the situation, and I will demonstrate my impartiality. Before making any judgment, it is essential to agree on the central issues that need to be addressed, give each person time to speak and ensure that the other person listens carefully and does not interrupt, provide them with an opportunity to ask the question, try to find common ground in what is being said, and identify and propose solutions to the issues based on what has been said. Most importantly, keep the involved parties accountable for the agreed solutions.

I firmly believe that communication is critical in all work environments. There is no way that conflict can be solved without some connection. However, dialogue is productive when a leader uses it correctly. As argued by Cherry & Jacob (2016), breaking the communication gap is fundamental in conflict management as this allows the employees to understand the set code of conduct. Cherry & Jacob (2016) further explains that effective communication is one way of preventing conflicts, and it will enable the managers to reach a win-win solution. A win-win solution is a strategy used in the negotiation and collaboration process to arrive at a compromise acceptable to everyone. Thus, this strategy, together with effective communication and set regulation, contributes to successful agreements that satisfy each party. Through open communication, leaders can avoid unnecessary organizational conflicts since they can freely communicate their ideas with the rest of the team members. In my conversations, I may try to incorporate conflict resolution strategies, through a win-win approach, to ensure positive outcomes such as developing self-esteem in the other party. I may also integrate qualitative research into my conversations by exploring a person's experiences and understanding factors to controversy for developing a solution to a problem instead of victimizing the party.

Researchers found collaborating and compromising styles are most effective in resolving conflicts amongst nursing staff. I think I can apply these techniques to solve the conflict as well as to promote high- functioning health care team. According to Cherry & Jacob (2016), collaboration allows the parties to recognize that something is wrong, and the problem needs immediate attention. The underlying problem is the root of the conflict. On the other hand, a compromise is an excellent method to find a resolution because each party gives up something of value to the other to end the conflict.

Finally, I would create harmony at work and engender a positive environment by focusing on building an influential corporate culture. The corporate culture of the company should bring the employees closer to each other. Another technique that I would use to create a better workplace is by empowering my employees. Employees that feel their supervisors value them are more likely to achieve job satisfaction.

Evaluation

A nurse leader should possess excellent communication and listening skills, good problem-solving skills, and decision-making skills. There is also a need for practical communication skills among team members to avoid distortion of messages. In most cases, people get exhausted in their communication with others because their expectations are not met. Instead of having the problems resolved, most people encounter more questions, and so many times, the issues grow more prominent. This is because they fail to see that their communication is ineffective. Therefore, to create an atmosphere for effective communication, De Bono (2018) suggests that listening skills should be developed among individuals.

Having excellent conflict resolution skills can help the nurse leader solve conflicts constructively, leading to the individual's positive development. These skills also help to save time and money and ensure that employees do not get distracted from their jobs. Porat et al. (2016) state that leaders with weak conflict resolution skills may place a significant burden on their employees, and hence they become a liability for the overall organization. Sufficient resolution of the conflict is vital as this ensures that people live together in harmony.

According to De Bono (2018), effectively resolved conflicts increases group cohesion, leading team members to develop greater mutual respect and renewed confidence in working together. Individuals carefully examine their goals, thus understanding things that are highly important to them. Improved self-knowledge sharpens their focus and, as a result enhancing employee effectiveness. Failure to resolve conflict amicably may have adverse consequences on the parties involved, and in extreme cases, this may lead to a break out of the war.

References

Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management. Elsevier Health Sciences. https://www.dphu.org/uploads/attachements/books/books_5409_0.pdf

De Bono, E. (2018). Conflicts: A better way to resolve them. Random House. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1115939/conflicts/9781785041891.html

Jeong, H. W. (Ed.). (2018). Conflict resolution: dynamics, process, and structure. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Conflict-Resolution-Dynamics-Process-and-Structure-1st-Edition/Jeong/p/book/9781138334854

Porat, R., Halperin, E., & Tamir, M. (2016). What we want is what we get: Group-based emotional preferences and conflict resolution. Journal of personality and socialpsychology, 110(2), 167. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26785061/

Wallensteen, P. (2018). Understanding conflict resolution. SAGE Pub...