Conflict in the Workplace: Avoidance is Not a Solution - Essay Sample

Introduction

Conflicts emanating from the workplace are inevitable. When employees from diverse backgrounds come together, they tend to do so with diverse views, opinions, and traits that might trigger some differences in a shared work environment (Lipsky, 2016). When conflicts are ignored by either employee, employer, or any other involved parties, a lot of negative implications can be realized later on. Since it is natural for an individual to run away from uncomfortable situations like conflicts, it is vital to take the bull by its horn and divulge deep into understanding the root cause of a dispute and address it early enough to create a conducive environment for everyone. The human resource (HR) is a significant party in ensuring that suitable mechanisms are put on board to deal with conflict resolution because the buck stops with the human resource personnel. The paper seeks to expound more on conflict resolution, why it is necessary, lessons learned from conflict management and resolutions, where skills in conflict resolutions are applicable, and the history of strife, especially in workplaces.

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Seemingly small strifes are mostly triggered by large issues within workplaces. It alludes that every time there is a disagreement, there is a weighty issue that needs attention. The consequences of not addressing such brooding concerns can cost the organization dearly in terms of time, resources, motivations, productivity, reputation among critical factors that guarantee the success of a venture (Prause & Mujtaba, 2015). Researchers argue that any unaddressed conflict results in the loss of roughly eight hours of gossips and unproductive activities. Research on conflicts is necessary to help human resource professionals tackle challenges prior and after a disagreements result in a confrontation not only between individuals but also departments who refuse to cooperate to attain a common goal. Of importance is to know the type of conflict that is in between two parties as there also exist healthy conflict that can impact productivity positively.

Why Conflict Management and Resolution is Important

Conflict management is essential, especially within the working environments in several ways. First, this practice goes a long way, specifically in reinforcing the bond between individuals working together. Nobody works well in a tense environment making it the role of everybody taking charge of one another. According to Prause and Mujtaba (2015), a discussion on issues that appertain to work must be discussed with everyone to ensure nobody feels neglected or irrelevant. By doing so, every member will have a role to play to meet the expectations of the team, which contributes positively to the organization. With no conflict, no employees will experience tension and stress, not only at work but also at home.

Secondly, managing conflicts facilitates goal achievements and enhanced commitments. Working without misunderstanding can prove to be beneficial as much as attainable. Progress is made when synergy is realized among different parties, although this does not mean that varying opinions are not welcome. Knowing how to circumvent and maneuver confrontations saves time and energy between involved parties, which brings about enhanced commitment to face the problem and unite parties with the "me" versus "us" thinking. This approach facilitates the engagement of the involved people in the strife resolution process.

Thirdly, conflict management is a great way the HR can adopt to prevent tussles and fights rather than dealing with the aftermaths of conflicts. It is quite clear that when such an uncomfortable situation erupts, people tend to bury there heads in the sand and opt for other escape options like quitting jobs. On the contrary, when stress disappears, people tend to feel better motivated and energetic; therefore, HR needs to formulate measures that employees can adopt to resolve conflicts by first learning and understanding the nature of all dynamics involved in the disputes. By doing this, tussles and fights can be prevented before materializing into something dangerous.

The Pros and Con's of Conflict Management Techniques

Conflict management techniques entail recognizing and addressing arguments in a rational, just, and effective manner. Several techniques can be used to resolve a conflict. These are: collaborating, compromising, competing, and accommodating.

Collaborating

It involves working with the other party to find a win-win solution to the challenge at hand, a solution that satisfies both sides.

Pros:

• Achieves a win-win result
• Solves the actual problem
• Strengthens mutual respect and trust between individuals
• Gives a shared responsibility for the results

Cons:

• The process requires lots of time and energy
• Requires equal commitment from all the involved parties when looking for a mutual solution
• A win-win approach may not be practical, while time id of the essence and the challenge requires a fast solution.
• Some individuals can take advantage of other people's trust.

Compromising

The approach seeks to find a solution that partially satisfies all parties in the sense that you win and lose some.

Pros:

• Achieves solutions faster, then, when time is paramount, the compromising technique works best.
• A temporary solution can be found while still looking for a win-win alternative
• Compromising lowers the tension levels as well as stress amounting from the conflict

Cons:

• Close monitoring might be needed to ensure agreements are implemented
• Trust within individuals or parties might be broken at the end of the process
• This approach might not work if demands are too huge
• Critical values and long-term goals can be blocked in the process of resolution

Accommodating

The technique entails taking into considerations other people's concerns before own concerns

Pros:

• Aims at protecting and giving priority to more critical issues over less important issues
• Accommodating provides a chance of reassessing situations from a different dimension which contributes to more realistic solutions

Cons:

• There stands a chance of getting undermined by the other party
• Some supporters may not like this approach which might lead to disinterest or turn-offs
• Smoothing may negatively impact one's confidence in the ability to answer to a hostile opponent

Competing

The approach entails forcing one's plan regardless of the resistance from the other party. When targets are highly relevant, this method is put into practice to win.

Pros:

• May provide faster resolution to a strife
• Increases self-esteem and respect in the event where firm actions are a countermeasure to a hostile situation

Cons

• Might jeopardize the relationship between the two parties in the future
• Can percolate the conflict further
• Might cause the same or more severe actions that are being addressed

Lipsky (2016), argued that, generally, these approaches are meant to solve issues that can cause conflict or help deter conflict in future endeavors.

Where to Use What Conflict Management Technique

Competing for resolution strategy is intended for the situation where a particular group or individual must win a conflict. One side is assertive more than cooperative. It does not allow diverse perspectives since one team will win, and the other party loses. Goldsmith, Cloke, and Bennis (2013) suggested that collaborating is a method used when individuals are assertive and tend to cooperate. A shared solution is met and makes both parties come up with a shared solution.

Similarly, the issue of partial cooperation and assertiveness is seen when a conflict assumes the compromising approach. It aims at giving a fair solution to ensure that both sides have a balanced feeling even though some will not be happy with the outcome since nobody gets everything they demand. Accommodating is a strategy whereby one party sacrifices its demand or wishes. This approach is likely to work when the intended goal is of much importance than other factors. Accommodating policy is mostly cooperative than assertive.

History of Conflict Resolution

Conflicts and resolutions are considered as two sides of a coin. The conflict has been existing for a long time now. As long as people are involved, it is bound to happen. During the world war, negotiators were sent to go and hold discussions that were meant to end wrangles. Ever since the art of conflict management has been practiced. Lipsky (2016), argued that to this day, conflict resolution had been considered a vital role that human resource personnel must possess to address issues within the work environments. A lot is attainable when the mediator works together with both parties to solve any misunderstanding. What matters is to analyze the dynamics of a conflict first, the key issue that can be borrowed from the first conflict resolution activities that took place to end cold wars, world war, and bad blood between states in history.

Lessons Learned From Conflict Resolution

Various lessons can be learned from conflict resolution. These lessons are essential not only in an organization but also in personal life development. Since conflict is unavoidable, people should have all it takes to tackle disagreements rather than assuming that conflicts will just pass without intervention. Similarly, when it comes to conflict resolution, everybody in the organization has a role to play. It implies that not only the HR department has the sole mandate of resolving conflicts but a collective responsibility of everybody to step in and fill the gaps that the responsible department is not able to fill. Conflicts water down efforts put in place to boost the organization's growth; therefore, anything that can jeopardize such growth is termed as a risk that needs intervention (Goldsmith et al., 2013). Encouraging trust among antagonists is crucial in the whole process of resolution as well as digging deeper to identify the root cause of the problem ultimately.

Conclusion

The buck stops with the human resource personnel to lay mechanisms that guide employees on how to handle grievances that can amount to conflicts, fights, or tussles. Understanding the various methods and models used in this process is vital to slew one's conflict management skills that go a long way in addressing concerns. Every member has a role to play in the resolution process to save the morale, resources, reputation, and productivity of employees. Understanding the problem to the core is equally a critical management practice that sees conflict resolution work. Is conflict something we can do without? Do we run away from challenges? How and when should we respond to a conflict?. Such questions need clear solutions and skills that we ought to slew to address.

References

Prause, D., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2015). Conflict management practices for diverse workplaces. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 6(3), 13. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/99d2/f1fb30dd5f1429455f71d180efd586971d52.pdf

Lipsky, D. B. (2016). Managing and Resolving Workplace Conflict. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=cnfPDAAAQBAJ&pg=PR29&dq=Lipsky,+D.+B.+(2016).+Managing+and+Resolving+Workplace+Conflict.+Emerald+Group+Publishing+Limited.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjL9eOoxovpAhVTVhUIHQGjAdYQ6AEILjAB#v=onepage&q=Lipsky%2C%20D.%20B.%20(2016).%20Managing%20and%20Resolving%20Workplace%20Conflict.%20Emerald%20Group%20Publishing%20Limited.&f=false

Goldsmith, J., Bennis, W., & Cloke, K. (2013). Resolving conflicts at work: Eight strategies for everyone on the job. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=3rfMJ3ahQzkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Resolving+conflicts+at+work:+Eight+st...