Organizational Behavior, Leadership, and Ethics

Organizational Behavior, Leadership, and Ethics

 “Assessing and Managing Workplace Conflict”

INTRODUCTION

Open the business section of your local newspaper or tune into the sports channel on television, and you will undoubtedly hear about the latest disagreement, strike, grievance, walkout, or other management-labor dispute. Continue to follow the story, and you will hear about methods that are being used to resolve the conflict. For example, a mediator may have been called in to help Major League Baseball players who are striking or on walkout to reach a resolution. Alternatively, Teamsters members may have called in an arbitrator to help resolve a walkout. In either case, alternative dispute resolution methods are at the heart of solving an escalated conflict. When a conflict or disagreement is born, it can generally be managed through simple resolution processes such as compromise or accommodation. If resolution does not occur, alternative dispute resolution (such as mediation or arbitration) is the method of choice. Obviously, the situations in which this would be true tend to be complex, challenging, and significant to the continued operation or viability of an organization. The ultimate goal of conflict management is to have each dispute resolved fairly and equitably. Furthermore, the ability of leaders to resolve conflict, and the ways conflict are addressed and resolved, will have a direct impact on the motivation of the organizational members.

AN EXAMPLE

Nordstrom’s is a department store chain located throughout the United States. It is consistently recognized as among the top companies in providing customer satisfaction. How it accomplishes this is a case study in the effective application of conflict management techniques. Let’s take the example of a customer who purchases a jacket at Nordstrom’s, wears it a few times, and decides the quality of the jacket is not up to par. Unfortunately, the sales receipt has been misplaced, the tags have been removed, and it has been six months since the purchase. The customer is upset about having spent several hundred dollars on a product that was not good quality and returns to Nordstrom’s with a complaint. A conflict situation has been created.

Customer service policies have been developed at Nordstrom’s, which emphasize application of the accommodation approach in cases of complaints or conflict. In addition, sales associates are empowered to take whatever action is necessary to resolve customer complaints to the customer’s satisfaction. Thus, in this example, when the jacket is returned to the store, the sales associate respectfully listens to the customer’s complaints, does not engage the customer in a debate about how long it has been since the purchase, or how extensively the jacket was worn. The sales associate researches the purchase, credits the customer with the purchase price, and assists in helping the customer find an alternative jacket if desired. There is no challenge and no argument. The customer walks away satisfied with the outcome. The sales associate feels satisfaction in having helped a customer feel positively about Nordstrom’s and who will be inclined to return for future purchases. The conflict is resolved. 

SUMMARY

Including these lessons on how to manage conflict enhances your leadership “tool box”.  The knowledge base and skills you develop in this course will help you excel both personally and professionally. Keep in mind that the bottom line of conflict management and alternative dispute resolution, the method to the madness, is to make sure there is a fair and equitable result in resolving disagreements. Also, remember that in order to excel, you must practice your conflict management skills and you must, at all costs, keep your cool when managing or mediating conflict. Don’t engage in the conflict, and stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish. If you maintain your focus, you will be successful! 

This week provides an overview of the styles of conflict management as well as a foundation for understanding dispute resolution. As you study about how conflict emerges, consider the influence of organizational culture and how the culture within a company drives the competitiveness and potential dissention within it. Firms, which are in high growth markets and those, which are in the entrepreneurial life cycle stage will, typically, be excellent breeding grounds for interpersonal, intergroup, and intraorganizational conflict. In a highly competitive environment, disagreement (a.k.a. conflict) naturally emerges. Consider this for a moment---conflict is not always a negative and can, in fact, be a positive. We tend to assume that when conflict exists, it is undesirable. However, it can exemplify the kind of creative tension that is evident in the best of organizations and should, in some instances, be encouraged. As you are reading through the material, keep in mind that the range of conflict management styles might, in fact, be even more extensive if we include those consistent with managing positive conflict. 

By Dr. Glaid

OPTIONAL WEEK THREE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS TO GET US THINKING

W3Q1 – Various Styles

How do the various styles of conflict management compare and what are the benefits and drawbacks of each style? Which is the best style of managing conflict? Explain.

Substantive - A disagreement over goals, and the means for their accomplishment.

Emotional - Interpersonal difficulties that arise over feelings of anger, mistrust, dislike, fear, and resentment

Two persons debating each other aggressively on the merits of hiring a specific job applicant is an example of a substantive interpersonal conflict.

Intrapersonal:

•          Approach-approach conflict occurs when a person must choose between two positive and equally attractive alternatives.

•          Avoidance-avoidance conflict occurs when a person must choose between two negative and equally unattractive alternatives.

•          Approach-avoidance conflict occurs when a person must decide to do something that has both positive and negative consequences.

Intergroup – disagreements that arise among group members.  Often seen in the  ‘forming’ stage of team development.

Each of them are unique but  managers and team leaders must be able to recognize potential conflict situations, identify likely causes, and deal with them in ways that best serve the organization and the individuals involved,        It's important to remember that there are many strategies we can use in conflict situations, but each of us tends to habitually use some strategies more often than others.  To most effectively resolve a conflict, we should use the strategy that is most appropriate for that particular conflict situation.  However, that strategy might not be the strategy that we habitually use.

W3Q2 – Management Control

Should workplace conflict be eliminated within organizations to ensure effective management control? Why or why not?

When the antecedent conditions become the basis for substantive or emotional differences between people or groups, the stage of perceived conflict exists  If it were possible to eliminate all conflict, there would be no conflict research facilities.  Managers must be alert to destructive conflicts and be quick to take action to prevent or eliminate them—or at least minimize their disadvantages.  According to Schermerhorn et al (2010) Organizational Behavior (ch10) Culture and cultural differences must be considered for their conflict potential.  Cross-cultural sensitivity and respect for differences helps defuse dysfunctional conflict.

W3Q3 – Conflict & Strategy

How can organizational conflict be linked to organizational strategy? How can the occurrence of organizational conflict act as a positive force?

Conflict can be linked to an organizational strategy when it does not build on - Other cultural dimensions that managers and teams should focus on that should be the emphasis on groups vs. the individuals, the perceptions of time, interpersonal space, consideration of facts vs. ideas, and to use and importance of status and power.

Schermerhorn et al (2010) Organizational Behavior (ch10) - Conflict can be addressed in many ways, but the important goal is to achieve or set the stage for true conflict resolution. The process begins with a good understanding of causes and a recognition of the stage to which conflict has developed.  Constructive conflict can act as a positive force for an organization, in which case two teams are completing against each other.

W3Q4 – Conflict & Motivation

What is the relationship between conflict and conflict management, and the motivation of organizational members? Please share examples to help illustrate your response.

The term conflict refers to perceived incompatibilities resulting typically from some form of interference or opposition. Conflict management, then, is the employment of strategies to correct these perceived differences in a positive manner

W3Q5 – Recommendations

What recommendations do you offer the class for discussion purposes, on ways to help to either prevent conflict, or are useful in resolving organizational conflict.