Conflict Management Flashcards
what do good team dynamics result in?
open communication , fewer misunderstandings, prevents conflict from building into a crisis situations
what do conflict in teams often arise from
role overload, role conflict, role ambiguity
what is role overload
one member of team takes on more than he or she can cope with
what is role conflict
when more than one member wants to play a certain role
what is role ambiguity
lack of clarity of roles that members are expected to play
synergy
the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects
define conflict
disagreement through which the parties involved perceive a threat to their needs, interests or concerns
what is functional conflict
non aggressive, stimulates creativity and allows ideas to flow, people disagree but work together to find a solution
what is dysfunctional conflict
aggressive type of disagreement, people refuse to work towards a solution, task is compromised
what are the 5 advantages of conflict
- create awareness of a problem where solution can benefit the business
- stimulate creative thinking
- help people understand conflict better and learn
- collaboration and teamwork to solve it
- motivate people to give input and participate in a situation where they felt previous apathy
what are the disadvantages of conflict
- hamper productivity and lower morale
- inappropriate behaviour like violence
- may distract from critical issues
- poor quality decision making
what are the 7 reasons for conflict
- change
- inclusivity and cultural diversity
- lack of / poor communication
- resource allocation
- personalities and emotions
- values and ethics perceived or real
- inner conflict
how does change lead to conflict
- how the changes are managed
- resistance to change
how does inclusivity etc lead to conflict
- when cultures are not included
- ignorance
- stereotyping
- understanding
- western culture vs other culture
how does lack of communication lead to conflict
- when employees aren’t informed of what is going on so they rely on rumours
- poorly defined job descriptions
- inconsistency from management
- poor listening skills
- misunderstandings
- hierarchical organisational structure
how does resource allocation create conflict
- insufficient resources of unequal distributions of resources to perform a task
- interdependence between departments
how do personalities and emotions create conflict
- different personality types clash
how do values and ethics create conflict
values and ethics are linked closely to culture and religion and tend to differ from person to person. people often believe what they perceive to be true and this may lead to unnecessary conflict
how does inner conflict lead to conflict
- jealousy
- feelings of inferiority
- being used as a scape goat
- need to control or impress
- personal morals, beliefs and ethics
- oversensitivity and low self esteem
how can inner conflict be resolved
- identify
- refer person to correct department
- extent of intervention depends on intensity of problem
what are the skills a manager needs in order to manage conflict
- ability to deal with change
- tolerance regarding cultural diversity and inclusivity
- communication skills
- the ability to think and act strategically
- EQ to deal with different people
- values and ethics
skill: ability to deal with change
managers at all levels need to be able to cope and help their employees deal with change
- understanding how people deal with change
- helping them overcome it
- communication can help overcome resistance to change
skill: tolerance
managers need to be exposed and educated regarding cultural diversity to create tolerance and acceptance
skill: communication
managers need to be able to communicate information clearly, degree of trust with employees, regular feedback and meetings, regular reports, listen to employees etc
skill: ability to think and act strategically
- (managers) develop a shared vision and mission to help employees understand the purpose and direction of the organisation, formulate strategies, ensure buy-in and understanding of process
skill: EQ
need to keep emotions in check
make a choice on how to vent emotions
skill: values and ethics
training and open communication help to overcome conflict, encourage flexibility, create empathy, celebrate differences
what are the tools that help with conflict management
- devils advocate
- negotiation
- smoothing
- forcing
- avoidance
- compromise
what is stimulating functional conflict
devils advocate, criticises the proposed plan of action to encourage analytical thinking and test the p.o.a. allows different options to be debated
what is negotiation
two people trying to sort out their differences
what is smoothing
temporary method, focus on what people have in common, situation smoothed over
what is forcing
forcing is when a person in a position of authority forces his solution to the problem on the subordinate
what is avoidance
pretending it is not there or avoiding it rather than confronting the situation personally
what is compromise
a situation of mutual give, both parties have equal power
what is third party intervention
conciliation, mediation and arbitration
what is conciliation
involves a third party helping conflicting parties to address their conflict directly, in the role of a facilitator
what is a mediator
attempts to help conflicting parties to reach a mutually acceptable decision, plays an advisory role but does not solve the problem
what is an arbitrator
makes decision that is binding for both parties, has to be fair and impartial in judgement
what are conflict resolution steps
- negotiation
- conciliation
- mediation
- arbitration
what is the con-arb process
one step process of conciliation and arbitration for individual unfair labour practices and unfair dismissals, continous action in one day
when is the con arb process compulsory
- dismissals for any reason relating to probation
- any unfair labour practice related to probation
what is the ccma
commission for conciliation, mediation and arbitration
what does the CCMA do
independent organisation , acts as dispute resolution body, helps settle labour disputes
promotes co operation between employers and employees, can help with workplace restructuring, training and advice on certain issues like termination of employment
what is the WPF
workplace forums, enables workers to participate in consensus decision making, increases efficiency in the workplace
what are the issues management must consult with the WPF
criteria for merit increases restructuring of workplace retrenchments training related issues joint decisions on disciplinary procedures affirmative action
what is the function of an employer organisation
provide members with a labour or industrial relations expert on a contractual basis, business outsources this element to HR function, stay up to date with amendments in labour legislation
what do employer organisations assist with
- employment contracts
- disciplinary and grievance procedures
- dispute resolution
- employment equity plans
- representation ath the ccma
- trade union negotiations
what does a trade union do
handles conflict between employers and employees
