Definition of terms.
Conflict resolution is
conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the
peaceful ending of conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve
group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting
motives or ideologies to the rest of the group (e.g., intentions; reasons for
holding certain beliefs), and by engaging in collective negotiation.[1]
Ultimately, a wide range of methods and procedures for addressing conflict
exist, including but not limited to, negotiation, mediation, diplomacy, and
creative peace building.
Conflict is to come
into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in
opposition; clash: The account of one eyewitness conflicted with that of the
other. My class conflicts with my going to the concert; sometimes conflict is
said as to fight or contend; do battle or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle;
strife.
Also conflict is said to be a controversy;
quarrel between two or more parties, a discord of action, feeling, or effect;
antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles, a striking together;
collision.Sometimes is said as anincompatibility or interference, as of one
idea, desire, event, or activity with another.
The term conflict
resolution may also be used interchangeably with dispute resolution, where
arbitration and litigation processes are critically involved. Furthermore, the concept
of conflict resolution can be thought to encompass the use of nonviolent
resistance measures by conflicted parties in an attempt to promote effective
resolution.
For examples of large-scale civil resistance
campaigns, see Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experience of
Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present. [2] Conflict resolution as an
academic field is relatively new. George Mason University in Fairfax, VA was
the first university to offer a PhD programonflict management refers to the
long-term management of intractable conflicts. It is the label for the variety
of ways by which people handle grievances—standing up for what they consider to
be right and against what they consider to be wrong. Those ways include such
diverse phenomena as gossip, ridicule, lynching, terrorism, warfare, feuding,
genocide, law, mediation, and avoidance.[citation needed] Which forms of
conflict management will be used in any given situation can be somewhat
predicted and explained by the social structure—or social geometry—of the case.
Conflict is a state of opposition between ideas, interests, disagreement or
controversy, a clash, as between two appointments made for the same time.
Conflict might be psychol opposition between two simultaneous but incompatible
wishes or drives, sometimes leading to a state of emotional tension and thought
to be responsible for neuroses, a struggle or clash between opposing forces;
battle
When angry, separate
yourself
If from the situation
and
Take time to cool out.
Attack the problem,
not the person. Start with a compliment a problem with Samuel, then maybe Joe is
the problem. Is conflict a frequent part of many ofyour relationships? Perhaps
it’s time to take alook in the mirror and see if your actions orattitudes are
the cause of the recurring conflict.
7. Don’t overreact.
When conflict arises,
it’s important to keep it in perspective and react appropriately. How big ofan
issue is it, really? Does your reaction match it in intensity? If not, then you
might be responding to an underlying issue or something from your past. I
believe that when my response is more intense than the issue at hand, then my
response is often about something else. That’s something I need to resolve with
myself.
8. Don’t become
defensive.
Contrary to how it
makes us feel, most conflict is not directly about us. Instead, it’s a problem
to be solved by two or more people. Avoid the blame game, and you’ll have a
clearer head for approaching the problem logically.
9. Welcome the
conflict.
In spite of our best
efforts, we will all have conflict with other people, because they’re not just like
us. They have different personalities, beliefs, and desires, so there will be
disagreements andmisunderstandings. Rather than running from conflict, or
reacting with horror when it comes up, focus on resolving it together and
making it a learning experience. It’s been said that conflict can give you
either ulcers or understanding.
10. Take a risk.
This is the hardest
part. When faced with the potential for conflict, we may be tempted to
disconnect and distrust. We think that will avoid pain. But the reality is that
everyone in relationship gets hurt. I made the decision a long time ago that I
would rather risk being hurt than keep people at a distance. So I choose every
day to be vulnerable with others, to believe the best about them, and trust
them.
Conflict is an
inevitable part of life. And these Ten Commandments aren’t all that can be said
about handling it. But following them will help you approach conflict in a
healthy and constructive way, setting the stage to work together to find a
resolution that allows both of you to win.
Business
Business Management
Managing Employees
Importance of Solving Workplace Conflict
Importance of Solving
Workplace Conflict
By Arnold Anderson,
eHow Contributor
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Importance of Solving Workplace
Conflict thumbnail
Workplace conflict can
have several damaging effects.
Workplace conflict can
begin between two individuals, but if it is not dealt with immediately then it
can erupt into an office-wide problem. The efficient way to deal with workplace
conflict is to immediately attempt a cooperative resolution before it gets out
of hand, according to the University of Colorado at Boulder Student Affairs
website. Every employer needs to recognize the importance of solving workplace
conflict and have policies in place to address the situation.
Other People Are
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Types of Conflict in the Workplace
Definition of Conflict in the Workplace
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Employee Attendance
Workplace conflict can add stress to
your staff that can result in short and long-term employee attendance issues,
according to the Centre for Conflict Resolution website. The short-term effects
include repeated work absences that can have a negative effect on productivity.
The company is also forced to absorb the costs of unscheduled absences, which
can include hiring a temporary replacement and an increase in damaged or
low-quality products. The long-term effects of stress due to workplace conflict
can be health issues that would not only cost your company money in disability
payments, but also prevent valued employees from being able to do their jobs.
Collaboration
One of the strengths of having a
workforce is that multiple points of view can create multiple options when
dealing with company issues, according to the Mind Tools website. When there is
conflict working its way through the workplace, that sense of collaboration
starts to fall away, and the good ideas that kept your company ahead of the
competition start to diminish. Solving conflict keeps the ideas flowing and
helps your company to develop efficient ways to address the issues in the
marketplace.
Retention
If your company is inefficient at
dealing with workplace conflict, then the tense workplace atmosphere that
creates will make it difficult to retain good employees. When employees are
forced to attend to conflict that is counter-productive, they begin to develop
a negative view of the company. Not only does it interfere with your ability to
retain employees, but it also prevents your current employees from referring
qualified people to work for your company.
Lawsuits
Conflict, when left unresolved, can
escalate into issues that will lead to lawsuits. One party that feels harassed
may decide to sue the harassing employee and the company. Prolonged conflict
can also result in incidents of workplace violence, according to the Centre for
Conflict Resolution website. If your company does not work to prevent workplace
conflict, then the company can be to blame for the violence that results. That
could lead to having to settle on expensive lawsuits from employees who were
victims of workplace violence.The Cost of Conflict
Conflict is defined as
a difference of wants, needs, or expectations. The workplace is filled with
people who have differences of wants, needs, and expectations. So, of course,
conflicts will occur. These conflicts can be an asset to the organization. They
may be opportunities for creativity, collaboration, and improvement.
But conflict can also
be costly to an organization. The trouble isn't necessarily the fact that
conflict exists. It's how we deal with those conflicts or what happens when
they aren't resolved. The impact of conflict in the workplace can be
devastating - to the parties involved, to colleagues and teams, to clients, and
to the business as a whole. Some of the results of unresolved conflict in the
workplace include:
Stress, frustration, and anxiety
Loss of sleep
Strained relationships
Grievances and litigation
Presenteeism
Employee turnover
Loss of productivity
Increased client complaints
Absenteeism
Sabotage
Injury and accidents
Disability claims
Sick leave
symptoms of unresolved
conflict are a significant cost factor in organizations. Take a look at some of
the facts and figures below. How much is conflict costing your organization?
Mental Health / Stress
"Unresolved
conflict represents the largest reducible cost in many businesses, yet it
remains largely unrecognized." (Dana, Daniel (1999). Measuring the
Financial Cost of Organizational Conflict. MTI Publications and Slaikev, K. and
Hasson, R. (1998). Controlling the Cost of Conflict. Jossey-Bass)
"Employees in
high pressure/low control situations or high effort/low reward situations have
much greater risks to their physical and mental well being. (Tangri, Ravi,
Stress Costs - Stress Cures: How to recover productivity lost to stress, 2003.)
"The number of
employees seeking help for work-related conflict has increased from 23 percent
in 1999 to close to 30 percent in 2001." (WarrenShepel, Workplace Trends
Linked to Mental Health Crisis in Canada, 2002)
A 2005 UK survey by
Roffey Park found that "78% of managers are suffering from work-related
stress, 52% have experienced harassment, 46% have seen an increase in conflict
at work." (Roffey Park [online], Failure to manage change heightens
stress, harassment and conflict at work, survey reveals, Jan. 05)
"The total value
of lost work time due to stress is estimated to be $1.7 billion. (WarrenShepel
[online], Health & Wellness Research Database, 2005)
"Employees who
rate their managers as "sensitive" miss an estimated 3.7 days of
work, wheras employees whose managers are rates as "non-sensitive"
miss approximately 6.2 days of work. (MacBriade-King, J.L., and Bachmann, K.
Solutions for the stressed-out worker. The Conference Board of Canada,1999)
An estimated 16% of
employees feel that poor interpersonal relations are a source of stress at
work. (WarrenShepel [online],Health& Wellness Research Database, 2005)
Grievances/Litigation
"The number of
employees seeking help for harassment has almost tripled from 1999 to
2001." (WarrenShepel [online], Health & Wellness Research Database,
2005)
"The math isn't
complicated. A complaint that escalates to a lawsuit can easily cost $50 000 to
$100 000 and take three to five years to settle. It doesn't stop there.
(Taylor, Robin,Workplace tiffs boosting demand for mediators. National Post
Mar. 17/03)
"In the case of
harassment, the number of employees seeking help almost tripled between 1999
and 2001. Add absenteeism, employee theft, sabotage, not to mention the cost of
employee turnover (estimated to be as much as 75% to 150% of base salary) and
it is understandable why companies are paying attention."(Taylor,
Robin,Workplace tiffs boosting demand for mediators. National Post Mar. 17/03)
A 2005 UK survey of
managers by Roffey Park found that "52% have experienced harassment."
(Roffey Park [online], Failure to manage change heightens stress, harassment
and conflict at work, survey reveals, Jan. 05)
"Sexual
harassment is associated with more conflict in work teams, less cohesion and
less success in meeting financial goals, " (Kleiman, Carol, Harrassment
bad for bottom line, study finds. The Ottawa Citizen: Wednesday Sept. 7/05)
"According to a
nationwide study, the average jury verdict in wrongful termination cases is
over $600 00 and companies lose 64% of the cases." (Bureau of National
Affairs, Without Just Cause: An Employer's Practical Guide on Wrongful
Discharge, 1998)
In the United States
an average of 2 years are required for the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission to investigate most claims. (Busch, R II, The Conundrum: Conflict -
The Solution: Designing Effective Conflict Management Systems, 16 Preventative
L. Rep. 1997)
"Corporations
that have developed collaborative conflict management systems report
significant litigation cost savings: Brown and Root reported and 80% reduction
in outside litigation costs, Motorola reported a 75% reduction over a period of
six years, NCR reported a 50% reduction and a drop of pending lawsuits from 263
in 1984 to 28 in 1993" (Ford, John, Workplace Conflict: Facts and Figures,
[online] Mediate.com website, July 2000)
Presenteeism
"Another set of
problems may occur when employees with high intent to turnover do not leave the
organization. Such employees tend to have lower commitment, be more dissatisfied
with their jobs and reduce morale in the area in which they work. Many such
employees" retire on the job" (ie. Do not do their share of the work)
which causes workload problems for others in their area." (Duxbury &
Higgins, Work-Life Conflict in Canada in the New Millenium: A status Report,
2003]
"The rate of
'presenteesim' is estimated to be as much as three time higher than
absenteeism."(WarrenShepel [online], Health & Wellness Research
Database, 2005)
Employee loss /
turnover
"Chronic
unresolved conflict acts as a decisive factor in at least 50% of departures.
Conflict accounts for up to 90% of involuntary departures, with the possible
exception of staff reductions due to downsizing and restructuring." (Dana,
Dan, [online] The Dana Measure of Financial Cost of Organizational Conflict,
2001)
"No matter what
the cause, turnover has a number of undesirable implications for organizations,
including the costs of losing an experienced worker, recruiting and retraining
a successor (retraining is estimated to cost 1.5 times the employee's annual
salary), the lower productivity of a new worker, and secondary morale effects
on managers, peers and subordinates." (Duxbury & Higgins, Work-Life
Conflict in Canada in the New Millenium: A status Report, 2003)
The turnover costs for
an employee is anywhere between 75% and 150% of the annual salary. (Phillips,
D.T. The Price Tag of Turnover. Personnel Journal, Dec. 1990, at p 58, 1990)
"A team-member's
commitment to the team and the team mission can decrease if intra-team conflict
remains unresolved. ...if unhealthy conflict goes unresolved for too long, team
members are likely to leave the company or use valuable time to search for
alternatives." (Barnes-Slater, Synthia and Ford, John,[online] MGH
Consulting,Measuring Conflict: Both The Hidden Costs and the Benefits of
Cofnlict Management Interventions, LawMemo.com, 2005)
Loss of
Productivity/Wasted Time
"Tension and
stress reduce motivation and disturb concentration. A loss of simple
productivity of 25% (doing things other than work related activities, such as
discussing the dispute, playing computer games, finding reasons to get out of
the area) reduces an average work week to fewer than 20 hours...)" (Cram,
James A. and MacWilliams, Richard K.[online] The Cost of Conflict in the
Workplace, Cramby River Consultants, date unknown)
42% of a Manager's
Time is spent addressing conflict in the workplace. (Watson, C & Hoffman,
R, Managers as Negotiators, Leadership Quarterly 7(1), 1996)
"I've had CEOs
and senior vice presidents tell me they can spend up to 70% of their time on
conflict..." (Taylor, Robin,Workplace tiffs boosting demand for mediators.
National Post Mar. 17/03)
"Fortune 500
Senior Executives spend 20% of their time in litigation related
activities." (Levine, Stewart, The Many Costs of Conflict, Mediate.com
website, 1998)
"Over 65% of
performance problems result from strained relationships between employees, not
from deficits in individual employee's skill or motivation." (Dana, Dan,
[online] The Dana Measure of Financial Cost of Organizational Conflict, 2001)
Up to 30% of a typical
managers time is spent dealing with conflict. (Thomas, K and Schmidt, W. A
survey of managerial interests with respect to conflict. Academy of Management
Journal, June 1976.)
A 1996 study
demonstrated that 42% of a manager's time is spent on conflict related
negotiations. (Watson, C and Hoffman, R, Managers as Negotiators, Leadership
Quarterly 7 (1) 1996.)
Absenteeism
In a study of 50 000
Canadian employees nationwide Health Canada found that "the greater the
number of sources of stress reported in the social environment at work, the
greater the likelihood of reporting more than 10 days off as a result of ill
health."(Health Canada, Workplace Health System, no.3, 1998)
"Employees who
report the following sources of stress are more likely than others to be absent
for six or more days...interpersonal relations; job control; and management
practices" (Health Canada, Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research
Institute. Workplace Health System, no.3.1998)
The cost of employee
absence alone [in Canada] is approximately $8.6 billion. (The Health
Communication Unit [online], The Case for Comprehensive Workplace health
Promotion: Making "Cents" of a Good Idea, date unknown)
Other consequences of
increased conflict-related stresses include greater incidence of substance
abuse, heart problems, back problems, cancers, mental health problems, greater
incidence of workplace injury and much higher incidence of interpersonal
conflict. (Health Canada, Best Advice on Stress Risk Management in the
Workplace, 2000).
"Bullied
employees take, on average, seven days per year more sick leave than
others." (Knight, Julian, Bullied workers suffer 'battle stress". BBC
News Online, Tuesday Aug. 04)
Sabotage
"Studies reveal a
direct correlation between prevalence of employee conflict and the amount of
damage and theft of inventory and equipment. And, covert sabotage of work
processes and of management's efforts usually occurs when employees are angry
at their employer." (Dana, Dan, [online] The Dana Measure of Financial
Cost of Organizational Conflict, 2001)
Physical Injury /
Accidents
"There is
increasing evidence that psychosocial factors relating to the job and work
environment play a role in the development of work-related musculoskeletal
disorder of the upper extremity and back." (Musculoskeletal Disorders and
Workplace Factors: A Critical Review of Epidemiologic Evidence for Work-Related
musculoskeletal Disorders of the Neck, Upper Extremity, and Low Back, National
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, July 1992)
"It is accepted
and proven that errors lead to accidents and that stress can lead to errors. It
follows logically, therefore, that stress must also contribute to accident
causation." (Nguyen, Lieu, Bibbings, Roger, Exploring the links between
stress and accidents in the workplace: a literature review. Journal of the
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol. 6(2) December 2002 p.9-20)
Disability Costs
"...depression
and high stress were found to have the greatest impact on worker health care
costs., increasing these costs more than obesity, smoking or high blood
pressure. In fact, these cost were 46% higher for workers who felt they were
under a lot of stress." (The Health Communication Unit [online], The Case
for Comprehensive Workplace health Promotion: Making "Cents" of a
Good Idea, date unknown.)
"Workplace stress
and work-related conflict are among the top eight reasons why employees request
counseling assistance." (Warren Shepel, Workplace Trends Linked to Mental
Health Crisis in Canada, 2002)
"Job stress is a
key driver of health care costs. According to the Journal of Occupational
Environmental Medicine, health care expenditures are nearly 50 percent greater
for workers reporting high levels of stress."(Corbitt Clark, Mary,
[online], The Cost of Job Stress, mediate.com)
Workplace Violence /
Bullying
"There is a
drastic increase in the severity of work-related issues with workplace violence
and work-related conflict contributing the greatest increases." (Warren
Shepel, Workplace Trends Linked to Mental Health Crisis in Canada, 2002)
"Dr. Tehrani
conducted a study of 165 professionals in the caring sector such as nurses and
social workers. Dr. Tehrani found that 36% of the men and 42% of the women
reported having experienced bullying."(Knight, Julian, Bullied workers
suffer 'battle stress". BBC News Online, Tuesday Aug. 04)
Community/Family Harm
"Conflict is a
good example of how harm can be produced in the workplace and of how this harm
"spills over" into families and communities." Such harm includes
both inner-directed harm (suicidal behavior, recklessness, agitated depression
and abuse of alcohol, drugs) and outer-directed expressions (threatening
behaviour, emotional and/or verbal abuse, bullying, harassment, assault,
domestic violence, road rage). (Health Canada, Best Advice on Stress Risk
Management in the Workplace, 2000, pp 15-16.)Effects of conflict
The result of conflict
is not always negative; it gives a positive effect as well.
Positive effect
A conflict gives
positive effects if it is handled constructively. They are:
· Positive change in
the society
· Opportunity for
newer possibilities
· Renewal in
relationships
· Increase in
productivity of all sectors
These effects of
conflict will bring positive change that will aid in the development of the
society.
Negative effect
The effects of
conflict will be negative if proper conflict management is not done. The
negative effects are:
· Increase in stress
in people
· Decrease in
production
Participation for
Social Harmony (UJYALO) Program 3
· Degradation in
relationships and worsening cooperation.
· Restricted areas
increase
· Increase in the
possibilities of violent conflict
These negative effects
of conflict can lead to disintegration. So, importance must begiven to timely
interventions to resolve conflict.
References;
Augsburger, D. (1992).
Conflict mediation across cultures. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster / John
Knox Press.
Bannon, I. & Paul
Collier (Eds.). (2003). Natural resources and violent conflict: Options and
actions. Washington, D.C: The World Bank.
Ury, F. & Rodger
Fisher. (1981). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. New
York, NY: Penguin Group.
Wilmot,W.
&JouyceHocker. (2007). Interpersonal conflict. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Companies.
Bercovitch, Jacob and
Jackson, Richard. 2009. Conflict Resolution in the Twenty-first Century:
Principles, Methods, and Approaches. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor.
de Waal, Frans B. M.
and Angeline van Roosmalen. 1979. Reconciliation and consolation among
chimpanzees. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 5: 55–66. de Waal, Frans B. M.
1989. Peacemaking Among Primates. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Judge, Peter G. and Frans B. M. de Waal.
1993. Conflict avoidance among rhesus monkeys: coping with short-term crowding.
Animal Behaviour 46: 221–232
Veenema, Hans et al.
1994. Methodological improvements for the study of reconciliation. Behavioural
Processes 31:29–38. de Waal, Frans B. M. and FilippoAureli. 1996. Consolation,
reconciliation, and a possible cognitive difference between macaques and
chimpanzees. Reaching into thought: The minds of the great apes (Eds. Anne E.
Russon, Kim A. Bard, Sue Taylor Parker), Cambridge University Press, New York,
NY: 80–110.Aureli, Filippo. 1997. Post-conflict anxiety in non-human primates:
the mediating role of emotion in conflict resolution. Aggressive Behavior 23:
315–328.
Castles, Duncan L.
and Andrew Whiten. 1998. Post-conflict behaviour of wild olive baboons, I.
Reconciliation, redirection, and consolation. Ethology 104: 126–147.
Hicks, Donna. 2011. Dignity: The Essential
Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict. Yale University Press
Silk, Joan B. 2002. The form and function
of reconciliation in primates. Annual Review of Anthropology 31: 21–44.
Weaver, Ann and Frans B. M. de Waal. 2003.
The mother-offspring relationship as a template in social development:
reconciliation in captive brown capuchins (Cebusapella). Journal of Comparative
Psychology 117: 101–110. Palagi, Elisabetta et al. 2004. Reconciliation and
consolation in captive bonobos (Pan paniscus). American Journal of Primatology
62: 15–30.Palagi, Elisabetta et al. 2005. Aggression and reconciliation in two
captive groups of Lemur catta. International Journal of Primatology 26:
279–294. Lorenzen, Michael. 2006. Conflict Resolution and Academic Library
Instruction. LOEX Quarterly 33, no. ½,: 6–9, 11.Winslade, John & Monk,
Gerald. 2000. Narrative Mediation: A New Approach to Conflict Resolution.
Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco.Bar-Siman-Tov, Yaacov (Ed.) (2004). From
Conflict Resolution to Reconciliation. Oxford University Press Tesler, Pauline.
2001, 2008. Collaborative Law: Achieving Effective Resolution in Divorce
without Litigation (American Bar Association).Tesler, Pauline and Thompson,
Peggy. 2006. Collaborative Divorce: TheKellett, Peter M. (2007). Conflict
Dialogue. London: Sage Publications. ISBN 1-4129-0930-91.aThe word conflict
comes from Latin conflictus, which means toconflīgere to combat, from flīgere
to strike.
Conflict is a state of
opposition between ideas, interests, etc; disagreement or controversy, a clash,
as between two appointments made for the same time. Conflict might be psychol opposition
between two simultaneous but incompatible wishes or drives, sometimes leading
to a state of emotional tension and thought to be responsible for neuroses, astruggle
or clash between opposing forces; battle
When angry, separate
yourself, lf from the situation andtake time to cool out.
•Attack the problem,
not the person. Start with a compliment.
•Do not review the
situationas a competition, where onehas to win and one has tolose. Work toward
a solution where bothparties can have some of their needs me. Focus on areas of
common interestand agreement, instead of areas ofdisagreement and opposition.
NEVER jump to
conclusions ormake assumptions about what another is feeling orthinking.
Listen without
interrupting; ask for feedback if needed to assure a clearunderstanding of the
issue.Remember, when only one person’s needs are satisfied ina conflict, it is
NOTresolved and will continue.
Forget the past and
stay in the present.
Build ‘power with’ NOT‘power
over’ others.Thank the personfor listening.
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