Conflict Resolution and Mediation Essay

be differences in opinions which inevitably lead to disagreements. encroach exists in families, in the workplace, in churches and schools, in sports, between neighbors and between countries. Conflict is specify as an expressed struggle between at least dickens interdependent parties who perceive incompatible goals, s political machinece resources, and interference from former(a)s in achieving their goals. (Wilmot and Hocker, 2001, p. 11). When there be differences in individual nurtures, motivations, ideas and perceptions, negates arise. How individuals deal with involvement depends on personal history, family background and separate influences over ones lifetime. Gender as well as culture influence behavior and perceptions and play an important role in remainder resolution. Traditionally, conflict has been viewed as a destructive force which was lift out handled by avoiding, ignoring, or silencing it. There is a growing body of belles-lettres on the benefits of effective conflict management.Healthy conflict is now viewed as a obligatory ingredient in organizational success. The competency to deal effectively with conflict is precise to creating productive relationships. Although most people continue to view conflict negatively, it is a necessary ingredient to creativity and results in healthier relationships. There atomic number 18 two kinds of conflict, constructive and destructive. Constructive conflict should be encouraged because it leads to creative persuasion and growth. It results in high performing organizations and to enhanced relationships. Destructive conflict should be eliminated or dealt with immediately. It is costly and does not promote positive personal or organizational development. Communication is a key ingredient in conflict resolution. There are various tools available to calve conflict. They imply effectual remedies, arbitration as well as mediation. Conflict resolution skills are learned and when applied, result in im proved relationships. Defining ConflictThere is an element of conflict in almost all relationships. Conflict has also been defined as a social line in which two or more persons, families, parties, communities, or districts are in disagreement with each other ( Dzurgba, 2006). It occurs on an intrapersonal as well as an social level. If left unmanaged, conflict rat lead to hostility, anger, alienation, war, inefficiency, expensive mistakes, legal battles as well as physical violence. There are five main conflict resolution stylesthat individuals use depending on the situation. They areAvoiding the Conflict By avoiding the conflict, one or more parties pretend there is no problem. Some examples of avoiding include pretending nothing is wrong, shutting down or stonewalling. Accommodating one party agrees to accommodate the others request usually for the sake of keeping the peace. This can lead to resentment. Competitive One party stands his/her ground and competes to good a win . In the short run, one party wins, merely can lead to serious issues long term. Compromising Both parties willingly enter into a negotiation where each gets something out of the other, but neither gets everything they want. Usually the parties negotiate on the larger issues where they have common ground and permit go of kidskin issues. Collaboration Both parties enter into meaningful negotiations towards a win-win solution. This style takes the most courage and involves listening to the other party and thinking creatively to resolve the problem without compromising. This is the most successful and admired and respected style.Conflict dissolverConflict resolution and mediation leads to the reduction of the conflict. Effectively addressing conflict leads to an improvement of relationships and to greater organizational and personal effectiveness. Conflict resolution entails managing stress, managing anger and managing face. When managed well, conflict can be a catalyst for innov ation and creativity, leading to organizational learning. Conflict provides an opportunity for the best ideas to be shared to improve a situation or a process. Left unmanaged, conflict can have expensive legal consequences as others search litigation to resolve the conflict. In organizations, it can lead to employee dissatisfaction, expensive turnover, decreased productivity and expensive errors. In families, unmanaged conflict can lead to violence, family dysfunction and divorce.Types of ConflictThere are five types of conflicts, namely relationship, data, interest, structural and value. Relationship ConflictsRelationship conflicts are personal and result from misperceptions,miscommunication, stereotypes, negative behavior and rumors. It affects the relationship between two people, but can impact others within the team. Work environments consist of employees from diverse backgrounds with very different value systems. There are cultural, gender and generational differences which s um to relationship conflicts. As a result, miscommunication occurs because of differences in meaning, norms of communication and behavioral expectations. What is perceived as an ordinary conversation in one culture may be considered rude and intrusive by another culture. Spouses often have relationship conflicts that lead to divorce if unresolved.Data ConflictsData conflicts often occur when two or more individuals are interpreting data differently. This can lead to wrong decisions, but can also lead to major disagreements. The budget conflicts which have let to the sequestration are an example of data conflicts. The Republicans and the democrats are interpreting the budget numbers differently and coming to very different conclusions regarding what the numbers mean. As a result, they cannot agree on a budget.Interest ConflictsInterest conflicts occur when one person is trying to take advantage of another person. This may happen if an employee starts a company that provides the same services as his/her employer. Interest conflicts occur when the boss is dating an employee because that may introduce favoritism and may negatively impact other employees.Structural ConflictsA structural conflict is created by the organization. It is not subjective and is not created by peoples viewpoints or perceptions, but rather by limited resources or changes that the people involved have very subaltern harbor over. An example of a structural conflict is a company that has customers crossways the world, but only has a customer service center in Ohio. The sales force would homogeneous to have all customers served promptly regardless of location, but the service center has regular hours. The company eitherhas to create 24 hour shifts to accommodate its customers or open centers in other countries. nurture ConflictsValue conflicts are differences in personal beliefs, preferences or priorities. This occurs between two people or within groups of people. Cultural differences usua l result in different value systems which can lead to conflict. Examples of value conflicts in interpersonal relations can be a person who likes meat verses someone who is vegetarian, or, a liberal Democrat verses a conservative Republican. Each individual develops a value system based on culture, personality and the society they grow up in. There is no right or wrong in value systems, just a difference in opinion. Value conflicts are subjective because they are based on how people feel about each other or the situation. They are very difficult to effectively resolve.Intrapersonal and Interpersonal PowerPower plays a critical role in interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts and enmitys. There are many forms of power. The role of power in a conflict intensifies as the proportion of power shifts. In the work environment, the power imbalance often exacerbates a conflict and often leads to resentment or anger. Power imbalance changes the communication styles used by the parties in a conflict. In conflict or dispute, one or more types of power may be used by the parties in the attempt to resolve the conflict. People in a high power position may not use their power to influence a decision out of guilt. In a conflict, one party usually possesses more power than the other. Real or perceived power imbalances make it difficult to resolve a conflict to everyones satisfaction. Power can be structural or personal. The extent to which one party can impose their will on another affects how the dispute is resolved. Power currency depends on the value placed on crabby resources by the other party in the relationship. If one has what others need, they are in a powerful position and have more power currency. As needs change, the power currency may be more of less valuable. Just like actual currency, the value of the currency fluctuates and is situational. Interpersonal power currencies are1. Resource control Often associated with a position within an organization and can inc lude financial, information, equipment and rules and regulations. When a citizen visits the social security confidence to get disability benefits, the government holds the power for the decision to approve or not approve the benefits. The citizen has very little power and the government has the resources. 2. Interpersonal linkages This is associated with someones position in the larger system. This is highly dependent on who you know and the relationships one has to make things happen. The writing table of State is in a position to resolve the Mid-east conflict based on the interpersonal linkages he/she has with twain Israel and Egypt. 3. Communication skills Listening skills, leadership skills and the ability to effectively communicate is a power currency. Preachers have the ability to communicate a message to their congregation and get them to rally around a particular issue.They are often called upon to mediate disputes because of their ability to listen, be empathetic to both parties and effectively communicate both viewpoints and negotiate a resolution. 4. Expertise skills When one has a special skill or knowledge that others find valuable, he is in a position of influence. A pilot, a surgeon or a car mechanic all possess special skills that put them in power positions during certain disputes. Power imbalances disproportionally benefit the powerful party. Power generally falls into triad categories, designated power, distributive power and integrative power. Designated power is often referred to as positional power and is as a result of a position or office held. A parent, manager, teacher or policeman has power that comes from their position. Distributive power is the power over or against the other party (Wilmot & Hocker, 2001, p. 103). Integrative or both/and power comes from two parties working together to achieve a mutually beneficial goal. This power differential has a significant impact on the burden and the process to resolve the conflict. Whe n applied appropriately constructive use of power solves problems, enhances relationships, and balances power (Wilmot & Hocker, 2011, p. 103). clemency and ReconciliationThere is a growing body of literature on mercy and reconciliation. Disparate field such as social and developmental psychology, anthropology,political sciences, religion and legal studies have all been conducting research on forgiveness and reconciliation. There are many definitions of forgiveness. Forgiveness and reconciliation often follow other efforts to resolve a conflict and heal the relationship. As such, forgiveness is highly personal and emotional. Kornfield defined it as follows Forgiveness is the hearts capacity to release its grasp on the pains of the past and free itself to go on (Kornfield, 2001, p.236). As shown in skeleton 1, there is a flow of events that lead to reconciliation.The Forgiveness & Reconciliation Cycle for Effective Conflict ResolutionFigure 1Forgiveness is a key ingredient essential for reconciliation and conflict resolution. It is recognized in religion and social science literature as an important element in healing conflicts. For healing to occur and normal trusting relationships to be formed, both sides need to stop blaming each other and represent past the conflict. An apology is a catalyst and a key ingredient leading to forgiveness and reconciliation, and ultimately to conflict resolution. While conflict resolution is center on resolving substantive issues in a dispute, reconciliation focuses on addressing personal and relational issues and restoring relationships. William Faulkner was quoted by journalist Bill Moyers as saying Forgiveness is giving up the idea of a better past (Wilmot and Hocker, 2011, p. 297). Forgiveness is concerned with healing the hurt, disappointments and sins of the past, and improving relationships in the future.Mediation and Organizational Conflict ResolutionA mediator is defined as a neutral third party who has no decision- making power regarding the outcome of the mediation (Abigail & Cahn, 2011, p. 197). The advantages of mediation are 1. hail Mediation is lots less expensive than the alternative of either having the situation go unresolved or resolve legally 2. Flexibility Mediation can be conducted anywhere as long as it is neutral ground. 3. Informal It can be adapted to accommodate cultural, personal, structural and other differences. 4. Effectiveness arbitrate solutions tend to last because the parties come to a mutually agreed solution. 5. Preserves Relationships Parties tend to have stronger long term relationships because they feel they were heard and have the others commitment. Effective organizations have mediation as part of the conflict resolution process. This is an effective way to resolve conflicts while both parties maintain control and ownership of the issues.ConclusionEffective conflict resolution is important to building productive relationships. The importance of conflict re solution has been reinforced by the disparate fields focused on studying the subject. Organizations must provide the right structure for effective conflict resolution to be effective. Effective conflict resolution requires a health balance of power and promotes a health organizational culture. When all stakeholders have a voice, decision making is enhanced, engagement improves, and innovation increases. Maintaining a balance of power should be a high priority for any organization to be competitive and reach maximum productivity. Diversity is a consideration when creating conflict resolution processes. Gender, ethnicity and culture have to be considered to create an effective process. Although power is complex and maintaining a balance of power is fraught with difficulty, process design, effective communication, and a culture that encourages open dialogue will ensure that all parties effectively negotiate in their own interest to bring about fair outcomes.Archbishop Desmond tutu who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) said that there can be no future without forgiveness. Forgiveness is an intrapersonal as well as an interpersonal activity. Forgiving someone can be done with or without the other persons consent, making it a relatively easy process intrapersonal. It is much more complicated interpersonally since it requires another party to either apologize, or accept an apology and forgive. As research is finding, Apology and forgiveness have the potential to encourage reconciliation and encourage peaceful coexistence among groups and nations (Asby et al, 2010, p. 25). Conflict should be treated as an essential ingredient for healthy relationships both at home and at work. In health care organizations such as MaineGeneral Health, empowering employees with skills to handle conflict was critical to creating a culturewhere employees felt comfortable oration up (Bullock, 2011, p. 82). By speaking up, the hospital was able to avoid medical errors .ReferencesAbigail, R. A.., & Cahn, D. D. (2011). Managing conflict through communication. 4th Ed. Boston Allyn and Bacon. ISBN 9780205685561 Ashy, M., Mercurio, A. 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