Purpose
The purpose of any article is what the researcher wants to accomplish (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). In the selected article, the author focuses on investigating the importance and implications of conflict management. The author pays special attention to determining the very concept of conflict, addresses its causes and ways to cope with related challenges, and explores efficient conflict management strategies and approaches to resolving conflict (McKibben, 2017, p. 100). Therefore, the central objective of the article is to make an attempt to prove that positive conflict management is helpful for resolving conflicts, especially when combined with effective leadership practices and theories (McKibben, 2017, p. 100).
Point of View
Point of view refers to the perception of the problem under consideration or the unique perspective from which the problem is investigated (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). In this article, the author focuses on determining the importance and consequences of conflict management in healthcare facilities. To address the question mentioned above, conflicts are viewed from several perspectives. First of all, the author perceives the concept of conflict and conflict management from the perspective of positive conflict resolution, addressing the root causes of conflicts (McKibben, 2017, p. 100).
Question at Issue
Although the author does not explicitly state the research question, it is possible to identify it based on the article’s stated research objective, which points to the issue that drives the researcher’s thinking (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). Therefore, the paper aims to address the following questions: Why is conflict management important? Is positive conflict management, supplemented with appropriate leadership style and communication, beneficial for resolving conflicts?
Information
Information refers to all data, facts, and experiences that the author mentions to address the central research question (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). Even though this article is theoretical in nature and does not include any experiments or quantitative data, the experiences of nurses and healthcare professionals are mentioned in order to investigate the effectiveness of positive conflict management approaches in resolving conflicts between healthcare facility staff (McKibben, 2017, p. 101). Still, it is essential to note that all of the experiences are taken directly from other researchers’ published articles.
Interpretation and Inference
Interpretation and inference refer to the conclusions that the author reaches after analyzing all collected information (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). In this article, the author ends up with several concluding thoughts. First of all, it is impossible to avoid conflict in healthcare teams, and negatively or poorly managed conflicts lead to impaired communication and decreased quality of care. Moreover, even leadership and conflict management are insufficient for overcoming the challenge of conflicts in case of poor involvement of all team members. Nevertheless, when managed properly, conflicts may spur on positive changes due to the constantly dynamic healthcare environment (McKibben, 2017, p. 103).
Concepts
In general terms, concepts include all theoretical material mentioned by the author to address the research question and make sense of assumptions (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). In this article, the author incorporates an extensive theoretical framework to make the stated opinion reputable and persuasive. Special attention is paid to the very concept of conflict and the way other researchers see it. Moreover, several approaches to resolving conflicts are mentioned.
At the same time, the focus is placed on the role of different leadership styles in addressing conflicts. In particular, it is stated that conflicts are interpersonal disagreements that derive from differences in opinion as well as certain personal characteristics, such as disrespect for colleagues, low morale, a strong sense of hierarchy, and so on. For this reason, to address conflicts, it is essential to focus on individuals and their needs because these are the most common roots of the problem – an approach referred to as positive conflict management (McKibben, 2017, p. 100). Finally, a transformational leadership style is the best one for overcoming conflicts because it implies strong leadership that focuses on people’s needs and on motivating individuals to change (McKibben, 2017, p. 102).
Assumptions
The author develops the discussion based on several assumptions, or beliefs taken for granted (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). First and foremost, it is believed that conflicts—or at the very least, the predisposition to get involved in conflicts—are one of the central determinants of human nature. Therefore, they are difficult to avoid in human interactions. Moreover, the author assumes that effective communication, powerful leadership, and positive conflict management are the best practices for resolving conflict.
Moreover, an impaired quality of care and reduced employee performance are the direct consequences of unaddressed conflicts. Finally, resolving conflicts, as well as preventing or avoiding them, is the individual responsibility of all team members because it affects their mental health and the overall atmosphere of the team (McKibben, 2017, p. 103).
Implications and Consequences
Implications and consequences refer to the outcomes of taking the author’s opinions seriously and applying them in practice (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2007). This article may be helpful for improving patient care as well as enhancing communication among healthcare staff and fostering a better leadership and management style. In this way, if healthcare professionals apply the author’s opinion to organizing their own work in healthcare facilities, the risk of conflict may be reduced and resolutions may be reached more quickly.
On the other hand, ignoring the author’s findings is unlikely to be connected to any negative changes in the workplace because the discussed subject is already generally well known and broadly addressed. The only potential consequence of paying no attention to this article is an impaired quality of patient care and a slow implementation of change because these occurrences are directly connected to conflicts among team members. Another potential outcome is higher turnover rates due to the unhealthy atmosphere of the team’s work environment, which could be significant in case of extremely serious conflicts.
Personal Analysis of the Article
To begin with, the article is based on an extensive theoretical framework that makes the author’s opinion persuasive. Moreover, the strong framework contributes to the conclusion that the findings are reputable and can be applied in the workplace. In addition, the material is presented in a concise manner that kept me engaged and interested, as it was easy to follow the author’s opinion. Furthermore, the article addresses and investigates several critical interrelated issues in a detailed manner, so no additional research is required to gain a better understanding of the problem under consideration. Still, there are some ways to make the article even more reputable and persuasive.
For instance, briefly reviewing other leadership styles (e.g. authoritarian, paternalistic, laissez-fair, transactional, and democratic) would help readers understand the rationale for paying specific attention to transformational leadership. Moreover, connecting leadership styles with different conflict resolution styles (e.g. compromising, collaborating, avoiding conflicts, giving in) would also be helpful because it would point to a specific way to implement the theory in practice. Nevertheless, regardless of these insignificant drawbacks, the given article addresses the research question properly and the author manages to answer it in a relevant and accurate way.
References
Foundation for Critical Thinking. (2007). Online model for learning the elements and standards of critical thinking. Web.
McKibben, L. (2017). Conflict management: Importance and implications. British Journal of Nursing, 26(2), 100-103.