Conflict management can be difficult within ones personal life but it can be eve
ID: 370553 • Letter: C
Question
Conflict management can be difficult within ones personal life but it can be even more difficult to manage in the workplace due to politics and consequences. Below is a list of common components in the workplace that can cause conflict. For each one, indicate which defense mechanism (discussed in the PowerPoint on conflict management) you feel you're most likely to see from workers as their leader and your reasoning for your choice. How do you best address these defensive behaviors as their leader?
#1) Issues with the boss/leader
#2) Issues with coworkers
#3) Issues with corporate policy
Powerpoint slide info :
Aggressive Mechanisms
•Fixation
•Won’t let go of position regardless of outcome probability
•Displacement
•Directing anger toward someone who is not the source of the conflict
•Negativism
•Always pessimistic
•No attempt to solve any problems
Compromise Mechanisms
•Compensation
•Make up for a negative situation with increases focus on another pursuit
•Identification
•Behavior starts to be patterned after others
•Rationalization
•Justifying behavior by constructing bogus reasons for it
Withdrawal Mechanisms
•Flight
•Physical or psychological withdrawal from a conflict
•Conversion
•Emotional conflicts are expressed in physical symptoms
•Fantasy
•Daydreaming/Escapism
Explanation / Answer
Answer: (1) The issues with boss/ leader: In this situation the workers are most likely to use compromise mechanisms like justifying behaviours by constructing the bogus reasons for it. As the workers know that they cannot get into direct conflict with the bosses hence they use compromise mechanisms. In such situations direct communication with the employees can help in improving the situation. Communication between the leaders and workers can help them to understand each other and sort out their differences.
(2) Issue with the co workers: In this situation, the employees are most likely to use aggressive mechanisms as they as they know that they have equal footing and they can get into direct conflicts. In such situation as a leader the best remedy is to make the conflicting parties sit together and talk. The leader needs to act as a mediator in this situation.
(3) The issues with the corporate policy: This is most likely to be faced with the withdrawal mechanisms like flight as the workers know that they have a very little say in the corporate policies and they cannot get into conflict with the organization. In this case the role of the leader should be to talk with the workers and make them explain the logic behind the corporate policies. This will help in reducing the stress on the workers .