Conflict occurs in every company whenever there is a difference of opinion or a personality conflict exists between two people. When handled incorrectly, conflict everyone one in an organization from a subordinate to the executive director could be affected. Disagreements occur among employees for various reasons, such as differences of opinion, values, goals or work ethic. Managers in organizations must handle each situation differently. Based on the assigned readings, the workbook assignment, and my personal interactions with management and staff, I will discuss the conflict management styles used by managers within Arc Human Services, Inc (ARC).
Currently, I work as a human resources generalist at ARC. Through my three years of employment with ARC, I have observed the different styles of conflict management. As part of the management team, I must be able to deal with conflict on a day-to-day basis. Conflict is inevitable within any organization.
Upper management of ARC has different styles of conflict management that it utilizes amongst its staff. The Chief Financial Officer of ARC, Joe Scrip, utilizes avoidance as a conflict management style. When a disagreement occurs within the accounting department, he pretends the conflict does not exist. He hopes with time the disagreement will eventually go away. Avoidance is not a practical style of managing conflict. The underlying tension within the department never really goes away.
The human resources director of ARC, Mary Bruno, utilizes the collaboration style of conflict management. As the director of human resources, Mary is able to listen to both sides of a disagreement and distinguish the best course of action that needs to be taken. She bases her decision upon what is best for the organization. Ultimately, Mary’s goal is to solve the problem by raising all of the relevant issues and openly discussing the issues with the parties involved. The final result is a win-win situation amongst the employees that the conflict involved.
Occasionally, arguments may occur that can only be resolved through the authoritative style of conflict management. The authoritative style is utilized when quick and decisive action is vital or when unpopular action needs to be taken. The Chief Operations Officer of ARC, Karry Riddell is the manager that would utilize this style of management. The authoritative style is needed in the agency when an employee works in a small area have tried to work through a disagreement, but fail doing so. Karry would dictate a solution for the employees to follow. This particular style is not effective, eventually the conflict occurs again within a short period of time.
While observing the different management styles within the agency, I agree with the human resource director’s style of dealing with conflict. In any type of disagreement, both side of a story need to be heard. Many times an argument can be resolved fairly through listening, discussing, and negotiating with the parties involved. A manager, I would take into consideration what is best for the agency when resolving a disagreement. A conflict resolved correctly the first time will save the agency time, money, and heartache.
The results of the assessment on page 356 of Organizational Behavior, concluded that my style of conflict management depends on the type of situation which may arise. The assessment scores are as follows: twelve on collaborating and ten on compromising, avoiding, and accommodating. The scores reflect my character and my approach. The field of human resources requires a person to be able to collaborate with others.
