Week 4 Organizational Behavior Journal Entry
Kimberly Davis
Southern New Hampshire University
02/03/2019
How I Will Take Individual Perceptions into Consideration in Conflict Management
It is worth noting that the perception of a situation is a key factor that affects the choice of action regarding that situation. Conflicts in the workplace are inevitable given the fact that there is diversity and culture differences among the individual employees. Undeniably, when handling and dealing with conflicts in the work place, it is my belief that understanding individual perceptions is vital. Importantly, individuals have different perspectives of viewing similar situations which can be said to be the major cause of workplace conflicts (McShane, Von Glinow, M. A. Y., & Von Glinow, M. A. 2019). In my place of work, hospital, I take individual perceptions into consideration in conflict management. I for instance must understand the underlying factors that have led to the conflict that relate to a common situation perceived differently.
Moreover, it is important to understand each party’s viewpoint or perspective regarding the situation. With each party’s perspective at hand, I would then proceed to communicate the objectives involved with the conflicting parties so that they feel that their perspective is taken into consideration and carries the same weight as the other party’s when managing the conflict. As noted in this week’s reading, more communication provides a better chance of defining and articulating objectives within an organization so that people do not conflict with each other (Jarden, et al., 2019). It should however be noted that over communicating can create confusion and have a negative effect on conflict. It is a balance of understanding perceptions and communicating the correct information that does favor any one side of the parties in a conflict. Therefore, in conflict management in the workplace, it is important to employ strategies that correct the perceived differences of individuals in a positive manner making such conflicts to be functional as opposed to being dysfunctional.
References
Jarden, R. J., Sandham, M., Siegert, R. J., & Koziol‐McLain, J. (2019). Strengthening workplace well‐being: perceptions of intensive care nurses. Nursing in critical care.
McShane, S. L., Von Glinow, M. A. Y., & Von Glinow, M. A. (2019). Organizational Behavior. McGraw-Hill Education.
Wagner, A., Rieger, M. A., Manser, T., Sturm, H., Hardt, J., Martus, P., & Hammer, A. (2019). Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on working conditions, leadership, and safety climate: a cross-sectional study. BMC health services research, 19(1), 53.
Wiltshire, J., Bourdage, J. S., & Lee, K. (2014). Honesty-humility and perceptions of organizational politics in predicting workplace outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 29(2), 235-251.