MHA5010 WEEK 4 DISCUSSION AND PROJECT

MHA5010 WEEK 4 LECTURE NOTES Page | 1

Conflict

Conflict is a situation which occurs when an individual or group feels negatively affected by another individual or group. Some of the components that are involved in conflicts can be perceived incompatibility of interests, some interdependence of the parties, and some form of interaction.

Intrapersonal conflict is when an individual may face some form of goal, cognitive, or affective conflict. There are three types of cognitive dissonance:

· Approach/Approach

· Avoidance/Avoidance

· Approach/Avoidance.

Interpersonal conflict involves two or more individuals who believe that their attitudes, behaviors, or preferred goals are in opposition. This type of conflict will also involve differences around perspectives and perceptions of the issues.

Conflict resolution is a dynamic process. Conflict can appear in different forms. Conflict resolution is the recognition that there are stages of conflict and that there are interventions at different stages. The goal in hospitals and healthcare facilities is to develop and implement a conflict management process. It is important that conflict should not adversely affect a patient’s safety or the quality of care. The stages of conflict can range from robust argument within a single meeting to longstanding opposing, entrenched positions of medical staff, administration, and the governing body.

Foundational principles necessary to support conflict management in healthcare include:

· Be aware that there can be an existence of conflict.

· Always have open communication.

· Deal with conflict within an environment and always provide mutual respect.

· Groups

· Group dynamics attempts to understand the behavior that people interact with, influence, and are influenced by others within groups. Groups are usually two or more people in a stable structure.

· In a group interaction, members of the group exchange verbal and nonverbal messages in an attempt to influence one another. People join groups to have a sense of belonging and social interactions. A group fulfills the need for safety and builds an individual’s self-esteem and social identity. Group cohesiveness is determined by various factors, such as the size and experience of success by the group. Conformity pressures are the reasons because of which strong group norms and high degrees of group cohesiveness can change the performance of a group.

· It is very important for people in groups to interact with one another. This interaction includes activities that focus on the task at hand and activities that involve the interpersonal relations linking group members. Groups create interdependence among the group members and interaction is patterned by group structure, including roles, norms, and interpersonal relations. Groups vary in size from dyads and triads to very large aggregations, such as mobs and audiences.

· Teams

· Teams are small groups of people committed to a common purpose, who possess complimentary skills and who have agreed on specific performance goals and hold themselves mutually accountable. Teams can be very popular in the workplace. Almost every organization has some sort of a problem-solving team. Virtual teams have become popular due to advances in communication technologies. Unlike conventional teams, a virtual team works across space, time, and organizational boundaries through various communication technologies.

· The following are the eight steps to building team performance: establish urgency and direction; select members based on skills and skill potential, not personality; pay attention to first meetings and actions; set clear rules of behavior; set and seize upon a few immediate performance-oriented tasks and goals; challenge the group regularly with new information; spend time together; and use the power of positive feedback, recognition, and reward.

· Effective teamwork can benefit a healthcare organization with improved communication, broader collaboration, and a greater sense of accountability to the group. But there are barriers to effective teamwork that healthcare managers/leaders need to be able to identify and eliminate.

· Productive teamwork among employees will make for a harmonious work environment. While good communication can foster teamwork, poor communication is a barrier to developing a productive work atmosphere. Employees who will not communicate, or are unaware of the proper communication channels to use within the team, can create breakdowns that may inhibit team development.