Introduction
Conflicts are inevitable and form part of all relationships between people who interact on a daily basis. By better understanding the issues that lead to confrontations and their effect on each of the involved parties, individuals, groups and organizations can proactively intervene and institute more effective conflict management strategies. Kharadz (2018) defines conflict as the internal discord that emerges due to differences in ideologies, values or perceptions. In most cases, this disagreement is expressed because of the perceived incompatibility between common goals and interests that prevents the involved parties from realizing mutual objectives. Conflicts are prevalent in most workplace settings, yet few organizations dedicate resources to preemptively managing conflicts (Jit et al. 2016). Unresolved interpersonal disputes between employees prey on their minds and sidetracks them from their most fundamental responsibilities. The consequences can be extensive and severe, including increased risk and financial loss for the organization ( Piryani & Piryani, 2018) . In one organization where I previously worked as an intern, I experienced an interpersonal conflict that involved a clash of the working style with a fellow colleague. While at the workplace, I usually needed peace and quiet ambience to concentrate fully on the tasks, but my office mate considered playing loud music while working as a means of stimulating his creativity. Prior to finding a workable solution, we always had endless arguments that significantly affected our performance and productivity at the workplace. This paper examines the appropriate strategies deployed during conflict resolution and analyzes a conflict situation where the various strategies are applicable.
Five Topics
Conflict Management
Conflict management considers the concepts and techniques designed to lessen the adverse impacts of conflict and boost the positive outcomes for the involved individuals. Such approaches usually depend on the type of conflict that can either be in the interpersonal, group or organizational levels. Lee et al., (2018) suggest that conflict resolution is the main objective of conflict management. The process seeks to restore peace between the individuals or groups having a disagreement. Conflict management techniques were used during my experience at the organization. In a forum that was convened to address the issue, the first step entailed an analysis of the problem, the underlying causes of the conflict and the proposed solutions that will potentially return the involved parties to normalcy. According to Kharadz (2018), conflict resolution may vary depending on how assertive the affected individuals are, and their overall commitment to come to a consensus.
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In my case, a collaborative conflict resolution strategy was used to reach an agreement. After some deliberation of the issue, it was agreed that my colleague should use a headphone device to listen to music while working rather than playing it directly from his mobile phone. Currie et al. (2017) note that collaboration can be utilized as an approach to neutralize a disagreement when all the involved parties are ready to cooperate while also holding on to their opinions. Since my coworker argued that music helps improve his creativity, it was agreed that he can continue listening to it on condition that it does not distract other employees including myself. The conflict resolution strategy allowed other employees to make their contributions, a strategy that enhanced the quality of the suggested resolution.
Ethics and Workplace Conflict
Ethics in a workplace surrounding implies to the way workers in an organization govern themselves in terms of their general work attitude. Additionally, it can also refer to the moral principles or lack thereof existing in a workplace (Bai et al. 2019). How an organization functions and how it is perceived by the public and rivals is often influenced by its workplace ethics. According to Bai et al. (2019), a truly ethical work environment should exhibit ethical behavior across the organization. Generally, the ethics are portrayed in how firms handle both their internal and external stakeholders and how communication is managed. In the organization mentioned above, it was clear that the workplace ethics were inept in fostering a favorable work environment where all employees respect one another. Due to the absence of the values of comradery, respect and accountability, there was an increased likelihood that employees would act irresponsibly. For instance, there were no clear guidelines on recommended working styles and acceptable behavior in the office. Because of this deficiency, the colleague managed to play the music distractively to my annoyance, ultimately leading to a protracted conflict.
Workplace conflict is expected in contemporary organizations and workplaces. Current studies suggest that about 75 percent of employees have reported some form of workplace conflict (Currie et al. 2017). There is little doubt that these confrontations are a major workplace concern that should be effectively addressed by management and relevant executive leaders. However, a majority of the current business leaders do not possess the requisite experience and skills needed to satisfactorily deal with the escalating cases of conflict in their organizations (Kharadz, 2018). For the case where I experienced the workplace conflict, the line supervisor did not have the communication ability that was needed to facilitate the amicable resolution of conflict. Even after presenting the issue to a higher authority, it was clear that there was some kind of difficulty when handling situations involving disputes between employees. All of these factors contribute to flawed conflict resolution.
In a workplace environment, Gigol and Sypniewska (2019) claim that interpersonal conflict is the most prevalent form of dispute. While supervisors and managers bear the greatest responsibility in ensuring that workplace conflicts are amiably resolved, most experts argue that the initial steps to reconciliation should be taken by the workers themselves. According to Gigol and Sypniewska (2019), individuals who have complaints against fellow colleagues should be advised to attempt resolving their differences amongst themselves before asking their superiors to intervene. The approach is suitable as it may not only lessen disturbances for supervisors and managers but may also allow workers establish their own conflict-resolution strategies (Currie et al. 2017). Managing workplace conflicts do not necessitate cascading interventions since a boss who approaches one employee with another's complaints may be viewed to be partisan. When such a scenario happens, it can often be construed as preferential treatment in favor of certain employees, hence undercutting the manager's authority. Organizations need individuals who can deal with work-related problems on their own, think independently and develop solutions to the issues that they confront on a daily basis (Kharadz, 2018). In my case, this effort bore no substantive results due to personality clashes that hampered the resolution process.
The Role of Personality Types in Conflict Management
A variation in personalities among individuals is a major cause of workplace conflict. According to Maltarich et al., (2018) , the various personality types have an influence on the conflict management approach to be utilized. Since employees come from diverse backgrounds with differing experiences and realities, it is likely that these factors will play a leading role in shaping their personalities. Lee et al. (2018) assert that when individuals fail to appreciate the differences in each other's personalities, conflicts will be inevitable at the workplace. Personally, I am an introvert since I feel more comfortable paying attention to my inner thoughts and ideas, instead of what is happening externally. Whoever, the colleague with whom I had an issue with regarding the working style possessed a straightforward personality which meant that he could say anything freely, even when the content and timing is inappropriate. Being an introvert, the extroverted personality of my colleague usually offended me especially when we tried resolving our conflict. In most cases, I felt that he was rude and disrespectful towards me; making it difficult to find a mutually agreeable solution to the dispute.
Decades of research indicate that the conflict management strategy that one is likely to use is determined by their personality ( Maltarich et al., 2018) . The findings of these inquiries have been consistent, where most found a strong relationship between personality type and style of conflict management. An earlier investigation conducted on the link between personality and conflict management styles revealed that agreeableness and conscientiousness personalities possess a strong relationship with the integrating conflict management strategy while extraversion had a positive relationship with dominating technique (Maltarich et al., 2018). In addition, individuals with the agreeable personality type were more likely to use the avoiding conflict resolution style.
Communication Techniques
In the realm of conflict management, good skills are at the center stage of fostering harmonious relationships either at home or in workplaces. For effective communication to occur, there should be mutual respect, empathy and active listening (Jit et al. 2016). In managing the conflict that was between me and the co-worker regarding playing of loud music in the office, best practice communication techniques were utilized. One of the communication approaches that were vital during the reconciliation process was active listening. While seeking for potential solutions to the dispute, I learnt that when handling interpersonal conflicts, listening can be just as instrumental as communicating verbally. Since we used the collaborations strategy to come up with ways of deescalating the dispute, we realized that communication is a two-way traffic where listening is integral in developing appropriate solutions to both interpersonal and organizational issues. As a best practice, active listening as a means of communication entails less talking and more requests for clarification (Piryani & Piryani, 2018). In the reconciliation session that comprised of the problematic employee and other colleagues, effective verbal and nonverbal communications further contributed to a successful resolution of conflict.
Conflict escalation can lead to broken communication, flawed assumptions and unenthusiastic commitments that can further exacerbate the situation. According to Piryani and Piryani (2018), one major merit of effective communication in resolving a conflict is the subsequent decrease in anxiety. By speaking respectfully and avoiding language that is patronizing and dismissive, the communication felt sincere. Personally, I was keen on choosing my words carefully with an aim of delivering a genuine reaction regarding the conflict. In using communication techniques to resolve an issue, Currie et al. (2017) maintain that it is essential to consider the value of being “right” against being effective. Furthermore, the involved parties should ask themselves whether winning an argument at all costs is worth the effort used in the process or whether there is a greater potential for success if more focus is directed towards effective communication. After weighing the costs versus the benefits of escalating the conflict, we decided to shift from rigid and defensive approaches to a considerate mindset. Only then did we arrive at a solution that was mutually acceptable, leading to a win-win situation for all.
The Positive and Negative Effects of Conflict
Conflict is an unavoidable human phenomenon that occurs in places where people interact. One of the positive impacts of conflict is that is aids in raising and addressing underlying issues. Workplace conflict can shed light on deeper issues that require swift interventions as even trivial matters might arise from historical issues that have remain unattended (Kharadz 2018). For instance, the conflict that emerged between me and my colleague was helpful as it ensured that the issue of workplace distraction through loud music was addressed before it could have an adverse effect on job performance, group unity and overall productivity. Bai et al. (2019) advice that attentive managers should be on the lookout for harmful patterns in the workplace and promptly engage with the involved employees before a full-sized conflict erupts. Given that I raised the issue with the department’s manager and fellow workmates, an opportunity arose where the disagreement could be handled before it further escalated. As Kharadz (2018) observes, the best ideas and solutions emanate from healthy conflict resolution discussions involving a diversity of perspectives.
Inspiring personal growth and insight is another major positive effect of conflict. According to Kharadz (2018), confrontational scenarios can help individuals to learn more about themselves and those around them. From the conflict I encountered at the workplace, I realized what I care about and what I dislike, including my default approaches and reactions. Additionally, people can learn more about their coworkers in the midst of conflictual situations. Therefore, it is valuable to realize, in advance, how these people respond in certain circumstances and to consider this information when interacting with them in the future.
Despite the positive effects, conflict especially at the workplace has numerous adverse effects. One of the main negative impacts of workplace conflicts is reduced productivity and performance (Maltarich et al., 2018). Interpersonal conflicts between employees are detrimental and counterproductive as a significant amount of time is devoted towards conflict resolution. In the organization where I encountered such a scenario, I often experienced heightened stress and anxiety which ultimately affected my productivity. Moreover, workplace conflict has the potential of increasing the turnover rates of employees where such issues persist. Due to reduce morale, some workers can opt to quit their jobs rather than attempting to resolve the issues. Staff members who are increasingly aggravated with the level of conflict within their team find it unfruitful to continue their membership and are likely to terminate it. According to Piryani and Piryani, 2018), this is particularly detrimental when the involved personnel constitute the organization’s management. Once such assets begin to leave, the organization is compelled to hire new members, which is often a costly endeavor.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is evident that conflicts, especially in the workplace are unavoidable. How they are addressed is what matters as they can either be constructive or detrimental to the organization. When workplace conflicts are not dealt with promptly, they can have extensive negative effects that include reduced productivity and performance levels, communication breakdown and increased turnover due to damaged morale among the workforce. Although these disputes have numerous unwanted impacts, they have shown to be crucial in enhancing the problem solving skills of employees. Besides, conflicts present an opportunity where employees can learn more about themselves and others and adapt accordingly. Since personality types have an influence of the conflict resolution strategy to be used, it is essential for individuals to first understand the unique attributes of each one of them before embarking on the resolution effort. Therefore, identifying the resolution style of each individual in the conflict simplifies the process of finding a suitable solution. Effective communication is vital in the process of conflict management as it prevents avoidable misunderstanding through active listening and seeking for clarification.
References
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