BUS641: Strategic Negotiations and Conflict Management

Importance of Learning to Manage Conflict

Conflict is not singularly a good or bad thing. When conflict is not managed properly, it can be destructive and ruin relationships by creating negative feelings. This is true not only in the people directly experiencing the conflict, but also in the people observing the conflict or even hearing about the conflict. However, when conflict is properly managed, it can be healthy. Learning to manage conflict is a necessary skill for all aspects of life.

Possible Reasons for Conflict

We are becoming a global society. However, even while we benefit from increasing diversity, our differences create more opportunities for conflict:

• Have you ever heard an older person talk about "what's wrong with the youth of today?"
• Have you heard older folks talk about the lack of a "work ethic" in young people?
• Have your parents ever criticized your hair or clothing?
• How about young people criticizing their elders?
• Ever thought someone older than you was inflexible or rigid?
• Ever thought someone older was out of touch with today?

In today's world, we're working in teams more frequently. There are team dynamics in the classrooms and workplace. Collaboration is happening everywhere. Unfortunately, when people work closely together, conflict can occur more frequently.

When people work closely together, they also get to know each other better. Sometimes when you know people on a more personal basis, some of the things they do get on your nerves, and the next thing you experience is conflict.

Conflict-handling modes

• Avoiding - usually indicates the person who is avoiding is low on the assertiveness scale and low on the cooperativeness scale. That means that the avoider doesn't take care of his/her needs and doesn't really help the other person either. The avoider would prefer to be somewhere else when conflict occurs.

• Accommodating - usually indicates the person who is accommodating is low on the assertiveness scale and is high on the cooperativeness scale. That means that the accommodator doesn't take care of his/her needs but sacrifices personal needs to cooperate and satisfy the other person.

• Competing - usually indicates the person who is competing is high on the assertiveness scale and is low on the cooperativeness scale. That means that the competitor takes care of his/her needs first. The competitor cares very little for the needs of others. The competitor does not try to cooperate, therefore is low on the cooperativeness scale.

• Compromising - usually indicates the person who is compromising is at the mid-point on the assertiveness scale and is at the mid-point on the cooperativeness scale. That means that the compromiser tries to take care of his/her needs as well as the needs of others. The compromiser does try to cooperate, but not at his/her personal expense, therefore the location at the mid-point on the cooperativeness scale.

• Collaborating - usually indicates the person who is collaborating is high on the assertiveness scale and high on the cooperativeness scale. The collaborator takes care of his/her needs as well as the needs of others without compromising, or giving something up. The collaborator seeks to understand where the other person is coming from and seeks to arrive at a win-win situation, where neither party loses anything. Collaboration is the best way to manage conflict as well as being the most time-consuming.