Conflict Management

When there is more than one individual in a particular place, there is always high chances that conflict may arise. For effective utilization of conflict resolution strategies, it mainly depends on one’s ability and skills that relate to conflict styles and resolution. Research has shown many ways that could be used to respond to conflict cases; where some of the conflict styles may involve a considerate or cooperative approach and other may be competitive or passive approach (Rahim, 2001). Thus, the main aim of this paper is to address the various conflict management styles under different given situations.

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My primary conflict management style is compromising style. Under this type of style, a lot of courage, assertiveness, and cooperation is required from the parties concerned. In addition, compromising involves ideally working with the other person in order to find a common solution that fully satisfies and addresses concerns of both parties. Basically, the style involves looking at an issue in order to evaluate the common interests that both parties lay concern on, disregarding the differences and finding a middle ground to address a particular problem (Rahim, 2001).

In addition, the parties involved strives to ensure that a settlement is reached, which is important to prevent any further conflict from occurring. Therefore, compromising style could be best address interpersonal conflict, which is a conflict that occurs between two people. This could be as a result of different personalities, choices, preferences, and emotions that people have. On the other hand, collaborating style can prove to be ineffective in a case that involves intrapersonal conflict. This is due to the fact that interpersonal conflict is a problem affecting an individual, while the conflict management style in this case (compromising ) best works for a conflict involving more than one party (Fenn, 2012).

My least preferred style of conflict management is competing/ controlling style. Under this style, one aims at pursuing and achieving own concern or ambition. In other words, this type of conflict management style is a power-oriented mode, where an individual uses the resources and power available to gain over the others (Fenn, 2012). Thus, competing may, therefore, mean standing for your right and any other thing that one believes to be correct. Still, interpersonal conflict cannot be best addressed and solved under competing style. Competing style can be best functional in a group.

In order to encourage the use of competing for style, for example in an organizational setup, I would encourage the individuals on the importance that such a style has, and the situations that it could best serve (Holmes, 2001). Thus, the team and group leaders should encourage their team and group members on the underlying benefits achieved once this type of style is used. On the other hand, in cases where my most preferred style may be dysfunctional, I would confidently advise the individuals’ to use other alternative styles that are available.

When done effectively, improving the conflict management behaviors can turn to be of high importance. There are several ways that one could use to improve conflict management behaviors. For instance, identify conflict situations, remember the situations where the correct strategy was not used, think and evaluate how the practice used can effectively manage the conflict, engage in practice and evaluate the performance (Holmes, 2001). This could be in conditions where there is a conflict at different levels of an organization. Thus, in a given organization setup, improvement of conflict management behaviors can be of importance since a worthy a less-conflict environment might be achieved. A better relationship, increased output, and proper working environment might be achieved once the conflict management behaviors are improved.

In conclusion, it is clear that conflicting style is the type of management style that is best suitable to fully address and solve a problem between to individuals. The issue is solved by finding a common ground to solve the problem at hand. In addition, competing for style can be used to solve a challenge that may arise in a power related issue. Thus, different conflict managing style solves the problems that arises in different situations, especially in an organization setup.

Appendices

Your Preferred Styles

References

Fenn, P. (2012). Commercial conflict management and dispute resolution. Abingdon, Oxon: Spon Press.

Holmes, T. (2001). Business organization. Plymouth: Studymates.

Rahim, M. (2001). Managing conflict in organizations. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books.