Conflict Management Essay

Conflict management refers to the long-term management of intractable conflicts. It is the label for the variety of ways by which people handle grievances — standing up for what they consider to be right and against what they consider to be wrong. Those ways include such diverse phenomena as gossip, ridicule, lynching, terrorism, warfare, feuding, genocide, law, mediation, and avoidance. Which forms of conflict management will be used in any given situation can be somewhat predicted and explained by the social structure — or social geometry — of the case. Conflict management is often considered to be distinct from conflict resolution. In order for actual conflict to occurr, there should be an expression of exclusive patterns, and tell why the conflict was expressed the way it was. Conflict is not just about simple inaptness, but is often connected to a previous issue. The latter refers to resolving the dispute to the approval of one or both parties, whereas the former concerns an ongoing process that may never have a resolution. Neither is it considered the same as conflict transformation, which seeks to reframe the positions of the conflict parties. Scientific studies Scientific study of conflict management (also known as social control) owes its foundations to Donald Black, who typologized its elementary forms and used his strategy of pure sociology to explain several aspects of its variation. Research and theory on conflict management has been further developed by Allan Horwitz, Calvin Morill, James Tucker, Mark Cooney, M.P. Baumgartner, Roberta Senechal de la Roche, Marian Borg, Ellis Godard, Scott Phillips, and Bradley Campbell. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach and avoiding semantic discussions, we could also state that the father of conflict management is Thomas C. Schelling, an American economist and Nobel Prize winner, who authored the Strategy of Conflict in 1960. Schelling’s main goal was to lay the foundation for a theory of conflict that would include the fields of economics, psychology, sociology and the law. Conflict is an omnipresent trait of human societies since it is almost impossible to find two parties with entirely overlapping interests, thus a general theory for bargaining and negotiation to address conflict is useful not only in the field of international politics or business management, but also at the personal and intimate level. Counseling When personal conflict leads to frustration and loss of efficiency, counseling may prove to be a helpful antidote. Although few organizations can afford the luxury of having professional counselors on the staff, given some training, managers may be able to perform this function. Nondirective counseling, or â€Å"listening with understanding†, is little more than being a good listener — something every manager should be. [1] Sometimes the simple process of being able to vent one’s feelings — that is, to express them to a concerned and understanding listener, is enough to relieve frustration and make it possible for the frustrated individual to advance to a problem-solving frame of mind, better able to cope with a personal difficulty that is affecting his work adversely. The nondirective approach is one effective way for managers to deal with frustrated subordinates and co-workers.[2] There are other more direct and more diagnostic ways that might be used in appropriate circumstances. The great strength of the nondirective approach (nondirective counseling is based on the client-centered therapy of Carl Rogers), however, lies in its simplicity, its effectiveness, and the fact that it deliberately avoids the manager-counselor’s diagnosing and interpreting emotional problems, which would call for special psychological training. No one has ever been harmed by being listened to sympathetically and understandingly. On the contrary, this approach has helped many people to cope with problems that were interfering with their effectiveness on the job.[2] References 1. ^ Henry P Knowles; Bà ¶rje O Saxberg (1971). Personality and leadership behavior. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.. Chapter 8. OCLC 118832. 2. ^ a b Richard Arvid Johnson (1976). Management, systems, and society : an introduction. Pacific Palisades, Calif.: Goodyear Pub. Co.. pp. 148–142. ISBN 0876205406 9780876205402. OCLC 2299496. Kellett, Peter M. Conflict Dialogue. London: Sage Publications, 2007 External links †¢ Conflict Management Articles – A collection of Conflict Management Articles †¢ Peace Forge -A wiki dedicated to best practices in peace and conflict resolution †¢ Search For Common Ground – One of the world’s largest non-government organisations dedicated to conflict resolution †¢ CUNY Dispute Resolution Consortium- The Dispute Resolution Headquarters in New York City. See also †¢ Conflict resolution †¢ Conflict atlas †¢ Conflict style inventory You can’t avoid conflict in your life, at home, at work, and even at play. Wherever people interact, there is a potential for conflict. That’s not bad news because good things can arise, and relationships can improve through conflict, provided conflict is managed with thought and attention. The bad news is that most of us are fairly limited in how we manage and resolve conflict situations, often throwing gasoline on the fire. It doesn’t have to be that way. We’ve gathered together the best and most useful free online resources and tools to help you manage and cope with conflict more effectively. Whether you want to learn about conflict at work, between siblings, within the family, or any other context, you’ll be sure to find help on these pages. Originally created for our own research purposes, we decided to publish the directory so others could use it. New conflict material is added weekly, so make sure to subscribe to our update newsletter. Customer Service (75) new A major part of providing good customer service involves dealing effectively with angry, dissatisfied, or just plan difficult customers. Here you’ll find suggestions about how to deal with those tough customer service, and customer conflict situations. (Call Centers) (Suggested Books) Difficult People (53) new Difficult people can drive you nuts, and if you’re difficult, you may be driving others nuts. Learn more about what makes difficult people tick, and how to deal with different kinds of difficult people behaviors. (Discussion Lists) (Suggested Books) Diversity and Multicultural Issues (73) Learn about diversity and culture, how to create diverse organizations, and increase your understanding of the links between diversity, culture and conflict. Practical suggestions about resolution of conflict that is linked to culture. (Suggested Books) (Doing Business Abroad) Emotional Intelligence (37) Free articles and papers related to Emotional Intelligence, Goleman, and others. Facilitation (21) new Articles about the faciliating process in groups and dyads and about facilitators Family Conflict – Parents and Children (35) new Parents and children often come into conflict over large and small issues, regardless of age of the children. Learn more about dealing with conflicts between parents and children from these resources. Family Conflict – Sibling Disagreements (20) new Conflict with brothers and sisters is a natural process, and occurs in every family. Learn more about conflict between siblings and sibling rivalry and how to deal with it. Fighting Fair (16) Sometimes it’s not whether you win or lose an argument but how you act during an argument that dictates a positive or negative outcome. Learn to â€Å"fight fair† during disagreements and conflict. Labor Law (23)