Week 5 Discussion

Organizational Conflict

A consultant can use con�ict to his or her advantage by guiding it or leveraging it strategically by �nding creative agreements that satisfy both the parties. The consultant can locate common ground where con�ict is looked at as a mutual problem and use collaboration to resolve, avoiding any win– lose positions. This will require openness and honesty in communications between all parties. The consultant should work with all parties to avoid threats and defensiveness and also work to be �exible.

Success is increased when the consultant works to build bridges between managers and employees as well as between departments to win over opponents. Winning includes the idea of giving power to all levels within an organization. Individuals and departments with less levels of power can be provided tools, resources, and support to succeed. The feeling of success is itself an empowering concept. Organizations should work to provide better communications, information, training, and power that allow individuals at all levels to make decisions.

Building strong relationships throughout the corporate hierarchy also is a strategy that lowers negative con�ict as it builds trust. Managers today are secure with pushing power down the corporate ladder toward lower-level employees as they realize that people can be trusted to use that power to obtain their goals. Managers should be encouraged to use their political power to help resolve differences and serve the interest and goals of the organization.

Con�ict Management

Whenever you put people together, eventually there will be con�ict. In an organization, a certain degree of con�ict is desirable as it fosters thinking and encourages innovation which leads to change. An organization that lacks some con�ict is likely an organization that is not growing, changing, or innovating. People have a natural tendency to wield power. Managers rely on power to achieve results which employees sometimes tend to resent and �ght. The result of these tensions is con�ict.

Additional Materials

From your course textbook Organization Theory and Design, read the following chapter:

Con�ict, Power, and Politics