This paper presents a comprehensive discussion and critical analysis of conflict coaching theory in the context of the business world. It examines how managers use conflict coaching techniques to resolve employee disputes, improve interpersonal skills, and strengthen organizational culture. The paper covers core conflict coaching strategies — including one-on-one coaching, job rotation, job enrichment, and job enlargement — alongside a literature review of key research. A critical analysis addresses both the strengths of conflict coaching, such as improved negotiation skills and leadership development, and its weaknesses, including increased administrative costs and the risk of organizational politics. The paper concludes with directions for future research, particularly in culturally diverse workplace environments.
Conflict coaching is a set of techniques designed to help people resolve their personal and workplace conflicts in a friendly and productive manner (Jones & Brinkert, 2008). For this purpose, the conflict coach acts as a manager or supervisor for the person or persons experiencing conflict (LeBlanc, Gilin, Calnan, & Solarz, 2012). The coach plays a neutral role throughout the entire conflict coaching process. In order to help clients resolve their issues with other parties, the conflict coach encourages them to think constructively about ways in which their issues can be resolved and mutual trust can be rebuilt. A conflict coach can provide services for both parties; however, it is important to arrange separate meetings in order to understand each party's perspective independently and gain deeper insight into the actual causes of conflict (Cloke & Goldsmith, 2011).
Conflict coaching techniques can be used in a number of situations, including conflicts between family members, friends, business partners, community members, and coworkers. The focus of this essay, however, is to explain and critically analyze conflict coaching theory in the context of the business world — specifically, how conflict coaching helps resolve issues that arise between managers and their employees, or among employees at the same organizational level (LeBlanc, Gilin, Calnan, & Solarz, 2012). In either case, the purpose of conflict coaching is to prevent an issue from escalating and to resolve it before it becomes a hostile or controversial matter for the whole organization (Jones & Brinkert, 2008). Generally, companies ask their middle-level managers to act as conflict coaches for their subordinates (Raines, 2013). However, third parties are also engaged when conflicts arise between employees and their immediate supervisors (Goldsmith, Lyons, & McArthur, 2012). Beyond resolving immediate disputes, conflict coaching helps organizational members avoid similar conflicts in the future by teaching conflict management skills, building trust among coworkers, improving interpersonal communication and negotiation skills, mitigating the adverse impacts of conflicts, and preparing employees for future dispute resolution (Cloke & Goldsmith, 2011).
Conflicts are widely observed in both personal and professional contexts. Effective management and resolution of these conflicts is vital to maintaining a happy and productive working environment. Conflicts and disputes among employees have long been considered detrimental to individual performance and overall organizational productivity (Ellinger, Hamlin, Beattie, Wang, & McVicar, 2011). Therefore, managers consistently seek ways to keep their employees free from conflicts that not only disrupt individual working routines but also hamper the performance of entire departments. Workplace conflicts are further considered costly due to the heavy financial and operational consequences they carry. Conflict coaching helps managers resolve workplace conflicts and avoid these costs (Costello, Clarke, Gravely, D'Agostino-Rose, & Puopolo, 2011).
Modern research suggests that managers can transform conflicts into trust and understanding between employees through effective conflict coaching services (Raines, 2013). Conflict coaching primarily aims to strengthen employee relationships and remove hostility from the workplace (LeBlanc, Gilin, Calnan, & Solarz, 2012). Although conflict coaching focuses on resolving disputes by every possible means, companies apply its principles to better execute their human resource management practices and strengthen organizational culture (Runde, Flanagan, & Center for Creative Leadership, 2010). For the conflict coaching process to be most effective, efforts to resolve conflicts should be future-focused — that is, managers or conflict coaches should resolve conflicts in a way that prevents the same employees from coming into conflict again. They should be guided to understand that they must work as a single unit for the success and prosperity of the organization (Neault & Mondair, 2011).
The most commonly used motivational techniques employed by conflict coaches to keep employees away from conflicts include training on conflict resolution, corporate and ethical principles, the importance of organizational culture, and job rotation, enrichment, and enlargement. The application of each of these techniques depends on the type of conflict that organizational members face in a given situation (Shatto, 2013).
Taking a particular workplace conflict as an illustrative example: it is assumed that an employee feels uncomfortable with some coworkers due to various issues such as non-supportive behavior, an uneven distribution of job responsibilities, a lack of confidence or mutual understanding, differences in job experience, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, or disrespect toward minority groups (Raines, 2013). This uncomfortable dynamic can breed resentment in the employee who holds a junior position or who is treated unfairly compared to coworkers (Runde, Flanagan, & Center for Creative Leadership, 2010). In severe cases, the two employees engage in open conflict. They may raise their grievances with higher management and begin to engage in workplace politics by forming two opposing groups (Jones & Brinkert, 2008).
To resolve the conflict between these two employees, management asks their immediate supervisor to take corrective action and reach a resolution on which both conflicting parties can agree. The manager's first step is to identify the primary causal factors that gave rise to the conflict. Once the main causes are identified, the next step is to address them using an appropriate conflict management or dispute resolution technique (Ellinger, Hamlin, Beattie, Wang, & McVicar, 2011). For instance, if the conflict arose from an uneven distribution of job responsibilities, the manager may use extrinsic motivational techniques to encourage the burdened employee to remain committed to their role (Cloke & Goldsmith, 2011). In such cases, employees often feel demotivated when they perceive that a coworker earns more while carrying fewer responsibilities. To address this, the manager may apply monetary incentives to improve that employee's morale (Jones & Brinkert, 2008). In addition, the manager has the following three options for resolving this type of issue:
In this technique, the manager transfers the employee to another department at a similar job level. This approach is useful when the employee is no longer comfortable working with their current coworkers or supervisors (Goldsmith, Lyons, & McArthur, 2012). However, job rotation does not improve the employee's salary or compensation package — it is simply a lateral transfer to a related area of operations at the same level (Runde, Flanagan, & Center for Creative Leadership, 2010). Job rotation is frequently used as a conflict management coaching technique by middle-level managers to resolve disputes among their subordinates (Costello, Clarke, Gravely, D'Agostino-Rose, & Puopolo, 2011).
Unlike job rotation, job enrichment involves assigning greater responsibilities to an employee in order to increase their morale and motivation toward their current position (Raines, 2013). The basic purpose of job enrichment is to give the employee more authority, power, and responsibilities. This technique is used when an employee is not satisfied with their current job level relative to their qualifications, skills, and experience — particularly when they observe a coworker holding a higher position despite having less experience or fewer qualifications. Job enrichment typically improves the employee's salary and compensation package, serving as a meaningful source of extrinsic motivation (Ellinger, Hamlin, Beattie, Wang, & McVicar, 2011).
Job enlargement is similar to job enrichment but also includes a formal promotion. In addition to receiving greater job responsibilities, the employee is promoted to a higher-level position with an increased salary and a greater span of control (LeBlanc, Gilin, Calnan, & Solarz, 2012). Among these three techniques, job enlargement has proven to be the most effective way of motivating an employee. However, applying it as a conflict resolution tool requires that a suitable promotion opportunity actually exists within the organization (Runde, Flanagan, & Center for Creative Leadership, 2010).
The theory of conflict coaching suggests that the best way to resolve disputes among coworkers is through one-on-one conflict management coaching. In this approach, the conflict coach arranges a separate meeting with the employee who is experiencing an issue with a coworker (Shatto, 2013). One-on-one coaching allows the conflict management coach to gain deep insight into the root causes of the dispute. The coach listens carefully to the employee and tries to identify where the tension is most acute between the two parties (Stober & Grant, 2006). The coach asks all relevant questions about the dispute and focuses on finding the most effective ways to resolve it, while also ensuring that the organization does not suffer further losses as a result of the conflict (Costello, Clarke, Gravely, D'Agostino-Rose, & Puopolo, 2011). In one-on-one conflict coaching, the coach operates according to the following principles:
"Reviews one-on-one coaching and workshop research"
"Weighs managerial benefits against costs and political risks"
"Identifies gaps including culturally diverse workplace conflicts"
In order to avoid serious industrial relations issues at the workplace, business organizations now place great emphasis on resolving conflicts and disputes between employees before they escalate into critical situations (Stober & Grant, 2006). There are various conflict coaching techniques that managers and supervisors use to manage conflicts among their subordinates. The most commonly used include arranging training sessions and workshops on conflict management and dispute resolution, improving employee morale and interpersonal skills through motivational and development techniques, and building a strong organizational culture grounded in mutual respect and understanding. Managers also employ human resource strategies such as job rotation, job enlargement, and job enrichment to address conflicts that stem from low employee morale or dissatisfaction with job responsibilities (Costello, Clarke, Gravely, D'Agostino-Rose, & Puopolo, 2011).
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