ASSIGNMENT 8-1

Running head: INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT 1

INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT 5

Interpersonal conflict

Karen Crump

Argosy University

From the scenario John and Rick are at a conflict because they both want to get the new post that is pending in the organization. In as much as they have been in good terms, Rick intentionally gives John a report full of errors and because John trusts Rick, he submits it just the way it was as it has been previously. This makes John receive quality check report and he gets furious because most errors pointed out came from Rick’s report. When John inquires about this issue from Rick, he gets a rude response that it was his responsibility to make sure the reports he compiles are free from errors. The conversation does not end in good terms and it means that they have entered a conflict zone that is personal. The person who appears to influence the decision of the other person in this scenario is Rick. This is because after intentionally giving a report full of errors, it makes John furious and he decides to be obtaining original reports from the main computer system although it takes two days for the report to be out. For this conflict, it appears to have grown so deep immediately because of the intentional action s of Rick and the conversation ends with emotions from each side

Understanding the root problem is an important factor in strategies towards conflict resolutions. Several conflicts have several root cause and for this scenario of John and Rick, it is evident that crave for power is the root cause of the conflict (Marina & Francisco, 2011). This is an interpersonal conflict in an organization and because the two employees are struggling for the same position, they both qualify for it but it seems Rick wants to intentionally cause interference to John’s work so that John appears incompetent for the position and thus Rick gets the chance uncontested. For a clear reason of power struggle, this conflict is so deep and may result in other worse actions if not taken care of at this early stage. One thing that needs to be done is to accept the existence of the conflict and explain the root cause of the conflict between the two individuals. This kind of conflict cannot be accommodated, it just needs direct resolution so that the two guys operate in harmony and the organization workflow runs smoothly as it is expected. If I got the opportunity to be around Rick and John during the time of conflict, I would talk to both Rick and John to understand that the organization has only one post and only one person will be selected, it is not necessary to cause a rivalry between them for that post. They need to leave the decision to the management or whoever is responsible for recruiting the suitable person for the post and not to behave as if they were not civilized. I would especially emphasize to Rick that intentionally harming your friend’s reputation is not a good way to look for a chance in the organization because what if the same was done to you? How would you feel? This will mainly make them come back to their real sense and develop an alternative way of applying for the job and not developing some conflicts that end up ruining the entire organization’s workflow.

My assumptions in this case are that the two employees have developed a deep and emotional rivalry because of the post past and they were all fighting for. They both want to prove to be competent so that they are selected for the post and this is why Rick has to do a bad game for John so that he appears better. I also assume that there is a high probability the management will select one of the two and this is why they are in conflict. Another assumption is that Rick intentionally did the mistakes and denies the fact in a rough tone just to show that he now cares less about John’s affairs. From my self-assessment test, it is evident that I highly influence teamwork spirit when resolving conflicts and this will eventually be useful in this situation because the guys have been working as a team previously and they need to get back to that spirit so that they both do no’t lose out (Jose, 2013). Teamwork will be so beneficial to the two guys because they will work together to create the best output and when one person is selected for the post, chances are that when another vacant post is available, the other person will be preferred. Bringing stability in a chaotic condition is also my virtue from the self-assessment test. In this case, I will bring stability by having a serious discussion with one person separately first, informing them where the mistake is and what is likely to cause to each one of them, including losing their jobs. After that, it will be suitable to meet with bot parties and agree on what needs to be done, including accepting of mistakes and agreeing to work together as usual without any rivalry.

References Comment by Dale, Sarah L.: Review APA standards on formatting resource listing

Marina Boz & Francisco J. M (2011). Coping with Interpersonal Conflict at Work in Small Business: The Moderating Role of Supervisor and Co-Worker Support

Jose M. L (2013). The relationship between interpersonal conflict and workplace bullying