Introduction
Conflict in an organization or workplace setting is unavoidable because of the differences among people. Therefore, conflict is neither inherently good nor inherently bad for any institution; rather, it should be viewed as a means of creating reasonable relationships. This demonstrates that conflict can be leveraged positively by fostering positive relationships to achieve the set goal.
On the contrary, conflict can be dangerous and disastrous in an organization, leading to adverse outcomes. Therefore, how conflict is handled in any setting determines its outcome. Based on a case study “Student “work group” not working” by Paul and Tatachari (2022), this paper will examine the critical role of managerial competencies in conflict management, as well as the principles and current issues relevant to conflict management theories.
Critical Role of Managerial Competencies in Managing Conflict
Self-Awareness
Managers play a critical role in managing conflict in their workplaces. However, they require various managerial competencies to manage it positively. One of the primary managerial competencies a manager must possess to resolve conflicts effectively is self-awareness (To, Tran, Nguyen, & Thai, 2021). This competency is essential because it enables managers to encourage diversity while fostering collaboration among team members.
Patel encourages diversity by allowing members with different personalities to work in the same group. This allowed them to experience what it is like to live with people with diverse ideas and needs.
Coaching
Another critical competency a manager can have is the ability to provide executive coaching to employees. Sometimes, it may be difficult for a manager to assess an employee’s personality. In such circumstances, the manager should consider executive coaching to enable them to learn how to effectively maximize the effort of others (Rispens et al., 2020). It provides the leader with the necessary information about team members, which is essential for resolving conflicts.
Patel, their lecturer, had done enough executive coaching and knew the students’ personalities. Therefore, he was aware of the individual personalities, which significantly aided him in assessing the situation. However, he had to ask each student why they were inactive in group studies.
Active Listening
The following managerial competency is active listening skills in managing conflict. During communication, the most crucial element is listening. Therefore, managers should possess good listening skills, as it is difficult to resolve conflicts if they do not hear the different parties’ perspectives (Aldairany, Omar, & Quoquab, 2018). Patel is a good active listener because he gave all the parties time to explain their grievances and acted on them. He had to listen to those complaining about other group members not actively participating, as well as those accused of not participating.
Critical Thinking
A manager needs critical thinking before acting in conflict resolution. In most cases, people react to conflicts without analyzing the issue or considering the most suitable approach. Although quick reactions may save lives in an emergency, from a management perspective, this may damage relationships (Devinatz, 2018). Managers should think before taking action, as this enables them to evaluate situations and arguments more effectively (Caputo, Marzi, Maley, & Silic, 2019). In addition, critical thinking helps the manager focus on the problem, not the people.
After the issue had been reported to Patel, he took a whole month before calling them again to allow for sufficient reflection time. This gave him enough time to think critically about the situation and separate emotions from the problem he was supposed to solve.
Application of Relevent Theories of Conflict Resolution
The leading conflict resolution theory widely used is the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI). TKI focuses on how participants can resolve conflicts themselves (Aremu, Adeyemi, & Abogunrin, 2021). The method employs five principles, and each technique is suitable for addressing different types of conflicts. This implies that if a method works in one specific conflict, it does not necessarily mean it will work in another. The five principles are accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, competing, and compromising.
Accommodating
Accommodation is a way for both parties to coordinate to a higher degree, but at the expense of one party. The party that accepts to work against its goals, desired outcomes, and techniques accommodates the ideas and actions of the other party (Tjosvold et al., 2022). This principle was used by the three team members, Shah, Khan, and Kapoor, who decided to accommodate the flaws of other group members.
Avoiding
The other principle is avoiding, whereby one party decides to avoid the issue. In such a case, both parties must neglect their goals and ambitions. The party makes this decision with no chance of winning in the conflict (Caputo, Marzi, Maley, & Silic, 2019). This strategy was suggested by Kamath, who stated that everyone in the group is trying to avoid things, although they are not moving in the right direction. He believes the way the assignment was done was not good enough and unfair to all group members.
Collaborating
The following principle can be applied in resolving conflicts is collaboration, whereby parties work together to achieve all their objectives in a mutually beneficial “win-win” situation. The method is primarily used in complex scenarios where parties must reframe their conflict and create a larger space to accommodate all parties (Liddle, 2017). Patel can achieve this by assigning the two troublesome members, Kimath and Singh, to other groups where they are interested, thereby bringing two new members to this group.
Competing
Conflicts in an organization can be resolved through competition, where one party attempts to achieve its goals at the expense of the other party. This method is used in emergencies when a quick decision-making process is needed (Folger, Poole, & Stutman, 2021).
Compromising
The final method is a compromise, where neither party achieves their goals, commonly known as a “lose-lose” scenario. This method cannot be used in the group because it will affect their performance. Therefore, the group members must ensure that their strategies are fruitful.
Despite traditional theories, where people who caused conflict were considered troublemakers, the world has evolved, and the importance of conflict in any group setting is appreciated. The Interest-Based Relational (IBR) Approach was introduced as a negotiating strategy but is now used in conflict management (Upadhyay, 2021). It shows that in the current world, conflict management does not have to be a chaotic process but one with peaceful negotiations.
Conclusion
Conflict management has become an essential aspect of any group that wants success. Conflicts are now viewed positively as they show diversity in ideas and strategies. However, managerial competencies, such as self-awareness, executive coaching, active listening skills, and thinking before acting, are needed to make the right decisions. The study has highlighted five principles of conflict resolution and current issues related to the theories.
References
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