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Conflict Management Methods - Coggle Diagram
Conflict Management Methods
Differentiation
Inflexibility
Spiraling escalation
Disagreements become center of attention, leads to hightened emotions, failure to resolve
Shift focus from differences to negotiation and cooperation
Integration
Problem-Solving Solution
My preferred conflict style is cooperation, so I always try to use integration in order to problem solve my conflicts in life
Inflexibility
Avoidance
Protecting style
Withdrawing style
Smoothing style
The action of keeping away from or not doing something
Five Properties of Conflict Interaction
Conflict is constituted and sustained by moves and countermoves during interaction
Highlights the importance of power in conflict because moves and countermoves depend on power
Patterns of behavior in conflict tend to perpetuate themselves
Focuses on the momentum that conflicts develop
Conflict interaction is influenced by and in turn affects relationships
The prior history of the relationships among parties has a powerful influence on conflict
Conflict interaction is influenced by context
Several aspects of context are relevant
Previous History
Previous relationships
norms and procedures
Climate
The general interpretations that parties attach to a situation
Conflict interaction is always punctuated
How we make sense of conflict depends on when we believe it starts and ends
Confrontation Episodes Theory
Communication episode when one party expresses that the other party's behavior was violating ordinary conduct
Mindful Listening
:
Listening more than you speak is a helpful tool in conflict resolution
Having a willingness to listen and understand the point of view from the opposing party helps with conflict resolution so emotions do not become heightened
Good listening skills from both parties lead to potentially healthier conflict
Problem solving, collaboration, accommodation
Life comparison
One time I was listening to one of my friends talk about the problems in his relationship. I tried to actively focus on listening in order to provide quality and helpful feedback.
Psychodynamic views of conflict
Energy is channeled directly to concerns at hand or redirected to a different issue to suppress impulses
Aggression
Anxiety
The psychodynamic perspective is limited by its inability to explain which targets are chosen and how psychic energy is used
How emotions influence conflict
Framing
People build mental filters and characteristics that describe and categorize people and things through biological and cultural influences in order to make sense of the world
Most helpful when emphasis is on the issue and not on the person involved
Reciprocity
Strongest feature of mutual influence
"People should help those who have helped them"
"People should not injure those who have helped them"
Behavioral Reciprocity: The process of adaptation in which one party responds in a similar direction to another party's behaviors with behaviors of comparable functional value
Compensation
Compensation is the corresponding process of behavioral adaptation in which one responds to a partner's behaviors with opposite behaviors of comparable functional value
Reciprocity and Compensation are nearly opposites
Reciprocity is when someone acts is a similar manner to how they are being treated and compensation is when someone acts opposite of how they are being treated
Example
A coworker is overly nice and invites another coworker for a boys night. The one that was invited to the event decides to bring a very expensive bottle of whiskey in order to repay him
The Dimensions of Face
Politeness theory: Face is something that can be lost, maintained, or enhanced and must constantly be attended to in interactions
Positive face refers to a persons desire to acquire the approval of others
Lim and Bowers extend the concept of positive face because it compounds two different human face needs:
The need to be included
The need to be respected
Face-Saving Frames
Face saving frames relate to ones desire to express positive face and the need to be included and respected because people try to save face in order to be perceived a certain way and obtain a certain look
Resisting Unjust Intimidation
Resist undeserved intimidation in order to guard against the loss of self-esteem and of social approval that ordinarily results from uncontested acquiescence to such treatment
Refusing to give on a position
Parties fears that they will compromise a position or stand they have taken on some issue
We see many examples of this in politics today. People feel that they need to stand for and believe in everything that their preferred political party believes in. You hardly ever see a person disagree with one factor of their political party while they support the rest. It has become an all or nothing type of support because people are trying to protect face with their other political party supporters.
Suppressing conflict issues
In situations that assume parties should be able to reach agreement without conflict or that people can handle any conflict without seeking outside help, we may strongly discourage others from admitting that a conflict exists or is beyond our control
Face-Saving example
https://youtu.be/TWzezWq7FkA
This incident starts at 45 seconds in the video. Michael is having a meeting that discusses when and how it is not okay to make fun of someone in the office. This backfires on him because everyone brings up and agrees that Michael makes fun of them everyday. Michael tries to save face by saying that “they have never said anything to stop him.” He goes on to try to protect himself by explaining that he cannot tell the difference between them saying stop and them laughing too hard at his jokes. These efforts are not productive at all because it solves nothing and the office still blames Michael for most of the teasing going around in the office. He also continues to pick on people throughout the entire meeting.
Ownership
When somebody admits to being in the wrong and takes full responsibility for it
I think that if people are using ownership, they care more about the people that they are owning up to than the people that would be using face-saving in the same situation
Example
A good example of ownership in my life was a few weeks ago when I was late to work because I was too busy taking a test for school beforehand. I could have arrived at work and made excuses about how my homework was due that day or put the blame on teachers or the person that writes the schedule. However, I owned up to my wrong-doing and took full responsibility because it was my fault.
Negative face is the desire for autonomy
Brown and Levinson propose that people use five general strategies to perform a face-threatening act
Avoid
Example: no request is made
Going off-record
Example: I'm really hungry
Negative Politeness
Example: I know you are busy, but could you start cooking dinner?
Positive Politeness
Example: You are such a good cook, I can't wait for you to start dinner
Bald on-record
Example: Would you fix dinner
Cultural and Gender Influences
Harmony Model
Suppresses negative emotion and preserves honor and pride
Common in Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American cultures
Confrontation Model
Expresses negative emotion, uses aggression to pursue individual goals, little emphasis on relationship preservation
Common in America
Regulative Model
Expresses negative emotions, short term resolution over long term concerns
Common in Eastern Europe
Harmful stereotypes play a part in conflict resolution
For example: Assuming girls are overdramatic and sensitive leading to them not being taken seriously
Conflict Styles
Accommodating style
Low assertiveness, high cooperation
Avoiding Style
Low assertiveness, low cooperation
My roommate is very loud late at night and I constantly avoid the issue because I do not want to cause a problem
Collaborating style
High assertiveness, high cooperation
Competing Style
High assertiveness, low cooperation
Style can come across forcing and dominating
Assertive styles; behaviors are intended to satisfy own needs and concerns
Cooperative styles; behaviors intend to satisfy needs and concerns of others
Stages of conflict
Latent Stage
Conflicting issues arise but have not been recognized by both parties
Perceived conflict Stage
One or both parties are aware of the conflict
Felt Stage
Conflict changes one parties feelings for other leading to emotionally charged feelings (anxiety, hostility...)
Conflict Strategies
Determining conflict style is crucial for identifying a solution when conflict arises
Identify the conflict issue
Listen and clarify what the issue is (get on the same page)
Communicate clearly with parties involved
Identify a solution, attempt to keep emotions in check
Identify the feelings of the other party and follow up
By: Drew Marincic