Today, well we continued to watch the video presentations of the remaining groups~ as we have nothing to say about today's class, we would include in this post some information on chapter 13.
Definition
Interpersonal Conflict refers to interpersonal, group and workplace conflict that occurs when people are interdependent and their goals are incompatible.
Online & Workplace Conflicts
Sending commercial messages to those who did not request them creates online conflicts. Spamming also one of the examples of conflicts. Sending messages that personally attack another user is called flaming and it will eventually leads to flame war. The example of workplace conflicts are procedural and people conflicts. Procedural conflicts involve disagreements over who is in charge while people conflicts occur when one member dominates the group. There are 4 principles which have special relevance to conflict in these groups : preserve the dignity and respect of all members, listen emphatically, seek out and emphasize common ground, then value diversity and differences.
Myths about Conflicts
People may be operating on the basis of false assumptions about what conflict is and it means. Not all conflicts are negative, some can resolve difficulties and actually improve the relationship. But others can hurt the relationship. Therefore, we need to learn how to manage conflicts in productive and appropriate ways.
Principles of Conflicts
1) Conflict Can Center on Content & Relationship Issues
Content conflicts center on objects,events and persons that are usually external to the parties involved in the conflict. It has something to do with millions of issues that people normally argue and fight about. Relationship conflicts are numerous. For instance, when a younger brother refuses to obey his elder brother.
2) Conflicts Can Be Negative or Positive
In negative aspect, conflicts often lead to increased negative regard for the opponent and focused largely hurting on the other person. Whereas in a positive aspect, it enables you to examine a problem and work towards a potential solution.
Conflict Takes Place in a Context
1) Physical context : either engage in conflict privately or publicly.
2) Sociopsychological context : a friendly or hostile context will give different impacts on the conflict.
3) Temporal context : a conflict immediately after a hard day of work will engender feelings different from a conflict after an enjoyable dinner.
4) Cultural context : types of conflicts arise depend on the cultural orientation of individuals involved. The cultural norms of organizations also affect the types of conflicts that evoke and the ways people may deal with them.
Conflict Styles have Consequences
1) Competing : I Win, You Lose This is the conflict style of a person who simply imposes his or her will on other. It leads to resentment on the part of the person who loses and cause even more conflicts to happen.
2) Avoiding : I Lose, You Lose Both parties are avoiding the conflicts and withdraw from it. The problem isn't go away and no one benefits.
3) Accommodating : I Lose, You Win One person sacrifices own needs for the needs of the other in order to maintain peace. Not a long-lasting resolution and you may come to resent the partner as well as the relationship.
4) Collaborating : I Win, You Win Focus on both sides' needs. Enable each person's needs to be met.
5) Compromising : I Win , You Lose, You Win, I Lose. Some concern for own needs and other's needs as well. May lead to dissatisfactions by both parties over the losses.
Preliminaries to Conflict Management
Before the conflict, try to fight in private, be sure that everyone is ready to fight, knowing what you're fighting about, fight about problems that can be solved and consider what beliefs you hold that may need to be reexamined. After the conflict, learn from the conflict and the process you went through in trying to resolve it. The factors that will affect the strategies you choose to manage interpersonal conflicts are goals, emotional state, cognitive assessment, family history and personality as well as communication competence. Besides, these are the steps that can be used during managing a conflict, define or analyze the problem, establish criteria for evaluating solutions, identify problem solutions, evaluate solution, select the best solution and lastly test the selected solution.
Conflict Management Strategies
1) Win-Lose & Win-Win Strategies
Win-Win solution is the most desirable. It leads to mutual satisfaction and prevent resentment that win-lose solution often engender.
2) Avoidance and Active Fighting
Avoidance strategy is nonproductive and might involve actual physical fight. Nonnegotiation is a special type of avoidance. It takes the form of hammering away at your point of view until the other person gives in, also known as steamrolling. Active fighting involves taking responsibility for your thoughts and feelings.
3) Force & Talk
Force may be emotional or physical, it is unproductive. The only alternative to force is talk.
4) Blame & Empathy
Blame is unproductive. While empathy is an excellent alternative to blame. Try to feel what the other person is feeling and think in other's perspective. Demonstrate empathic understanding.
5) Gunnysacking & Present Focus
Gunnysacking is an unproductive strategy , it is the practice of storing up grievances so as to unload them at another time. Present focus means focus in your current conflict.
6) Manipulation & Spontaneity
Manipulation involves an avoidance of open conflict. Try to express your feeling with spontaneity and honesty instead of manipulating.
7) Personal Rejection & Acceptance
Personal rejection is the practice that withhold approval and affection from his or her opponent in conflict, trying to win the argument by getting the other person to break down in the face of this withdrawal. Instead of rejection, express positive feelings for the other person and for the relationship or group.
8) Fighting Below & Above the Belt
When you hit someone below the emotional belt line, a tactic called beltlining. Bear in mind that the aim of interpersonal and small group conflict is not to win, but is to resolve a problem and strengthen the relationship or group.
9) Face-Detracting & Face-Enhancing Strategies
Facing-detracting or face-attacking strategies involve treating the other person as incompetent or untrustworthy,as unable or bad. Another type of face-detracting strategy is to demand someone to do something or force them to do it. Face-enhancing techniques, in contrast help the other person to maintain a positive image.
10) Aggressiveness & Argumentativeness
Verbal aggressiveness means one person tries to win an argument by attacking the other's person self-concept. While argumentativeness refers to your willingness to argue for a point of view, tendency to speak your mind on significant issues. Argumentativeness is constructive, leads to relationship satisfaction and prevent relationship violence. In contrast, verbal aggressiveness is destructive, causes relationship dissatisfaction and leads to relationship violence.
