Conflict Resolution Models to Deconstruct Conflict Situations
Text
Jandt, F. E. (2016). Conflict and communication. Sage.
Chapter 3: Deconstructing Conflicts
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review Chapter 3: Deconstructing Conflicts in required course textbook.
In your study of conflict resolution and management, you will encounter many different models of how to resolve conflicts. Conflict resolution models help the user to deconstruct conflict and to seek strategies to resolve those conflicts. To that end, comparing conflict resolution models is a good exercise for aspiring organizational leaders to better understand how to resolve or manage conflicts. This assignment will focus, however, on the Change-Oriented Conflict Analysis (p. 58) from Chapter 3 of the course textbook but will also examine either Wehr’s Conflict Map (p. 55) or the Hocker-Wilmot Conflict Assessment Guide (p. 57).
In your paper,
Describe the Change-Oriented Conflict Analysis model and each of its steps.
Describe a professional conflict situation within an organizational setting.
Apply the Change-Oriented Conflict Analysis to that conflict.
Select either the Wehr’s Conflict Map or the Hocker-Wilmot Conflict Assessment Guide, and apply your selected conflict model to that same conflict situation.
Compare your selected conflict resolution model with the Change-Oriented Conflict Analysis. Be sure to
Describe the advantages of each conflict resolution model.
Describe the disadvantages of each conflict resolution model.
Explain which conflict resolution model is better suited to resolve your conflict situation.
The Conflict Resolution Models to Deconstruct Conflict Situations paper
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Conflict Resolution Models to Deconstruct Conflict Situations
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Conflict Resolution Models to Deconstruct Conflict Situations
Every organization is prone to conflict due to varying interests, perspectives, roles, and goals. Conflict creates uncertainty and confusion, and slows down operations. When conflict occurs, organizations must be equipped with conflict resolution and management models for understanding and deconstructing disputes. Some of these models include Change-oriented conflict analysis, Wehr’s conflict map, and Hocker-Wilmot conflict assessment guide. This paper aims to describe the change-oriented conflict analysis model, select a professional conflict situation within an organization, and apply that situation to the model. The paper also describes Wehr’s conflict map and applies it to the conflict situation. Additionally, the paper compares the two conflict resolution models, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, it explains the model that is better suited to resolve the selected conflict situation.
Change-Oriented Conflict Analysis Model and Each of its Steps
The change-oriented conflict analysis model is a conflict evaluation model that helps in understanding and addressing conflicts in different settings (Jandt, 2016). It entails methods to comprehend the primary causes of conflict and plans to resolve disagreements to foster lasting transformative changes. This model views conflicts as opportunities for growth and positive changes and highlights the benefits of solving existing disputes and facilitating transformative processes (Jandt, 2016). The change-oriented conflict analysis model consists of ten distinctive steps that assist in determining the root causes of conflicts and methods to deconstruct them (Jandt, 2016). Each step acts as a foundation for understanding and mitigating conflict in a way that encourages growth and positive changes. The steps include:
1 The story
2 Information sources
3 The context
4 The primary parties
5 The issues
6 Parties demands and interests
7 Parties social reality
8 Other interested and affected parties
9 Parties' resources of power
10 Settlement options
A Professional Conflict Situation within an Organizational Setting
Every organization experiences different kinds of conflicts that emerge from resource limitations, different perspectives, and unclear roles. A relatable example involves a conflict that emerged between the accounting officer and the managing director of a construction company over the promotion of junior employees. The accounting officer maintained that his job description included effecting promotions while the managing director believed that the accounting officer overstepped his role.
Application of Change-Oriented Conflict Analysis to the Conflict
Applying the change-oriented conflict analysis model to the above conflict demonstrates a critical understanding of the situation’s deeper dynamics. The story gives an account of the conflict. The information sources step involves analyzing communication barriers between the conflicting parties. The context highlights the origin of the conflict, involved parties, and contributing factors. The conflict is caused by unclear roles, leading to one party usurping or wanting to arrogate the power of the other. The managing director and the accounting officer are the primary parties involved in the conflict.
The issues are the disputes between the parties. In the professional conflict situation, the main issue is the execution of promotion. They derail construction projects and intensify tension within the organization. Parties’ demands and interests call for conflict resolution. Interests are the things that motivate the conflicting parties intend to achieve. The experiences of the managing director and the accounting offices during the conflict define their social reality. Other interested and affected parties are the company employees listed for promotions and customers. Parties' resources of materialize, with the accounting officer possessing authority over effecting promotions, frustrating the managing director who perceives his role as undermined. Settlement options are evident as both parties acknowledge the need for promotions, creating room for change and growth.
Application of Wehr’s Conflict Map to the Conflict
Wehr’s conflict map provides a systematic way of analyzing the conflict’s dynamics (Karakasis, 2015). The map identifies conflict context, actors, causes and consequences, contrasting beliefs, goals and interests, power dynamics, and functions. In the first step, the mapper collects information about the conflict's history and its organizational and physical settings. The second step identifies primary parties: conflicting individuals, secondary parties: - those with an indirect state in the conflict outcome, and thi...