Theoretical approaches to employment and industrial. Conflict management minimizes the negative outcomes of conflict and promotes the positive outcomes of conflict with the goal of improving learning in an organization. Existence of traditional conflict resolution mechanisms such as negotiation, reconciliation, mediation and others is evidence that these concepts are not new in africa. For me conflict is a dynamic phenomenon, what i call a manifest conflict process mcp, comprised of phases of initiation, escalation. Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the. Following this theory, in organisations, the manager is responsible for freeing. Traditional view of organizational conflict bizfluent.
Traditional approaches to conflict transformation core. Conflict management is explained by the theories which are given below. The structural conflict theory has two subvariants. Conflict is a situation between at least two interdependent parties that is characterized by perceived differences and that the parties evaluate as negative. The traditional theory is based on the assumption that conflicts are bad, are caused by trouble makers, and should be subdued. African ethics and the moral possibilities of ubuntu. Although all sociological theories of crime contain elements of social conflict, consensus theories tend to judge. Conflict management skills are probably the hardest interpersonal skills to master constructively. Thus, employees have different values and aspirations from those of management, and these values and aspirations are always in conflict with those of management.
Behavioural theory and the traditional theory comparison. Indigenous approaches to conflict resolution in africa. Conflict, conflict prevention, conflict management and beyond. The response to conflict in the traditional view is to reduce, suppress, or eliminate it. A conceptual model for conflict management in construction firms. As an inter and multidisciplinary field, conflict and its resolution draws from the theory and search of the more traditional disciplines of sociology, psychology. One theory discussed within the field of peace and conflict studi. The essence of conflict seems to be disagreement, contradiction, or incompatibility. Conflict management is critical to project human resource and communication management.
The paper examines some generative forces that enhance the growth and intensity of conflict and insecurity in a democratic society as nigeria with the aim of identifying the challenges to conflict management. Conflict management theory conflict management strategy existing literature on conflict management is deficient on strategies needed to manage conflict at the macrolevel, which can satisfy the above criteria. Thus, conflict refers to any situation in which there are incompatible goals, cognitions, or emotions within or between. Theory of conflict management conflict is defined as disagreement between individuals. Conflict theory views the organisation as coalescence of sectional groups with different values, interests and objectives. Within the conflict management cycle, this article is not directly concerned with initial judgment of the acceptability or dysfunc. The traditional theory is based on the assumption that conflicts are bad, are caused by. Conflict theories draw attention to power differentials, such as class conflict, and generally contrast historically dominant. It can vary from a mild disagreement to a winorlose, emotionpacked, confrontation kirchoff and adams, 1982. Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and institutions. Theory building in cr, as in other social science disciplines, varies in range and to the degree that it is inductive or deductive.
Traditional theory considers people involved in conflict situations as trouble makers. There is also a dichotomy between individual members and the firmorganisation. Thevolumeisdesigned toenhanceourunderstandingofeffectiveresponsestrategiesto conflict inmultiplesocial. The winwin approach to conflict management is one in which the problem is viewed as external to the persons involved. It can be stated that a conflict about legitimisation of traditional authority, which rests on the traditional cultural values, is a conflict between ethnic aggregates in the post conflict. Conflict management is viewed as containing three major interrelated events. Conflict is difficult to define, because it occurs in many different settings. We suggest a set of conditions taken from the theoretical literature that explain change from conflict. Toward a theory of managing organizational conflict. Conflict is an inevitable and allpervasive element in our society and in the world.
Differences among the three views of organizational conflict ijser. We suggest a set of conditions taken from the theoretical literature that explain change from conflict and confrontation to. Indigenous conflict management and resolution mechanisms on. In conflict resolution, you must learn to work to achieve your goals, keep your cool while compromising, and work to maintain effective relationships.
Conflict prevention theory and approaches there are ongoing attempts to develop conflict prevention into a proper discipline. Since this research analyzes the development of conflict management in chinese culture and application of game theory in the conflict. The disadvantages of traditional management bizfluent. The challenges of conflict management in a democratic. Conflict management oxford research encyclopedia of. Robbins16 identifies three sources of organizational conflict and indicates that an understanding of the source of a conflict improves the probability of effective conflict management. Traditional methods of conflict management springerlink. This often results in negative emotional states and behaviors intended to prevail. Avoiding o pretend that it never happened or doesnt exist. In contrast, the latest theories view conflicts ad unavoidable and place emphasis on the approaches to conflict management as means to determine if conflicts bear a negative or positive effect on the organizational. The behavioural theory differs in almost all its aspects from the traditional theory of the firm.
The ability to deal with conflict effectively is directly related to overall management success and is just one aspect of relationship management 1. Moreover, the role of traditional african ethics, before the colonialism period, was to consider moral conduct in. Longterm costs since we are concerned here with conflict, particularly intercultural conflict, let me begin by providing some definitions. The two major theories of conflict management include the traditional theory and contemporary theory. It discusses the theories and concept of conflict and security within the framework of current realities in nigeria. Identify the basic concepts and theories of conflict management. This article addresses the differences between the three views on organizational conflicts. Properly managed, a certain amount of conflicts is beneficial. Difference between traditional approach and modern approach. The traditional view on organizational conflict is the earliest of the trio. This edition can be used as a good supplement to courses on organizational behavior, organizational and industrial psychology, organizational communication, and organization development. Conflict, conflict management, conflict resolution, resolution theory, army doctrine 16. Conflict management oxford research encyclopedia of psychology. Traditional vs modern views of conflict traditional view modern view 1 conflict is avoidable.
It will also be useful to the management practitioners and consultants on con. Conflict is defined as disagreement between individuals. Organizational conflict is present everywhere, from toplevel management to small informal business. Doc discuss two theoretical approaches to conflict resolution. Conflict theories are perspectives in sociology and social psychology that emphasize a materialist interpretation of history, dialectical method of analysis, a critical stance toward existing social arrangements, and political program of revolution or, at least, reform. The resolution of a conflict depends on what type of conflict it is. There is a dichotomy between ownership and management. Wp1041 managing conflict project management training. This page unlimited unclass unclass unclass theory, 18. The opposing parties collaborate to seek a highquality solution that.
This paper will however employ the structural conflict theory in espousing and illuminating on the nature of conflicts and their management in africa. Contemporary theory this is the third phase in the thinking about conflict robbins 1991 calls it the interaction between organization and its environment. Igbo are an ethnic group or nation in southeastern nigeria, west a frica. Approaches to conflict management and resolution, as applied to these disputes, include bilateral and multilateral negotiation, mediation and arbitration. Pdf the management of organizational conflict involves the diagnosis of and intervention in affective and substantive conflicts at the.
According to the traditional theory perspective conflict is the result of troubling indicators and it has bad. Traditional, interactionist, and managedconflict views of. To the traditional school, conflict situations can have tragic. The traditional theory is based on the assumption that conflicts are bad, are caused by trouble. Conflict behavior, conflict management, and conflict resolution are different layers of a conflict process and therefore should be distinguished.
Peacebuilding on bougainville worked so far mainly because indigenous customary institutions, methods and instruments of dispute settlement, conflict resolution. Traditional theory sees conflict as being primarily negative. Following the traditional view of conflict in 30s and 40s of the last century it is. So, while initially conflict theory described class conflicts specifically, it has lent itself over the years to studies of how other kinds of conflicts, like those premised on race, gender, sexuality, religion, culture, and nationality, among others, are a part of contemporary social structures, and how they affect our lives. The following criteria are particularly useful for conflict management, but in general, they may be useful for. Jul 28, 2019 the key difference between traditional approach and modern approach on conflict is that the traditional approach of conflict considers conflicts as avoidable, whereas the modern approach of conflict considers conflicts as inevitable. Pdf toward a theory of managing organizational conflict. According to the traditional view, any conflict in an organization is outright bad, negative and harmful. Toward a strategic theory of workplace conflict management.
This paper presents types of conflict describe the benefits and detriments. Traditional management, often compared to douglas mcgregors theory x style outlined in his 1960s book, the human side of enterprise, was the prominent management style throughout much of the 20th century. Demonstrate competency in the basic approaches and perspectives in conflict management through written and oral communication. It involves a much more authoritative and directive form of leadership, whereas the more popular. It was first developed in the late 1930s and early 1940s, with the most linear and simple approach towards conflict. The focus is on the pragmatic ways in which each type of dispute interpersonal, industrial, communal, international and others may be tackled. For example, lund has attempted to develop theory and methodology for prevention, designed to help in determining the appropriate mix of tools in varying stages of conflict and contexts. Disputes are often sharpened or even triggered by glaring social, political and economic inequalities, explosive conditions that are exacerbated by social conflict, resource depletion, and environmental degradation. Differences among the three views of organizational conflict.
Beyene, 2017, the commitment from government authorities are very low. These scholars recognized that the legalistic theory could not fully explain the growing use of conflict management systems. Conflict management involves acquiring skills related to conflict resolution, self. This is an overview article to those presented in the conflict resolution theme. Theoretical approaches to employment and industrial relations. The study examines the modalities for integrating traditional and modern conflict management strategies in nigeria using an analysis of relevant documents as well as blacks social control theory and thomaskilmanns model of conflict management. African traditional mechanisms of conflict prevention, management and resolution were largely effective and respected, and their decisions were binding on all parties, mainly because the identity of an individual is linked to that of his or her family and these families are formed by the acceptance of marriage alliances.
The traditional view is the early approach to conflict which assumed that all conflict was bad and to be avoided. Conflict styles in the 1970s kenneth thomas and ralph kilmann identified 5. Contemporary theory recognizes that conflicts between human beings are unavoidable. Sustainable conflict management mechanism in africa. Leadership and conflict resolution on the production line. Difference between traditional approach and modern. The study explored the duty theories, value theories and norm theories and beliefs and how they contribute to group cohesiveness, and help in management of divergent ethics values and norms. Over time, peoples conflict management styles tend to mesh, and a right way to solve conflict emerges. Some theories refer to limited conflict arenas or to particular conflict stages, while some purport to provide a general understanding of a wide range of.
It helps to understand two of the theories that lie behind effective conflict resolution techniques. Traditional conflict management does not question whether the structure and processes of an organization is deficient which are causing dysfunctional conflict. This school views conflicts as bad for organizations because it is disruptive, unnatural and represents a form of deviant behaviour which, should be controlled and changed if the objectives of the organization is to be achieved. Too little conflict can indicate a stagnant organisation or disinterested or demoralised project team, whereas too much conflict indicates a dysfunctional team. These events are similar to the sequence of conflict management and planned change activities discussed by robbins 63 and. Theories and indicators of change in conflict management. Criteria for conflict management in order for conflict management strategies to be effective, they should satisfy certain criteria.
They emerge as a natural result of change and can be beneficial to the organization, if managed efficiently. These have been derived from the diverse literature on organization theory and organizational behavior. Meaning, definitions, sources, characteristics, process, theory, models. Integrating the traditional and the modern conflict. The emergence of conflict management systems in the 1990s prompted scholars to frame an explanation for this new organizational phenomenon. In this article, we propose a new model or theory of conflict management. Conflict management involves acquiring skills related to conflict resolution, selfawareness about conflict modes, conflict communication skills, and establishing a structure for management of conflict in organizational environment. The concept paper series is the joint centers paper series addressing topics and concepts of foremost importance for understanding the dynamics of. Interpersonal processes and behavior 5 conflict management styles 1. At the heart of the theories in this chapter is social stratification by class and power, and they are the most politicized of all criminological theories.
Conflict is a normal part of a teams operation, and some conflicts cannot be fully resolved. The conflict management skills workbook whole person. Course objectives the course seeks to enable you to. A conflict can arise in a company as humans of varied perception are working under a single group, but a manager should be able to anticipate conflicts as he is given a. The challenges of conflict management in a democratic society. Building a results framework, 2nd draft, washington, dc. Conflicts often lead to a negotiating process between you and other people. Generally, the conflict resolution methods deducible from traditional african communities. The firm in the behavioural theory is conceived as a coalition of groups with largely conflicting interests. African ethics and the moral possibilities of ubuntu towards. The conflict management processes that fall within the traditional or alternative dispute resolution categories are, at present, themselves treated as distinct and separate phenomena.
Collaborating o involves listening to their side, discussing areas of agreement and goals, and ensuring that all parties understand each other 4. Conflict behavior is any behavioral response to the experience of frustration, while conflict management is the deliberate action to deal with conflictive situations, both to prevent or to escalate them. Pdf on jan 1, 2006, emmanuel remi aiyede published theories in conflict management find, read and cite all the research you need on. It is more appropriate to talk about conflict management than about conflict resolution. If it is about task issues, the solution is an agreement. Accommodating giving in o acknowledging and accepting his point of view or suggestion. Workplace conflict resolution theory began with morton deutsch, who is considered by many to be the founder of modern conflict resolution theory and practice nowak et al. The study assesses the theoretical and practical game models among different relationships in corporate, taking gender and age factors into consideration.
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