12 Managing Conflict - District 186 12 Managing Conflict ... flicts in your life and work to manage them. Conflict May Be Beneficial ... ready to move on to managing it! Managing Conflict

CHAPTER 12 ManagingConflict

WHY IT’S IMPORTANTConflict plays a part in all of ourlives. Learning how to manage conflict can help you be sure that it doesn’t play the starring role.

To better understand how tomanage conflict, view theCommunication in Action

Chapter 12 video lesson.

380 Glencoe Communication Applications

“How many a disputecould have been deflatedinto a single paragraph ifthe disputants had daredto define their terms.”—Aristotle, Greek philosopher

Visit the Glencoe CommunicationApplications Web site at communicationapplications.glencoe.com and click onOverview–Chapter 12 to previewinformation about managing conflict.

http://communicationapplications.glencoe.com


Section 1

You may know someone who always seems to be “looking for afight.” You probably know someone else who will go to great lengths

to avoid the smallest disagreement. Which is the better approach toconflict? Neither one is very productive in the long run.

It takes courage, along with well-developedcommunication skills, to confront conflict.People who are afraid of disagreement can beas destructive to relationships as people whoare consistently confrontational. Letting yourproblems simmer inside of you can eventuallymake you angry, resentful, or perhapsargumentative. However, these actions aren’talways directed at the person your originalconflict involves. Often, unresolved conflictinterferes in other relationships, both at homeand at work. The key lies not with having con-flict, but managing it.

UNDERSTANDINGCONFLICT

As you learned in Chapter 1, conflict is astruggle between two or more parties whosense interference in achieving their goals. Atvarious times, you may find yourself in conflictwith other people or with an organization if its

needs or values directly contradict your own.Your conflict may be an obvious one, with loudarguments and slammed doors. It may be lessemotional, marked by calm discussion. It mayeven continue unnoticed by others, simmeringbelow the surface.

In order to build effective relationships, one mustdevelop conflict management skills. What is conflict?

Managing Conflict 381

Diagnosing ConflictG U I D E T O R E A D I N G

Objectives1. Describe possible advantages and

disadvantages of conflict. 2. Determine the level on which a conflict

exists.3. Analyze how relationships and interde-

pendence impact conflicts.

4. Determine types of conflicts.

Terms to Learnconflict over factsconflict over valuesconflict over policies

Just as conflicts may take on many appear-ances, they also may involve a variety ofrelationships. You may deal with internalconflict. That is, you may have conflictingemotions, loyalties, or goals within yourself.Conflicts also can occur between two indi-viduals, such as coworkers, family members,or friends. In addition, conflicts may occurbetween an individual and a group, orbetween and among different groups andorganizations.

Whether your conflicts are emotional orrational, angry or calm, external or internal,they can be managed in much the sameway. Once you understand what conflictshave in common, you’ll be well on your wayto examining, diagnosing, and resolving theconflicts that arise in your social and profes-sional lives.

Conflict Is InevitableWhile most people would prefer not to have

conflicts, they are a part of life. Over theyears, you’ll find it impossible to escape con-flict in your personal rela-tionships or working

environment. Therefore, in order to be suc-cessful, you must learn to diagnose the con-flicts in your life and work to manage them.

Conflict May Be BeneficialAlthough conflict typically is thought of as

negative, it can sometimes be beneficial. Theseemingly contradic-tory nature of conflictis clearly illustrated inthe Chinese language.In Chinese, the symbolfor the word crisis con-sists of two characters.One character rep-resents danger, and theother represents oppor-tunity. Just as in a crisissituation, the outcomeof conflict can be eithernegative or positive.

The frustration of aconflict situation often motivates people toconfront and solve problems that face theirrelationships or working environment. Byworking through a conflict, you are likely tolearn something about yourself and theothers around you. The process of finding aconstructive resolution for a conflict mayhelp you feel revitalized or empowered as a

problem-solver. The organizations youbelong to also may benefit from improved

organizational policies and procedures.This, in turn, can lead to streamlinedprocesses, higher profits, and betterworking conditions.

Conflict May BeDestructive

If a conflict is not effectively man-aged, it can damage or destroy rela-tionships and, potentially, entire


Danger

Opportunity

Conflict may occur in any relationship. How can conflict bebeneficial?

organizations. Friendships can end. At work,morale can suffer, which can cause a decreasein productivity and quality. Employees withpent-up frustrations may be abrupt or evenrude to customers. They may put less effortand energy into their work, either consciouslyor subconsciously.

In addition, the benefits of working toresolve conflict are not absolute. They oftencome at a price. For example, you may feellike a problem-solver each time you resolve aconflict with a coworker. However, if this is thefourth conflict you have been involved in thismonth, you may gain a reputation as atroublemaker. At this point, you might wantto do some self-analysis. When conflicts occurtoo often between the same two parties—evenif each conflict is successfully resolved—therelationship is likely to suffer. The emotionaltoll of constant tension or repeated problemswith another can easily overshadow thebenefits of any single conflict.

STEPS FOR DIAGNOSINGCONFLICT

To develop skills for managing the conflictsin your life, you need a systematic procedureto diagnose them. By breaking down aconflict into its separate elements, you canmake it seem less overwhelming. The steps inFigure 12–1 can help you systematicallydiagnose each conflict you face.

Identify the Conflict Have you ever found yourself well into

an argument and then realized you wereunable to remember what you were arguingabout? Have you ever snapped at a familymember over something insignificant, whenyour real source of irritation was a problem atschool? Conflict often has a way of hiding or

disguising itself. After all, it’s much easier towage a minor battle with your little sisterthan to tackle an issue with your teacher orboss. The first step toward resolving a conflictis identifying the actual conflict at hand.

Start diagnosing your conflict by statingand describing the problem. Along with theproblem-solving skills you read about inChapter 11, the questions in the followingactivity can help you clarify the conflict fromyour point of view.

A clear definition of the conflict at hand isessential. Knowing what is really botheringyou can help you eliminate emotional dis-tractions. Then, once you’ve identified theissue at the heart of your conflict, you’reready to move on to managing it!


Identify the conflict.

Determine the level of the conflict.

Analyze the relationships involved.

Determine the level of interdependence.

Analyze the type of conflict.

Identify the source of conflict.

Analyze the severity of the conflict.

Figure 12–1 Steps forDiagnosingConflict

Determine the Level of the Conflict

Conflict can occur on any of the five levelsof communication:

• intrapersonal • interpersonal• group • organizational• environmental

Each time additional people or groups arebrought into a conflict, the level of that con-flict progresses. An effective rule of thumb isto manage conflict on the smallest level pos-sible. That means that it is most desirable tohandle a conflict by yourself or with thefewest people necessary to come to a trueresolution.

Intrapersonal Conflict Allconflicts begin on the intrapersonallevel with your perception of a situa-tion. Some situations may be purelyintrapersonal; that is, no other indi-viduals, groups, or policies areinvolved. For example, you may be inconflict over whether to keep a higher-paying job or accept another withbetter potential for promotion. Thisconflict is an internal one. In otherwords, you must decide for yourself.Even with outside advice, this type ofconflict remains intrapersonal.

Here’s another example. Imaginethat, at your office, you and yourcoworkers share telephone-answeringduties. You may feel that you answerthe phone for one or more of yourcoworkers much more often than theydo for you. If you have not yet spokento your coworkers about what youperceive to be a problem, this conflictis still on the intrapersonal level. Isthis an important conflict to you? Areyou willing to “get over it” and just letthings continue as they are now? Isthe conflict important enough for youto consider quitting your job?

You must analyze your own needs in thissituation and determine whether or not youwill resolve the conflict yourself or share yourfeelings with your coworkers. If you choose todiscuss the conflict, you take it to the nextlevel of communication.

Interpersonal Conflict Interper-sonal conflict occurs when two or morepeople openly express their perceptions of aproblem. Once a conflict becomes inter-personal, it is more complex than before.There are at least two sets of goals, needs,values, and feelings to be considered anddealt with.


Businesses that promote competition between employees can inadvertently cause conflict by pitting employee against employee. What is a good rule to use when handling conflict?

In the earlier telephone example, yourcoworkers may surprise you with their per-ception of the situation. They may eachbelieve that they, too, do more than theirshare of answering the telephone! On theother hand, your coworkers may think youranswering the phone more often is a signthat you prefer to answer it. They may evenbe irritated at you for answering more thanyour share of the calls. You should be pre-pared to listen to very different perceptions ofthe situation from the others’ points of view.

Group Conflict Group conflict mayoccur in different ways. It may involve onegroup member who perceives a conflictbetween himself or herself and the rest of thegroup. Conflict also may occur between oramong subgroups within the same group.Additionally, conflict can occur between oramong different groups within an organiza-tion. If properly managed and resolved, con-flict actually can strengthen a group. Ifimproperly managed, that same conflict canhave the power to destroy the group.

Imagine that you have a new player onyour high school hockey team. If the rest of

the team has played hockey together sinceyou were in elementary school, group conflictmay occur as the new player tries to fit in.Since the rookie doesn’t know the formationsand lines most often used by this team, his orher awkwardness at practices may cause thegroup to feel resentment or anger. This kindof group conflict is much more complex thaninterpersonal conflict; the individual mayfeel as if everyone else is working togetheragainst him or her. The person also may feelexcluded and victimized. Adding to the com-plexity of the situation is the fact that not justone or two sets of emotions and needs are atstake. In this case, there are many.

Equally complex are clashes between sub-groups within a larger group or betweengroups in the same or a different organiza-tion. The afternoon shift at the restaurantwhere you work may clash with the morningshift over the cleanliness of the break room;the Spanish Club may feel threatened by theFrench Club’s continual use of the school’slanguage lab. When many people sharetheir opinions and feelings regarding anuncomfortable situation, emotions can esca-late, making resolution more difficult.

Step 1 List any conflicts you have beeninvolved in over the last month.

Step 2 Choose one of the conflicts listed.Write what you remember or knowabout the conflict.

Step 3 Answer the following questions aboutthe conflict you have described: Whatdid you want? What prevented youfrom getting it? Which of your goals,needs, values, or emotions were

involved? What people and/or policieswere involved?

Step 4 How did your answers in Step 3 com-pare with your description in Step 2?Were you honest with yourself andothers about the true issue or issues inconflict? If the conflict has not beenresolved yet, you may wish to use thisinformation and the skills you’ll learnin this chapter to bring it to a close.

To identify the true source of a conflict, follow these steps:

Identifying Conflict


Sometimes, organizations hold competitionsthat can unintentionally turn into conflict situ-ations. Companies that hold competitions todetermine star sales representatives may unin-tentionally pit employee against employee,department against department, or work shiftagainst work shift. The competitive conflictmay have its benefits: increased productivity,sales, and bottom line. However, it also canresult in employee resentment, backbiting,anger, and job dissatisfaction.

Organizational Conflict Organi-zational conflict occurs between anorganization itself and individuals or groupsof individuals within that organization. Forinstance, individuals or groups may determinethat the organization uses unfair policies.When employee advocacy groups come intoconflict with an organization’s management,it usually is over policy matters such as hiringpractices, benefits, or salary rates.

Other sources of organizational conflictmay be unsafe, outdated, crowded, or other-wise inefficient conditions at a work site. Aconstruction site may be without first-aidequipment, or several lab technicians mayhave to share one computer. Employees maydemand that the organization makechanges to improve conditions, opening aconflict between labor and managementdivisions.

Sometimes, organizational change fostersconflict. Any time a company changes howwork is done, employees may need to beretrained. They also may need to be moti-vated to embrace these new work conditions.When these important steps are ignored,employee frustration, confusion, resentment,and, ultimately, conflict can occur. Left unre-solved, all these conflicts can be very costly.

Environmental Conflict If a conflictis environmental, it is important to identify itquickly. Many times, we blame other peoplewhen our conflict is truly environmental. Forexample, you and the two students in yourclass who share an area of a biology lab maybe in constant conflict. While you believe it istheir rudeness or lack of organization that isthe cause of the conflict, it may actually be theresult of too little personal working space. Thecramped quarters may be amplifying any dif-ferences in work style and adding tension toyour working relationship. Understanding thatthe conflict has nothing to do with your class-mates but rather with your surroundings helpstake some of the emotion out of the situation.

At any of these different communicationlevels, you may make the decision not toengage the conflict but just to cope with thesituation as it stands. However, if you dochoose to resolve the conflict, the next step isto analyze what relationships are involved.


THE BORN LOSER reprinted by permission of Newspaper Enterprise Association, Inc.

Analyze the Relationships Involved

Is there a difference between a conflict witha family member and one with a good friend?What is the difference between a conflict withanother player on your team and one withyour coach?

The relationships of the parties involved ina conflict matter a great deal. Regardless ofthe outcome of your family dispute, you prob-ably will still be considered a family member.However, can you be certain that your friend-ship will withstand any conflict? Likewise, aconflict between teammates may beuncomfortable and result in poor teamworkat times, while a serious conflict with thecoach can put you on the bench or off theteam entirely.

People Involved Determining who isinvolved in the conflict and what relation-ships they have with one another is impor-tant. In the workplace, conflict tends to bemore serious if those involved work in thesame department rather than in differentones. It can become even more difficult if theyhold different levels of authority, such as asupervisor and an employee.

Relationships of Those InvolvedThe relationships of those involved in a con-flict often have a major impact on whetheror not it can be resolved. In some cases, con-flict with a supervisor may be better leftalone. You might decide that coping with itintrapersonally is preferable to addressing itopenly and risking your future at your job.Likewise, ruining a lifelong friendship maybe too great a price to pay to resolve a minordifference. It is important to take an honestlook at how you feel about that person, howmuch you want to maintain the relation-ship, and what each person’s role is in the

relationship. You then want to weigh therisks of pursuing a resolution or coping withthe conflict.

Determine the Level ofInterdependence

How interdependent are the partiesinvolved in a specific conflict? That is, howmuch do they need one another in order toget their work done? It is more important fortwo basketball teammates to resolve their dif-ferences than it is for a basketball player anda tennis player to resolve theirs.

So, how do you determine the interdepen-dence of parties in conflict? First, analyze howmuch space and equipment they must shareand how much time they must spendtogether. Also, determine whether or not oneof the participants has some control or super-visory power over the other. It is particularlyimportant to resolve differences if the cooper-ative decision making is a major function ofthe parties involved, such as with the admin-istrators at your school.

Imagine a situation in which two coworkersare in conflict because they must share atelephone, a computer, and other officeequipment. The costs of not resolving their


TECHNOLOGYAnalyzing the Message Channel Technology canhave a significant impact on communication. A receiver often will interpret a message basedpartly on the channel of communication chosento communicate it. When discussing a conflict,how is a face-to-face meeting different from a discussion through e-mail, voice mail, or memos? Discuss your answers in groups of four or five.

conflict may be that one of them refuses toshare what the other needs. In this case, each person’s ability to do his or her job islikely to be affected by the conflict. Therefore,it may be to everyone’s advantage to addressthe conflict.

Analyze the Type of Conflict

The next step in the analysis of a conflict isto look at the type of conflict it is. Most con-flicts occur over differences in factual informa-tion, personal values, or policies. Analyzingyour conflict can help you classify it in one of

these categories and better understand whatissues are at stake.

Facts A conflict over facts is a disagree-ment over something that can be proven tobe true or false. These conflicts are the easi-est to resolve because they are the result ofinadequate information or misinterpreta-tion. Once you uncover the facts, the conflictis settled. If the conflict is over whether or notyou can purchase a new copy machine foryour department or club, looking at thefunds provided in the budget probably willprovide the answer. Once those in conflictunderstand the factual information, theconflict can be resolved.

Conflicts over facts alsoare the easiest to avoidaltogether. Making sureyou have gathered asmuch information as pos-sible can help you avoidunnecessary conflict. Italso can save you from thepotential embarrassmentof appearing uninformed.

Values As you learnedin Chapter 1, a value issomething you find impor-tant. A conflict over valuesis a disagreement over pri-orities. Unlike facts, valuesand opinions are not verifi-able. Rather, they aredeeply personal and rootedin what someone believes.

Imagine that you and aclassmate are in conflictover when to work on anassigned team project. Youplace a priority on timewith your family; you’drather not meet onSaturday or Sunday. Your


Interdependence between coworkers can lead to conflict. What causes mostconflicts to occur?

partner, on the other hand, values schoolathletics and would rather not meet duringgame time.

Each person in a conflict over values will beemotionally involved in and committed to hisor her personal stance. Therefore, each personin the conflict needs to listen empathicallyand try not to be judgmental or accusatoryabout other points of view. If you decide toresolve the conflict using the strategies foundlater in this chapter, it will help if you takeinto account the feelings and emotions ofeach person involved.

Policies A conflict over policies is a dis-agreement that deals with differences overhow to best complete a task. Such a conflictdoes not concern the end goal of the task,but rather how to get to that goal. For ex-ample, a goal at your workplace might be tohire the best-qualified managers for thecompany. The hiring policy might requirethat all job openings be advertised nation-ally to attract a large group of qualifiedapplicants from across the country. On theother hand, your employees might feel thatexperienced workers who have done well in

your company should be given more consid-eration than “outsiders” whose true workrecord and abilities are unknown. Everyoneagrees that the company needs goodmanagers; they disagree on how to go abouthiring those managers.

Resolving a conflict over policies generallyrequires the willing cooperation of the ad-ministration or management of an organi-zation. Therefore, when you diagnose thistype of conflict, be sure to include ananalysis of the people who will need to beconsulted and involved if you try to resolvethis conflict.

Identify the Source of the Conflict

One of the most important steps in diag-nosing a conflict is identifying what producedthe conflict in the first place. Remember thatall people perceive things differently.Therefore, no two people will perceive aconflict the same way. As part of your percep-tion check, ask the questions in theCommunication Strategies checklist to get tothe source of the conflict.

Roles Some conflicts may be caused byroles. The role you play in a particular situa-tion tends to give you a perspective that is dif-ferent from that of someone in another role.Employers and employees may view what hap-pens at work differently. Coaches, athletes, andparents may all view the purpose of schoolsports differently. Conflict may result fromthese different points of view.

Power Struggle The conflict might beover a struggle for power. You and a coworkermay be competing for recognition, rewards,bonuses, or promotions. Competitive activi-ties often lead to conflict because both of youmay not be able to achieve the same prize.


COMMUNICATION

IDENTIFYING SOURCESOF CONFLICT

Is there a difference in perspectivedue to roles?

Is there a power struggle?

Are there unclear guidelines?

Is there a difference in personalstyle?

Is there some external stress orburnout?


GARFIELD © 1999 Paws, Inc. Reprinted with permission of UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE. All rights reserved.

Unclear Guidelines If you have notbeen given clear guidelines on how to proceedwith a task, you may make some mistakes intrying to do your job. When this happens, yourexpectations for a task may differ from that ofa supervisor, causing conflict. You may getangry with your supervisor because you feel heor she should have given a better explanationof your responsibilities. Your supervisor may beupset with you for taking too much time orusing the wrong materials. He or she may havethought you would ask questions if you wereunclear about how to do this part of your job.

Personal Style Sometimes, the sourceof a conflict simply may be different personalstyles. Different cultural backgrounds, per-sonal biases, or prejudices all can lead to con-flict situations. You like to talk throughproblems; your coworker likes to work throughproblems alone. You may enjoy listening tomusic while you work, but the coworker in thenext cubicle prefers silence. Since we don’toften identify or talk about all the pieces thatmake up our personal style, we may expectothers to behave as we do. These unmet expec-tations can lead to conflict situations.

External Stress Often, external stresscan creep into unrelated situations and cause

conflict. Feeling “burned out” at your job orschool may cause you to become irritable andcreate conflict at home. In the same way,family issues may follow you to the office orschool, creating problems there.

Analyze the Severity of the Conflict

Now that you’ve identified and describedthe conflict and analyzed the people andissues involved in it, your final step is todetermine how serious the conflict is to you.To do this, imagine the degrees of severity, asshown in Figure 12–2.

After completely diagnosing and under-standing a conflict, you may find that you areno longer bothered by it. You may recognize, forexample, that the conflict stems from the dif-ferent roles you and the other person play. Youmay be willing to allow that person to continuehis or her behavior because it is reasonable inthe context of his or her role. On the otherhand, you may have discovered the factsunderlying the dispute and can now put theconflict to rest. If so, you may determine thatthere is no longer a conflict and, therefore,decide to take no action on the issue. You haveresolved the conflict on the intrapersonal level.

At the interpersonal level, you may deter-mine that there is a problem, but you don’t findit to be serious enough to bother others with it.Perhaps you view this as something that hap-pened only once under special circumstancesand is not likely to happen again. If the conflictis due to differences in interpersonal style, younow may feel you know how this person acts.Therefore, you think you can avoid clashes inthe future without bringing the issue to theother person’s attention.

On the other hand, as the result of your diag-nosis, you may view your problem as beingfairly serious. You still have the option of copingwith the conflict yourself, or you may choose toaddress it with the other parties involved. If youdecide that the price of confronting the otherparty is greater than the benefit of having theconflict resolved, you may decide to just cope.

If you view the conflict as potentially devas-tating to you, consider whether or not you areengaged in a crisis situation. If so, you maywant to have others trained in this type of crisisto help you diagnose and resolve the conflict. Attimes, people are trapped in serious situationswhich are outside their direct control. Abuse,harassment, and discrimination are crisis situa-tions. In these cases, you may want to consult asocial service organization or a trained coun-selor or minister. Another alternative would beto report this problem to a special office withinyour organization. Personnel or humanresources departments typically help employeesdeal with such issues. Some employees belongto unions that help them resolve such conflicts.

TO RESOLVE ORNOT TO RESOLVE

Each step in the analysis of conflict isimportant because it shows a very differentaspect of the issue that is troubling you. You donot need to complete each one in order to

resolve your conflict, however. At any stepalong the way you may decide that the risksinvolved in confronting the others involved orin pursuing a resolution are simply too great.If your job is on the line or a family relation-ship is in jeopardy of being strained, you maydecide to let the issue go and learn to copewith the situation as it stands.

On the other hand, you may decide at anystep in the diagnosis process that a conflict defi-nitely needs resolution. For example, in ana-lyzing the interdependence of coworkersinvolved in a conflict you may realize that with-out resolution, very little work will get done. Atthat time, there would be no further need for


Figure 12–2 How Serious IsThis Conflict?

A problem, butnot a serious one

Average (no worse thanany other problem)

Serious

Potentially devastating

No problem


Review Key Terms1. Define each term and write it in a

sentence: conflict over facts, conflictover values, conflict over policies.

Check Understanding2. Describe two advantages

and two disadvantages ofconflict.

3. Imagine a group of yourcoworkers is concernedabout your company’s policy regarding overtimehours. At what level is thisconflict occurring?

4. How might the relationship and theinterdependence between a supervisorand his or her employee affect theirconflicts?

5. Classify Imagine that you and apartner must complete a history reporttogether. Your partner suggests copyinga report her sister wrote several yearsago. You say that is cheating and thatyou should work together each night tofinish the report. What type of conflictis this? Why?

Visit the Glencoe Communication ApplicationsWeb site at communicationapplications.glencoe.com and click on Self-Check andStudy Guide 12.1 to review your understand-ing of diagnosing conflict.

Section 1 Assessment

analysis. Instead, you should act to resolve theconflict between the coworkers. NapoleonBonaparte, emperor of France, is quoted as hav-ing said, “Take time to deliberate, but when the

time for action has arrived, stop thinking andgo in.” Any stage in your analysis may be theone that moves you to stop thinking about yourconflict and to start resolving it.

APPLICATION

Charting a Diagnosis Think of a conflict you have experi-enced. You may wish to refer back to the list you createdin the Communication Practice Lab. Create a chart thatshows how each of the nine diagnosis steps applies to yourconflict. Use your chart to determine at which stage youcould have ended the conflict analysis. At that stage,would you have chosen to resolve the conflict, cope withit, or acknowledge that the conflict no longer existed?Explain the reason for your choice.



To fully understand the things that youread, it is important to know how to recognizethe main idea or ideas. The main idea is asentence that tells what the whole paragraph,story, article, or other written work is about.

Closely related to the main idea are the sup-porting details. Supporting details confirm themain idea and provide additional information,clarity, interest, or proof.

e Learning the SkillTo find the main idea and

supporting details, it is impor-tant to first ask yourself, “Whatis the purpose of this informa-tion?” Before beginning to readthe text, glance at any titles orvisual aids that might beincluded. Photos, illustrations,charts, graphs, tables, andother visuals are added to a textto enhance the main idea orideas. Study these graphicsbefore beginning a new section oftext to help you anticipate what youwill learn. Look for a common themeamong sentences or paragraphs.

Finally, look for sentences that tell some-thing about the main idea. Each time youlearn something more about the main idea,you have found a supporting detail. Tounderstand this relationship better, write themain idea at the top of a sheet of paper.Then, list each supporting detail below themain idea.

ePracticing the SkillRead the following advertisement for a

veterinary hospital and answer the questionsthat follow.

1. What is the main idea of this ad?

2. What other information in the ad supports that idea?

3. What information is not necessary to the ad?

FINDING THE MAIN IDEAAND SUPPORTING DETAILS


APPLICATION

Study an advertisement from a news-paper or magazine. Write the main ideaof the ad at the top of a sheet of paper.Then, in one column below the mainidea, list all the supporting details. In asecond column, list any nonsupportingdetails found in the ad. Share your listsas a class.

Your pet will receive the very best care at Purr-fect CareVeterinary Hospital. Specializing in small-animal care,our veterinarians treat your pet as if it were their own.Plus, each member of the Purr-fect Care support staff is

trained to provide you with all the information you need.We also work hard to keep our kennels comfy and clean.

Puff, the Purr-fect Care mascot, says,

Purr- fect Carfect Care Veterinary Hospitalinary Hospital

“Come on in. We’ll take the ‘ow’ out of ‘meow.’”

Imagine your history class group project is due next Monday. Youthink your group should work together every night until you complete

the project. Another member argues that the group should just waitand work together all day Saturday. You’ve analyzed the people and theissues involved in the conflict. But now what do you do?

Section 2


Confronting Conflict

Now that you’ve analyzed the different elements ofthe conflict, it’s time to decide on a course ofaction. Do the benefits of resolving the conflictoutweigh the costs of confronting yourfriends? The answer may help you determinewhether to try to resolve it or to cope with it.If you decide to resolve the conflict, you willneed to know how to analyze the forcesbehind resolution and determine whichresolution strategy to use. In any case,you’ll need to develop a plan and polishyour communication skills.

OUTCOMES OFCONFLICT RESOLUTION

Before you begin to resolve a conflict,you’ll want to consider what you and theother people involved have to gain or lose. If

Objectives1. Describe possible losses and gains in

conflict resolution.2. Classify forces behind conflict resolution

as helpful or hindering.3. Justify a decision to resolve conflict.4. Compare and contrast conflict-resolution

strategies.5. Organize a conflict-resolution meeting.

6. Develop strategies for coping with unresolved conflict.

Terms to Learnavoidance compromiseaccommodation negotiationcoercion collaboration

G U I D E T O R E A D I N G

Part of working on a group project involves takingresponsibility for your part of the work. If there is con-flict in a group, what questions would you ask to decideon a course of action for dealing with the conflict?

the others have nothing to gain and some-thing to lose by resolving the conflict, yourwork toward finding a resolution is likely tobe opposed. However, if you can imagine aresolution that allows everyone to gain some-thing, you may have a better chance at bring-ing the conflict to an end.

Identifying GainsImagine that you and a coworker are in

conflict over the use of an office computer.Computer time currently is decided on a first-come, first-served basis, which means one ofyou is left waiting a great deal of the time.

Since you currently use the computer morethan half of the time, you may want to keepthe situation as it is. Resolving it means yourisk losing some computer time. On the otherhand, if giving up some computer time willgreatly improve your relationship with yourcoworker, you might be willing to work it out.You’ll want to look at the conflict from allsides to see what everyone has to gain fromthe present situation as well as what eachparty might gain from a resolution.

Social gains, such as enjoying a pleasantworking environment or making a positiveimpression on someone, may be worth somesacrifices. At home, you might do some chorethat you dislike, such as folding the laundry,because it makes your family members, whomyou care about, happy. Work gains also areimportant incentives for conflict resolution.Two coworkers in conflict may be less helpfulto one another on a major project than theywould be if the conflict were resolved.

Identifying LossesWhat will a resolution cost you and the

others involved in a conflict? Is there someway that this conflict works in your favor? Ifso, you may lose that benefit if you

successfully resolve the conflict. Is there somedanger involved in confronting the otherparty or parties in the conflict? If the personyou’re in conflict with is your supervisor atwork, you may put a possible promotion oreven your job in jeopardy. Is it possible thatthe other person will be angered by your con-frontation and create different problems foryou? For instance, if you confront a coworkertoday, will he or she undermine you in afuture project?

Imagine that you and a close friend worktogether on the yearbook staff. Your friendalways arrives late for group meetings andrarely completes his assigned tasks. Shouldyou confront him over his conflict with thegroup? Would your friendship, both with himand with mutual friends, possibly suffer? If hedoesn’t distinguish between your roles as

Being late for a meeting can cause conflict with groupmembers. What costs must you consider when decidingwhether or not to resolve a conflict?


members of the yearbook staff and as friends,he may have trouble with the confrontation.However, he might appreciate your talking tohim privately so that he’s not embarrassed bya group confrontation. Try to consider boththe possible benefits and costs to your goalsbefore deciding whether to cope with or toresolve the conflict.

FORCES BEHINDRESOLUTION

Imagine that you are involved in a conflictover limited supplies at your job. Your cowork-ers are generally cooperative, and you antici-pate they would be willing to find a solution tothis problem. However, your boss is not gener-ally open to new ideas and has reacted defen-sively to suggestions from the staff in the past.Many forces are at work behind the situation.They can either help you achieve a resolutionor make the process much more difficult.

Forces That Help Resolution

After examining the office-supplies conflict,you may find that conditions are favorablefor a resolution. For example, one argumentmay be that budgets are being cut throughoutyour company. Therefore, there is only alimited amount of money available for sup-plies. However, after investigating the issues,you have discovered that your companyalready has purchased plenty of supplies.Furthermore, you think you have developed aplan for sharing them that should not incon-venience other departments. If you were toanalyze what is in favor of finding a resolu-tion, you might note that

• most of the time everyone in the office tries to cooperate and work together

• there seem to be enough resources for everyone

• you have a plan you think will work

Each of these points is a positive force thatwould help you resolve your office-suppliesconflict. However, before you begin workingtoward a resolution, you need to consider onemore thing: What might work against theresolution of this conflict?

Forces That Hinder Resolution

Sometimes, a specific set of circumstancescan present a barrier to conflict resolution.Some potential barriers to resolving the office-supplies conflict might include that

• your boss is not generally open to new ideas for the company

• your boss is anticipating more budget cuts in the near future

• your boss sometimes reacts defensivelyto suggestions from staff members

COMMUNICATION

DECIDING WHETHER TORESOLVE A CONFLICT

Look at the severity of the conflict.Is it serious?

Determine whether resolving theconflict will result in gains or losses.

Analyze the risks involved. Is aresolution worth the risk?

Analyze what forces might supportor hinder a resolution.

Determine what information andcommunication skills are necessaryto proceed toward a resolution.


Each of these barriers maypresent quite a challenge. Atthis point, you’ll need to askyourself if pursuing the solu-tion in the face of these diffi-culties is worthwhile.

Once you have a clear ideaof the forces at work behindyour conflict, the time hasarrived for a decision. Shouldyou try to resolve it or learnto cope with it?

CHOOSING ARESOLUTIONSTRATEGY

Imagine that you haveweighed the possible out-comes of a conflict resolution.Because the positives out-weigh the negatives, youhave decided to try to resolvethe conflict. However, you stillhave another decision tomake. What strategy will youuse to reach a resolution?

There are many differentways to approach a conflict.Consider the advantages anddisadvantages of each beforechoosing the one that’s right for your situa-tion. The six most commonly used resolutionstrategies are

• avoidance • compromise• accommodation • negotiation• coercion • collaboration

AvoidanceOne way to deal with a conflict is to avoid

it altogether. Avoidance is keeping away fromor withdrawing from something. Avoidance

can be physical or psychological. At times,there are advantages to using avoidance.Sometimes, however, avoidance can be anegative resolution strategy.

Physical Avoidance You mightchoose physical avoidance of your conflict.That is, you may try to stay away from theothers involved in the conflict. This is differentfrom coping because you are not deciding to“live with” the current situation. Rather, youare taking action to end the conflict.

Avoidance • The issue is trivial.• You cannot win.• The negatives of confrontation outweigh the

benefits of resolution.• It is possible to unobtrusively avoid the others

involved.

Accommodation • You find out you were wrong and others were right.• The issue is less important to you than to the others

involved.• Harmony is more important to you than the issue.

Coercion • It is imperative that you have your way on the issue.• You are willing to live with the consequences of

coercion.• You have sufficient perceived power to force your

will upon the others.

Compromise • Your goals are more important, but you can give inon some issues.

• You can achieve a temporary settlement for acomplex issue.

• It becomes clear that no party will give up its entireposition.

Negotiation • You have something to trade for what you want toaccomplish.

• The others involved are willing to bargain.

Collaboration • All involved have concerns that are too important tobe compromised or negotiated away.

• A long-term relationship between/among the partiesis important.

• A goal is to build consensus among all parties.• The others involved are willing to collaborate.

RESOLUTION STRATEGIES

Consider When One of These Is True


For example, you may be in conflict with afriend who is raising money for a charityevent. Every day, the friend asks you for a con-tribution, even though you have explained itis not in your budget. You are becomingincreasingly irritated by the friend’s requests.However, by choosing to avoid the friend andnot return his or her phone calls, you areresolving the conflict. The friend is no longerable to bother you. Once the event is over, youcan stop avoiding your friend and resumeyour relationship.

Psychological Avoidance Avoid-ance also can be psychological. You canchoose to ignore whatever the others say or dothat brings up a conflict by refusing torespond to their words or actions. You mighteven deny that there is a conflict at all.

Problems with Avoidance Becauseavoidance is a one-sided approach to conflictresolution, it can have some negative effects.Instead of resolving a conflict, avoidanceactually may intensify it. If the partiesinvolved in the conflict are highly interde-pendent, avoidance can create even moreproblems. For instance, even though you mayavoid discussing the issue in conflict, you can-not force others to stop discussing it. This canmake you appear detached or uninformedand can provide fuel for harmful gossip andrumors. Avoidance may not be the best choiceif you must be in continual contact with theothers involved.

Avoidance may require a strong self-image. It can take a great deal of positiveself-talk to manage the resentment and frus-tration you may feel from others involved ina conflict. Without managing your feelings,you may reach a point at which the avoid-ance of one conflict creates new conflictsintrapersonally and in many other contextsin your life.

Advantages of Avoidance Eventhough avoidance as a strategy has its draw-backs, there are some circumstances in whichit might be a wise response. Avoidance tendsto work more easily in social contexts than atwork. However, if your boss tends to put youdown each time you make a suggestion, youmight choose to remain silent for a while.This can help you avoid conflict until you candetermine what to do about the situation.

AccommodationConflict accommodation is maintaining

harmony with others by giving in to theirwishes. This is a variation of the avoidancestrategy. In effect, you are avoiding conflict bychoosing to do what the others want done in the situation, regardless of your ideas orfeelings. To accommodators, relationships aremore important than issues.

There are some good reasons to choose ac-commodation as a conflict-resolution strategy.You might choose this strategy if you discoveryou have made a mistake. Admitting your error

Businesses utilize accommodation to resolve conflictswith customers. Define conflict accommodation.


and accommodating the others would be a signof strength and intelligence. You might alsochoose accommodation if the issue you dis-agree upon is of relatively little importance toyou and seems to be of great importance tosomeone else. You might also choose accom-modation if the rewards for putting up with theothers’ demands are greater than the cost ofasserting your rights. For example, you mightput up with a rude, but reliable, customer inorder to keep his or her repeat business.

A disadvantage to choosing accommoda-tion is the possibility that you will resent hav-ing to accommodate the other person,particularly if you feel he or she does not oftenaccommodate your wishes. If so, resentmentmay build and harm your relationship in thelong run. Also, if you choose accommodationto resolve a conflict over values, you are likelyto both resent the other person and be angrywith yourself for not living up to your per-sonal standards. Accommodation, in theseinstances, may be very costly to you.

CoercionCoercion is another way to resolve conflict.

Coercion is trying to force others to go alongwith your wishes. If you are a manager or

supervisor, you may use your position ofauthority to make others agree with yourdecisions. Coercion is only possible if one per-son involved in a conflict is perceived as morepowerful than the others.

The obvious advantage to coercion is thepossibility of getting your way. The disadvan-tages are equally obvious. People forced intoan agreement won’t like it and may even tryto retaliate against you some other time. Thismay take many different forms, including notcooperating with you in the future becauseyou coerced them on this issue.

Even those who agree with you on the issuemay be offended by your tactic of forcing theircooperation. If so, they may speak out againstyour methods and join those who oppose you.At best, coercion may let you “win” this issue,but you are very likely to pay a price for it later.

Compromise Compromise is a resolution choice that may

not be as costly as coercion, accommodation,or avoidance. Compromise is settling differ-ences by having each party give up something.When you compromise, you say that you arewilling to “give in” on certain issues if theothers involved will make similar sacrifices.

To practice using accommodation as a conflictresolution strategy, follow these steps:

Step 1 Working with a partner, create a list ofadjectives you might use to describean accommodator.

Step 2 Discuss which of these adjectivesmight be considered positive attri-butes, such as generous, and whichmight be negative, such as wimpy.

Step 3 With your partner, brainstorm a situa-tion when accommodation would be agood choice for conflict resolution.

Step 4 Act out your chosen situation foranother set of student partners. First,portray the accommodator in a waythat highlights the positive aspects ofaccommodation. Then, switch rolesand portray the negative aspects ofaccommodation.

Choosing Accommodation


Generally, the compromisers cooperate on allissues except for those that are most importantto them. Compromise is a very common strat-egy among political factions and groups thatmake budget decisions.

Compromise is a worthwhilechoice when you have no hopeof attaining everything youreally want and are willing tosettle for a little less. Beforedeciding on entering a compro-mise, you should be sure aboutwhat you are willing to give upand what you refuse to sacrifice.

The advantage of compro-mise is that usually each per-son involved is at leastpartially pleased with the reso-lution. The disadvantage isthat it may result in a “watereddown” version of what mighthave been accomplished with-out compromise.

You might choose to use a compromisestrategy if you reach a stalemate and cannotmove on until an issue is resolved. If you feelyou cannot give up any part of your positionsimply to reach agreement, compromise maynot be the best choice.

NegotiationConflict negotiation is bargaining with oth-

ers to gain what you want. As with the com-promise strategy, negotiation requires you todetermine what you are and are not willing togive up in the final solution. Unlike the com-promise strategy, however, all trade-offs maynot be directly related to the conflict issue. Forexample, labor negotiators bargaining for apay increase may accept better benefits orvacation time instead. Similarly, when negoti-ating with your brother or sister over mowingthe lawn, you may agree to do that chore if heor she will loan you his or her car for one day.Negotiation often involves giving up yourentire position on an issue in order to getsomething else.


Competition vs. Cooperation

American, Swedish, and Norwegian cul-tures are sometimes described as indi-vidualistic, direct, independent, andcompetitive and sometimes may chal-lenge authority. Japanese, Arabic, andLatin American cultures typically avoidopenly challenging authority and prac-tice indirect communication approachesand cooperative problem solving.Imagine two people from these diversecultural categories having a differenceof opinion on an issue. What conflictresolution strategies would you use toencourage a solution?

The Congress of the United States practices compromise when passing a bill.When is compromise a good choice?

In negotiation, you assertively bargain forthe best deal you can get. The others involveddo the same. The goal is to grant somethingthat each person involved wants. Negotiationonly works if each party is willing to tradewith the others in the dispute.

Negotiation is a more assertive approach toconflict resolution than compromise becauseit is competitive. Each party gives up itemsequally in a compromise. However, negotia-tion involves trying to make the most favor-able deal for yourself that you can.

Collaboration Put simply, collaboration is working

together to achieve some result. People whochoose to collaborate believe that working withothers will create the best possible solution tothe conflict. Collaboration does not involvecompetition. Rather, collaborators know thatthey will have to work together over a longperiod of time. Therefore, they try to maintainpositive relationships with the others involvedin a conflict. The parties involved genuinely tryto understand what each other wants out ofthe interaction. They also try to explain clearlywhat they want. They then work together toaccomplish all goals.

In collaboration, everyone agrees that thereis a problem. They also all agree that the prob-lem is causing an undesirable conflict. No onelikes having the conflict, so they agree to worktogether to find a way to resolve it.

IMPLEMENTINGSTRATEGIES

Once you have chosen the strategy that willbest resolve your conflict, you may think thedifficult part is over. What happens if one ofthe others involved has chosen a different strat-egy? It’s important to learn how to bring every-one together in a conflict-resolution meeting

where you can share strategies and choose onethat meets the most needs. After all, if everyoneagrees with the plan, they will be more likely towork toward making it happen.

Preparing for aConflict-Resolution Meeting

At times, the best plans for conflict resolu-tion may be ruined by poor attitudes, un-realistic expectations, or poor communicationskills. By taking action early, you can helpward off these barriers to resolution.

Assume a Positive Attitude. Beforeundertaking a conflict-resolution meeting,arm yourself with a win/win attitude. That is,come to the meeting with the attitude thateveryone can gain something by workingtogether. Rid yourself of biases and try to seeothers’ points of view in a positive light.

To do this, try to think of others in positiveterms—and always speak of them that way.Avoid being defensive. Instead, try to be


A C T I V I T Y

Negotiating As a class, brain-storm a list of school issues andthen choose one that seems to beof most concern to students. Useinformation found in your text andthrough a reliable Internet searchengine to prepare to negotiate awin/win solution to the conflict. Setup a meeting between the partiesinvolved. Develop a plan to bringthe concerned parties together.Then, prepare a list of ten meetingguidelines for distribution to meet-ing participants.

objective and open-minded. Also, make upyour mind to cooperate with others in themeeting.

Behave Realistically. Make sure youunderstand what you are trying to resolve sothat you can offer realistic solutions. Also, asyou found out in Chapter 3, realize that yourpoint of view, or your perception, may not beshared by others in the conflict. The more rea-sonable your proposal and behavior, themore acceptable your ideas will seem.

Plan for the resolution to take time. Itrequires patience to listen carefully to theissues and to propose realistic solutions.Understand that the conflict may not beresolved in one meeting. Be realistic aboutwhat you can accomplish each time you meet.

Communicate Clearly. In a conflict,you and the other parties involved already dis-agree. You do not want to complicate matters


COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATING TOACHIEVE A RESOLUTION

Listen actively.

Seek clarification when you don’tunderstand.

Use frequent perception checks.

Express your ideas as clearly aspossible.

Pay attention to feedback and clearup misunderstandings early.

Be courteous.

Use nonverbal behavior that isappropriate for achieving aresolution.

Conflict resolution is affected by the communication skills of group members. What communica-tion skills will help you in a conflict resolution meeting?

with poor communication and frequent mis-understandings. To avoid these problems,remember the important suggestions in theCommunication Strategies checklist on theprevious page.

Conducting the MeetingSometimes, conflict resolution takes place

in a formal meeting called just for that pur-pose. Other times, however, this meeting maybe much less formal. For example, imaginethat you typically see the person you’re inconflict with at the same time each day atwork. You may try to initiate the conflict reso-lution on one of these occasions, rather thanscheduling a more formal meeting.

Take the Initiative. Before a formalor informal meeting can begin, someonemust take the first step. By initiating the dis-cussion, you show your willingness to worktoward a resolution of the conflict.

After your initial statement or question,you may choose to patiently listen to what theothers have to say about the conflict. This canserve as a valuable perception check, helpingto clarify the issues at stake.

Remember to remain as objective as pos-sible during the discussion. At times, the ideasand responses of others may surprise you. Usecritical listening skills to discern the basis fortheir points of view. Also, use deliberative lis-tening to consider what the others want youto do about the conflict. Finally, use empathiclistening skills to try to understand how theothers feel about the conflict.

Often, it is valuable to use a feed-forwardtechnique to prepare the others to hear yourpoint of view. For example, you might say, “If Iunderstand correctly, you said . . .” Then, stateyour feelings clearly, avoiding defensive oraccusatory language. Use this opportunity toresolve any misunderstandings the others may

have about your point of view. Convey a gen-eral attitude that you are open to other ideasand genuinely want to achieve a solution.

Employ a Resolution Strategy.Your next step in the meeting is to decide uponor implement an appropriate resolution strat-egy either by suggesting one yourself or bydeveloping it as a group. Remember that eventhough you may decide on one particularstrategy, this decision may change over thecourse of resolving the conflict. For example,everyone may begin with a desire to collabo-rate. However, at some point, you may hit astalemate, try to negotiate, and finally deter-mine that the best chance of resolving the con-flict is through compromise. For this reason,try to remain flexible and positive about theconflict-resolution process as it unfolds.


Choices and Consequences In the workplace,as in school, you will have to make choices indetermining the best way to resolve conflict.Unresolved conflict can be stressful, and it isimportant that you assertively, but not timidlyor aggressively, express yourself in order to getyour needs met in the workplace.

In groups of three or four, develop three typesof responses—timid, assertive, and aggressive—to the scenarios given below. • Other students repeatedly ask to copy my

homework. This bothers me, but I also don’twant to make them mad at me.

• My friend and I carpool to work. He is late atleast twice each week, which makes me lateand often gets me in trouble.

• My coworker repeatedly asks me to put hisname on the weekly reports that I develop.

As you work toward a resolution, rememberthat all sides need to cooperate in the effort.You’ll be more successful if everyone staysflexible, considers a variety of options, andworks toward a logical and reasonable resolu-tion to the conflict.

Know When to End. There is little tobe gained in very lengthy “marathon” meet-ings. Particularly in the case of collaboration,but also in compromise and negotiation, youmay create too many alternatives to sort outat one meeting. In these cases, summarize allthe alternatives generated and suggest post-poning a decision on any of them untilanother meeting time. This allows both sidesto fully consider all the possibilities.

Another reason to avoid lengthy meetingsis that people generally do not work wellunder stress for long periods of time. The

emotions, concentration level, and intensediscussion involved in resolving a conflict cancreate a great deal of stress. After a while,tempers can flare and communication canbecome careless. For this reason, it is best tolimit conflict-resolution meetings to no morethan one hour. Then, if you must postponethe final decision, do so on a positive note. Besure to congratulate everyone for workinghard to resolve the conflict.

If Conflict Flares During theMeeting If one or more parties become tooemotionally involved in the conflict discus-sion, communication can become hostile orotherwise unproductive. In some instances,the discussion can actually renew the conflictor introduce new areas of disagreement. Ifany of these situations occurs, end the inter-action quickly. If possible, you should delay


Meetings can be used to generate ideas for conflict resolution. What are some strategies forassuming a positive attitude during a meeting?

setting another meeting time until aftereveryone has had a chance to cool down.

If a Stalemate Is Reached It is pos-sible that your conflict-resolution meeting willresult in a stalemate. Particularly during com-promise or negotiation, the members mayreach a point where they “dig in” and refuse tobudge on an issue. At this point, you canremark that this particular issue seems to be themain point under contention and may need alittle more thought. Again, end on a friendlynote. Restate that you are confident that theconflict can be resolved in some mutually-agreeable way and set another meeting time.

If Agreement Is Reached Congrat-ulations! If you were able to find a solution,get everyone involved in implementing it.Often, even when compromise and nego-tiation are used, the solution will not beenthusiastically approved by everyone.However, by helping everyone focus on theirobvious gains—as well as the benefit of nolonger having to deal with the conflict—youwill gain their cooperation in quickly andeasily implementing the resolution.

COPING WITHUNRESOLVED CONFLICT

Unfortunately, not all conflicts are resolved.Sometimes, even your best attempt at conflictresolution can fail. No resolution strategycomes with a guarantee of success. Also, afteryour initial analysis of a conflict, you maydecide to skip the resolution process alto-gether. When a conflict goes unresolved, youmay have to cope with the difficult peopleand difficult situations involved in it.

The Communication Strategies checklistpoints out just a few strategies for coping withunresolved conflict. You likely have developeda few of your own that meet your specific

needs. Whatever strategy you use, it is impor-tant to move on. Situations usually don’timprove if you dwell on the negative.

To let a conflict go and get on with yourwork or relationship, it helps to focus onintrapersonal management. Be sure that you

COMMUNICATION

COPING WITHUNRESOLVED CONFLICT

Develop an attitude of self-confidence, respect for the othersinvolved, and understanding of bothyour position and theirs.

Maintain a realistic perspectiveabout the situation. Try to keep thebig picture in mind.

Maintain a respectful attitudetoward others who disagree withyou, viewing them as your equals.This will help you avoid bitternessand disillusionment.

Try to be supportive of others andcontinue to care for them. This mayhelp you salvage worthwhilerelationships.

Be positive. Look for somethinggood even in a bad situation. Thiscan help you put the conflictbehind you.

Realize that you are bigger thanthis one conflict. While it mayimpact your life in some way, itdoes not determine your destiny.

Learn from this adversity, growingin self-understanding and wisdom.This will help you move on togreater things.


have a positive mind-set. Don’t waste timethinking about a past conflict, but rather lookto the future. Allowing an unresolved conflictto rule your emotions not only may destroyvaluable relationships or enthusiasm but alsocan harmfully affect other aspects of your life.Learning to cope when situations aren’t ideal

is a very valuable life lesson—one that youmay be called upon to use more often thanyou’d like. As you develop the skills of a com-petent communicator, you will have a knowl-edge base to draw from when faced withconflict situations in professional and socialcontexts.

Review Key Terms1. Define each term and write it in a

sentence: avoidance, accommodation,coercion, compromise, negotiation, collaboration.

Check Understanding2. What might be gained by confronting

your neighbor about his or her barkingdog? What might be lost?

3. Think of a recent conflict.List at least two forces atwork behind that conflict.Classify each as helpful orhindering to the resolutionof your conflict.

4. Imagine that one of yourcoworkers does not alwayswash his or her hands

when preparing customers’ sandwiches.Should you try to confront yourcoworker and resolve the conflict? Why or why not?

5. How are accommodation and compro-mise alike? How are they different?

6. Imagine that you are in conflict withthe other members of your soccer teamover where to purchase your new jer-seys. What steps should you take toprepare a conflict-resolution meetingwith your teammates?

7. Apply Imagine that you have a basicpersonality conflict with your boss.Because of the risks involved, youdecide to cope with the conflict ratherthan to resolve it. Describe five thingsyou can do to effectively cope with thisunresolved conflict.

Visit the Glencoe Communication ApplicationsWeb site at communicationapplications.glencoe.com and click on Self-Check andStudy Guide 12.2 to review your understand-ing of confronting conflict.

Section 2 Assessment

APPLICATION

Coping With Conflict Talk with a parent or friend abouta time when it was necessary for him or her to cope witha conflict. Inquire about specific intrapersonal manage-ment skills that helped make the situation tolerable. Shareyour findings as a class. Notice which skills were most usedand brainstorm as a class how to develop or improve thoseskills for yourselves.





Evaluating Your Conflict Management SkillsEvaluating Your Conflict Management Skills

How Do You Rate?

How Do You Score?Review your responses. Give yourself 5points for every A, 4 for every U, 3 for everyS, 2 for every R, and 1 for every N. Totalyour points and evaluate your score.

31–40 Excellent You may be sur-prised to find out how much you canimprove your skills.

21–30 Good In this course, you canlearn ways to make your skills better.

11–20 Fair Practice applying the skillstaught in this course.

1–10 Needs Improvement Carefullymonitor your improvement as youwork through this course.

Setting Communication GoalsIf you scored Excellent or Good, complete Part A. If your score was Fair or NeedsImprovement, complete Part B.

Part A 1. I plan to put the followingideas into practice:

2. I plan to share the followinginformation about communica-tion with the following people:

Part B 1. The behaviors I need tochange most are:

2. To bring about these changes, I will take these steps:

1. I approach conflict from the point ofview that it is a manageable part of life.

2. Before I act, I break conflicts down intosub-elements.

3. I think it’s okay not to work at resolvingsome conflicts.

4. I carefully analyze my relationship toanother person before I react to a con-flict situation.

5. I analyze the source of the conflictbefore I decide how I will approach it.

6. I decide to confront a conflict onlywhen I think the benefits of takingaction outweigh the costs.

7. To me, negotiation and collaborationare better ways to resolve conflict thanavoidance and accommodation.

8. If I were to chair a conflict resolutionmeeting, I would stop the meetingimmediately if tempers started to flare.

On a separate sheet of paper, respond to thefollowing statements. Put a check markbeside each skill you would like to improve.

KEY: A Always R RarelyU Usually N NeverS Sometimes

Responding to Letters of Complaint

Have you ever written a letter of com-plaint? If so, what type of response did youreceive? The way an organization respondsto complaints can affect its professionalreputation and, ultimately, its ability toattract customers.

Often, dissatisfied consumers send com-plaint letters to businesses. Sometimes,these letters are to voice a concern aboutsome aspect of the company. Other times,the customer is seeking compensation forinferior merchandise or service. Byresponding appropriately to letters of com-plaint, a company can build good publicrelations and, hopefully, avoid losing acustomer. When you respond to a letter of

complaint, be sure to follow these steps.

Restate the Problem. What is thespecific reason why the customer is

unhappy? Was he or she treatedpoorly? Did the merchandise not

live up to its promise? Focusing onthe problem and restating it at

the beginning of the responseletter shows the customer that

you are taking the com-plaint seriously.

Express Your Regrets.Let your customerknow you are sorry

the problem occurred. This affirms that youwant him or her to be satisfied. This state-ment can be brief and may appear early inthe letter or in the closing.

Explain What Actions You Will Take.Tell the customer how you will correct theproblem, whether it is by making changesat the business or by compensating thecustomer. Before stating what will be done,be sure you know the company policyregarding this type of complaint. The cus-tomer may be entitled to a refund or credit,or he or she may have to trade the unsatis-factory merchandise for something else ofequal value. For complaints about poorservice, the company might offer to do thejob over or provide a gift certificate for afree service in the future.

Thank the Person for Writing. Yourcustomer has done you a service by writinga letter of complaint. He or she could havesimply walked away, refused to do futurebusiness with your company, and com-plained about your company to otherpotential customers. Sometimes, the onlyway a business can know about a problemis through customer complaints. This canhelp a company know whether to recall anunsafe product, remove a product from theshelves, lower prices, or improve services.

Responding to Letters of Complaint


For additional information about business writing, see the Guide to BusinessCommunication section of the Communication Survival Kit in the Appendix.e

The following letter is an example of anappropriate response to a letter ofcomplaint.


United Motors, Inc.8415 Sandhill Road

Lafayette, IN 47901

March 14, 2003

Mr. Drew Brooks

575 Olympic Street

Seattle, WA 98060

Dear Mr. Brooks:

I recently received your letter stating your dissatisfaction with

your new United Motors automobile. We at United Motors

understand the high cost of repairing your car’s steering

column and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.

It is our goal to resolve this problem to your satisfaction.

For your safety, we request that you take your car to the

nearest United Motors dealership as soon as possible. This

will allow our repair technicians to ensure that your car will be

fully repaired to the highest standards. Any necessary repair

work will, of course, be free of charge. Also, please send me a

copy of the original bill for repairing the steering column

assembly. We will reimburse you for this cost.

Thank you for pointing out this problem. Letters such as yours

give United Motors the opportunity to provide better service to

our valued customers.

Sincerely,

Janet Green

Director, Customer Relations

United Motors, Inc.

Janenet Greereen

Use the steps outlined earlier and thefollowing facts to write a letter ofresponse to a dissatisfied customer.

• The customer bought a new set ofyour company’s dishes at a localdepartment store last December.Some of the plates now show darkscratches from use with stainlesssteel utensils.

• Marks-Be-Gone is a stonewarecleaner that sells for under $10 andis very effective at removing dis-coloration. The product is availablein the kitchenware department ofmost department stores.

• Your company’s policy is to givecustomers a free sample of Marks-Be-Gone and a $2-off coupon for a full-size bottle of the cleaner.

• If the customer is still dissatisfiedafter using Marks-Be-Gone, thecompany will replace the dishes.

Write your response letter and thenshare it with the class. As a class, dis-cuss how you might respond to var-ious students’ letters if you were thecustomer who issues the complaint.


Visit the Glencoe Communication ApplicationsWeb site at communicationapplications.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 12Activity for additional practice in managingconflict.

12

1. A conflict over policies is a disagreementover priorities.

2. A conflict over facts is a disagreementover something that can be proven trueor false.

3. Each person in a conflict over facts will beemotionally involved in his or her stance.

4. Avoidance is dealing with a conflict bywithdrawing from it.

5. Maintaining harmony with others whilegiving in to their wishes is called coercion.

6. If you discover that you have made amistake, choosing accommodation tosettle conflict is a sign of strength.

7. Coercion is only possible if one personis perceived as more powerful than theothers involved in a conflict.

8. Negotiation is settling conflicts by hav-ing each party give up something.

9. In compromise, trade-offs may beunrelated to the conflict issue.

10. Competition means working togetherto find a way to resolve conflict.

e Reviewing Key Terms

e Reviewing Key Concepts1. What may happen if conflict is ineffec-

tively managed?

2. Why is a conflict between a group andan individual more complex than aninterpersonal conflict?

3. What often has the biggest impact onwhether a conflict can be resolved?

4. Which type of conflict is easiest toresolve? Why?

5. What term describes the source of con-flict between two friends who are com-peting for a place on the schoolbasketball team?

6. Identify a conflict you have with a par-ent or teacher. Name one force thatwill help and another that may hinderthe conflict’s resolution.

7. How might a person use psychologicalavoidance to resolve a conflict?

Read each statement. On a separate sheet of paper, write whether the statement is true orfalse. If the statement is false, change the word that will make it true and underline the wordthat you substitute.




Analyzing the Relationships Involved in aConflict As a class, organize into groups.Each group should have a copy of an advicecolumn from the newspaper. The members ofeach group should choose and discuss a letterfrom the column that describes a conflict. The

discussion should determine who is involvedin the conflict and what relationships theseindividuals have with one another. As agroup, decide which resolution strategyshould be suggested to resolve the conflict.Provide reasons for the choice of strategy.

e Cooperative Learning Activity

Chapter ProjectPlanning Design a conflict manage-

ment workshop. For each major section inChapter 12, write note cards that cover themain ideas and supporting details in thematerial. Make posters or overhead trans-parencies that list the steps for diagnosingconflict and the different resolution strate-gies. Plan audience participation.

Presenting Give the workshop for yourfamily or close friends. Speak to them fromyour note cards and use your visual aids toemphasize important points. After youhave spoken to your family or close friendsabout conflict, record your family’s orfriends’ responses to the workshop andreport them to the class.

Finding the Main Idea and SupportingDetails Identify the main idea and the sup-porting details in the following paragraph.On a separate sheet of paper, restate themin your own words.

While most people would prefer not tohave conflicts, they are a part of life. Over

the years, you’ll find it impossible to escapeconflicts in your personal relationships orworking environment. Therefore, in orderto be successful, you must learn to diagnosethe conflicts in your life. Once you have thediagnosis, you can begin to work to man-age them.

e Skill Practice Activity

e Reading and Critical Thinking Skills1. Summarizing Summarize steps used

to diagnose conflict.

2. Classifying Information Dirk andhis brother are angry because each borrows the other’s CDs without asking.At what level of communication is theirconflict?

3. Making Comparisons Of the follow-ing strategies—coercion, accommoda-tion, and compromise—which is leastcostly? Why?

4. Inferring What can you infer aboutthe personalities of people who prefer tonegotiate rather than compromise?

Documents

12 Managing Conflict - District 186 12 Managing Conflict ... flicts in your life and work to manage them. Conflict May Be Beneficial ... ready to move on to managing it! Managing Conflict