Timothy L Whitney

November 20, 2014

Organizational Behavior
Conflict Resolution

In a perfect world everyone would get along, but in the real world that is
rarely the case. Businesses are composed of different people who each have
different goals and different personalities. Because of these differences there will
be situations where conflict will arise. The old saying that it is impossible to keep
all the people happy at the same time is true. No matter how well a manager runs a
business it is impossible to completely avoid all conflict. A good manager needs to
be aware not only of how to avoid conflict, but how to manage it when it occurs.
Conflict is defined as a serious disagreement or argument, typically a
protracted one or to be incompatible or at variance with, to clash. It usually
occurs when one person believes that another has done something wrong. It is
reported that approximately twenty percent of a managers time is spent dealing
with conflicts and their effects between co-workers.
The causes are conflict can come from a variety of different reasons. Some
can be basic personality clashes, but they can start over unclear or unrealistic job
expectations to communication breakdowns. Some other causes of conflict are:

o Grudges- When one person feels that they have been wronged and cannot let
it go. Instead of moving on they decide that it is necessary to get even with
the person that they think wronged them.
o Destructive criticism- Everyone will get feedback on the job that they
perform. When this feedback is offered in a constructive way, one that
offers the person a way to improve their performance, it is less likely to
cause conflict. Some people do not offer constructive criticism and instead
tend to be critical and this can lead the person on the receiving end to feel
picked on. This can lead to conflict.
o Distrust- If someone believes that another person is not acting in their best
interest or is out to do them harm, conflict is likely to arise.
o Competition- If two co-workers are in competition over something that is in
short supply conflict will arise. If there is plenty to go around then there is
more likely to be a friendly rivalry, but if there is only one of something and
five people want it then it is likely that all the people in the group are going
to resent one another.
No matter the cause of the conflict none comes without consequences.
These consequences can be both negative and positive. Negative consequences
can range from workplace violence to just a stressful environment in which
people are not able to be productive. While negative consequences are more

likely to occur from conflict positive consequences can also be the product of
the problem if the resolution found in the correct way.
There are several techniques that are used to manage conflict in an
organization. The best technique is subjective. The success depends largely on
how comfortable and how knowledgeable that the person is who is using it.
Any conflict resolution is dependent upon problem solving. In order to solve a
problem people must confront the problem, remove the cause of the problem,
and move on from it. The most used techniques are bargaining and third-party
negotiations.
Bargaining is defined as negotiate the terms and conditions of a transaction:
or to part with something after negotiation but get little or nothing in return.
For bargaining to work one or both parties must be willing to give a little. For
everyone to be satisfied with the result of bargaining each side must feel that
they have won. Some effective strategies for finding solutions where
everyone is a winner are:
o Avoid making unreasonable offers. Dont make offers that are weighted
either to low or too high. A good manager wants to make sure that each
side of a conflict knows that you respect their position and are trying to
find a resolution.

o Find a common ground, something both parties can agree on. This may
not be easy, but it is necessary.
o Consider more than one issue.
o Find out what the real issue is. Many times people will be in conflict
over an issue that is not the actual source of the conflict. Sometimes it is
necessary to dig deeper to find the real root of the problem so that it can
be resolve and not just patched over until it arises again.
Third party resolution is when two parties are unable to come to a
resolution it is sometimes necessary to bring in a neutral third party.
Mediation is the most commonly used form of third-party intervention.
Mediators have no formal power to impose an agreement on the parties
involved. They are basically just there to help both sides find a mutually
acceptable agreement.
Arbitration is another third-party technique. The difference between
mediators and arbitrators is that arbitrators do have the power to enforce the
agreements. In binding arbitrations each side must agree in advance and in
voluntary each sides can reject the agreement.
Running a business is complicated and time consuming. Balancing
budgets and ordering inventory are only a few of the things that consume a
managers time. When the human feelings are factored into the equation then

complications arise. It is necessary to have effective problem solving

techniques available to handle them.