CONFLICT RESOLUTION
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Robert Gleason
Helms School of Government, Liberty University
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 2
Abstract
Conflict occurs in most aspects of everyday life. Whether it is at one’s place of employment or
within one’s family, everyone experiences and handles conflict differently, according to Ortmeier
and Meese (2010), conflict can be a disagreement or opposition, but conflict can also be a state
of war or discord. Ortmeier and Meese further add that how the conflict is described can create
an image that brings about stress and the inability to react to conflict appropriately. There are
many types of conflict, but the focus of the following paper will be on an inter-group conflict
within a small university police agency. The paper's first section will address the conflict by
identifying and explaining the inter-group problem to the reader. The report then presents the
background of the problem, followed by the manifestation of the conflict and previous attempts
to resolve the dispute. The following sections will be a literature review to identify the root of the
problem and any information that may be useful for the department to resolve the conflict. The
final sections identify the theoretical framework to identify the root of the problem and develop
an action plan to resolve the conflict.
Keywords: Conflict, law enforcement, resolution, procedural fairness, social exchange
theory
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 3
Conflict Resolution
According to Ortmeier and Meese (2010), conflict can be a disagreement or opposition,
but conflict can also be a state of war or discord. Ortmeier and Meese further add that how the
conflict is described can create an image that brings about stress and the inability to react to
conflict appropriately. There are many types of conflict, but the focus of the following paper will
be on an inter-group conflict within a small university police agency. The paper's first section
will address the conflict by identifying and explaining the inter-group problem to the reader. The
report then presents the background of the problem, followed by the manifestation of the conflict
and previous attempts to resolve the dispute. The following sections will be a literature review to
identify the root of the problem and any information that may be useful for the department to
resolve the conflict. The final sections identify the theoretical framework to identify the root of
the problem and develop an action plan to resolve the conflict. The department's identity will be
stated as the "University police department," and the names of the parties involved have been
changed to protect their identities.
The Problem Described
At the beginning of 2020, a police officer at the University Police Department was
promoted to the rank of sergeant. The promotion was somewhat of a shock to most of the police
officers since Sgt. Banks had never shown any interest in becoming a supervisor and had limited
law enforcement experience compared to the other applicants. Although Sgt. Banks was
promoted over more experienced officers; many within the department had been willing to give
him a shot to see how he would perform. Almost immediately after being promoted, several
officers would be heard commenting about Sgt. Banks and his inability to make a decision.
Within the first few months, Sgt. Banks had been observed by multiple officers contacting higher
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 4
ranking supervisors and asking for their guidance. However, this seems like a prudent maneuver
by Sgt. Banks, many situations where the new sergeant would ask for help seemed to be simple
decisions that did not need much guidance.
A few months later, Sgt. Banks was in charge of the department's bike patrol unit. A new
officer, Officer Thomas, had been assigned to the bike patrol unit and needed new uniforms and
additional equipment required for the position. Officer Thomas precisely needed a new bike
helmet and subsequently requested Sgt. Banks to purchase a new helmet. Sgt Banks told Officer
Thomas to wear an old helmet in the equipment room. Unfortunately, all old helmets were
expired, per the manufacture date, and the officer did not wish to wear an expired helmet. Sgt.
Banks told the officer that he would not order any new helmets since he did not believe the
department wanted to order any new equipment. Officer Thomas contacted another supervisor,
who proceeded to speak with the Captain, who was in charge of all equipment. The Captain was
confused and did not understand why Sgt. Banks would not submit a purchase order for a new
helmet. Although it seemed like the situation was resolved, the helmets have yet to be ordered.
Recently, Sgt. Banks advised two officers that the time driving to a training class, which was an
hour drive, would not be paid to them and would be paid only when they were at the training. Per
the department policy, officers must be paid for driving to a training class. The examples above
had created an environment of distrust and disrespect between the officers and the new sergeant.
The two years that Sgt. Banks has been in his new position; he has been indecisive on
calls and ill-informed of the policies and procedures of the department. Sgt. Banks have had a
lack of direction from the command staff regarding his role and authority as the leader of the
bike unit. This has caused many officers to avoid requesting assistance from the sergeant and
have called into question his ability to lead or supervise his subordinates. Several officers have
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 5
talked with other supervisors, but unfortunately, it seems as if the police administration has
ignored the officer's concerns. Officers are now considering filing grievances against the sergeant
and calling for a vote of no confidence. The conflict discussed above would benefit from conflict
resolution through increased trust between the officers and Sgt. Banks would likely reduce any
miscommunications between the two parties. Collaboration between the two parties would bring
the two sides together to meet each side's needs (Raines, 2020).
Background
The police department has experienced significant leadership change within the past year
with a new police chief and two new captains. The prior chief created an environment of fear and
submission. The chief would curse and yell at officers who may have violated a policy or acted
in a manner that displeased him. The former chief did not allow officers to question him and
would punish them if they did. During the chief's tenure, promotions were conducted based on
whether or not the individual would submit to the chief and not question his orders. The new
chief was a captain under the old leader and mentioned that many of the problems with the old
chief were due to a lack of trust and communication. The new chief expressed his desire to be
more open and willing to trust his officers but, unfortunately, has made decisions that have
caused confusion and uncertainty. When asked about the findings, the chief has failed to properly
communicate the process and intentions of the decisions, which has created a renewed conflict
between the command staff and the frontline police officers.
There will always be competent sergeants who treat their subordinates with respect and
those who lack leadership ability and create an atmosphere, within the department, of negativity
and mistrust. Within the University police department, many sergeants were promoted under the
old chief. These sergeants lacked guidance and communication, which trickled down to the
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 6
frontline officers. The new chief has continued the old chief's practices: the sergeants are
encouraged to depend on the command staff to make decisions and use fear to ensure that the
command staff will follow decisions. When confronted by the line officers, the other supervisors
have indicated that they are hampered by the command staff, who do not allow them to use their
discretion to supervise, and believe their hands are tied due to the leadership style of the chief of
police. Sgt. Banks has the potential to be good supervisor. However, he was trained by another
sergeant promoted by the former chief and championed the leadership of the old chief. Sgt Jones
is known to inform the administration of all of the wrongdoings of officers, no matter how small
they may seem. Sgt. Jones is intelligent, but his ability to decide when it counts is lacking. Sgt.
Jones is known to "stir the pot" amongst the line officers and then proceeds to inform the chief of
the officer's opinions and any troubling statements.
In review, the conflict between Sgt. Banks and the frontline officers stem from the
practices and leadership style of the former chief, who instilled fear and isolation between the
officers and the command staff. This authoritarian leadership style translated into the promotion
of sergeants who feared making decisions that would upset the old chief and therefore became
dependent on the command staff instead of being able to use discretion and make decisions on
their own confidently. The newly appointed chief was groomed under the old chief for many
years. Even though the new chief has expressed his desire to improve communication and
openness, the recent promotions and personnel movements are seemingly falling in line with the
habits and practices of the former administrator. The recent promotion of Sgt. Banks and his
subsequent training by Sgt. Jones has developed into a supervisor who is unsure of himself and
dependent on others to help him make his decisions. The sergeant's lack of direction and inaction
has led to frustration and anger amongst the frontline officers.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 7
Examples of Manifestation
As discussed earlier in this paper, there are several incidents where conflict has
manifested itself within the organization, as Sgt. Banks took over the bike unit; he mentioned
that he did not know what was expected of him. Sgt. Banks was part of the unit before his
promotion but was not involved in the team's daily operations. It is also important to mention
that the department has been struggling to stay within budget due to the effects of COVID-19.
Since he did not have a clear directive from the chief and there was a lack of resources, Sgt.
Banks has denied officers from requesting new equipment within the bike patrol. On several
occasions, officers have asked that bikes be repaired and new uniform shirts are purchased due to
wear and tear. Sgt. Banks denied all requests for the equipment. Since the police department has
less than 25 employees, officers have reacted in several ways. Several officers have avoided the
confrontation, while others have become somewhat aggressive in their tactics, going above the
sergeant and the Captain in charge of the patrol bureau with their equipment requests. The
Captain has stated he would address the officer's concerns with Sgt. Banks, but some of the
equipment issues may have to be addressed later due to the budget situation.
Another example that manifested the conflict within the department has been Sgt. Banks'
inability to give direction during stressful situations. Several times officers have requested
direction from Sgt. Banks, but he takes a significant amount of time determining the course of
action. On one occasion, officers were requested to check on the welfare of a male student who
appeared to be highly intoxicated and unresponsive. Upon officers reaching the room, the
sergeant advised the officers to wait until he arrived to enter a locked room where the male was
reported to be located. After ten minutes, Sgt. Banks had yet to arrive. Officers decided to enter
the room and found the male had vomited and was in a position where the male could have
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 8
aspirated. Based on the inaction of the sergeant, many officers have lost confidence in his ability
to supervise, which has created a hostile atmosphere within the department.
To resolve the conflict between Sgt. Banks and the officers; several sergeants have spoken
with Sgt. Banks. Unfortunately, Sgt. Banks believes he is not doing anything wrong and will
only adjust his supervision style when advised to do so by the command staff. As a result, many
officers believe that there is no chance Sgt. Banks will change, and they avoid asking him for
guidance.
Theoretical Framework and Literature Review
Before attempting to develop an action plan to resolve the conflict, it is important to
determine the theoretical framework of the cause of the conflict within the police agency. Upon
the completion of a thorough literature review, several theories were examined that offer an
explanation as to why the environment within the walls of the police department was ripe to
create conflict. This author is well aware that many theories can be used to explain the causes of
the conflict, but for this paper, Social Exchange Theory and Procedural Fairness Theory were
examined, along with examining the leadership styles of the administration and supervisors that
developed a negative organizational culture and police subculture.
Social Exchange Theory
According to Cook et al. (2013), exchange theory offers a broad conceptual approach for
various social phenomena crucial to sociological research at different levels. Cook et al. explain
that according to social exchange theory, exchange processes play a crucial role at the micro-
level and frequently serve as the cornerstone of social structure and social change. Social
exchange theory explains the interactions between people over time that lead to the creation of
obligations between them (Porter, 2018). Cook et al. assert that one of the main contributions of
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 9
this theoretical viewpoint to both social psychology and sociology is understanding these
interactions and how they arise, change, and affect the groups and networks in which they are
embedded. According to Ko and Hur (2014), Social exchange theory assumes a positive
relationship between the organization and the employees.
In contrast, the organization provides quality benefits and a positive work environment to
the employee. The employee provides the organization with high-quality performance for the
company's benefit. Therefore, there is a mutual benefit for both parties.
According to Porter (2018), Social exchange theory is a theory that can be flexible in the ever-
changing world of the workplace and the needs of the employees. Porter states that Social
Exchange Theory is an influential theory in the social sciences that is defined by three
characteristics which are rules of exchange or the negotiated terms of the exchange; resources
exchanged, the transaction of goods from one person to another, such as money and goods; and
exchange relationships, which are the ongoing interactions between individuals where both
parties have a mutual obligation to exchange resources.
Procedural Fairness Theory
Everyone wants to be treated with equality, dignity, respect, fairness, and a sense of
justice in society. The same is true when members of society have interactions with police
officers. Suppose the community members believe that police officers seek justice for the victims
and treat members of the community with dignity and respect. In that case, the result can be the
potential of improved police legitimacy within the community and a stronger relationship
between the community and the police agency. Within the police agencies, police officers have
the same beliefs of fairness, respect, etc., within the context of their organization.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 10
According to Donner et al. (2015), procedural fairness can be defined as the equity and
impartiality of the decisions being made on the part of the administration when applying the
procedures and processes. In other words, procedural fairness is the officer's view that the
department treats each officer fairly at or during any decision point. According to this concept, an
employee's opinion of the agency is heavily influenced by their sense of how procedurally just
the rules and choices inside the agency are (Donner et al., 2015). Employee evaluations of
agency decision-making procedures are equally as significant as or more so than their
evaluations of the results of those decisions, just like in police-citizen interactions. Donner et al.
(2015) state that employees can evaluate procedural justice within an organization by looking at
whether promotions are decided fairly, everyone is treated equally (regardless of their
demographics), the rules and policies are applied consistently to all employees, decisions are
based on facts rather than opinions, they are treated with respect during disciplinary
investigations, and whether assignments are based on merit.
Ko and Hur (2014) conducted a study to determine the effects of organizational
benefits, such as vacation time, child care, health care, and salary, on the performance and
attitudes of the employees. Ko and Hur also studied the relationship between the employer and
the supervisor on job satisfaction and employee retention. The result of the research found that
procedural fairness (justice) and a positive relationship with the manager play a positive role in
employee satisfaction and perception of fairness within the organization (Ko & Hur, 2014).
Additionally, Ko and Hur found that low satisfaction with procedural fairness and a poor
relationship with management resulted in high employee turnover rates.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 11
Organizational Culture
Susan Raines (2020) explained organizational culture as the principles and practices that
shape an organization's particular social and psychological environment. Raines continues to
assert that the expectations, experiences, philosophy, and values that hold an organization
together are represented by its self-image, internal dynamics, relationships with the community,
and expectations for the future. Warrick (2017) describes organizational culture as the workplace
environment and its impact on employees' attitudes, behaviors, and experiences at work. Warrick
argues that organizational culture can bring out the best or worst in people. Warrick further
asserts that organizational culture is a significant factor in an organization's success and impacts
the organization's ability to attract and retain employees, improve morale, increase productivity,
and increase the overall effectiveness of the organization.
Bijaang et al. (2018) state that organizational culture is not something that can be seen
but rather the members' perceptions based on what they experienced within the organization.
Raines (2020) states that organizational culture is organic and changes throughout time. Raines
further elaborates that if a leader fails to maintain the culture, there could be a significant impact
on the organization's operation, leading to a negative image of the organization. Raines states
that employees within the organization learn of the culture through the written and unwritten
rules created through communications and the decisions making of the organization's leaders.
Beijing et al. further add that individuals within the organization will interpret and exhibit the
culture within the organization in the same manner, even though the individuals come from
different backgrounds.
As mentioned earlier, organizational culture plays a role in the success of an organization.
Meng and Bruce (2019) argue that the culture within an organization impacts the actions and
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 12
behavior of the organization's members. To increase organizational members' job engagement
and performance, organizational culture becomes a crucial organizational condition. As a result,
organizational members' confidence will increase (Meng & Bruce, 2019). The idea behind
organizational culture is that the level of employee performance correlates to the level of
influence an organization has on the employees. Another way to present organizational culture is
if the organization's culture creates a positive environment for the employee, then the employee's
performance will positively impact the organization's success. If an organization's culture creates
a hostile environment, the employees will potentially negatively impact the organization's
success.
Subculture
Badia et al. (2020) argue that culture within an organization does not simply consist of
a particular set of ideas or beliefs. Rather culture consists of many elements within the
organization that interact with each other, creating differing experiences, attitudes, and behaviors.
Most organizations do not have a straightforward culture where everyone has the same
experiences and beliefs; instead, organizations have subcultures, which consist of smaller groups
of individuals who have similar views, which may or may not consist with the overall
organization. Schein (2010) states that subcultures "share many assumptions of the total
organizations but also hold assumptions beyond those of the total organization, usually reflecting
their functional tasks, the occupation of the members, or their unique experiences" (p. 55). In
other words, subcultures are formed within an organization through employees who share similar
work experiences, typically those with the same occupation.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 13
Police Subculture
It is crucial to realize that, similar to any profession, members of a law enforcement
organization are trained in specific standards and principles from the very beginning of their
careers. Men and women who work in law enforcement and are subjected to everyday stressors
and trauma form a subculture and form close friendships and relationships based on mutual
respect and trust (White et al., 2016). Additionally, newly hired officers experience a learning
period where they learn the department's unwritten code of conduct, core values, and
organizational culture (Karaffa & Tochkov, 2013). Within a police agency, there can be many
subcultures. However, the primary subculture that this paper will focus on will be the subculture
of patrol officers and the subculture of supervision or administration.
Police Leadership Traits
As policing changes, organizations must have influential leaders in place to navigate a
department through the changing environment of policing. The leader's effectiveness plays an
essential role in the organizational culture and the organization's subculture. Pearson-Goff and
Herrington (2014) conducted a systematic review of the available literature about police
leadership in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The
study aimed to determine what traits made an effective police leader. Pearson-Goff and
Herrington analyzed 57 articles that examined the leadership characteristics in law enforcement
and found seven traits attributed to effective leadership. The seven characteristics of an effective
leader within a police agency are as follows:
1. Ethics – Pearson-Goff and Herrington explained that the officer's perception that the
leader is honest, does the right thing, and has a high level of integrity builds trust within
the relationship.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 14
2. Trustworthiness – This trait coincides with ethics, with the officers perceiving that the
leader can be trusted due to his integrity and high morals.
3. Legitimacy – A leader willing to perform the duties of a patrol officer brings about trust
that the leader knows how to perform the standard tasks (Pearson-Goff & Herrington,
2014).
4. Role Model – Leading by example builds on legitimacy and trust (Pearson-Goff &
Herrington, 2014).
5. Communication – The ability of the leader to communicate with all levels within the
agency and with the subordinates (Pearson-Goff & Herrington, 2014).
6. Decision Making – The ability of the leader to make decisions that achieve the
department's goals and gain legitimacy and respect from the subordinates (Pearson-Goff
& Herrington, 2014).
7. The ability to think – Critical, Creative, and strategic thinking was an essential
characteristic of an effective leader (Pearson-Goff & Herrington, 2014).
Types of Leadership
Swid (2014) examined leadership's effect on officers' commitment to their organizations
by identifying several leadership styles, such as transformational, transactional, and Laissez-faire
leadership. Transactional leadership can be described as the relationship between a leader and
subordinate who would engage in a transaction to accomplish the company's mission and goals
by encouraging their subordinates through a system of incentives and punishments (Sarver &
Miller, 2014). A transformational leader can inspire employees to shift their perspective and see
beyond themselves to "buy in" to the department's objectives, mission, and vision (Swid, 2014).
Laissez-faire leadership is the absence of any authentic leadership. This type of leadership does
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 15
not provide any direction or oversight into the task handed to their subordinates to complete and
refuses to make decisions and delegate their leadership roles to others (Swid, 2014). The result of
the study found that transformational leadership had a high commitment of subordinates to the
organization than transactional leadership (Swid, 2014). Transactional leadership was not ruled
out as an effective leadership style, but laissez-faire leadership correlated negatively to
organizational commitment (Swid, 2014).
Laissez-faire Leadership
Research conducted by Aasland et al. (2010) found that nearly 21 percent of the
workforce experienced a leader with laissez-faire characteristics in the past six months. Aasland
et al. argued that the staggering percentage makes laissez-faire leadership one of the more
negative leadership styles. Laissez-faire leaders, according to Avolio and Bass (2004), are
unwilling to accept accountability and responsibility, exercise authority, participate in decision-
making, praise subordinates, or provide feedback on reports or assignments (Robert &
Vandenberghe, 2020). The leader gives subordinates instructions on the task at hand, then leaves
them to finish it independently without supervision or guidance (Swid, 2014). Laissez-faire
leadership will not act until the problem has already occurred or the situation has grown critical
(Avolio and Bass, 2004).
Blatantly ignoring one's leadership duties is detrimental to the team as a whole as well as
the employees. Ineffective and harmful, laissez-faire leadership is not merely neither (Skogstad
et al., 2007; Robert & Vandenberghe, 2020). According to empirical evidence, laissez-faire
leadership has been linked to lower levels of effort by employees, job performance and
satisfaction, the ineffectiveness of the leader and poor satisfaction of the employee; higher levels
of stress and interpersonal conflicts; and higher levels of role ambiguity and role conflict
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 16
(Skogstad et al., 2007; Aasland et al., 2010; Klasmeier et al., 2021; Robert & Vandenberghe,
2020).
Literature Review Summary
Conflict can occur in any setting or situation. This paper aimed to identify the root of
the conflict and provide helpful information for all parties involved to resolve the issue. A
literature review was conducted to conceptualize a theoretical framework to accomplish this
goal. Social Exchange theory sets the foundation for the theoretical framework and
conceptualization. According to Porter (2018), Social exchange theory explains the interactions
between individuals (organizations and subordinates), which creates an obligation between the
parties. Ko and Hur (2014) summarize that social exchange theory assumes a positive
relationship between the organization and its subordinate through the exchange of resources
(time and money). Porter (2018) further adds that social exchange theory is defined by three
characteristics: exchange rules, resources, and relationships.
According to Donner et al. (2015), procedural fairness can be defined as the fairness and
impartiality of the decisions being made by the administration. In other words, procedural
fairness is the officer's view that the department treats each officer relatively at, or during, any
decision point. Donner et al. (2015) state that employees can evaluate procedural justice in an
organization by determining whether promotions are decided fairly. Ko and Hur (2014) found
that low satisfaction with procedural fairness and a poor relationship with management resulted
in high employee turnover rates.
Susan Raines (2020) defines organizational culture as the principles and practices that shape
an organization's particular social and psychological environment. Raines further asserts that if a
leader fails to maintain the culture, there could be a significant impact on the organization's
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 17
operation, leading to a negative image. Organizational culture plays a crucial role in the success
of an organization. Raines states that employees learn of the culture through the written and
unwritten rules created through communications and the decision-making of the organization's
leaders. Beijing et al. (2018) further add that individuals within the organization will interpret
and exhibit the culture similarly, even though they come from different backgrounds.
Within a single organization, many subcultures consist not only of ideas or beliefs but a
group of individuals who have had a similar set of experiences that have shaped a new set of
beliefs and ideas which may or may not be similar to the organization's cultural beliefs. Within
police agencies, there is the potential for several subcultures. For this correspondence, the
primary subcultures involved in the conflict are the frontline officers, supervisors, and
administration.
To navigate the changing environment in policing, influential leaders can create a positive
culture within an organization. Pearson-Goff and Herrington (2014) conducted a systematic
review of the available literature about police leadership in the United States, Canada, Australia,
the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The study aimed to determine what traits made an
effective police leader. They found seven traits attributed to an effective leader: ethics, trust,
legitimacy, acting as a role model, communication skills, ability to think, and ability to make
decisions.
A review of leadership styles found that laissez-faire leadership has been linked to lower
levels of effort by employees, job performance and satisfaction, the ineffectiveness of the leader
and poor satisfaction of the employee, and higher levels of stress and interpersonal conflicts
(Skogstad et al., 2007; Aasland et al., 2010; Klasmeier et al., 2021; Robert & Vandenberghe,
2020).
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 18
Putting All Together
The literature review discovered that the conflict between the frontline police officers
was likely caused by the interactions between supervisors and the administrative staff due to the
ongoing leadership styles that have caused frustration and stress. The culture within the police
agency has created a hostile environment where the experiences of many officers have created a
subculture with differing views and beliefs. Adding a new chief and a new sergeant provided an
opportunity to improve the environment within the agency. However, the leadership style of the
sergeants, which is laissez-faire, has produced low effort, performance, and satisfaction from the
frontline officers due to the ineffectiveness of the leaders.
Action Plan
According to the research, the cause of the conflict between the frontline officers,
supervisors, and administration is likely because there is a lack of communication, a poor
leadership style, a lack of perceived fairness, and a negative organizational culture (Augusto,
2021). According to Social exchange theory, as Porter (2018) explored, relationships between
employees and managers are formed over time through regular contact, leading to obligations.
As a result of a previously shared resource, the officers and administration construct rules of
trade and mutual benefit to create ambiguous duties for one another. The resources exchanged
between the administration, supervision, and frontline officers consist of training and equipment
for the officers in exchange for high levels of effort. According to Donner et al. (2015),
procedural fairness is based on the fact that decisions made by the administration are impartial or
the view that the department treats and promotes officers in a procedurally fair manner.
No matter the size, scope, industry, or private/public sector settings, conflict in the
workplace is a constant and inevitable reality of life. When conflict occurs within an
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 19
organization, leaders need to develop an action plan to resolve the issue. When creating an action
plan, there are several do's and do not's that should be followed.
The Do Not’s
According to Thomas and White (2011), conflicts should not be left to solve on their
own; doing so creates a worse situation than resolving early. The authors continue to advise that
a leader should not take sides but focus on resolving the conflict. Thomas and White further add
that the mediator of the conflict should not treat the parties as juveniles, even if they are acting as
such. The authors state that treating everyone equally to maintain credibility is essential. Thomas
and White further state that the issue should not be handled publicly; rather, the matter should be
private to maintain professionalism.
The Do’s
Thomas and White (2011) additionally developed a do list for handling conflicts within
the workplace. The authors first mention work on resolving the dispute and not the many
personalities. Secondly, the authors state that the mediator must actively listen to gain as much
information as possible to be prepared. Thomas and White further add that when listening to the
parties involved, they attempt to determine the root cause of the conflict. The authors finish by
stating that once a solution for the conflict is selected, the next question that should be asked is
how to solve the conflict if it rekindles.
The remainder of this correspondence will establish two goals that are intended to address
the conflict through the use of prior research.
Goal #1: Teach Leaders Transformational Leadership
According to Katz and Flynn (2013), conflict within the workplace that is not correctly
handled plays a role in the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization and employees.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 20
Further, Katz and Flynn state that research indicates that employees' performance depends on the
relationship between the employees and supervisors instead of the level of skills or motivation.
Due to the leadership style of the University Police Department, the administration and frontline
supervisors must change their style of leadership from laissez-faire to transformational
leadership style. The transformational leadership style allows a leader to interact with
subordinates within the organization by using proactive and innovative approaches intended to
strengthen the employee, the organization, and the leader to gain maximum effort from all of the
individuals within the organization (Sarver & Miller, 2014). The purpose of a transformational
leader is to inspire their team members to alter their perspectives and see beyond themselves to
"buy in" to the department's objectives, mission, and vision rather than bribing or pleading with
them to behave in a particular way (Swid, 2014).
Leadership requires more than just knowledge and education; it also requires emotional
intelligence. Emotionally intelligent leaders are self-assured, dedicated to the business's
objectives and mission, trustworthy, open to new ideas and changes, persuasive, and able to
manage change within an organization successfully. Trust is the cornerstone of the connection
between a leader and a follower, which a leader utilizes to influence the follower's behavior (Vito
et al., 2014). To inspire the employee to exhibit the desired behavior, transformational leaders
have four qualities: charisma, inspiration, individual concern, and intellectual stimulation (Swid,
2014; Vito et al., 2014).
Charisma, Inspiration, Individual Consideration, and Intellectual Stimulation
According to Giblin (2016), an individual with charismatic leadership qualities motivates
others to imitate their actions and demeanor and has faith in their abilities and those under them
to carry out their responsibilities effectively and contribute to the department's mission and
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 21
purpose. Giblin further adds that the characteristics of inspirational leaders include emotional
appeal, high expectations, the creation of a group/unit/squad vision, and encouragement of the
group to set aside personal interests in favor of the group and the department's interest. Because
no two people are the same, transformational leaders take the initiative to get to know each
employee and learn how they work. The leader acts as a coach to the subordinate, making sure
that person grows in talent and abilities (Swid, 2014). Transformational leaders promote
intellectual stimulation by pushing staff to challenge the status quo and come up with fresh
concepts and creative
As outlined by Social Exchange Theory, the social exchange of resources results in a
reciprocal and advantageous working relationship between the supervisors and officers will
hopefully be increased by leaders willing to receive training in transformational leadership and
adopt the new leadership approaches (Augusto, 2021).
Goal #2: Change the Organizational Culture Through Procedural Fairness and
Collaboration
The success of a company is greatly influenced by its organizational culture. According
to Susan Raines (2020), organizational culture can be defined as the values and norms that shape
an organization's specific social and psychological environment. Raines says that if a leader does
not uphold the culture, it could significantly impact how the organization runs and result in a bad
reputation. According to Raines, employees pick up on an organization's culture through the
written and unwritten standards established through communication and leadership decisions.
According to Yasir et al. (2016), the success and effectiveness of an organization depend on the
level of trust the employees have towards the leadership. Yasir further asserts that trust in the
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 22
organization's leadership can result in positive outcomes, such as improved performance, more
knowledge, and idea sharing, creating an environment of ethics and fairness.
As mentioned earlier, the new police chief has made promotions not based on merit or
seniority but seemingly on his personal biases. The process by which the promotions were
conducted began with the chief hand selecting "interim" sergeants placed in the position for six
months before the contractual promotional process began. Each interim sergeant was promoted
ahead of more qualified, educated, and senior officers. The process itself left a bitter taste in
many officers' mouths due to the unfair process that the chief used to make his selections. Many
officers felt the move was a slap in the face of many officers who had been at the department for
a long time. According to Wolfe et al. (2018), police officers who feel their superiors are
organizationally fair are happier, more self-assured in their position of authority, and more
inclined to apply procedural justice.
Change within a police agency is not easy, but according to Brimbal et al. (2020),
changing how officers interact with their organization is the most effective approach to bringing
change inside law enforcement agencies. Brimbal et al. argue that scholars claim that top
managers and supervisors in law enforcement organizations may push frontline workers to
follow the rules and regulations, adopt new working practices and extracurricular activities, and
modify their attitudes toward the individuals they are charged with protecting. According to
Raines (2020), to make the most impact within an organization, the leadership at the executive
level must take the helm in making the changes. Raines further adds that leaders must be
transparent to their subordinates, explaining what and why they are taking the actions that they
are taking. Furthermore, Raines states that collaborative leaders must be willing to take
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 23
responsibility, take risks, be adaptable, and not allow the issues of the past to define the future of
the organization.
According to Raines (2020), collaboration among the members of an organization is
important and builds trust between the leadership and the employees. Raines explains that
collaboration has four distinct parts, which are the involvement of the proper stakeholders,
mutual ownership of the decisions, the responsibility of the partnership in future decisions, and
the ability to address differences within the collaboration constructively. There are times when
collaboration does not make sense, such as a decision that needs to be made immediately and
decisively, but in general, collaboration takes all opinions and thoughts of the stakeholders into
consideration. Working together to resolve the conflict leads to a cohesive organizational culture
and an environment where the employees believe that they are valued for the work that they
provide.
Christian Worldview
Matthew 18:15-17 says:
If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If
they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two
others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three
witnesses.' If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen
even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (New International
Version, 1978/2011)
Application to Conflict Resolution
This scripture verse applies to conflict resolution in everyday situations, not only between
believers. Resolving a conflict should take collaboration between all of the stakeholders involved
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 24
and with an approach that is humble and kind. Matthew 7:3-5 teaches to examine oneself first
before confronting another individual. Addressing one’s own flaws and imperfections allows one
to see clearly and address any conflict in an appropriate manner. Many times, conflict causes
individuals to be hurt by the situation. In these cases, one may have to forgive the other person in
order to resolve the initial cause of the conflict. Matthew 18:21-22 states, “Then Peter came to
Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against
me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times”
(New International Version, 1978/2011). Jesus is teaching that it does not matter how many times
one is wronged by another, what matters is forgiveness.
Application to Action Plan
Although the scripture is designed for a conflict between two individuals, it can be used
to assist in settling disputes at an organizational level. Frontline officers should be able to
approach their supervisors to address a potential issue in the hopes that the problem can be
resolved. The result of the supervisor listening to the officer is gaining trust between both parties,
creating a positive organizational culture. If the supervisor does not help or cannot make a
decision, the frontline officers should take the matter to the police administration. The idea
behind the scripture text is to give as much opportunity for the conflict to be resolved.
Unfortunately, some disputes cannot be settled, and the organization is potentially doomed to
failure.
Conclusion
For the conflict that has occurred at the police agency in question, the research indicates
that the root cause of the conflict between the frontline officers, supervision, and administrative
staff can be traced back to a toxic organizational culture developed through poor
communications, poor leadership, and a lack of perceived fairness. The two main theories
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 25
examined in this correspondence were based on the social exchange theory and the procedural
fairness (justice) theory.
As Porter (2018) analyzed, the social exchange theory suggests that obligations develop
over time due to regular contact between management, supervisors, and frontline officers. These
obligations form through the exchange of resources, where the administration provides financial
and other resources for a significant amount of effort on the part of the officers. In its simplest
terms, procedural fairness (justice) theory is based on the idea that the department will treat its
officers fairly and unbiasedly (Donner et al., 2015).
Conflict is inevitable in any sector of business or public service. With this information,
the organization's leaders need to develop an action plan to deal with the conflict and develop a
resolution to the conflict. When developing an action plan, there are several "do's and do not's."
According to Thomas and White (2011), conflicts should not be left to solve on their own; which
can make matters worse, leaders should not take sides but focus on resolving the conflict, do not
treat the parties of the conflict as juveniles, and finally, the issue should not be handled publicly;
rather, the matter should be private to maintain professionalism. Thomas and White (2011) state
that when handling conflicts, leaders should work on resolving the dispute and not the many
personalities, actively listen to gain information, determine the root of the conflict, and develop a
plan to handle the conflict rekindles.
To address the conflict, two goals are intended to resolve conflict. The first goal is to
educate the existing leadership about transformational leadership. According to Katz and Flynn
(2013), improperly handled workplace conflict affects the agency's and its employees'
productivity and effectiveness. In addition, Katz and Flynn claim that research shows that an
employee's performance is influenced by their relationship with their supervisors rather than
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 26
competence or motivation. The proactive and creative tactics used by the transformational
leadership style enable a leader to engage with subordinates within the organization to strengthen
the employee, the organization, and the leader and to get the most out of everyone there (Sarver
& Miller, 2014). Instead of bribing or pleading with their team members to act in a certain way,
transformational leaders want to inspire them to change their perspectives and see beyond
themselves to "buy in" to the department's goals, mission, and vision (Swid, 2014).
Leadership involves emotional intelligence in addition to knowledge and education. Trust
is the foundation of the relationship that a leader and a follower share, which a leader uses to
shape the follower's conduct (Vito et al., 2014). Transformational leaders possess four
characteristics: charisma, inspiration, individual concern, and intellectual stimulation (Swid,
2014; Vito et al., 2014).
The second goal is to change the culture within the organization through procedural
fairness and collaboration. According to Wolfe et al. (2018), police officers who feel their
superiors are organizationally fair are happier, more self-assured in their position of authority,
and more inclined to apply procedural justice when dealing with community members. Change
within a police agency is not easy, but according to Brimbal et al. (2020), changing how officers
interact with their organization is the most effective approach to bringing change inside law
enforcement agencies. To make the changes necessary, it takes the executive leadership to the
helm of the movement to make the most impact within the organization. Collaboration between
the leadership and the officers develops trust through the leadership being transparent to their
subordinates and taking responsibility for their actions, taking risks, being adaptable, and not
allowing the problems and issues of the past to define the future.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 27
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