Section 1 - The Use of Conflict Resolution Styles
This section is aimed at using five forms of conflict resolution styles. These include accommodating, avoiding, collaborative, competing and compromising. To manage conflict among four team members of a group, five different paragraphs are produced highlighting a specific conflict resolution style used for negotiation during discussion . This is done in the following manner:
Use of Accommodating Style
Based on this conflict resolution style, all the group members should be convinced to cooperate with each other instead of following an assertive approach. They must be convinced to preserve relationship with one another since they are academically required to work together, as a team, for week 3 to 5 as well. Instead of nagging each other, all team members should benefit from collective strength.
Rather than complaining, all members should work collectively and try to overcome weaknesses of one another through help and support. In all, instead of keeping one’s own interest above all, the team members must be convinced to consider the collective interests above all because tough times always pass. Each member should come up with solutions to overcome collective weakness and collective stress to work productively and succeed together.
Avoiding the Conflict
As every member has come up with personal issues that are unavoidable and no one has any chance of winning the negotiation, all team members must avoid the discussion. All that is needed is to delay the conflict resolution negotiation as every member is emotionally charged . One of the members has planned a vacation with spouse and the other one is obsessed with preservation of “A” Grade. There is a member whose work schedule has changed. Therefore, to ease the situation, group members should ease the situation by avoiding the discussion for the time being. Everyone should refrain from participating into conflict resolution discussion/negotiation.
Employing Collaborative Style to Resolve Conflict
The team members, in light of emotional connections to their new schedules, should pair with each other to achieve collective academic goal of preparing high-scoring assignment. Instead of looking for win-lose paradigm, they should collaborate with one another for creating win-win situation. Each member should listen and understand the ideas, concerns as well as busy schedules of others. This is the only satisfactory solution to the problem currently faced by the whole team. All members should trust each other so that they collaborate effectively and reach a certain consensus/decision to materialize academic achievement goal .
Use of Competing Speech to Resolve Conflict
Though the situation has worsened for everyone with the course of time, yet it is a time to team up and move forward to achieve one shared or common goal of making assignment for week 3. Everyone has problems that are always unavoidable but we need to focus on our academic achievement instead of our personal obsessions and emotional attachments. Whosoever is going to contribute positively will be allowed to participate further or else the person is free to leave the group. Each team member is aware that we need to work as a team these days; therefore, your personal interests should not be allowed to interfere with your academic endeavors. Anyone unwilling to participate has a liberty to leave the group and will receive no credit in light of inactive participation.
Conflict Resolution through Speech of Compromising Style
All members should realize that they have an important common goal to achieve. The temporary solution to the current problem of schedule clashes is to look for an alternative. Everyone needs to compromise for preparation of week 3 assignment collectively. Mutual consensus and compromise, at the same time, are keys to deal with the existing conflicts of ideas, concerns and endeavors.
Section 2 - Conflict Resolution Preferred for this Situation and Underlying Reason for its Selection
Using this conflict resolution style, every member of the group is expected to openly and honestly express/communicate their problems to collaborate with one another and find a mutually beneficial alternative. When this is done, team members would be able to find the root cause of personal and professional problems that eases everyone to achieve the goal of assignment preparation.
This particular conflict resolution style is useful in this situation because it allows everyone to speak their concerns. When this happens, each member will feel valued and understand others’ problems instead of nagging them. Collectively, all members can help each other to reduce stress and divide the workload rather than complaining about each others’ weaknesses and poor performance.
Section 3 - Best Way to Negotiate a Resolution to Conflict
Certain initiatives are needed to overcome the conflict situation. First of all, no one should be allowed to irritate others with negative comments and attitudes. Secondly, it is feasible that all team members should set aside certain hours in their schedule to contact through group conversation on Skype or any other software program liked by everyone. This is one can communicate concerns to others and team members could help each other.
Team member 4, obsessed with getting Grade “A”, should help candidate 3 (who works in military) concerning professional formatting, content and citations. In other words, member 4 should help the military officer improve his work as the latter person is dedicated and very enthusiastic about getting the work done.
Member 2 should be given warning and asked if he wishes to continue further. If yes, he needs to participate actively in the group instead of just citing the time restriction which is certainly not a big excuse. The personal concerns of member 1 should be eased by listening attentively to her personal concerns. That is why, it is recommended to negotiate with all of them personally and in a one-on-one meeting. The members might feel offensive and refrain from speaking up their concerns in front of others.
Section 4 - When to Contact the Course Instructor
As the professor has strictly indicated he/she must not be contacted frequently, it is imperative that team members should address petty issues and minor glitches together as a group. The course instructor must only be contacted if there is any serious concern or difficulty about the research project.
One of the team members, or group leader should contact the professor eventually to show the development about research work and ask if any changes are needed for improvement. Moreover, the professor can be contacted if any of the team members is not actively participating in the group work to finalize week 3 assignments. In this regard, group member 4 should refrain from consistently or frequently disturbing the professor due to obsession to get more quality.
Section 5 - Monitoring of the Group and the Case of Underperformance
The results of the negotiation and conflict resolution can be monitored in light of the performance of desired outcomes. If team members are willing and have started to listen attentively to each others’ concerns for help and support, it can be said that the collaborative style of conflict resolution was negotiated effectively. If team member 4 is willing to help the candidate 3 (military officer) and overcomes his obsession about his “A” grade, one can say that the negotiation was successful.
Similarly, if team member 2 has shown willingness to work as well as overcome excuses concerning time constraints and the team member 1 is always available online during vacation with her spouse, these are symptoms that the conflict resolution negotiation through collaboration went well.
In case the problem persists and none of the team members is willing to address these collective issues while displaying irresponsible attitude, it is imperative that the professor should be contacted immediately. This is because the professor is the highest authority to team members and he/she can make arrangements to either replace the team members or give them final warnings.
References
Cloke, K., & Goldsmith, J. (2011). Resolving Conflicts at Work: Ten Strategies for Everyone on the Job. John Wiley & Sons.
Lussier, R. (2011). Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development. Cengage Learning.
Thompson, L. L. (2014). Making the Team: A Guide for Managers. Pearson Education, Limited.
Young, S. B., & Price, M. (2013). Airport Leadership Development Program. Transportation Research Board.
