Conflict may result between individuals or groups in different types of situations. Since there are many differences between people in society, a lack of conflict may indicate the absence of effective interaction. People should not consider conflict as bad or good; instead, they should view it as a necessity that helps to build a significant relationship between individuals and groups. How people handle a conflict determines whether it is devastating or productive. The management of conflict or group dynamics depends on the individual style and ethical perspectives. In addition, there are ethical deviations that may arise during an individual's daily interactions. In this essay, I will discuss the management of conflict and group dynamics in terms of individual style, ethical perspectives, worldview, and cultural perspectives. The paper also analyses and proposes alternative conflict management approaches.
Individual style has a significant impact on the management of conflict or interaction in a group. The style that an individual chooses to apply during conflict management determines the outcome of the conflict ( Johnson, 2018) . For instance, collaborative individuals work to determine the solution that addresses the needs of everyone. This style minimizes negative feelings since both sides can get what they want. On the contrary, competitive individuals are assertive, and they always work towards their success at the expense of other people. Such individuals care more about the outcome of a group than the relationship. Uncooperative and unassertive individuals tend to manage conflict by avoiding it. For example, an individual might avoid a dispute with a co-worker on their ethics of using FaceTime when on duty. Besides, self-sacrificing people can decide to manage conflict by accommodating the issue ( Koukl, 2017) . Such people care about relationships more than the outcome of the conflict. Therefore, it is essential to note that individual styles greatly influence conflict management and group dynamic.
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Ethical perspectives of individuals also influence their conflict management or group dynamics. The best approach to manage conflict or group dynamics is to prevent it from happening by following ethical standards (Brown et al., 2020). Leaders who believe in ethics and have strong compliance with the set code of ethics find it easy to manage a conflict. If a conflict occurs involving such people, they easily refer to the defined process, which effectively resolves the case. A group with strong regard for ethical standards has a strong interpersonal relationship and would be ready to seek help in case of any ethical dilemma ( Koukl, 2017) . Leaders of a group or an organization may experience conflicts that might harm the decision-making process. Helping them resolve conflict efficiently is important to improve the decision-making process from an ethical perspective (Brown et al., 2020). Therefore, ethics helps leaders on how to manage conflicts and improves the decision-making process.
People collectively create complex group dynamics through interactions, which start with the psychological bond between them. Group dynamics may starts when a group of people feels that they share some social aspects, such as hockey players and nurses. In this case, psychological bonds and interactions only help enhance the connection between members ( Damer, 2012) . Through interaction, they start to develop attitudes, roles, and norms that define the group. Continuous internalization of these factors influences their behavior in the long run. Studies suggest that the presence of other people in the group influences the individual behavior of members ( Damer, 2012) . The complexity of the social environment sometimes forces people to get into group dynamics to enhance their survival. Several possible ethical deviations might arise in a group dynamic. Unethical leadership is one of the major ethical issues recorded in most group dynamics. Unethical leadership might originate from a leader that spends group money on inappropriate activities or manipulates numbers in a report. Studies suggest that leaders account for about 60% of workplace misconduct ( Johnson, 2018) . Other ethical deviations include unrealistic and conflicting goals, toxic group culture, and discrimination and harassment. Members of a group or an organization might deviate from the group's core values and start favoring more people than others, leading to discrimination. Such issues can lead to the collapse of group dynamics when not properly handled.
Worldviews also play a huge role in conflict and group dynamics. They can be resources for understanding and analyzing conflicts when underlying differences divide people or groups. By looking at the metaphors, myths, rituals, and stories used by a group, we can learn deeply and efficiently about the member's identity, and what matters. According to Mark 8:36, Jesus asks, “What does one gain by winning the whole world at the cost of one’s true self?” He tells the story of a wealthy farmer who died suddenly after building a bigger barn ( Merida, 2015) . This biblical worldview can influence conflict since some people assume that money can buy anything. The Christian worldview can also be used to manage conflict in case people argue against earthly possession. Analyzing both sides of a conflict applying a biblical worldview can lead to a better understanding of the conflict in context.
Cultural perspective affects the way people manage conflicts and group dynamics. Within every conflict, there is an embedded aspect of culture since conflicts originate due to human relationships. Culture influences people's behaviors and beliefs. It provides messages that shape people's judgments, attributions, perceptions, and ideas of self and others. Culture influences conflicts and tries to solve them in an unnoticeable manner. For instance, an old Japanese woman claimed that she had not witnessed any conflict for the past 36 years in an interview in the USA. Among the possible reason for her response was a cultural perspective that views the world through the lenses of harmony rather than conflict.
Alternative conflict management approaches are techniques and processes used to solve disputes with the help of a third party. The first approach is mediation, which involves hiring a trained individual to help conflicting parties communicate and make compromises necessary in any case ( Johnson, 2018) . A mediator remains neutral throughout the process and does not decide for the parties. Collaboration relates to mediation, but the former involves a situation where both parties hire their collaborator to aid them in finding an appropriate solution to the conflict. Another commonly used technique is arbitration. It involves both conflicting parties choosing an arbitrator who listens to both sides of the story and makes a ruling based on the presented evidence ( Johnson, 2018) . I propose mediation as the best conflict management approach since both parties will understand each other without being forced.
The first step to responding to unethical behaviors in a group is to tell the involved parties of your dissatisfaction with their behavior (Wong et al., 2019). Point out the demerits of their unethical action to the group, which signifies your loyalty to the group. It is important to provide an alternative as it makes your complaint valid from the perspective of other members of the group. If the behavior persists, identify the next person to inform depending on the group's hierarchy (Wong et al., 2019). If the situation persists after exhausting all the choices, leave the group if necessary. It is unhealthy to stay in a group that indulges in unethical behaviors since it reduces their chances of attaining the objectives.
Conclusively, conflict exists in society due to different individual styles, cultural perspectives, worldviews, and ethical perspectives. Conflict management helps to solve some of the issues that exist between individuals and groups. The ability of an individual or a group to manage conflict is influenced by their ethical and cultural perspective, among other factors, as explained in the paper. There are three main alternative conflict management approaches mediation, collaboration, and arbitration. The choice of the conflict management method depends on the decision of conflicting parties.
References
Brown, M. E., et al. (2020). The Nature and Effects of Ethical Conflict in the Workplace. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2020, No. 1, p. 13579). Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510: Academy of Management. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.13579abstract
Damer, T. E. (2012). Attacking faulty reasoning: A practical guide to fallacy-free arguments (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. ISBN: 9781133049982.
Johnson, C. E. (2018). Organizational ethics: A practical approach (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 9781506361758.
Koukl, G. (2017). The story of reality: How the world began, how it ends, and everything important that happens in between . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ISBN: 9780310525042.
Merida, T. (2015). Christ-centered exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings . Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group.
Wong, A., et al. (2019). Ethical leaders manage conflict to develop trust. Leadership & Organization Development Journal . https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-10-2018-0363
