CONFLICT HANDLING

Whenever there is a conflict, 4 kinds of people emerge out:

1. Competitors – people whose primary motive is doing better than others; beating them in open competition.
2. Individualists – people who care almost exclusively about maximizing their own gain and they do not care whether others do better or worse than they do.
3. Co-operators – people who are concerned with maximizing combined outcomes, getting as much as possible for their team.
4. Equalizers – people who are primarily interested in minimizing the differences between themselves and others.

There are two kinds of conflicts:

1. Functional – positive conflict that allows people to think better; supports the goals of the group and improves its performance.
2. Dysfunctional – the conflict that hinders the group performance

The various stages of the conflict process are:

1. Potential opposition or incompatibility
2. Cognition and personalization
3. Intentions
4. Behavior
5. Outcomes

The graph for dimensions of conflict handling intentions can be plotted between assertiveness and cooperativeness.

The five behaviors that exist are:

1. Avoiding – assertiveness – low, cooperativeness – low
2. Accommodating – assertiveness – low, cooperativeness – high
3. Compromising – assertiveness – moderate, cooperativeness – moderate
4. Compelling – assertiveness – high, cooperativeness – low
5. Collaborating – assertiveness – high, cooperativeness – high

Conflict can occur within an organization if there are disagreement and inconsistency between the two parties involved in the conflict. Conflicts can be based on interpersonal relationships, on the processes that one follows to accomplish various tasks, etc. They can occur due to poor skills, weak relationships, frustrated needs, unequal power, disputed rights, conflicting interests, etc. Conflicts should be avoided as much as possible but if a conflict occurs, mediators, arbitrators, equalizers or healers are needed to resolve them. Negotiations and bargaining can also help to resolve them.

1. Negotiation – it is a process in which two or more parties attempt to resolve a specific issue.
2. Bargaining – it is an integral part of the negotiation. Terms and conditions are negotiated.

Click here for government certification in Life Skills