1. Both collaboration and conflict are critical for team functioning. In terms of conflict, do you often view conflict positively or negatively? Please explain and cite/reference the readings to support your view. Provide an instance from personal experience or other sources (such as news or case study) where conflict was found to be beneficial for a group/team situation. The author discusses five approaches for dealing with conflict (from the readings). Cite/reference the readings to support your perspective. The standard way of thinking about conflict today is that it is always negative. It has a negative connotation to it, and people tend to disregard the benefits of conflict. According to Daniel Levi in Group Dynamics for Teams, conflict in teamwork is healthy (139). Every team member will have their own opinions and not everyone will always agree. It is just like a romantic relationship, when conflict is avoided, the problem usually gets worse. …show more content…
There are ways for an organization and a team to prepare for conflict and maximize their potential rewards. Levi suggests that the best way to prepare for a conflict is to create a safe communication environment that allows for constructive criticism/ controversy (145). In other words, team members should encourage open discussion and make sure their group feels comfortable sharing their opinions. A group can also engage in preemptive conflict management, such as developing cooperation and trust-building among members and create contracts to identify how to handle certain situations (Levi 146). Trust building is a concept we have discussed in class, and I think it is crucial to an organization. When a virtual team faces a conflict, it is most likely due to miscommunication. Therefore, it is important for the team leader to intervene, and also set up a face-to-face meeting to help resolve the conflict
Discernment is generally at loss in the midst of tragedy. The film Ordinary People displays how the Jarrett family copes with the loss of their son, Buck, in a boating accident. Inability to communicate ultimately leads to far more dysfunction than Conrad, Beth, and Calvin can imagine. The misinterpretation of acts of “silence or violence” can be avoided with conflict management techniques.
On the one hand, conflict can be destructive and can escalate into social disputes. On the other hand, conflict can promote social cohesiveness through problem resolution. According to this paradigm, conflict is a fact of social life and the manner in which it is handled will influence social relationships.
Conflict is to be expected in any group and, if managed properly, can actually lead to creative ideas and solutions. If managed incorrectly, however, as in the Blue-Green exercise, it can destroy a group. What lessons can be drawn from the Blue-Green exercise about conflict and competition within organizations? How do you see the Blue-Green exercise being played out in real life, within your own organization?
Bob’s Meltdown In today’s workplace communication is key, collaboration crucial and teamwork a top management buzzword. These facets encourage knowledge sharing, co‐operation and a joint sense of purpose. However, such an increase in interpersonal relationships too often creates an unwanted side effect: conflict. (http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/14777280310795784)
There are two kinds of organizational conflicts that when they are well handled are beneficial to the organization. When conflict is well handled it forces us to be creative problem-solvers, to avoid mistakes, and to learn how to benefit
Throughout the film, Ordinary People, the Jarrett family deals with sudden severe tragic news. When the news was received of their son Buck getting in an awful boating accident, the family became a mess. The relations in the family for each family member became weak, due to lack of communication. Beth, Calvin, and Conrad all could have related back to the conflict management skills to help them as a whole.
In short time communicate with each team member. Have a conflict to make
Conflict resolution as a field of study as indicated has formed hypothetical bits of knowledge into the nature and source of conflict and how conflicts can be resolved through peaceful systems to effectuate a dependable settlement. Morton Deutsch, was the first to form and understanding into the helpful results of collaboration as a scholastic enquiry. In his view, various variables like the way of the debate and the objectives every group in a conflict goes for are crucial in deciding the sort of introduction a group would convey to the negotiation table in its endeavor to unravel the conflict (Morton Deucth, 1985, p.24). To him, two essential orientations do exist. These are competitive and cooperative.
Theoretical Framework: Conflict Perspective: Conflict perspective focuses their attention on society as a whole. Conflict theorists see society as in a continuous sate of conflict between groups and classes. He struggle for power and income is a continuous process but one in which many categories of people appear as opponents-classes, races, nationalities and even the sexes. Society is held together through the power of dominant groups or classes. The shared values, which functionalist see as glue for holding society together, do no realty form rue consensus; instead this is an artificial consensus in which the dominant groups or classes impose their values and rules upon rest of the people.
Patrick Lencioni in his book ‘The Five Dysfunctions of a team’, through a fable talks about typically 5 dysfunctions that any team faces: Dysfunction #1: Absence of Trust The fear of being vulnerable with team members prevents the building of trust within the team. Dysfunction #2: Fear of Conflict The desire to preserve artificial harmony stifles the occurrence of productive ideological conflict.
These factors all go hand in hand due to them having to do with interpersonal interaction. Conflict did arise during one of our sessions and I believe everyone fell into their familial roles, with mediators, appeasers and ones that stay out of the conversation (Yalom & Leszcz, 2005, p. 31). As the conflict arose, I looked towards the group leaders to see how they would handle the conflict between the members as well as observed the reaction of the remainder of the group to see how they were choosing to deal with the situation. This to me was a learning experience to see how others dealt with conflict resolution and to apply it to my own future experiences. Not only did the conflict provide an opportunity for imitation of behavior for the future and development of social techniques, it also highlighted each member’s own internal framework.
The external pressures significantly affect the formation of the team. Personal identity and complex interpersonal interactions result in a highly charged environment and a tense group
A individual use of conflict should be used by many strategies impacted by the culture of the organization or institution but also by the personal beliefs and values. “The variables surrounding the conflict must be examined to understand and alter the choice of a particular behavioral approach to conflict”(Thomas,1976). When deciding the choice of outcome of a problem you should examine the facts and stay away from the assumptions. When managing conflicts, strategies should be utilized and reviewed so that the conflict can come to an collective solution. Some strategies to obtain during a conflict is the first strategy which is understanding that rushing to end the conflict will cause you to not be able to gather the appropriate information.
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, JAMAICA COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES CARIBBEAN SCHOOL OF NURSING, UTECH Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Conflict Theory Submitted in partial fulfillment of the module SOC 1001: Sociology Submitted to: Mrs.Rená Blackwood-McIntosh (Lecturer) Prepared by: Michaella Pryce ID #: 1402203 Date: September 26, 2014 Montego Bay, Jamaica Conflict Theory A conflict may be defined as a disagreement resulting from an individual or groups of individuals due to a difference in attitude, beliefs, values or needs with unwillingness to conform. Conflicts may be interpersonal, intrapersonal, intergroup or intragroup conflicts.
Introduction Conflict is unpleasant, but inevitable throughout life. In any situation involving two or people, conflict may arise. Conflict can be defined as, “any situation in which incompatible goals, cognitions, or emotions within or between individuals or groups lead to opposition or antagonistic interaction” (Learning Team Toolkit, 2004, pp 242-243). People come from different backgrounds and live through different life experiences therefore, even when working towards a common goal, they will not always agree. Major conflict that is not dealt with can devastate a team or organization (Make Conflict Work, 2008).