Realistic and unrealistic - Sample Essay
When people interact with others they are going to have differences in ambitions, interests, values or approaches to problems, this is called conflict. The conflict arises when one person feels threatened by another person. “Conflict is a fact of life in all types of organizations” (De Janasz, S. , Dowd K. , & Schneider B. , 2002). Conflict can be handled constructively by an effective manager. An effective manager has the training to deal with conflict and will train their employees to deal with conflict constructively. Additionally, a good manager knows that conflict has to be dealt with and strives to find ways to manage them.
There are four key types of conflict they include: internal, external, realistic and unrealistic. Internal conflict happens within a person and may be caused by events such as assessments, work pressures or responsibilities. External conflict can occur between people and is usually the result of an incident or misunderstanding which leaves parties feeling uneasy with each other. Realistic conflict can be resolved because the parties are willing to communicate and negotiate, unrealistic conflict is not resolvable because the parties are not willing to change their mind or find common ground.
Communication will not improve the situation as the parties will and can become hostile and ignore each other. Conflict Resolution Strategies 3 Although conflict is going to occur there are not many people comfortable with it. In fact, many people rather avoid conflict at all costs. Knowing how to deal with conflict is a skill that is learned. Some conflict resolution strategies include: accommodating, avoidance, compromise, collaborating and competing. The accommodating strategy is primarily used to resolve conflict when the main goal is to maintain relationships.
This strategy is used when the issue is not of any real importance and is more beneficial to sustain the relationship. Avoidance strategy is used when someone makes a choice to not deal with an issue or the people involved, with the hope that the situation resolves itself or goes away. “This strategy is suitable for situations in which the issues are trivial or of only minor importance to you, when emotions are high, you feel you have no chance of satisfying your concerns, or when others could resolve the conflict more effectively” (De Janasz, S. , Dowd K., & Schneider B. , 2002).
This strategy can be dangerous if the issue needs attention and but is avoided, it can resurface later if not handled properly. Conflict Resolution Strategies 4 Avoidance can lead to a “lose-lose” scenario; goals may not be addressed or achieved and the relationship may not be able to progress beyond its current state. Conflict resolution results in an increased contribution and dedication to the decisions and goals of the person or group. The goal of the team is not to get rid of conflict but to know how to manage constructively. Conflict Resolution Strategies .
Bruce A. Blitman of Ft. Lauderdale presented “Dealing with Different Negotiation Styles and Conflict Resolution Strategies. (Brief article). (Feb 1, 2007). In Florida Bar News, 34, p27(1). Retrieved May 9, 2007, from Academic OneFile via Thomson Gale: http://find. galegroup. com/ips/infomark. do? &contentSet=IAC- De Janasz, S. C. , Dowd K. O. , & Schneider B. Z. (2002). Interpersonal Skills in Organizations. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 349-365. Retrieved May 3, 2007,