Managing Conflict in the text book Group Communication
Completion requirements
Read this text for a somewhat different perspective on managing conflict in the workplace. The text refines the definition of conflict as something that occurs between interdependent people and must be expressed. While we have looked at the causes of conflict, This text examines the dangers of conflict in four ways. As you read through the text, you will learn about the roles leaders can take, such as motivator, delegator, structuralist, and promoter of constructive deviation.
Conflict Styles
Learning Objectives
- List and describe a range of styles which people may use in cases of conflict.
- Distinguish between concern for self and concern for others as elements of conflict styles.
- Assess the nature and value of assertion as an ingredient in conflict.
The hard and strong will fall. The soft and weak will overcome.
- Lao-tzu
If you're a member of a group, you most likely want to minimize futile conflict- conflict that is unlikely to be resolved no matter what you do to address it. You also probably prefer to avoid conflicts which might weaken your group, or those whose nature or outcome is irrelevant to your goals. Once you and the other members of a group recognize that you are involved in a significant conflict whose resolution may make it more likely that you can achieve your goals, you may engage in the conflict via several styles. In this section we'll consider "menus" of styles proposed by three groups of communication authorities.