Conflict Management and Conflict Resolution

Conflict management and conflict resolution are important factors that must be considered in any organization. Conflict management and resolution can be particularly difficult in the context of schools. This difficulty exists because of the complex nature of the school setting which is designed to educate students. Conflicts often arise is such a setting because there are so many members of the organization and they are trying to achieve an important goal. People who work in a school setting often have differing opinions about the manner in students should be taught and as such conflict occurs and there is a need for conflict management and resolution. The purpose of this discussion is to explore different areas of Conflict Management and Resolution in schools.

From the perspective of a school manager and a transformational school leader, conflict management and conflict resolution will be handled differently. For instance, when dealing with conflict management a school manager may implement an approach that simply deal the conflict at the very basic llevel so that it does not escalate into more complicated situations. That is, the school manager might treat conflict management by implementing certain basic standards that are used to manage the conflict instead of .

On the other hand a transformational school leaders tend to examine problems within an organization in a manner that is more in depth. In doing so they are able to not only mange conflict but also find solutions that are both efficient and lasting. Transformational leaders seek to permanently alter the manner in which an organization is run so that the goals of the organization can be reached in a timely manner. As such a transformational leader seeks to find real answers to the problems that an organization faces so that these problems can be resolved and the energies of the organization and its employees can be dedicated to the meeting of the goals established by the organization. The transformational leader understands that when conflicts go unresolved it impedes upon the ability of the organization to move forward. In the context of a school setting unsettled conflict means that students may not receive the education they deserve. This outcome has real consequences for the individual children and society as a whole. A transformational leader recognizes this reality and works toward improving the school by properly managing and resolving conflicts.

In addition the transformational leader is more likely to involve all the employees in the school when attempting to manage conflict and find solutions to conflict. The transformational leader will view conflict management and conflict resolution as a collaborative effort that will necessitate teamwork if it is to be successful. Additionally, transformational leaders will have as an end goal the desire to see individual members of the school grow and develop as educators and administrators. The transformational leader will view conflict management and resolution as a way to transform individual members of the organization which will in turn transform the entire school.

Both the school manager and the transformational school leader have a desire to properly manage conflict but the transformational school leader is more likely to take it a step further and make sure that the conflict is actually resolved; this is the nature of transformational leadership. In the case of the school manager, their success will depend on the nature of the conflict and how well the manager can control the conflict. In many cases the transformational leader might be more successful because the approach of a transformational leader tends to be more holistic than that of a manager. This is the case even though the strategy used by the transformational school leader is likely to take longer to implement and the results might not be noticeable for some time. The outcome will be one of lasting change.

Literature Review

Sorenson (2007) explains the delicate nature of leadership within the context of the school environment. The article asserts that effective leadership in this context must take into consideration the balance between having power and leading people. The author asserts that some leaders become power hungry and begin to treat the people in their organization (the school) in ways that are disrespectful and do not facilitate growth or encourage development. With this understood the author contends that leaders have to find to proper way to apply the power they possess so that the school can benefit positively from their leadership.

The author suggest that this process is comparable to that of a body builder who trains. As such there are several aspects of the way that people train in the gym that can be applied to the leadership within the school environment for the purposes of conflict management. For instance, the author asserts that like the body builder, school leaders can use holistic training. Holistic training involves the use of various techniques to reach a desired goal associated with growth and development. The author further explains as it pertains to holistic training that "The concept of power is legitimately related to leadership as power provides the capacity to influence others. Individuals such as ministers, doctors, coaches and even teachers are leaders who use position power to positively influence others. School leaders, because of their legitimate title and position, need training to better understand how to appropriately wield this powe r Sorenson (2007)." Overall this article emphasizes the importance of utilizing power properly so that the organization can grow and develop so that the needs of the members of the organization are met in a way that is efficient.

The article entitled "Organizational Culture & Leadership" by Edgar H. Schein explains the role of organizational culture in conflict management and resolution. According to the author, organizational culture "A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems (Schein, 1997)."

The author asserts that culture actually defines leadership. Schein explains that culture encompasses customs and rights. Additionally sufficient leaders must work from a more anthropological model. All organizations has its own way and outsider brings their own perspectives as observers. The author also reports that the new culture must be understood before effective and lasting change can be made.

In addition the author explains that once the culture is understood the organization can be understood. Organizational culture provides a foundation for the manner in which leaders interact with subordinates. For instance, in some organizations everyone is viewed as being valuable and contributing members of the organization. As such a leader in this type of organization might be extremely open to entertaining the ideas of people in the organization.

This particular author views the understanding of organizational culture as a way to resolve conflict. This connection is present because the culture of an organization determines the way that employees interact with one another. When resolving conflict understanding the organizational culture assist in developing resolutions that are tailor-made to meet the needs of a particular organization. Some solutions will not be appropriate depending on the culture of the organization.

The article "Where Does Conflict Management Fit in the System's Leadership Puzzle?" focuses on the manner in which conflict management is needed in the school environment and how school administrators can best utilize conflict management. In this article Cook & Johnston (2008) explain that "Superintendents are faced with conflicts every day. The conflicts arise around issues of personnel, community roles, funding, politics, and work/life balance. Good leadership involves an understanding of how to deal with conflict, whom to involve in the conflict resolution, how to set up structures and processes that ensure conflict doesn't reoccur, and the ability to use conflict in a positive manner." This particular article is built around the premise that conflicts can be used as stepping stones to improve the overall performance of a school or an entire school district. The authors encourage school administrators to view conflicts in this manner as opposed to seeing them trough a prism of negativity.

Throughout the article the authors also explain that there are several types of conflict that are common for superintendents including values, resource conflicts, union pressures, education research, counsel from school personnel and teacher, socio-economic conditions of schools, the beliefs of board members and community politics. All of these conflicts will likely arise at some point for a superintendent. However, the manner in which these conflicts are handled can mean the difference between success and failure.

The article further explains that superintendents should seek to understand each type of conflict and in so doing the ability to manage conflict properly will be more probable. Overall, this article focuses on the ways in which school leaders can utilize conflict as a way to promote growth within the organization. When conflict is seen as appositive attribute instead of a negative one the management outcomes can be and guarantee progress within the organization.

Conflict Management and Conflict Resolution in Literature review

"The Administrative Power Grab" attempts to manage the conflict between the power that the leader posses and the ability to use that power properly. On the one hand, some leaders utilize the power that they have to act as tyrants which leads to greater conflict within the school because people believe that their opinions are not being heard or implemented into the overall organizational strategy. The article attempts to explain that there can be a happy medium between having power and managing that power in ways that are appropriate and effective. This particular article seems to focus more on conflict management than conflict resolution. This emphasis is most evident in the fact that the author does not really expound upon the ways in which conflict can be solved instead the focus is on avoiding significant conflict by harnessing the power of the leader in a way that is non-threatening. In comparing conflict management to body building the authors explains that conflict management is a process that must be taken seriously and addressed properly if it is to be successful.

"Organizational Culture & Leadership" places a great deal of concern on the ways in which the culture of an organization shapes the manner in which people in the organization interact with one another. The research indicates that conflict resolution is intricately linked to organizational culture. The article further asserts that once the culture of an organization is fully understood resolving conflict becomes easier. This particular article also explains that in some cases people outside of the organization have to be called upon to assist in the resolving of conflict. The presence of these outsiders is needed because they can provide a new perspective in a manner that is objective. This need for an outside observer is not in any way an indictment against the leader, on the contrary, a leader that is able to invite such an individual to observe conflict demonstrates their commitment to the growth and development of the organization. Although the observer is needed to assist in the resolving of conflict, the outsider must take a keen interest in understanding the culture of the organization so that they can truly be of service. If the outsider fails to understand the organizational culture they might recommend strategies that are inconsistent with the manner in which members of the organization interact with one another based on organizational culture. Taking into consideration the organizational culture allows conflict resolution strategies to be specifically designed to address the needs of an organization based on the culture of the organization.

Lastly, "Where Does Conflict Management Fit in the System's Leadership Puzzle?" focuses on the concept of Conflict management within the context of the school environment. More specifically the research emphasizes the ways in which superintendants can use conflict to facilitate growth. Through the application of this principle conflict is viewed as an opportunity to improve the school environment so that students can learn in a way that is conducive to retaining information and being academically successful. In this article conflict management is not viewed as an aspect of management that simply has to be dealt with but as an avenue for enrichment and the implementation of lasting change.

This article also emphasizes the idea that leaders must fully understand the nature of various types of conflicts if these conflicts are to be properly managed and resolved. For instance, conflicts that are value based are different from conflicts that have a relational base. As such these conflicts cannot be managed in the same manner and they cannot be resolved in the same manner. Once a superintendent or other type of school leader understands these differences he/she can react in ways that are appropriate and consistent with the overall goals of the schools that they serve.

Transactional and transformational school leaders

Transactional leaders "assume that work is done only because it is rewarded, and for no other reason, and it therefore focuses on designing tasks and reward structures ("Leadership Styles")." On the other hand, as we have already discussed, transformational leaders tend to be more holistic in their approach to leadership. Transformational leaders are "true leaders who inspire their teams constantly with a shared vision of the future. While this leader's enthusiasm is often passed onto the team, he or she can need to be supported by "detail people"("Leadership Styles")." Transformational leaders want people to be intrinsically motivated as opposed to using external rewards to motivate members of the organization.

In the context of a school setting the transactional leader is likely to manage conflict in a way consistent with "The Administrative Power Grab" article. This is the case because the transactional leader will recognize is powerful position and might seek to use this power to supply members of the school organization with rewards for doing what they are told to do. Some transactional leaders will see the benefit of properly utilizing the power that they possess but others may not believe that the manner in which their power is used is detrimental to the school and the stated goals of the organization.

On the other hand, the transformational leader will view the harnessing of power as a way to intrinsically motivate employees. The transformational leader will recognize the benefits of using power in ways that benefit the organization because the intent of the transformational leader to change the organization in manner that is lasting.