Human Psychology: Conflict Resolution Theory

Evaluate the suitability of different methods of conflict management in different situations

Every situation will call for a different method of resolution. Conflict is such a hard thing to manage in a work scenario but you have to try to resolve these situations in an efficient manner so that team members can get on with their work and work alongside with others.

Prevention. Preventive conflict management is related to peaceful conflict prevention. All this is aimed at preventing a short-term escalation of the conflict. For example, as a manager, you may have noticed some tension between two employees when one complains about the other's inefficiency. By talking to both parties, I can provide coaching or mentoring for the underperforming employee, and for the other, I can encourage them to talk to the employee and teach them how to mentor others so they can use their skills learned with that employee.

Non-intervention – Non-intervention conflict management is essentially ‘not getting involved.’ When a staff member is underperforming, this type of conflict management would result in the employer ignoring the behaviour as they perhaps do not feel comfortable giving the employee feedback or criticism. This type of conflict management could be used in trivial conflict where the problem is very small however I personally do not think that this is a good method of conflict management as the problems could escalate and turn into a problem much larger and harder to deal with.

Collaborative Resolution − This style of conflict management refers to a work environment where employees feel they can collaborate and collaborate. This method of conflict resolution is the most beneficial as it not only encourages team members to talk about their conflicts and problems they may have, but also to work together to overcome the problem. It is best if the team members themselves develop the skills needed to resolve conflicts without the intervention of management, which can be done through training. This style is best applied in situations of controlled conflict. Employees are able to speak for themselves and calmly and professionally discuss emerging problems and overcome them together.

Active resolution – The last style of conflict management is active resolution. It is similar to participative resolution and can be done through active listening. This is the art of attentively listening to someone, giving feedback as you listen and restating the issues as they are said. This can be used for serious conflict and it is important that if it is a public issue that it is addressed but firmly stated that it will be talked about in a private meeting. It may even need a mediator in the meeting to ensure that both parties and listening to one another and talking one at a time rather than leading to an argument and escalating matters.

Describe the personal skills needed to deal with conflict between other people

In order to perform conflict resolution, you need to have certain skills. The people that you are working with need to feel that they are in a safe space to be able to communicate their needs to the other person and also that they can safely have their say. Some of the skills needed are:

• You need to have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations and know when the situation is getting too heated. Having the ability to remain calm means that you can read the non-verbal cues that either party may be exhibiting.
• Another skill you need is to be non-biased. If you are already more on someone else’s side then you run the risk of not giving the other party the opportunity to have their say or devalue their opinion
• Communication skills are an invaluable skill as they are needed to speak to both sides. Respect when speaking is important as it is vital for both sides to feel like they are able to speak. It is also important to remind both sides to stay calm and politely put their point across.
• Similar to communication skills, being a good listener is also vital. You need to be empathetic and listen to both sides so that you can take notes and used what you have gathered to provide a compromise or solution for everyone involved.
• Being rational is a good personal skill to have as well as conflict resolution can get quite heated. In situations like this you need to be strong yet also polite and calm everyone down and remind them that they are in a workplace setting and that arguing and shouting is not beneficial to anyone.

Analyse the potential consequences of unresolved conflict within a team

Unresolved conflict can cause a lot of problems in a team. It can cause a huge rift between team members which then leads of low morale within the team. Even those who are not involved in conflict can often feel the tension and feel uneasy working around these people. This then also leads to decreased productivity especially if the work involved requires working together as a team.

This conflict can also play a role in regards to personnel and job care. We want the team to be at ease and happy at their jobs, so if they're worried about meeting overt characters or worried about what others might think, they won't be in the right place to work. It can also lead to conflict prevention and therefore can cause an interruption that employees call sick people to avoid the situation. Staff turnover may also be affected during this time. Similar to situations involving multiple employees, it is possible to completely avoid and feel unsafe or unhappy when you come to work.

Grievances could also be increased as a result. Employees may find reasons for starting grievances against others as a result of the unresolved conflict in order to ‘get back’ at them. This can cause a huge issue within the company and lead to lots of money and time spent on human resources training and meditation.

Explain the role of external arbitration and conciliation in conflict resolution

External arbitration and conciliation can be used in extreme and serious cases of conflict resolution. It is usually used when a compromise is unable to be made either because one or both parties cannot reach an agreement or in cases where those involved need a third party instead.

Conciliation is when a professional third party volunteers to help disputes. 'Industrial Relations Officer' as an impartial superior, assisting in discussions and negotiations when disputes cannot be resolved in the workplace on their own. The most common IRO fees are disputes over compensation or working conditions, disciplinary action, or company restructuring. The role of the IRO is to meet with both discovered, to discover and collaboratively collect information and search for discovered or discovered for all participants. In order to start the reconciliation process, both parties must pay special attention to the Labor Relations Commission. If that doesn't work, it could resort to an external police department.

External arbitration is when the parties to a dispute present arguments and evidence to an arbitrator. If both parties have met with a mediator and are still unable to resolve the issue, arbitration may be required. Collective arbitration is used to resolve disputes between an employer and a group of its employees. This is a private alternative to going to a state court and may be free or paid depending on the company. It is provided by an arbitrator who again hears both parties and considers a settlement for both parties on agreed terms. However, before this process can begin, they must both agree to accept the arbitrator's decision. They will then make a decision in writing, and once that happens, neither party can go to court to change the decision. It is not legally binding, but honorable. Individual arbitration is similar, but for disputes between an employer and one employee. Acas is an example of a company offering arbitration.

The role of both of these services is vital for workplace conflict. It can avoid the permanent breaking down of relationships within the workplace and also helps to improve communication. Sometimes disputes can be seen as ‘unimportant’ and having a third party to explain both sides clearly can help those involved see that this is an issue for everyone. It also hugely helps to have a completely external, impartial arbitrator or conciliator who doesn’t have any prior knowledge or opinion on the matter.

Explain how team member’s personalities and cultural backgrounds may give rise to conflict

In the 1970’s a group of psychologist came to the conclusion that generally people fall into two basic categories of personality; Type A and Type B.

Type A personality is generally described as someone who is more easily prone to becoming stressed and anxious which means they are more prone to being involved in conflict situations with others.

Type B personality is more laid back and relaxed which means they are less likely to become involved in conflict situations.

Naturally, there are a whole other host of personality traits that can also lead to being involved in conflict situations or not but using this as a very basic rule can help to identify when staff could potential become involved and keep an eye on their workplace relationships. Difficult personalities can’t be avoided and can come across as rude or harshly spoken. When dealing with somebody like this against someone who is very timid and shy, things can be taken the wrong way which can cause conflict.

Cultural backgrounds can also have an impact on conflict. Unfortunately sometimes staff members may be prejudice to those from different backgrounds which ultimately can cause conflict. Having an understanding of other cultures and respect enables staff members to work better together.

Explain the importance of engaging team member’s support for the agreed actions

When attempting to resolve conflict it is vital that everyone involved is willing to try to work towards a positive ending. This is why it is important for everyone to be involved during the mediation process so that they can have their say and input and then it is over. It also eliminates the possibility of either party being unhappy with the verdict as they both had the opportunity.

Staff morale is important in the workplace and so this can be improved by making sure that all staff are involved in the decision making process. The agreed actions can clearly state what each party has each agreed to. If it is in writing neither one can dispute any claims against it either so hopefully no further conflict will arise.