Introduction
Conflict is the practice by which two or more individuals or groups with contradictory opinions are involved in behavior seeking to get benefit and/or harm the other party. Though conflict is frequently seen as adverse, some kinds of conflict, in definite settings, may have constructive results.
Conflict management comprises of applying strategies to bind the negative features of conflict and to intensify positive features at a level equivalent or greater than where the conflict is happening. Moreover, the objective of conflict management is to improve learning. Conflict has been shown to increase group results when managed correctly.
In order to effectively manage conflicts, it is important to look into the causes of it. There are a number of causes of conflict. Conflict may arise when:
A party is obliged to be involved in an activity that is dissimilar with its requirements or benefits.
A party possesses behavioral preferences, the fulfilment of which is dissenting with another party carrying out of its preferences.
A party desires mutual resource that is in little quantity, such that the needs of all parties involved might not be fulfilled completely.
A party holds attitudes, goals, skills, and values that are prominent in guiding his or her behavior but are observed to be exclusive of the goals, skills, values, and attitudes apprehended by the other party.
Two parties have moderately exclusive behavioral inclinations concerning their mutual actions.
Two parties are codependent in carrying out functions or activities.
Conflict management comprises of termination, dismissal or reduction of all kinds of conflict. In practical manner, when persons state about conflict resolution they are inclined to use various terminologies such as negotiation, arbitration, bargaining, and mediation.
Conflict Management Styles, Advantages and Disadvantages
There are various styles of managing conflicts. Some major styles are described as below:-
1.
Accommodating
The Accommodator pursues to reserve the bond and affiliation at the cost of taking the benefiting position in the conflict. An accommodator may appear as a good problem solver due to the reason that the problems vanish very quickly. Whereas, the reality is that the accommodating manager attempts to evade resolving the conflict in favor of benefiting the other. While dealing with the conflict, the accommodating manager simply follows the directives from the other party. In some cases, the result of this style of managing conflict may be that the problem grows and even bring newer problems .
Advantages: The advantage of this style is that the conflict gets resolved very quickly which is mostly desired in urgent piece of tasks. It also brings a happy feeling in accommodating person that he/she has showed a goodwill gesture towards the other party. This style brings strong relationship among the parties. This style becomes more suitable when the accommodating person already knows that he/she is on the wrong side. This style takes off all the stress of facing the conflict from both the parties.
Disadvantages: This style may lead to a low level of self-esteem for the accommodating person. Furthermore, the other person may start taking extra advantage from the accommodating person. Long term goals may get affected due to this style. This style does not distinguish between right and wrong.
2.
Compromising
The compromising style is used for addressing a number of of the requirements stated by all the concerning parties in a conflict. This style has all the accessories of a “win-win” condition. Unluckily, compromising brings some loss and some win to every party involved. Generally, compromising style is used by those who are either so lazy that they avoid the collaborating style of managing the conflict or are scared that the outcome of collaborating may not be a good resolution of the conflict. Compromising may be considered as a partial attempt of collaborating style of managing a conflict .
Advantages: The result of this style can be viewed as fair to the parties involved in conflict. This style gives a foundation to solve a long term conflict through resolving it in short terms step by step. It can be used in such conflicts in which avoiding the conflict is worse than gaining something while losing some. This style requires shorter time than actually finding the solution of the conflict.
Disadvantages: This style may not make any single party completely happy with the results. The short term nature of this style may bring future conflicts. This style can never be used by religious scholars by compromising the teachings of their religion.
3.
Competing
A competing style of managing conflict is the exactly opposite of the accommodating style. A person with competing style of managing the conflict always tries to get benefits in the conflict and never shows any flexibility to the other party. Such a person does not show any value to the relationship with the other party. This kind of conflict management style can become healthy only if it has the focus on the conflict only and does not involve damaging the people’s interests at personal levels. Physical attacks or fights are usual result of competing style of conflict if it is not handled in a productive way .
Advantages: This style has good response time in terms of resolving the conflict. It can be used in military by the senior to implement their commands without getting any argument from juniors. Many occasions may require quick decisions like emergencies. It is a useful style when other styles of managing the conflict have failed.
Disadvantages: The other person is if not accommodating then he/she will develop bad feelings about the competing style person. The relationship may get compromised in this style of managing conflicts.
4.
Collaborating
The collaborating style of managing a conflict brings all the concerning parties close together in order to find out the best possible solution to the situation. This style gives each party to state its opinion and give suggestions. The relationships in this style are given due importance according to the logical standing of each party in the conflict. In this style everyone leaves the table happily due to the logical results .
Advantages: Considering all the above mentioned styles, this style results in the best possible results. It is useful in those situations when the conflict as well as the relationship are both equally important.
Disadvantages: This style of managing conflict takes much time and efforts to yield a win-win situation for all. All the concerning parties must remain focused and take active part in the resolution of conflict in this style. This style requires the involved parties to be intellectual to find out the best possible solution to the situation.
Conflict Management Style that I use
Everyone uses a particular style of managing conflict. Generally people have inclination towards using single style in all situations. My style of managing a conflict is mostly collaborative due to the reasons that this style brings the best possible outcome of conflicts if managed properly. It is not a fast way of resolving the conflict but it gives good results while not affecting the relationships at all. It can be considered as a win-win situation for both the parties.
Difficulties I have in dealing with others different conflict management styles
Having collaborating conflict management style, I feel difficulties in dealing with avoiders when I try to resolve the conflict through discussion and negotiations etc. but they avoid it. It becomes difficult to gather the avoider to the table for having fruitful discussion.
Similar is the case with people having the accommodating style of conflict management. I try to resolve the conflict through bringing win-win results but the accommodating people never participate in the efforts and always give up their stance with forces the results to end up in accommodating from their side.
While dealing with people having competing style of conflict management, I get distressed when I see their selfish attitude towards the conflict. They never empathize with my conditions and always try to drag me down to accommodating level. This situation brings not only ineffective conflict resolution but also various associated delays.
The last type of people have compromising style of conflict management. These people are easy for me to resolve the conflict because they show some flexibility in their stance. However the difficulty comes when they expect the same from me, because I being a collaborator, try to create a win-win situation while they try to create bend-bend situation. These people do not put any significant efforts in bringing better options of resolving the conflicts rather they try to leave some stances of theirs and expect others to leave some.
Conflict Avoidance
Conflict avoidance comprises of abandoning from the conflict. It may also happen when a problem is overlooked completely. A person may use it because of utter fear of the conflict, extortion because of the involved persons, or overcome by other concerns which may put the problem to wait. Conflict Avoidance may be in various ways. The person may tangibly pull out from the conflicting conditions. The person may decide simply not to answer back or contribute when the problem arises. Conclusively it can be an overt action in a situation or a covert reaction of an event and generally the results of it are seldom desired. The advantage of conflict avoidance is that it is useful if conflict is perceived to be unable to result in the solution. It can be used to get relieved from stress of conflict. Another use of conflict avoidance is the reaction to a conflict situation where loss-loss situation is perceived. It can be used as defense if the other party has competing style of managing the conflict and is becoming harmful. The disadvantage of conflict avoidance is that it does not put any effort in resolving the conflict rather it is just closing eyes on it. It can never achieve any long term objective and will mostly result in worsening the conflict .
Conflict avoidance can be considered as a passive method of conflict management in various situation where the results are completely undesirable. Conflict avoidance also buys time to use a suitable conflict management style in future. It may have results of win-win, win-lose and lose-lose depending on the situation in hand.
Conclusion
References
Eunson, B. (2012). Conflict Management. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Jean M. Phillips, S. M. (2011). Organizational Behavior: Tools for Success. Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
Kathleen S. Verderber, R. F. (2010). Communicate! Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
Michael Olpin, M. H. (2012). Stress Management for Life: A Research-Based Experiential Approach. Connecticut: Cengage Learning.
Rahim, M. A. (2010). Managing Conflict in Organizations: Fourth Edition. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.
