Leadership and management
- CONFLICT HANDLING

Victoria Kovtun 1036111

Conflict is a process of two parties with different opinions and wishes. Each party sure and assume that another one is wrong and tries to defend himself/herself. Conflict is often taken as a negative experience but if you look at it from another angle you can find some valuable benefits and positive outcomes. Here are five most common stages of the peopleʼs behaviour while they are involved into the conflict situation (these stages are divided by points which reflect peopleʼs choice of the way they want this conflict continue): Stage 1: Potential opposition or incompatibility «The first step in the conflict process is the presence on conditions that create opportunities for conflict to rise» (available at http://www.mbanotesworld.in/2009/12/5stages-of-conflict-process.html accessed on 31 November 2012). This conflict is based on the fact that Carter claims to raise her salary. These causes or sources of conflict have been condenses into three general categories. 1. Communications: different words carry different information. It is very important how you are going to convey your idea to the other opponent. The way you speak plays one of crucial parts while communicating. But «too much communication as well as too little communication can rely foundation for conflict» (available at http:// www.mbanotesworld.in/2009/12/5-stages-of-conflict-process.html accessed on 31 November 2012). 2. Structure: while communication you should have a plan in your head - what you are going to talk first, what second and e.t.c. If you are going to talk to somebody with a random sample of thoughts you will confuse people. They can not read minds. The larger the group the more possibilities for the conflict to raise. There are more forces to stimulate the conflict. Different people have different opinions and perceptions about the same things. 3. Personal variables: «...reason for conflict is difference in value systems» (available at http://www.mbanotesworld.in/2009/12/5-stages-of-conflict-process.html accessed on 31 November 2012). Value differences explain why people tend to have conflicts upon different topics. People defend their interests and sometimes think that their own view over the problem the only one which is right.

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Stage 2: Cognition and personalisation It is a matter of perception whether conflict exist or not. But if conflict perceives that does not actually show that it is taken by parties. If both sides of the conflict are not actually aware of the existence of the conflict than it means that there is no conflict. It could be that one of the parties is not tense and does not perceive a conflict situation as the exact conflict so he does not argue or shows any anger towards the other partier. On this level people become more emotional. And also, at this stage all parties realise the fundamental reason of the conflict and emotions play a crucial part here. Stage 3: Intentions At this stage people decide in which way they are going to handle a conflict. Here it matters how active all parties will be in order to satisfy their own and other party needs. There are five conflict handling intentions: 1. Competing: person does not interested in what other parties are thinking and does not want to make an attempt to understand their point of view. He continues bend his line - he is competing. 2. Collaborating: both parties want to satisfy needs of each other. The intention of collaborating is to solve the problem by trying to understand point of view of each party and not insist only on your solo vision. 3. Avoiding: one party can realise of the conflict existence and will try to avoid it. He can just ignore other people who take part in a conflict situation. 4. Accommodating: the will of someone who take part in a conflict to use conflict situation in his interests, to extract a benefit for himself. 5. Compromising: when both of the parties are ready to give up on something in order to solve a conflict. Stage 4: Behaviour On this stage we can already clearly see if the conflict is exist. Parties react and act differently. Each of the parties are trying to implement his/her intentions openly. Stage 5: Outcomes An intention to interact between each other. The possible consequence could be a an improvement in group performance if interaction was successful or it could hides group performance what is called a dysfunctional outcome. But when conflict stimulates an innovative or creative work afterwords that means that conflict was constructive.
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Conflict in a sport centre according to these five stages (Appendix a) Carter claims to raise her salary. Without any explanation she wants a bigger salary from her manager. She talks in a way like the manager promised her this raise. Her claiming should be based on valuable ground. The manager cannot understand so aggressive conversation and respond in the almost the same way. Here I can see a Carterʼs difficulty to structure her conversation. She should have informed Dash about her degree firstly and only after that she would have all rights to ask her manager for a salary raise. Then on the second stage manager realise that the is a conflict and he tries to smooth it. Carter has not realised this and she continues to behave in an aggressive way. Eventually, on the third stage manager use a compromise technique. My example of conflict is the one which is resolved by compromising. Manager tries to meet Carterʼs demands. Manager tries to find a solution to satisfy his own needs as well as his employee ones. When people run out of time, need on the spot decision or sure that an agreement is very hard to reach this type of handling conflict is the most suitable. That could be a «...lose-lose strategy» (White, C; 2007), but if they compromise each of the party will extract something. On the fourth stage Dash behaves very calm, he is reserved and does not allow himself to cross the border line. He is manager and he is in a high hierarchy so he should behave professionally what he does. On the fifth stage I can see a constructive outcome of the conflict. Such a affirmative outcome was reached by both parties. Despite the fact that Carter was aggressive it was her idea to sell more memberships sp that means that she meet the conflict in the right way. But on the other side, Dash showed his positive attitude to the situation while agreed to give a try ti his employee despite her gap in communication skills. Not everyone can manage conflicts. The outcome of the conflict depends on which strategy you will choose. All people are different and each of them need different approach. I gave an example from a small organisation where about 15 employees work but if we take bigger ones where work more than 200 people, manager should be the one with good communication skills and be an experience negotiator. He have to manage conflict well. This is his job to solve conflicts with the most possible beneficial outcome. A lot of people react angry and unfriendly while it comes to conflict (Carter). While they are angry they will not be able to hear what others say. It is better to notice when you become more emotional rather than logical and try to stay calm (Appendix b). The process of
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resolving a conflict can help to get rid of different kind of raws what can increase the effectiveness of work, make relationship between employees better and more trustful. The understanding of team ability to adopt different tasks can help to meet better performances on work. If team are likely to resolve conflicts and than focus on work again that means that people can gain positive experience. Some of the best ideas arose out of conflicts but the fact is that these conflicts should be handled well.

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Appendix a
Dialogue (in a sport centre) Employee comes to manager and asks to raise her a salary: Person Dash Position Senior manager Character sociable, extrovert, polite quite introverted, inexperience, quick learner

Carter

Trainer in gym

Person

Transcription of interactions (Knock, knock)

Carter: Dash (smiling): Carter: Dash: Carter: Dash (aggressively): Carter: Dash: Carter: Dash:

Hello. Do you have a minute? Oh, hi Carter! Of course. Come in. How itʼs going? Itʼs good. How are you? Iʼm fine. I come to speak about my salary raise. I think time has come. Ok. But I think that you work as everyone else and should be paid the same salary. You should make more profit so that I will be able to pay you more. Donʼt you think so? I work here longer than anyone else and I have a university degree! You didnʼt tell me that you have a degree. Two month ago I told you that Iʼm going to get a degree at the end of the month. You should watch after you employees better! I can decide by myself what I should do and what I shouldʼt do and without any helpers who have just got a university degree. .... Well the economy is a little bit different. We have to earn first of all and than pay bigger salaries if you understand what Iʼm talking about. It could be a little bit difficult to bring you up. And I donʼt know what we can do really. I can sell more 30 membership a month instead of 20. Ok. So if you sell 30 member ships next month I will raise your salary. Till you are doing this your salary will be stable. Deal?
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Carter: Dash:

Carter (unsatisfied): Dash:

Ok.

My pleasure.

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Appendix d How dialogue should be done (Knock, knock) Carter: Dash (smiling): Carter: Dash: Carter (smiling): Hello. Do you have a minute? Oh, hi Carter! Of course. Come in. How itʼs going? Itʼs good. How are you? Iʼm fine, thanks. Iʼm was just wondering if we could talk about possibility of me getting a raise. Yeah..yeah...letʼs talk. So you wanna a raise. Why do you think we should pay you more money. I mean you making as much as everyone else. Yes, I understand that but at the same time I more experience than everyone else - I had two more years to addition to most people. And I have a university degree now so I can be paid a little bit more. Well the economy is a little bit different. We have to earn first of all and than pay bigger salaries if you understand what Iʼm talking about. It could be a little bit difficult to bring you up. And I donʼt know what we can do really. Iʼve thinking about if you can dive the raise that I want Iʼll sell 30 member ships per month Hm, you know, thatʼs a good idea. So that will be on top of you 20 that you have been doing on your standard. Than if you can keep that I would give you a raise. Right? Yeah. Ok. So if you sell 30 member ships next month I will raise your salary. Till you are doing this your salary will be stable. Deal? Yes, sounds very good. Thanks, Dash. My pleasure.

Dash:

Carter:

Dash:

Carter: Dash:

Carter: Dash: Carter (smiling): Dash:

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References Alan, C (1998). Conflict resolved?. London: Pinter Reprinted. p60-86
Behfar, K, Peterson, R, Mannix, E, & Trochim, W 2008, 'The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams: A Close Look at the Links Between Conflict Type, Conflict Management Strategies, and Team Outcomes', Journal Of Applied Psychology, 93, 1, pp. 170-188, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 1 December 2012. White, C, & Thornbory, G 2007, 'HOW TO…manage conflict and confrontation', Occupational Health, 59, 11, p. 26, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost, viewed 1 December 2012. Available at http://www.mbanotesworld.in/2009/12/5-stages-of-conflict-process.html accessed on 31 November 2012.

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