Preview

Conflict management in work teams. This essay discusses the causes of conflict in work teams as well as how to resolve it.

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1902 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Conflict management in work teams. This essay discusses the causes of conflict in work teams as well as how to resolve it.
Conflict Resolution in Work Teams

Families, employees, working teams, and ethnic groups are faced with conflict daily. Facing conflicts and having the capability to resolve them are crucial within our society. Some conflicts can be avoided, but when working in a team environment, more conflicts are apt to arise. Being able to successfully resolve conflicts within a team can be a difficult task for a team leader. Understanding the importance of conflict resolution within a team, and learning to deal with conflicts are the first skills that a team leader must master.

Conflict resolution is important in a team environment because it keeps motivation, morale and teamwork positive. If your team is not motivated or proactive it may portray a negative image to your organization. Conflict within teams can cause stress as well as poor work ethics. When working within a team environment, it is important that all conflict is resolved in a positive manner. This will help ensure the team 's credibility and confidence. When a team loses its credibility, confidence, and motivation, it will be a struggle to succeed. The team may recuperate, but the impact of the conflict may leave scars. A successful team leader must implement inspiring and motivating techniques for the team.

Conflicts within a team that are not resolved or not resolved correctly will continue to have a negative impact on the team. When the cause of the conflict has been determined, the team leader must evaluate the situation and resolve the issue in a timely manner. If the team does not have a team leader and are unable to resolve the matter within their group, they should seek mediation. This should not imply that the team is incompetent, but that the team is looking for the best resolution to the problem.

Methods to control conflict

Conflict is usually viewed as negative; however, conflict can be positive. "When people work in teams, their differences is terms of power, values and attitudes, and social



References: Cutcher-Gershenfeld, J. (1997). Dispute Resolution and Team-Based Work Moore, C. (1999) Cultures-Strategies For Effective Intercultural Negotiations, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (especially pages 1 through 62) by Stephen R. Covey (Simon & Schuster) Carole A. Townsley (1990). Resolving Conflict in Work Teams. Retrieved May 17, 2003, from site http://www.rvarmstrong.com

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    References: Behfar, K. J., Peterson, R. S., Mannix, E. A., & Trochim, W. K. (2008). The Critical Role of Conflict Resolution in Teams: A Close Look at the Links Between Conflict Type, Conflict Management Strategies, and Team Outcomes. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 93(1), 170-188.…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mgt 311 Team Strategy

    • 690 Words
    • 3 Pages

    |Resolving conflicts and attitudes |The team learns how to overcome conflicts |Resolving conflict is always a setback to |…

    • 690 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Week 4 MGT311

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Most companies face the challenge of team conflict. Conflict can increase or decrease things such as: turnover rate, production, employee…

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    HROB 155 Study Notes

    • 6397 Words
    • 26 Pages

    Runde, C. E. and Flanagan, T. A. 2010. Chapter Five: Team Conflict Competence. In Developing…

    • 6397 Words
    • 26 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Identifying conflict in a team can prove difficult, however team leaders are trained in this area and they are supported by the management team. When a conflict is identified this then investigated internally by mean of statements from all concerned/involved.…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    CWDC standard 1

    • 1629 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Teams can cause conflicts e.g. personality clashes between members. This happens in our workplace due to different ages, cultures and personalities of people.…

    • 1629 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Leaders in all organization experience conflict it is human nature and a fact of everyday life and life in the corporate world. Leaders must resolve the conflict rationally and effectively. Conflicts if they are resolved quickly and effectively can make the results positive leading to beneficial professional and personal growth. Leaders, when using resolving conflict skills, become problem-solvers. Leadership plays a vital role in managing and resolving conflict among team members and employees. Leadership needs to stay informed and…

    • 2200 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Cu2944 Laura

    • 1760 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Dealing with conflict is discussed throughout the course however there is many of ways in dealing with this, some theories believe there is a process to follow or on the other hand it can be down to the particular individual. Most importantly a shared vision within the early years is very important to establish so we are all working to the same expectations. As a leader and manager this is important to take on board. A work force is more effective if team members support and respect each other and most of all respect their team leader and manager. If the team leader gives their team members support this will help their confidence and will help them to strengthen their weaknesses. As a leader it is important to encourage staff and to resolve any conflict that may arise between staff and to help issues be resolved. It is important for me as a team leader to encourage and support my staff who are committed to their work and to help engage the staff who are less enthusiastic. Strong teams have clear leadership, whatever the form of leadership it is important to be supported by all team members and also adds value to the functioning of the team. As an effective team it is also important to agree on the same terms and rules, this will help how the team make decisions and will deal with any conflict or disagreements. Strong communication skills also help to maintain a good effective team, whether it’s…

    • 1760 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    After a team has started working together there can be conflict. Some people feel their ideas are not being heard, and others feel that their ideas should always be part of the team 's solution. There could also be a struggle for leadership of the group that can threaten to diminish the group 's effectiveness. The element of conflict resolution within a team means leaving room for everyone 's contributions, developing the ability to listen to all ideas and creating a method of consensus that is used to develop a solution the team can agree on.…

    • 3662 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    In week three our team learned about group behavior, work teams, and organizational behavior. All of us collaborated our learning experiences with one another which will be presented in this paper. The hardest deliberation for this week was the discussion over whether or not conflict is a negative or positive effect in an organization.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Leadership and Team

    • 9120 Words
    • 37 Pages

    Jehn, K. (1995). A multimethod examination of the benefits and detriments of intragroup conflict. Administrative Science Quarterly, 40, 256–282.…

    • 9120 Words
    • 37 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Cappozzoli, Thomas K. (1995, Dec). Resolving conflict within teams. Journal for Quality and Participation. v18n7, p. 28-30…

    • 5037 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In addition, conflict can be either constructive or destructive and unresolved conflict is likely to impact on team work efficiency and effectiveness (du Plessis 2011). However, on an individual scale, it might also create negative feelings such as stress, anger, frustration or even…

    • 2034 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mgt Learning Team

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages

    We as a team have discussed Week 4 and the things we have learned along with some of the things we struggled with. We have become very familiar with each of the different conflict management strategies. We were able to define and gain knowledge on each of the strategies. Along with gaining knowledge, we were able to figure out what scenarios are appropriate for each conflict management strategy. Along with the different conflict management strategies we have been able to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each. Doing so, this has helped us use these strategies in our own teams here at the University of Phoenix. While during times of conflict among team members in the future, we will now know that there are different strategies of coping with the conflict. Along with the conflict management strategies we learned about team strategies. In learning about teams, there are different points to get across when forming an effective team. First and foremost is having an effective leader among the team. By electing a leader, it gives the team a sense of management and time accuracy. The leader is responsible for handling the tasks and assigning each team member to a particular task. This will help the team meet deadlines and progress in meeting the goals they have obtained. Our teammates have discussed this topic, and believe that each of us use these strategies in our daily work place. The conflict resolution along with the team strategy’s help the workplace by having more clarity and combining ideas to achieve…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Conflict in the workplace can be incredibly destructive to good teamwork managed in the wrong way, can quickly spiral out of control, resulted in situations where co-operation breaks down and the team’s mission is threatened. To calm these situations, it helps take a positive approach, be courteous, non – confrontational and focus on the issues as the goal of any conflict resolution should be to reach a functional settlement. Three desired outcomes of conflict resolution are (1) agreement, (2) stronger relationships, and (3) organizational learning. Agreement has been achieved when both sides believe a settlement was fair or equitable. Stronger relationships emerge when both parties try to build trust goodwill for the future. Organizational learning takes place…

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays