Effective Methods for Managing Workplace Conflict

Conflict is a natural part of being in a society and regularly occurs  in personal and professional arenas. In the workplace, disputes can be especially destructive as issues spread to other members and damage the ability of people to work together. Learning to develop a healthy style of conflict management helps minimize damage quickly and keeps the company moving in the right direction.

Collaborating with others is one of the best methods of managing a business as it solves problems and helps keep people focused on goals (Paul, et. al., 2004/2005). When all parties are interested in resolving differences and finding an equitable solution, stronger companies emerge. The collective action of solving conflict forces the organization to get stronger as it reaches to overcome issues.

Conflict management styles determine the  preferred approach when problems arise that cannot be easily rectified. People react to challenges in different ways but fundamentally take an obliging, integrating, avoiding or dominating approach (Anjum, Karim, & Bibi, 2014).  Applying the wrong style to an explosive situation can lead to further problems.

Obliging is giving in, and this can be beneficial when the issues are not important, or the person may be entitled to what they are requesting. For example, if you forgot to return an item to a coworker and conflict results than obliging them is appropriate. Respecting the needs of others helps reduce pending issues.

Integrating is a useful method for creating strategies that blend the interest of multiple people into a shared vision. Stakeholders needs and issues are integrated into the solution so that involved parties can come to an agreement. This often occurs during negotiations or planning the use of resources.

Avoidance occurs when avoiding the person, and their demands is the primary objective. This can be counterproductive if the behavior crosses boundaries but may be beneficial if there is nothing to gain from the conflict. An aggressive person who has little to do with your core business should be avoided unless they become destructive and challenged.

Dominating is a standard approach where people seek to create power over each other instead of power with each other.  Escalating conflicts usually occur because of these dominating actions where one person attempts to force compliance of another person. For example, companies may fire an employee who vandalized property in the best interest of the organization.

Managers spend a lot of time resolving employee and customer issues and it is important to be familiar with how personality impacts the overall process of development. Creating shared visions is be a primary tool but when this isn't likely to occur, due to unreasonable demands, it is important to use one of the other approaches to find a constructive resolution. Resolving a problem quickly can help in minimizing its damage.

Anjum, M., Karim, J. & Bibi, Z. (2014). Relationship of values and conflict management styles. IBA Business Review, 9 (1).

Paul, S. et. al. (20014/2005). An empirical investigation of collaborative conflict management style in group support system-based global virtual teams. Journal of Management Information Systems, 21 (3).

Call for Papers: European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies

European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies (ECRM)

Date: June 16-17 2014, London, UK

The conference committee is attracted by both theoretical and practical papers on many subjects, as well as by innovative ideas and experiences. We are also interested in case studies that demonstrate how research strategies have been applied and the lessons learned. We welcome contributions on many topics, presenting a range of scholarly approaches. theoretical and empirical papers employing qualitative, quantitative and critical methods are eagerly awaited. Action research, case studies and work-in-progress/posters are welcomed approaches. PhD Research, proposals for roundtable discussions, non-academic contributions and product demonstrations based on the main themes are also invited. You can find full details in the submission types document (.pdf format).

§         Projective techniques

§         Scales development and constructs measurement

§         Methods for Ensuring Survey Research Quality

§         The use of qualitative and quantitative research methods

§         Theoretical and empirical research

§         IT adoption research

§         Economic research

§         Design-oriented research

§         Evaluation research

§         Dissertation development process

§         Developing research proposals

§         Research design and triangulation

§         Getting academic papers accepted by journals

§         Theory development

§         Concept verification

§         Research supervision

§         Research protocols

§         Research ethics

§         Research questions

§         Reflexivity

§         Field-work

§         Problem solving

§         Reflective practice

§         Usability scale implementation

§         Data structuring

§         Experimental procedures

§         Replication logic

§         Codes of conduct

§         Human subjects

§         Conjoint analysis, cluster analysis and segmentation

§         Business and management education

§         The role of Paradigms in business and IS research

§         Mutual research designs

§         Interpretative theory

§         Paradigmatic divide

§         Researcher roles

§         Focus groups

§         Marketing research

§         Mixed designs

§         Design research

§         Intercultural research

§         Agent based approaches in business research

§         Research in the Middle East

§         Delphi method

§         Case study research method

§         Action research

§         Computer modelling and simulation

§         Visual methodologies

§         Online research methods

§         Relativist approaches to qualitative research.

§         Use of self-research and autobiographies as a means of undertaking and reporting research

More Information

Servant Leadership being Chosen by Many Leaders

Servant leadership is now being selected by senior leaders and boards of trustees as a style of leadership over authoritarian, democratic, or lassiez-faire styles.  Spears (2005) wrote:

In countless for-profit and not-for-profit organizations today we are seeing traditional, autocratic, and hierarchical modes of leadership yielding to a different way of working—one based on teamwork and community, one that seeks to involve others in decision making, one strongly based in ethical and caring behavior, and one that is attempting to enhance the personal growth of workers while improving the caring and quality of our many institutions. This emerging approach to leadership and service is called servant-leadership. (p. 1)

The idea of servant leadership seems to be paradoxical.  How can one be a leader if they are a servant?  But it is much more about the style of leadership than the name itself.  Imagine a stereotypical authoritarian style where the employee is not put first nor the customer, but rather that the bottom-line is key.  A servant may not feel comfortable in an organization that is militaristic and authoritarian in style. 

Servant leaders, by definition, place the needs of their subordinates before their own needs and center their efforts on helping subordinates grow to reach their maximum potential and achieve optimal organizational and career success” (Greenleaf, 1977).  A study by Blanchard (2010) found that servant leadership increases employee passion and customer devotion which leads to overall satisfaction with the organization. "Not only are people looking for deeper purpose and meaning as they meet the challenges of today's changing world, but they are also looking for principles that actually work. Servant leadership works" (Blanchard, 2010, p. 279).

Spears quoted the Indianapolis Business Journal which said, "Servant leadership has emerged as one of the dominant philosophies being discussed in the world today."  Servant leadership seems to fit well in all aspects of business whether a profit or a non-profit organization.  "Servant-leadership crosses all boundaries and is being applied by a wide variety of people working with for-profit businesses; not-for-profit corporations; and churches, universities, health care, and foundations" (Spears, 2005, p. 5)

Servant leadership is focused on the servant or employee.  This is an advantage versus an authoritarian approach.  Many major companies have adopted the servant leadership approach as part of their mission statement.  "Among these are The Toro Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Synovus Financial Corporation (Columbus, Georgia), ServiceMaster Company (Downers Grove, Illinois), The Men’s Wearhouse (Fremont, California), Southwest Airlines (Dallas, Texas), Starbucks (Seattle, Washington), and TDIndustries (Dallas, Texas)" (Spears, 2005, p. 5). 

Author: Dr. Andree Swanson

References

Blanchard, K. (2010). Leading at a higher level, revised and expanded edition: Blanchard on leadership and creating high performing organizations. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Press.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York, NY: Paulist Press.

Spears, L. (2005). The understanding and practice of servant leadership. Regent University. Retrieved from http://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/sl_proceedings/2005/spears_practice.pdf

Management by Values: A New Management Approach

Management theory has developed based upon the success of companies. Through these examples researchers can better understand how successful techniques can be used to improve upon other organization. New techniques may provide a framework for developing companies in a highly competitive international market. The development of Management by Values offers a potential way to view and see organizations.

It is beneficial to understand how these techniques contributed and grow from each other in a natural progression. Starting at Scientific Methodology each method contributed to concepts of administrative approaches, decentralization, strategy orientation, core competencies, innovation, and values. Each technique provided some level of strength at the time they were implement. However as the world environment becomes more complex it is important to continue and develop economic approaches. New methods must be forthcoming.

According to Zhen (2012) the development of thought on modern management techniques has grown throughout the past century:

Management by Scientific Method (1911, Bethlehem by Taylor)

Management by Administration Organization (1916, Fayol)

Management by Decentralization  (1946, Drucker)

Management by Strategy  (1964, Drucker)

Management by Core Competency (1990 NEC vs. GTE)

Management by Innovation and Leadership (2000’s, Apple & Jobs)

Management by Values (Alibaba, 2010).

Management by Values can help to develop stronger and more effective cultures by using values as guiding principles to competitive advantage.  To be a competitive advantage an organizational culture should 1.) contribute to the financial development of the whole; 2.) is unique to other organizational cultures; and 3.) is not easily copied (Barney, 1986). When a culture is developed that works, it will continue to provide benefits as long as it is unique and not adapted by other organizations to achieve the same advantages.

The development of strong organizational culture based in value premises can help hold members together. Through this development, each member has appropriate value assumptions that help in guiding their decisions. Such values become further solidified the more people join the organization and reinforce this value system. Each organization has their own unique approach to the market through their value assumptions.

Guiding organizational values help determine the overall strategic approach. An organizational culture is based upon those root value systems an organization deems as the most important vantage points in order to navigate the economic environment (Zairi and Jarrar, 2011). All decisions are filtered through these values, which create guiding principles for the rest of the organization.

Business leaders can develop strong value systems to guide both their actions as well as those of their employees. Through these value systems, the organization can help guide people to appropriate decisions that further both the groups and the organizations interests. When such value systems are beneficial, and based upon mutual self-interest, they can encourage group navigation through difficult economic times and create a more competitive workplace by aligning individual activities through a cultural lens.

Barney, J. (1986). Organizational Culture: Can it be a Source of Competitive Advantage?. Academy of Management Review, 11(3), 656-665.

Drucker, P. F. (1958). Business Objectives and Survival Needs: Notes on a Discipline of Business Enterprise. The Journal

of Business, 31(2), 81-90.

Zhen, L. (2012). Management by Values: A case study. International Business and Management Vol. 4, ( 2), pp. 75-91

Zairi, M., and Jarrar, Y. (15 July 2011). Impact of Organizational Values on Business Performance. Retrieved February 3, 2013 from http://www.meqa.org/resources/MEQA_report_2