Three Different Styles Of Conflict Management example essay topic

Running head: THREE FACES OF CONFLICT MANAGMENT Three Faces of Conflict Management Chine Wright University of Phoenix Organizational Psychology PSY 428 SOB SBM 28 Benjamin Bauer Workshop 3 Three Faces of Conflict Management What is conflict management? The Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary states a conflict to be; a mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal demands. The word management means; the conducting or supervising of something as a business. If both of these explanations were combined, the definition of conflict management would be conducting or supervising a mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs. This text will focus on three different styles of conflict management, authoritative command, compromise and collaboration.

The paper will relate each style of conflict management as it connects to the positions of surgical services director, nurse manager of surgery and the senior lead technician of central supply each of whom are employed at Celebration Health. Surgical Services Director The director of surgical services rules with a very strong hand. The approach is viewed as an autocratic type of leadership. "Autocratic leaders like to make decisions and solve problems without input from affected staff members.

They are likely to give instructions and expect them to be followed" (Ninemeier, 1997, p. 38). A leader with this style will use authoritative command for conflict management. The director employs authority or power to state whom gets what when conflicts occur. This method is known as a win-lose conflict. Unfortunately, this approach dose not deal with the core of the conflict, which means the director has dealt with the same issue more than once.

Nurse Manager The management style of the nurse manager of surgery is identified as a democratic leader. "Democratic manager have views that are almost the opposite of the autocratic leader. They want to involve staff members in decision-making tasks" (Ninemeier, 1997, p. 38). This style works best when supervising highly skilled workers such as nurses. It allows everyone to have an input.

However, when approaching conflicts this manager chooses a method known as lose-lose conflict. Compromise is a downfall in democracy. While, both sides do get an opportunity to vocalize a view the disappointment in a compromise is neither of the opposing sides to truly get what they want. Senior Lead Technician The assessment twenty reviled the senior lead technician utilizes collaboration as a way of solving conflicts. A win-win conflict management style is termed collaboration. In collaboration, the conflict is discussed openly and all pertinent concerns are broached.

Collaboration is without a doubt the best form of conflict management. Unlike in authoritative command which neither of the opposing sides gets a true voice or in compromise where no one gets what is wanted. This form of conflict management will be effectively used by a person with a transformational leadership approach. "Transformational leaders interact with others in a way that leaders and followers raise one another to a higher level of motivation and morality" (Ninemeier, 1997, p. 39). Transformational leader in conflict serve as a medium because, conflicts are not deemed as a negative situation but as an opportunity for change. This view provides followers with a motivating sense of self-worth.

The key components characterizing this leadership style have to do with the leader-follower relationship. The significance is placed on; values, motives and needs, conflict and competition, and power (Ninemeier, 1997, p. 39). "The transformational leader is concerned with aligning the personal values of followers to the goals of the organization" (Mumford & Van Doom, 2001, par. 6). The nature of this guidance is to create new leaders from the followers.

Conducting or supervising a mental struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing wants is constant challenge to all of the leadership staff at Celebration Health. The conflict management styles are different for each of the leaders focused on in this text. The director of surgical services, autocratic style uses authoritative command for conflict management. The nurse manager, with a democratic leadership approach employs compromise to manage conflicts.

The senior lead technician, who is a transformational leader, utilizes collaboration to supervise the conflicts that arise. The writer of this paper believes the most effective way to manage conflict, is to view conflict as a chance to motivate and development the staff. It will aid in making sure that the company's goals are the employee's goals. When the management staff at Celebration Health embraces this approach then the whole team will benefit.

Bibliography

Mumford, M.D. & Van Doom, J.R. (2001, Fall).
The leadership of pragmatism: reconsidering franklin in the age of charisma. Leadership Quarterly. Vol. 12 Iss. 3, p 279, p 31. Retrieved January 2, 2002 from EBSCO database (Academic Search Premier) issue #1048-9843 web Ninemeier, J.
D. (1997).