This paper presents a social work discussion thread exploring the role of conflict in human services administration. Drawing on a roundtable discussion featuring practitioners such as Andrea Ingram and Maurice Williams, the paper examines how administrators can transform workplace conflict into opportunities for creativity, cross-training, and organizational growth. Multiple perspectives address conflict theory, active listening, role-switching strategies, and proactive culture-building. Peer responses extend the conversation by addressing topics such as the distinction between dissent and conflict, the dangers of unmanaged disputes, and the importance of negotiable stances. Taken together, the responses argue that conflict, when managed effectively, is an essential driver of improvement in nonprofit and human services organizations.
Social conflict occurs when two or more individuals oppose something within a social interaction. Conflict is part of human nature and, as such, may be mitigated or managed through a variety of theories and psychological techniques. Conflict theory, for instance, emphasizes individual interests rather than norms of value: society is composed of groups that struggle to pursue their own interests and will use whatever advantage is available to pursue their goals. This has given rise to a number of frameworks — including economic theories of production and exploitation (Marx) and analyses of the way groups vie for control (Bartos and Wehr, 2002). Many tend to view conflict as an inevitable negative within the workplace or organizational culture. However, it is also possible to see conflict as positive dissent — something that might be encouraged and developed constructively to improve an organization.
In the roundtable conflict scenario, Holly underscores the idea that conflict is important; what matters is how it is channeled and how it can be used to help individuals grow and develop. If we think about modern organizational structures, we can see how tremendously complex they can be. There are pressures to remain profitable, to produce more, to be innovative, and to do far more with fewer staff. Viewed from this angle, conflict becomes a necessary part of organizational life — and a necessary part of being human. Leaders can shape the culture of an organization by encouraging conflict as part of a new "innovation culture" (Gelfand et al., 2010).
In most cases, innovation is not clean, neat, or orderly. By its very nature, it is disruptive to the patterns and procedures within an organization. Often, this disruption takes the form of dissent — meaning that individuals prefer to move in a different direction than the status quo. The difficulty for managers at all levels is to encourage dissent without feeling threatened by it. As one wise CEO's axiom put it: "I don't shoot messengers — that's why I have them."
In the Human Services scenario, Andrea had a situation in which two staff members were extremely critical of how the other performed their job. To address this, Andrea had the two switch jobs — and the problem actually diminished, and the two became closer. This was an extremely effective and innovative management approach that had implications far beyond the specific tasks each person was performing. In human nature, dissent does not always stay confined to areas that managers find agreeable or acceptable. However, the human psyche tends to function in an "all or nothing" manner when forming opinions. It is not typically possible to build an organizational culture that encourages dissent and free thinking only in subjects defined by management. By walking in one another's shoes, each employee could appreciate a better way to collaborate. Particularly in nonprofit organizations, each person should recognize that they are working toward something larger than themselves, and most would agree that service to clients or the organization must take top priority (Tsasis, 2009).
One of the most interesting patterns observable across managers at nearly every level — from the ground floor to the corner office — is how quickly and effectively they tend to shut down dissent. In most cases, they are unaware that their body language, word choice, or actions are doing exactly that. Most are surprised, and believe that shutting down dissent is the last thing they want. It is important to recognize, therefore, that it is not merely the intent of a message about dissent that matters, but also the actual words, tone, delivery, and interpretation. These scenarios point to a compelling way of dealing with dissent and conflict — turning it into a positive and constructive learning experience.
Bartos, O. and Wehr, P. (2002). Using Conflict Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gelfand, M. (2010). Cultures of conflict: How leaders and members shape conflict cultures in organizations. Academy of Management Proceedings.
Tsasis, P. (2009). The social processes of interorganizational collaboration and conflict in nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 20(1), 5–21.
"Colleagues' responses on conflict strategies"
"Listening, cross-training, and proactive leadership"
Conflict is inevitable; it creates an atmosphere of concern and vigilance (Laureate Education, 2011). Conflict stems from those who are impacted or affected by the decisions and outcomes of others (Laureate Education, 2011). Some conflicts arise from a lack of communication and from misunderstanding the intent behind another's actions (Laureate Education, 2011). Overall, it is important to understand that when disagreements and conflicts surface, human services managers must develop a plan to address the situation appropriately (Laureate Education, 2011).
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