Conflicts and Communication at the Work Place

Conflicts and Communication at the Work Place

Historical Records

a) The conflict scenario as narrated in Case 10-2 has the following key elements that were important to analyze before an actual model for conflict resolution was taken:

The cause of the conflict provided in the scenario would have been the first element to be considered before any conclusions were jumped at by the conflict resolver. The paramount mode this could have been done was through giving an ear to each of the parties involved in the conflict, in this case, Reese and Patel. This element would have ensured that the conflict was entirely solved other than the temporal act just to fulfill the company's and boss' objective (Borisoff, 1997).

The extent of conflict was supposed to be analyzed to help the resolver know the intensity of conflict resolution to be applied.

Time pressure for the defined job was an influence in this situation and thus a key element that had to be considered in the conflict resolution model by the boss.

The position and power of the boss to the subordinate played a key role in ensuring the conflict was temporarily shelved to focus on the company's objectives. This was a key element in the context of the conflict scenario.

b) The conflict resolution strategy that Edwards used:

Edwards used the Competing Model of Conflict Management to solve the conflict in the given scenario. This model comprises of elevated assertiveness with minimal cooperation, and in the context, Edwards had to ensure the task at hand is completed regardless of the relationship between the two conflicting assistants. The task was handles timely, but the conflict loomed between the two parties (Budjac, 2006).

c) Opinion of best conflict resolution strategy that could have worked best:

My opinion of the best conflict resolving model would ignore the time pressure involved in implementing a task as in the situation. Collaboration or rather Collaborating Conflict Management Model would have a better and a long-term model. It includes putting considerations of both parties at hand after having ample time to listen to them then coming up with ideas to solve the conflict. Even though, this is an unnecessarily long model, it would have completely sorted the issues between Reese and Patel that would bring back to normalcy productivity and working rapport. However, with an emergent task as in the scenario, this model would not be easily applied (Weeks, 1994).

d) Steps for the opinion of the best model to be use as per (c) are:

Seat Reese and Patel and engage active listening. This would ensure opinions from both parties are taken into consideration for fairness.

The subsequent step would be to identify the concerns of the conflict. This would bring up the causes of conflict between the two.

Next, Edwards should confront the two in a non-threatening way desite them being his subordinates and try to pile ideas to bring an understanding between them

The confrontation will bring forth probable solutions, and these are the ones to be exercised in these four steps where the inputs for resolutions should be analyzed. Finally, execution of the decided solution is implemented to settle the conflict at hand.

Question #2

Bena, in his article, outlines various points that are key to management and management communication. The first is the element of positioning. He emphasizes that a manager needs to be at par with the best positioning that his team players need to be situated to produce the best results. He also emphasizes on communication styles that should be well familiarized within an organization. Communication would help in appropriate passage of information among the team players and thus enforce progress and avoid uncertainty at the work place. Other points discussed include the essence of training, decision making to choose the best option available among alternatives, and the importance of diversity to beef productivity (Bena, 2005).

Fox narrates of the effect diverse generations within a working environment may cause variation in production levels. This is mainly because of the stereotypic claim that each generation has its own character, a misconception that changes the way these generations interact. The worst effect is communication breakdowns where inefficiency is highly identified, greatly lowering the productivity level of most companies. The best way to bridge the gap advised by Fox is to focus more on the similarities other than the diversities. The communication greatly affects management communication styles with the confusion of which style to use given the diversity of the employees.

Conlin brings out the changes that the world is experiencing in its work places, greatly isolated from the traditional styles that were believed to foster productivity. He provides proof that the traditional keenness focused on timely work attendance could be completely withdrawn from work places and still maintain productivity. The diversity of the worker population is also dismissed as a no-effect on businesses as the buck always stop at productivity and effectiveness that most companies utilizing these modes usually achieve (Conlin, 2009).

Question #3

How technology is impacting communication at work, with the backing of two additional scholarly sources either supporting or contradicting these claims: