Introduction
For managers and employees, conflict is one of the primary sources of stress at work. Organizational psychological climate formation has the fundamental goal of promoting staff performance. This occurs, among other reasons, by identifying and eliminating social tensions in the team, creating conflicts. It can destroy the company and reduce the effectiveness of the administration, but in certain circumstances, it can also play a positive role. The conflicts indicate the latent negative processes, the real existence of disagreements, and the tendency to change them. Accordingly, it is essential to explore my experience during the emergence of conflicts in two kindergartens.
The Positive Experience
When I worked at Dwight Kindergarten, I observed the extraordinary efficiency of the childcare facility. The kindergarten operated on weekdays and still provided extracurricular activities, which is why the staff was extensive. Despite this, the management performed their duties fairly and reasonably distributed the workload among the teacher employees. It is significant to emphasize that workers’ salaries depended on their knowledge of additional languages, specifically Spanish, Chinese, or French. Therefore, there was a conflict between the educators because employees with fewer work hours obtained higher wages.
The nature of the conflict was constructive because the teachers sensed that it was not fair. A vertical conflict occurred between the educators who worked at the 94th street Campus Preschool & Kindergarten (Bolman & Deal, 2017). The management effectively resolved the conflict through negotiation; the employees were explained that the accrual of salary does not only occur for hours worked but also includes additional advantages. At the same time, the administration suggested free courses for learning foreign languages. Consequently, some of the educators agreed and now also receive a higher wage. Hence, the kindergarten management quickly and successfully settled the conflict between the kindergarten workers, which could have been disruptive to the workplace.
The Negative Experience
I also worked as an educator at the Chinatown Community Children’s Center, which was in an area with diverse cultural minority populations. Accordingly, most teachers, technicians, and children were from different cultures. The conflicts arose because some educators did not perceive the cultural values of the kids and their colleagues. For instance, when teachers who practiced Islam intended to pray, other workers prevented them. The nature of the conflict was destructive and contributed to the inability to operate in the workplace. Significantly, a cultural dispute arose, characterized by the fact that it engaged individuals with different values, beliefs, and lifestyles (Bolman & Deal, 2017). It is crucial to specify that we committed several appeals to the administration, referring to freedom of speech and beliefs in the United States. If the leadership had clarified that they were tolerant of different religions, these issues would not have emerged. In that case, they should have conducted educational training with the team (Bolman & Deal, 2017). The management did not respond to stabilize the situation, which is why I resigned from the Chinatown Community Children’s Center.
Conclusion
Therefore, my experiences demonstrate that misunderstandings often arise between employees and supervisors. Thus, they need to be resolved quickly to avoid them escalating into conflicts that cannot be dismissed, such as occurred at the Chinatown Community Children’s Center. At Dwight Kindergarten, management identified the issue and effectively addressed the conflict situation. Accordingly, this kindergarten continues to have a cohesive team that cares about the children and has a meaningful reputation. At Chinatown Community Children’s Center, the conflict turned unmanageable and caused a confrontation. Ultimately, this disengagement situation led to the team’s deterioration and the organization in general. Hence, timely conflict recognition and efforts to address it are essential in crisis management.
Reference
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (6nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.