Workplace Conflict Management Style

Question One:

Conflict Management Style

Five primary methods are used to resolve conflicts in the organization, including avoidance, collaboration, competition, accommodation, and compromise. All these methods can be applied in several circumstances. The key variables that define conflict management situations include time pressure, the issue’s importance, the relationship’s importance, and relative power. Important issues require collaboration, moderately important issues call for compromise, and unimportant issues require the accommodating strategy. The style that would assure a win /win situation is the collaborative method. In this style, there is teamwork and a great deal of cooperation, which helps everyone achieve their goals while maintaining the relationships. The style is used where there is a high degree of trust, when the senior manager does not desire to take full responsibility for the solution and when the manager wants others to hold ownership in the solution. It is used when the people are willing to change their thinking as new information is found and new options are suggested. Nevertheless, the style requires much time and effort to get everybody to agree with the solution. Therefore, it is effective in that it establishes confidence in the organization.

Question Two

Organizational Assimilation

Organization assimilation refers to the ability of a workplace to integrate members of an organization into the organizational culture. In addition, it refers to the ability of a workplace to get a new employee up to speed with respect to organizational culture. Organizations carry out assimilation in the following ways. The first process takes place when a new employee joins the organization. The stage occurs when a person has expectations about an organization, especially when applying for employment. Secondly, it can occur when an individual joins the organization and begins to interact directly with the organization and its existing members. New members will specifically look for information and feedback in order to further understand the culture of the organization. At this stage, the new and existing members seek information from one another. Thirdly, the new employee is finally assimilated as a company member. Lastly, there is the organizational exit, which occurs when an employee leaves the organization to another. Even when the employees leave, they will take with them the understanding and ability which they have gained. In fact, lack of proper assimilation significantly affects employee retention, time, production costs, training, and orientation of the new employees.

Organization Culture

It is a shared philosophies, expectations, values, and attitudes that hold an organization together. It unites the employees by providing a sense of identity for the organization. An effective organizational structure should have the following elements. First, there must be a mission statement, which is a definite assertion that everyone in the organization understands. For example, Oxfam’s mission statement is to provide a permanent answer to poverty, hunger, and social injustice. Secondly, there are the norms, which refer to the ways of doing things in the organization. For example, all workers should work between 8am to 5pm. Thirdly, there are the heroes of the organization, which refer to the organization’s members who personify its values; for instance, as the images of the founder members. Fourthly, there are the celebrations, which are the events that emphasize the culture. For example, every twelfth month, the Tata Steel Company celebrates its founder’s day to think of its adherence to the original values of the organization. Furthermore, an organization should have values that offer guidelines on the behaviors needed to achieve a vision. Values guide and provide a purpose for the company. For instance, an organization can have values which are committed to innovation and excellence.