Conflict Management Approaches and Human

Conflict Management Approaches and Human Behaviors

What are the desired outcomes of conflict resolution procedures?

The desired outcomes of a conflict refer to the "concerns that are taken into consideration by disputants as well as by third parties who may become involved in the conflict" (Jameson, 1999, p.2). In other words, they represent the set goals of each party, based on which the negotiations will be handled.

There are four basic goals of each conflict resolution:

Fairness

Participant satisfaction

Effectiveness

Efficiency (Jameson, 1999, p.6)

These outcomes are generally accepted; however, along the years, the specialized literature gave them different names or different classifications. For instance, Prein's stated goal of instituting better rules and procedures can be materialized into fairness; the full acceptance of a solution can take the form of participant satisfaction. Other goals identified by Prein refer to the effectiveness of the solution found and encompass: improving the relationships, preventing repetition, teaching parties to manage the conflict more efficiently in the future, working on a structural solution by altering work structure, creating more clarity, learning from the conflict without resolving it, creating a workable resolution and finally, finding a pragmatic solution (Jameson, 1999, p.6).

Thomas has also identified four sets of desired outcomes as follows:

Decision quality (effectiveness)

Consumption of organizational resources (efficiency)

Effects upon individuals (long-term effectiveness)

Effects upon parties (long-term effectiveness).

The desired outcomes can also be classified based on the time period they refer to, in short-term goals and long-term goals. Tyler revealed that with short-term goals, the focus is placed on individual interest, in the detriment of fairness. With long-term goals on the other hand, the focus is placed on fairness and justice of the implemented strategies.

Other desired outcomes from the resolution of a conflict refer to: minimizing costs, achieving timeliness, improving relationships, privacy, vindication, obtaining a neutral opinion, establishing a precedent and maximizing or minimizing recovery (Jameson, 1999, p.7).

2. What are the three major concepts, behind the author's proposed strategies for conflict resolution?

Before deciding upon a strategy to implement in resolving a conflict, managers must identify the particular characteristics of a conflict and develop their strategy based on these. Then, they must choose the best strategies based on whether the management's options are:

Interest based

Rights-based or Power based.

The interest-based strategies are implemented when no tertiary party gets involved in resolving the conflict. The two parties try to resolve it by themselves in an informal approach, through negotiations. However, then an agreement cannot be reached, both parties are entitled to request the assistance of a tertiary party. The third party is neutral to the two disputants and has the obligation of resolving the matter from an objective stand point and "their role is to facilitate a settlement without any control over the final outcomes" (Jameson, 1999, p.8). Three strategies are most common: moderation, conciliation and consultation. In all, the interest-based conflicts can be resolved though negotiation between the two parties, or by the informal interference of a third party, through advices, mediation or facilitation.

The rights-based strategies to resolve conflicts can be both formal as well as informal. They basically imply that the two disputants revolve their problems by themselves, without the interference of a third party. The parties try to find a resolution through representatives, such as the human resource department for the company. However the solicitation of a mediator is seldom requested, this does sometimes happen. In these situations, the tertiary party approaches the matter from a judiciary stand point, meaning that it plays the role of a judge in resolving the conflict. Other times, the third party is an investigator, who analyzes the problem posed and proposes a solution; he has no actual right to interfere and impose a solution. The formal resolution of a conflict implies the formulation of grievance procedures. A formal method to solving the conflict is given by the interference of an adjudicator; he establishes what is right and what is wrong, but has no power to decide.