Conflict Management in Business Communication

Introduction

One of the most important determinants of success in any organization is the relationship between management and staff. Human relations in business is the process of building a strong workplace culture, training employees, and resolving conflicts between different parties in the workplace (Buddhodev Sinha, 2011). Simply put, it is a process that involves taking actions or making decisions that help employees feel as comfortable as possible. Understanding the different ways through which human relations can affect sustainability, profitability, competitiveness, and revenue can help improve organizational performance. However, it is important to note that issues will always arise where many people work together. It is how such issues are handled that will determine the success of a business. Furthermore, it has only been several decades since executives began putting effort into human relations, after recognizing its significant impact on organizational performance (Putnam, 2015).

Building Communication Bridges in Conflict

In organizations where many people work together, conflicts are bound to occur. Even the slightest actions or utterances can result in destructive behaviors or responses. When such conflicts emerge, it is the responsibility of management or human relations personnel to handle them properly. When conflicts are left unresolved for a long time, relationships between the opposing parties may be damaged. However, well-handled conflicts can contribute to deeper and stronger relationships and can help opposing sides work together more effectively toward achieving an organization's objectives. Proper communication skills are essential if conflicts are to be resolved effectively (Hener, 2010).

One of the most important communication skills is addressing only one concern at a time. Focusing on a single concern — and not introducing other concerns, even if related — can help find quick resolutions to workplace conflicts. Clearly specifying one issue to be addressed during a given time segment will also help avoid confusion during conflict resolution meetings. It is also important that meeting moderators caution the opposing sides against making accusations or leveling personal attacks against their opponents, as this will only create more distrust and animosity rather than yielding solutions (Aula & Siira, 2010; Siira, 2013). Effective listening — and making sure that the opposing parties truly listen to each other — is important because it helps build trust. It is also important for participants to use both verbal and non-verbal communication skills during reconciliation meetings. Moderators should make clear that the meeting's sole objective is to find solutions, not to assign blame.

Communication Barriers and Conflict: Gender

One of the most common sources of conflict in the workplace is gender differences among colleagues. There are two major steps to solving gender-related communication issues: first, evaluating the situation and understanding the specific issues involved; and second, using better communication to improve relationships between workmates.

Linguistic Politeness

One of the main differences between men and women in terms of communication is that, unlike men, women often speak in a manner that suggests politeness. Researchers Finucane, Slovic, Mertz, Flynn, and Satterfield (2000) refer to women as the more polite of the two sexes when all necessary qualifications and reservations are considered. The researchers also contend that women are more advanced than men in almost all verbal communication skills. It is further noted that women and men utilize language differently. Politeness has been defined as behavior that consistently shows positive concern for others, in addition to non-controlling, distancing conduct. Different linguistic and cultural groups express politeness differently, and it is important to use situational context when assessing communicational politeness.

Speech Styles

Women are more likely than men to speak in a manner that suggests politeness. They often use boosters and hedges as tools to convey politeness. Boosters help to show empathy, while hedges help to decrease the force of an utterance. The combination of both boosters and hedges conveys the message that the speaker is taking the listener's feelings into account. When one speaks this way, they signal that they do not wish to impose themselves on others. Some of the boosting and hedging devices include apologies, fillers, qualifiers, disclaimers, repetition, questions, and tag questions (Finucane et al., 2000).

Interruption and Topic Control

Any reasonable conversationalist is familiar with the turn-taking rule. This rule is important to ensure that everyone is given a chance to have their say. Interrupting someone's speech and taking their conversational turn can be not only annoying, but also very disruptive. There are various types of interruptions, including talk-overs, silent interruptions, butting ins, overlaps, and simple interruptions. Studies have also shown that men are more likely to interrupt than women, regardless of whether the woman they are speaking with holds a higher position in the workplace. Researchers have also found that uninterrupted conversations indicate that the speaker is liked, enjoys high support, or is sensitive to the needs of listeners. In contrast, interruptions indicate miscommunication, a face threat, aggression, and dominance (Keyton, 2011). In terms of perceptions of interruption, men tend to perceive women who interrupt as being from a low socioeconomic status (SES) background, while men who interrupt are perceived as coming from a high SES background. Individuals with a masculine identity were also found to interrupt more than those with a feminine identity (Finucane et al., 2000; Keyton, 2011).

Biological Structure

Male and female brains are not only structured differently, but also process information differently. Women tend to process information abstractly, whereas men process it analytically. Each sex has a unique pattern of communication and frequently — and mistakenly — presumes that the other sex thinks and acts in the same way. This is where miscommunication often occurs, since each gender assumes it is communicating clearly based on its own patterns of communication. It should be recognized that neither sex is more superior or correct — they are simply different. It has been argued that men and women communicate in such varying ways that they might appear to come from different planets (Finucane et al., 2000). There are several general distinctions that characterize gender communication. It is essential that men and women neither judge nor attempt to alter each other's communication style, but instead come to understand the distinctions that exist between male and female communication patterns. Embracing different linguistic styles, competencies, and abilities as complementary — and utilizing their respective strengths cooperatively — can help individuals grow, work effectively, and succeed together.

Conclusion

Given that conflict is a part of human life, it is nearly impossible to avoid it in business life. Regardless of whether an organization operates as an economic actor within a national economy or provides other services, its workers will inevitably encounter conflicts. Organizations require more than affected communication — they require effectual communication. Mutual understanding is an important step toward resolving conflict. When all conflicting parties understand what the other is thinking, an opportunity is created for intellectual dialogue and the likelihood of a win-win settlement increases. An important proposition in information theory is that information reduces doubt. Doubt causes suspicion, which is not a feature of a constructive relationship. The chances of escalating a disagreement are greater when the content of each communicator's underlying concerns is unknown and thus open to conjecture.

References

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Buddhodev Sinha, A. (2011). Conflict management: Making life easier. The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, 5(4), pp. 31–43.

Finucane, M. L., Slovic, P., Mertz, C. K., Flynn, J., & Satterfield, T. A. (2000). Gender, race, and perceived risk: The 'white male' effect. Health, Risk & Society, 2(2).

Hener, G. (2010). Communication and conflict management in local public organizations. Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, No. 30E/2010, pp. 132–141.

Keyton, J. (2011). Communication and organizational culture: A key to understanding work experience. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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Putnam, L. L. (September 2015). Communication and conflict resolution. Presentation to Advance Center.

Siira, K. (2013). Organizational conflict, conflict management, and communication: A social complexity perspective. Helsinki.