Introduction
The assessment of ambiguous aspects in different areas of life can be performed not only through personal judgments and perception but also due to the existing concepts and ideas proposed by sociologists. As a background for analyzing dilemmas in social, professional, and personal life, Kramer’s (2003) reasoning may be applied. Approaches to the interpretation of the existing dilemmas can be expressed distinctively, but specific evaluation models may help determine the causes and impacts of particular dilemmas on different areas.
Dilemmas in Society
Ignoring social problems is a dilemma that complicates any process of improving interaction among people. Kramer (2003) describes this issue due to the concept of “the sins of omission” and notes that in any environment of interpersonal interaction, neglecting certain factors can affect the overall outcomes negatively (p. 63).
With regard to social life, this dilemma is revealed through the deliberate ignorance of problems due to the lack of material interest in resolving them. For instance, if the authorities are not ready to tackle the problem of poverty without obvious benefits for the budget, this is an example of omission. In any other situation, disregard for the interests of others separates the parties of interests, thereby creating interpersonal contradictions.
Jamison et al. (2020) note that omission bias may be fraught with segregation in case of deliberate neglect. Class inequality can be interpreted from the perspective of neglecting the needs of one category of the population in favor of the other one. Therefore, the omission concept is one of the tools for assessing social dilemmas.
Dilemmas at Work
In the workflow, the dilemmas that arise are often associated with different views on certain operational activities or ways to achieve set goals. Kramer (2003) suggests paying attention to the factors of “leaders’ recklessness” as a phenomenon that reduces work productivity due to leaders’ illogical or biased decisions (p. 62).
Park and DeShon (2018) research a similar problem of interaction at work and argue that due to the strong influence of leaders on the team, the decision-making process depends on them directly. This means that if a leader uses erroneous or biased analytical approaches, this affects the progress of the entire team. Authority, in this case, plays an important role since dissenting employees’ opinions will be less weighty than those of leaders.
Dilemmas in Personal Life
In my life, I have encountered dilemmas that reflect people’s ambiguous perceptions of their roles. Kramer (2003) mentions a similar concept and calls it “a hefty price tag” (p. 62). Its essence lies in people’s reassessment of individual significance in making decisions and influencing their social circle.
Such people tend to disregard others’ opinions and are not ready to give up personal beliefs. In everyday life, interaction with them causes discomfort because the dilemma is whether it is worth adapting to this communication style or not. As a result, when a person is not ready to follow the subjective beliefs of his or her interlocutor, mutual disagreements and conflicts arise, which affects interpersonal interaction negatively. Therefore, this communication mode is ambiguous and creates discomfort for at least one interested party.
Conclusion
Assessment models and concepts proposed by Kramer (2003) can help determine the premises and consequences of social, professional, and personal dilemmas that occur in everyday life. Factors influencing interpersonal relationships both within the team and at the individual level relate to communication challenges and people’s individual beliefs. The inability to compromise and consider others’ opinions is one of the main reasons for the dilemmas discussed.
References
Jamison, J., Yay, T., & Feldman, G. (2020). Action-inaction asymmetries in moral scenarios: Replication of the omission bias examining morality and blame with extensions linking to causality, intent, and regret. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 89, 103977. Web.
Kramer, R. M. (2003). The harder they fall. Harvard Business Review, 81(10), 58-68.
Park, G., & DeShon, R. P. (2018). Effects of group-discussion integrative complexity on intergroup relations in a social dilemma. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 146, 62-75. Web.