Conflict Resolution: A Case Study - Essay Example

 Conflict Resolution: A Case Study Introduction Conflict is a of unresolved differences within an individual, between individuals, between an individual and a group, or between groups. Conflict is neutral; therefore, it is neither bad nor good. The way one responds to conflict is important, as this will determine if they will turn it into a positive factor. Nonetheless, conflict is inevitable even at the workplace. This might occur between co-workers, between subordinate staff and supervisors, and between employees and company customers. Eliminating the relationship is the simplest way to reduce a conflict. However, this is impractical, and therefore, there is need for people to learn how to address conflicts. Thus, conflict management is crucial to both individuals and organizations, since a poorly managed conflict has unpleasant effects on the parties involved, and the company’s reputation and image. This essay therefore, explores a specific conflict between employees in the same workplace, its analysis, and possible resolution. Wilmot and Hocker (1998) describe conflict as a struggle between two or more people, which emanates from incompatibility between the parties. Incompatibility might be in form of beliefs, interests, values, desires, or morals. In a conflict, either party, or all parties might feel offended by the actions of the other party. Depending on the nature of offense, this creates varying degrees of tension between conflicting parties (Wilmot & Hocker 1998). People approach conflict and conflict resolution in different manners. Most believe that conflicts in life bear negative effects only. However, Wilmot and Hocker (1998) note that most of the studies by behavioral scientists indicate that some level of conflict is necessary in a person’s life. Nonetheless, it is impossible for two individuals to share similar values, attitudes, morals, and upbringing. Therefore, each individual has their own perceptions about conflict, thus, each will address conflict differently. While some will avoid a conflict, others will handle it. Therefore, personal and cultural differences influence conflict resolution. The Conflict Stephanie is my friend. She is beautiful, and had just graduated from the university with her first degree. A popular banking company immediately hired her as a graduate management trainee. Being new in her professional, Stephanie’s responsibilities in the company were many, thus, she interacted with many employees from different departments. However, barely a month on the job, one male employee, ‘Lucas,’ started to show interest in Stephanie. Although Lucas did not tell her, Stephanie sensed this, but ignored it, and maintained minimal interaction with Lucas. At the end of the year, the company invited Stephanie to the end of year dinner with other employees. Before the end of the party, Stephanie received a call on her cell, and since it was noisy inside, she went outside to receive the call. However, without Stephanie’s knowledge, a drunk Lucas had slowly followed her outside. After hanging up, Lucas approached Stephanie aggressively and made a sexual advance toward her. Amid the confusion, Stephanie told Lucas off before walking back inside. She picked her clutch bag and informed a few colleagues that she had something important to attend to, then left the dinner party. The next time Stephanie reported to work, she was uncertain about Lucas, as he was a supervisor, though Stephanie did not report to him. She, therefore, thought that Lucas would find ways of firing her, and this made her fearful. However, when Lucas saw Stephanie, he was genuinely apologetic, and regretted his misconduct. With this apology, Stephanie was content, and changed her mind about informing her supervisor about the incident, and thought this would also protect her from negative attention. However, what became annoying to Stephanie is that Lucas apologized for the incident every time he met Stephanie. Stephanie asked him to stop apologizing, but Lucas had persisted. Frustrated, Stephanie decided to share this with a few colleagues. This turned into juicy gossip in the office, which spread fast. When Lucas learnt of this, he confronted Stephanie, threatening to fire her. Since then, Lucas treated Stephanie resentfully, and Stephanie avoided Lucas at all costs. This led Stephanie’s depression, and she started to consider applying for jobs in other companies, since the conflict with Lucas had made her work environment unbearable. Analysis of the Conflict The conflict between Stephanie and Lucas resulted because of the sexual advance, which Lucas made. Although this initially happened between Stephanie and Lucas, in the end, it became a public affair. Wilmot and Hocker (1998) argue that a conflict occurs whenever incompatible activities occur. In this case, Stephanie and Lucas were incompatible. Stephanie resisted Lucas’ advances. Therefore, they had different desires and values. Although conflict is sometimes desirable, this one was undesirable, as it resulted in negative outcomes. However, its undesirability is because of the poor conflict resolution strategies employed by the involved parties, and failure to adopt formal resolution of the conflict. Stephanie handled this conflict in an informal manner. According to Bartunek et al (1992), an informal conflict management is characterized by gossip, passive-aggressive behavior, and strong emotions. Although Lucas made apologies to Stephanie in private, the conflict still found its way into the public sphere. Therefore, the private and informal way of addressing this conflict resulted in negative outcomes. Nonetheless, according to Rowe (1990), employees at the workplace should be provided with both informal and formal options of managing conflicts. Rowe (1990) argues that the aspect of power is crucial in conflict and conflict management. Mostly, the employees with the least power in the workplace are the most harassed. In this conflict, the element of power also plays a role, considering Lucas was a supervisor, while Stephanie was a fresh graduate management trainee. Lucas misused his power when he used coercive power on Stephanie. He threatened to fire Stephanie for ‘dishonoring’ him. Therefore, as a graduate management trainee, Stephanie felt powerless and fearful. This conflict provides an insight into the state of gender inequality in society. Although countries advocate for gender equality, this has not been fully achieved. It is possible to describe Lucas as narcissist; he only thinks about himself, and his desires. He thought that Stephanie would give in to his advances. This assumption was influenced by the male ideology, in which women are viewed as sex objects. According to Connell (1987), women in the West, which is a male-dominated society, are viewed as sex objects, while the same does not apply to men. This situation has not changed, since gender disparities are still existent in society. This conflict therefore, also reveals the disparities in power, which exist between the two genders in society. Stephanie can be described as neutral. She does not reveal her emotions and thoughts to Lucas. When Lucas apologized for the first time, Stephanie simply accepted the apology without telling Lucas how angry she was. Instead, Stephanie secretly felt indignant at Luca’s inappropriate behavior. Although Stephanie was angry at Luca’s actions, she was also cautious of her reputation at work, and this is why she chose not to address the conflict in the formal way. She was interested in preserving her image and keeping her job. She thought bringing up the issue would tarnish her reputation. Furthermore, the fact that Lucas held a higher position in the company made Stephanie afraid that if she raised the issue, Lucas would get away with it, while she would be judged unfairly. Therefore, Stephanie preferred not to report the conflict between her and Lucas, as she did not want to be labeled an attention seeker. From this conflict, it is clear that both Stephanie and Lucas are interested in maintaining their respective power, reputation, and image. If this were not the case, then Lucas would not have apologized to Stephanie, and Stephanie would have reported the issue, and talked openly about it with her colleagues. Initially, Stephanie would have allowed the incident to pass without being noticed by other colleagues. However, the persistence of Lucas in bringing up the issue offended her, and she was compelled to share with a few colleagues. On the other hand, Lucas was offended that Stephanie shared the issue with other colleagues. He even threatened to fire Stephanie. This therefore, shows that both Stephanie and Lucas valued their respect at the workplace. It can also be argued that Lucas insisted on bringing up the issue and apologizing to Stephanie so that Stephanie does not report the issue to her supervisor. Therefore, Lucas can be described as a claimer. By insisting on apologizing, he claims Stephanie’s peace of mind. He also attempted to ‘claim” Stephanie, and this had led to the conflict. Therefore, Lucas comes out as a manipulative person. When Stephanie shares the issue with her colleagues, he manipulates Stephanie by threatening to fire her. Additionally, different issues of ethics are present in this conflict. The persistent apologies of Lucas might be viewed as offensive, while at the same time, one might think that Lucas was being genuinely apologetic. On the other hand, Stephanie might be considered to have acted in an unethical manner, when she fails to let Lucas know that she was offended by his persistence in being apologetic. Instead of confiding in other colleagues, Stephanie would have let Lucas know that she was offended. On the other hand, Lucas acts unethically when he uses his position to manipulate Stephanie about being fired. Stephanie had no financial independence; therefore, losing her job would mean she would lose her sole source of income. Therefore, Lucas relies on this fact to manipulate her. Stephanie avoided the formal redress process, resulting in tension between Stephanie and Lucas, as well as the other colleagues. This anxiety and tension is what presented a negative work environment to Stephanie. In this case, the family systems theory by Murray Bowen could be used to contextualize and analyze this situation. This theory holds that people form an emotional unit such as a family or work group. At the workplace therefore, these are emotionally interdependent. Therefore, the actions of one member of the group might affect the emotions of the other either positively or negatively (Morgaine 2001). Since the act of Lucas offended Stephanie, this led to tension and anxiety in Stephanie, and between her and Lucas, and other colleagues. This conflict was a triangling conflict, since anxiety in the involved parties continued to grow. Lucas became resentful of Stephanie, while she avoided him. This resulted in Stephanie’s decision to look for another job in a different company. Since Stephanie did not look for a formal means of solving this conflict, the conflict persisted. In the Game theory, Covey (2004) addresses two major concepts, which include scarcity mentality and abundance mentality. Abundance mentality is positive and leads people to think of situations in which everybody can win. Therefore, the actions of Lucas in this conflict reflect the scarcity mentality, since he indirectly resented the success of Stephanie. Nonetheless, if Lucas applied the abundance mentality, the conflict would have been solved in harmonious manner, and it would not have resulted in anxiety, as it did. Toward a Resolution of the Conflict The conflict between Stephanie and Lucas destroyed their relationship. However, both are to be blamed for failing to resolve the conflict. Nonetheless, since Stephanie was the aggrieved party in this case, she should have undertaken the greater responsibility of taking a step toward resolving the issue. Therefore, Stephanie had different options through which she could have addressed the conflict. If I were in her position, I would have made use of different approaches, which would have ensured a positive outcome from the conflict. Conflict management is the opportunity for one to improve situations and strengthen relationships (Mayer 2000). This could be proactive or collaborative. Nonetheless, in this case, a better approach would be the collaborative, where both parties are involved. If placed in Stephanie’s position, I would have considered using a rights-based mechanism to address the sexual harassment by Lucas. According to Costantino and Merchant (1996), rights-based mechanisms are founded on principles, rules, and laws. I would also consider using the interest-based mechanism. Either of these two would have helped Stephanie address the issue. However, using the rights-based approach would be a long procedure, which might not lead to a resolution, considering the lack of evidence. In addition, Luca’s sexual advance could be dismissed as not qualifying to be termed as sexual harassment, considering it was a mild act. Furthermore, what disqualifies the rights-based approach is the fact that Lucas did not retaliate, and he apologized. Additionally, the courtroom experience that goes with this approach would result in the publicizing of the issue, thus leading to more anxiety. The interests-based approaches would be more effective in this case. This was a conflict of interest, since each party had varying interests. Stephanie was interested in having a fulfilling job, without any major scandal in the workplace, while Lucas wants to maintain his respect and integrity among his colleagues, which is why he was offended when Stephanie confided in some colleagues. On the other hand, the colleagues of Stephanie and Lucas were affected by this situation, resulting in increased anxiety; and they wish to see the relationship between Lucas and Stephanie bounce back to normal. In order to reduce anxiety among Stephanie, Lucas, and other colleagues, differentiation was necessary. According to Gilbert (1992), differentiation is an individual’s ability to cope with different types of demands in life. This requires the involved people to be flexible in their response and assess the situation in a calm manner in order to come up with the best solutions. Therefore, Stephanie and Lucas would have discussed the incidence that led to the conflict. Additionally, Stephanie should have openly discussed with Lucas and let him know that he was being too intrusive by bringing up the issue every time. This would have avoided the involvement of other colleagues in the conflict. Finally, Lucas and Stephanie would have resolved this conflict through mediation. The mediator would help them to communicate openly, and keep their emotions under control. Mediation would be conducted in a calm environment, which would have reduced the level of anxiety in them, enabling them to open up. Through the mediator, there would be a private discussion, as well as the mediation of disagreements between Stephanie and Lucas. Since the mediator is a neutral party, both Stephanie and Lucas would be asked to give their perspectives of the conflict, and suggest solutions to their conflict. The mediator would help them reach an agreement and resolve the conflict without major negative outcomes, and in privacy. Through mediation, there would be negotiation between Lucas and Stephanie, as a way of conflict resolution. According to Fisher, Ury, and Patton (1991), during negotiations, focusing on interests and not positions is important. Yale (1988) notes that, the problem-solving metaphor is crucial in conflict management, as this helps the parties to focus on the problem and solutions only. Similarly, Walker and Harris (1995) argue that during conflict resolution, there should be no blame games, and the parties must be ready to collaborate. Finally, Mayer (2009) insisted on self-awareness, and argued that one must understand themselves and their personal triggers, in order to address conflicts appropriately. Therefore, adopting all these promotes collaboration and prevents avoidance in addressing a conflict (Blake & Mouton 1970). Double-and-triple troop learning theory might be applied to this conflict. This involves learning and understanding why a person behaves the way they do. In the case of Stephanie and Lucas, after solving their conflict through the mediator, they should explore other highly effective methods of conflict resolution. This is by exploring the root cause of their conflict. This would help them to understand each other in their capacities, and they will have an opportunity to think and act together in a productive manner. Additionally, this will make them to be sensitive to how they behave during their interaction with different people (Romme & Witteloostuijin 1999). Reflections on Conflict, Conflict resolution, and Awareness This case study has been highly insightful to me. First, I have learnt that conflict at the workplace is inevitable, since this is an environment with different people, who do not share cultural backgrounds, values, attitude, morals, and world views. Therefore, it is possible for these to clash basing on these factors, and other personal interests. Additionally, conflict can build or destroy an individual. However, this depends on the way in which the involved parties manage the conflict. If a conflict is solved in the right manner, it will not result in negative consequences. Conversely, I have learnt that if a conflict is solved inappropriately, this leads to negative consequences. Although in the end the conflict might be solved, it will have already caused damage to the involved parties. Nonetheless, avoidance is inappropriate, as it will not solve the conflict, but instead will increase anxiety and tension between the people involved in the conflict. Confronting a conflict and resolving it is wise. Additionally, I have realized that emotions play an important role in the development of a conflict, and in its resolution. Considering the views of Bartunek and Kolb, as well as Murray Bowen, in the family systems theory, it becomes clear that emotions have important consequences in a group of people, and their interactions. When emotions in a conflict rise, and result in anxiety, an individual should know that resolving the conflict is necessary, since increased negative emotions might destroy the individual in different ways. Finally, I have gained knowledge about application of the family systems theory in conflict resolution. The family systems theory enables the resolving of a conflict basing on the aspect of emotions, which links members of a group or family. When a conflict occurs, the emotional chain linking people is cut, therefore resulting in unstable and negative emotions. Therefore, I realize that part of conflict management is managing one’s emotions and engaging in appropriate communication with the others. Self-awareness is also important in conflict management. Additionally, seeking mediation from a mediator is necessary, especially in conflicts occurring in companies with a mediator. This way, the conflict is resolved without causing a fuss and anxiety in the whole company. Works Cited Covey, S 2004, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change,” Revised Edition, Free Press, New York. Fisher, R., Ury, W. & Patton, B 2003, “Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving,” 2nd Ed Random House Business Books Morgaine, C 2001 Family Systems Theory. Viewed 4 May 2013 Bartunek, J.M., Kolb, D.M., Lewicki, R.J 1992, "Bringing Conflict Out From Behind the Scenes,” in Hidden Conflict in Organizations. Bartunek, J.M., Kolb, D.M., (Eds). London: SAGE Publications. Blake, R. & Mouton, S 1970, “The Fifth Achievement,” The Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, 6(4): 413-442. Connell, R.W 1987, “Gender and Power,” Stanford: Stanford University Press. Costantino, C.A. & Merchant, C.S 1996, “Designing Conflict Management Systems,” San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Gilbert, R.M 1992, “Extraordinary Relationships,” Minneapolis: Chronimed Publishing. Mayer, B 2000, “The Dynamics of Conflict Resolution: A Practitioner's Guide,” Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. Mayer, B 2009, “Staying with Conflict: A Strategic Approach to Ongoing Disputes,” Jossey- Bass, San Francisco. 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