Conflict Management Strategies

Conflict Management Strategies

In the workplace, there is sure to be conflict. This conflict can be between employees, managers or team leaders and their subordinates, and even between managers. The important thing is that managers, team leaders and supervisors know how to handle it accordingly. There are several strategies that can be used to ensure that this is done. Accommodation, avoidance, collaboration, authoritative command and compromise are all strategies that can be used in the workplace.

There are three groups that these five strategies will fall in: lose-lose conflict, win-lose conflict and win-win conflict. Lose-lose conflict takes place when neither party of the conflict is truly happy with the outcome. This leads to future conflict, of the same kind or different ones, because the issues are never addressed. Avoidance, accommodation and compromise strategies fall into this group. Avoidance "involves pretending a conflict does not really exist" (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborne, 2008). This is done when the manager decides that the conflict is better left not being dealt with and avoids it at all costs. Different from avoidance but also a strategy where no one wins is accommodation. This strategy "involves playing down differences and finding areas of agreement" (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborne, 2008). This is done by the manager in hopes of showing the parties involved that their similarities are enough to make them want to end the disagreement. The last strategy in this group is compromise. Compromise "occurs when each party gives up something of value to the other" (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborne, 2008). Compromise is generally considered to be a good thing. In a conflict, it will only be a temporary fix. Both parties will be satisfied for a short period of time, but the issue has not been resolved and will most likely resurface.

The second group of conflict is known as win-lose conflict. This is when only one party is satisfied with the outcome of the conflict. These types of conflict Authoritative command is the strategy that falls into this category. Authoritative command "uses formal authority to end conflict" (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborne, 2008). This poses a problem when there is a manager who is partial to one of the parties involved. It is very likely that they will agree with that party, regardless of if they are right or wrong.

The third and final group of conflict is win-win conflict. This type of conflict occurs when both parties are pleased by the outcome. Collaboration is the strategy type that ends being a win-win situation. Collaboration "involves recognition by all conflicting parties that something is wrong and needs attention" (Schermerhorn, Hunt & Osborne, 2008). When both parties acknowledge the problem and make an effort to solve the problem, it is unlikely