People have, by nature, very different opinions.

They were brought up with very different

backgrounds, with distinct walks of life, that taught them all they need to know about society,
about life, about who and what they are in this world. Then, after many years, these people all
come together in one big room with different motives; some for the sake of themselves, and
others for the sake of others. The workplace is one such big room among many others, and just
like with any big room filled with people having disparate mindsets, conflict will always be
present.

In the 2015 research paper entitled “Conflict Management, a new challenge,” presented
by Oachesu Madalina at the 3rd Global Conference on Business, Economics, Management and
Tourism, held on November 26 to 28, 2015, at Rome, Italy, conflict was described as a
continuous balancing act. One needs to juggle on being assertive and being cooperative, and
knows how to take it into practice while being sensitive on the time and place. It proves to be
difficult on how to balance the company’s needs with the employee’s needs, since both are
important, that the majority of a manager’s time deals with conflict that includes people-related
and company-related problems.

The research paper deals with the description and analysis of the main types of conflicts
due to internal communication deficiencies manifested vertically in a public institution, and the
role of communication in managing these conflicts. This was done by using participative
observation, meaning that the researcher is with the participants throughout the study. It was held
in a public institution, with officials of the department and their supervisors: Director and Head
of the Department being the participants. This study lasted for 15 working days, spanning from
the 1st of October up to the 21st of October, 2015.

The conflict management methods presented in the introduction section are what I
consider to be a new learning. The idea was foreign to me as I did not realize that there were
about five different management methods based on how cooperative and assertive are the two
parties. It seems to me that implementing one of these conflict management methods should be
done with caution, and for it to be implemented effectively, some factors are needed to be
considered, such as the seriousness of the conflict, considered appropriate outcome, power
enjoyed by the manager, and personal preferences, all of which were tackled in the study. It
should be noted that although there are 5 types, there is only one single best method that both
parties should strive to achieve, and that is collaboration; nothing is more important than the fact
where all parties are in full cooperation with one another.

By the end of the study, it was found out there were six types of conflict observed in the
institution namely: conflict messages or semantic problems, the wording of the message
intentionally defective or not by the one who transmits the information, individual transmitting
or receiving messages, the managerial style, employees use their time than it should do, and the
time required to, and lastly, the difference of perception. In my opinion, these instances that
brought upon conflict were not new to me, however the instances that were written in the
research paper were not something that I have thought of immediately. It could also be said that
the findings presented in the study was something natural and expected, since a proper, well-
oiled workplace is centered around oneself and others through respect, discipline, and effective
communication.
 To further elaborate what was written in the observations section of the research study,
the first to third type deals with communication. Within a workplace, or in any other place for
that matter, communication is important. Ideally, the way on how we deliver our messages and
the messages itself should be flawless; with little to no instance of it being interpreted the other
way around. However, the world is full of imperfections, and as such, misunderstandings
brought upon by the wrong use of words and the ineffective way of delivering the said message
can potentially spark conflicts. Thus, one should practice on how to avoid being misunderstood,
and constantly try to improve his or her communication skills as time goes on.

For the fourth to the sixth type, it deals with the person themselves. The person’s
opinions and attitude, as well as the manager’s leadership style are factors where conflict can
thrive. Proper management of oneself and of others goes a long way, and with the
implementation of precise instructions, better leadership style, respect and discipline, conflicts
would be seldom.

Given the reading/s, what are the common practices in your respective organization that
can be explained by the article.

Conflict is indeed a continuous balancing act, where one side should not bear more value
than the other. Instances such as these are not uncommon, and so both parties must come to a
resolution that benefits both of them so that the conflict would be resolved, whilst the workplace
becoming something that is suffocating and unbearable. This is why collaboration, and in
parallel, communication is what everyone should aim to achieve. Borrowing from the last
sentence in the study, “Only by creating a collaborative environment and by increasing
organizational awareness and generating team spirit that shares common goals can ensure an
effective performance (Tschannen-Moran, 2001).” Truly, with one mind and one goal, anything
can be made possible.