Facilitative Mediation as a Method to Resolve Conflict
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review Chapter 7: Mediation Skills in the required course textbook.
In your study of conflict resolution and management, you have been exposed to many different methods on how to resolve and manage conflicts. One effective method of conflict resolution is utilizing mediation. In this assignment, you will examine the use of mediation to resolve a conflict. You are to assume the role of a mediator who is mediating a conflict between two parties.
In your paper,
Define the practice of facilitative mediation as a method to resolve conflict.
Be sure your definition outlines the steps used in the facilitative mediation process. (Note: Bullets or lists will not meet the requirements of this assignment. You must include the steps you outline in the narrative of your writing.)
Describe a conflict between two parties in an organizational setting that you are personally aware of or have researched.
Be sure your description outlines the different perspectives and views each party would offer that reflects their own understanding of the conflict.
Describe the caucus that you, as mediator, would have with each of the parties.
Be sure your description includes what type of coaching or motivating you would employ with each party to encourage that party to enter into an agreement with the other party.
Discuss the agreement that both parties could reach to settle their conflict.
Describe how the agreement benefits each party.
The Mediating a Conflict paper
Must be four to five double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages and formatted according to APA Style. as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft Word.
Must include a separate title page with the following:
Title of paper in bold font
Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page.
Student’s name
Name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus)
Course name and number
Instructor’s name
Due date
Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice Links to an external site. resource for additional guidance.
Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
For assistance on writing Introductions & ConclusionsLinks to an external site. and Writing a Thesis StatementLinks to an external site., refer to the Writing Center resources.
Must use, in addition to the required course textbook, at least three credible sources, including at least two Forbes.com articles. This means that the paper must include a minimum of four credible sources.
The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible SourcesLinks to an external site. table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source.
To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view Quick and Easy Library ResearchLinks to an external site. tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your PaperLinks to an external site..
Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center. See the APA: Formatting Your References ListLinks to an external site. resource in the Writing Center for specifications.
Text
Jandt, F. E. (2016). Conflict and communication. Sage.
Chapter 6: Dealing With Anger, Aggression, and Bullying
Chapter 7: Mediation Skills
The Mediating A Conflict Paper
Student’s Name
Name Of Institution
Course Name and Number
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
The Mediating A Conflict Paper
A Definition of Facilitative Mediation as a Method to Resolve Conflict
By description, facilitative mediation is a conflict resolution method that uses a cooperative and structured approach by a neutral third party, who is the mediator. The role of a mediator in facilitative mediation is to resolve a conflict between disputing parties by ensuring they communicate effectively, understand each other and can work collaboratively to reach an amicable solution (Bieber, 2023). In that case, the mediator does not decide for the involved parties or impose a solution for them. Rather, they facilitate open dialogue, which allows both parties to find a solution that favors them. However, for successful conflict resolution, facilitative mediation has to undergo specific steps, which start with the mediator’s opening statement and end with the final session.
The first step is the mediator’s opening statement. When facilitative mediation is initiated, the mediator starts by setting the tone and conducive environment for productive engagement. Specifically, mediators introduce themselves, their qualifications, and their roles as neutral facilitators (Administrative Appeals Tribunal, 2023). This helps emphasize their capabilities and offers them the platform to lay ground rules. The second stage is the parties’ statement. As the name indicates, this phase entails parties presenting their statements of the conflict from their perspective. The step helps ensure parties can create a positive social atmosphere and appreciation of each other.
The third step is agenda setting, which involves identifying and listing issues. Listing the issues is identified as the basis for effective negotiation as well as cooperative problem-solving. The fourth step is joint exploratory discussion, and it encourages parties to focus on a specific topic for negotiation based on the identified issues. This phase of mediation allows parties to communicate directly (Jandt, 2016). The step that follows is a private meeting with the mediator. The private meeting allows the parties to discuss the issue more comfortably with the mediator by expressing their perspective. The second last step is joint negotiation. It helps with joint problem-solving. The last step is the final session. The parties meet with the mediator to discuss the issues and possible resolutions.
A Conflict Between Two Parties in An Organizational Setting
In history, there have been endless conflicts between parties in an organization, but the one that caught my attention is the dispute between Steve Jobs and the board of directors, led by the then CEO, John Sculley. In the early 1980s, Apple Inc. was not that successful. The Apple Lisa and Macintosh were a great disappointment, and the board felt they needed to limit Jobs’ attempts to launch more expensive and experimental products (Coursey, 2012). The dispute was intense since it led to Jobs leaving Apple Inc. to start NeXT, which was Apple’s competitor. The company did not succeed, as it never came close to taking off.
Steve Jobs’ perspective of the conflict supposes that the board of directors was against his moves because of his attributes of a visionary leader. Specifically, Jobs had endless innovative ideas and an unwavering belief that technology would transform people’s lives. As such, he championed a product-centric approach to help create revolutionary products that resonated well with consumers and shaped the industry. The board did not welcome Jobs’s approach as they perceived them as potential threats to the company’s financial performance and stability. On the contrary, the board of directors’ perspective of the conflict involved being concerned with Jobs’ uncompromising approach and developing expensive products (Coursey, 2012). Consequently, the board of members felt the need to limit Jobs’ i...