Write a 2 page paper on the use of theories by conflict managers to understand and explain conflict.
Identifying Conflict Theories
Raines, Susan. (2013). Conflict Management for Managers: Resolving Workplace, Client
and Policy Disputes. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-470-93111-0
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Identifying Conflict Theories
As Chapter 2 shows us, there are many sources of conflict. Use the scenario below to:
1). Explain the conflict using at least two theories from the seven categories listed at the end of the scenario. What is the theory and why it explain the scenario? Choose the theories that you believe offer the most compelling explanation for the conflict described in the scenario.
and
2). Conclude with thoughts about the usefulness of conflict theory for practical management decisions.
Detailed Instructions for Paper Assignment: Write a 2 page paper on the use of theories by conflict managers to understand and explain conflict. The purpose is to demonstrate that you can explain at least two of the theories as they apply to the conflict in the scenario. This explanation should have more depth than simply stating that it explains the theory. Your explanation should demonstrate that you understand the meaning of the theory and it should provide a discussion of why you think it explains the theory. Finally, add a conclusion section that addresses the following: how useful (or not useful) is a knowledge of conflict theory for managers? What is the connection between these theories and your practical management decisions?
SCENARIO
Randys company is being acquired by a much larger corporation. It is only June, and Henrys Tools Inc. has announced that the two companies will become one as of January 1st. This means that all policy changes related to pay, vacation time, sick leave, retirement, overtime pay, job descriptions, etc. will go into effect at that time. Unfortunately, Henrys Tools Inc. has not told anyone at Randys company which policies will change and which will stay the same. The rumor is that some positions will be eliminated, but these wont be announced until January 1st. Happy New Yearnot! Randy and his buddies have decided to use all their sick-time and vacation rather than risk losing it in the merger.
Randys blood pressure has gone up over the last few weeks as the uncertainty has caused him a lot of stress. He is experiencing insomnia and is unsure about how he will find a new job in this recessionary period, if indeed he needs to do so. He has a family to support and doesnt want to lose his house or raid his retirement fund in order to keep his family financially viable. He has always been a worrier. He cant stand all this not knowing. There are 15 employees in his department and three have already left for other jobs rather than take a chance of being laid off in the future—and they were some of the best employees too.
Randys boss, Bob, cant be counted on to defend Randy if the new company wants to let him go. Randy is an electrician and Bob is an electrical engineer. About half the workers are electricians and the other half are electrical engineers. Bob will likely argue that his fellow engineers need to stay and the non-engineers can be let go, especially since Bob went to school with some of his current colleagues and was even in a fraternity with two of them. Bob has always had it out for Randy, since Randy is the go to guy when all the other technicians get stumped, even Bob.
Everyone is holding their breath until January. Some of Randys colleagues are being careful to work extra hard, avoid calling in sick, and trying to make themselves indispensible. Others, are completely slacking off because they believe they are likely to be let go anyway, so why not take extra time off and enjoy life until then? Oddly enough, the one guy who was fired last week was one of the hardest workers in the company. In spite of the promise that lay-offs would not happen until January 1st, the new company said Marys position was redundant and they let her go. This is weird since there are two people working in the front office and Mary was the one doing most of the work while Janet surfs the internet and reads novels on the clock. I guess that should be a lesson for everyone—there will be no rewards for hard work when it comes to downsizing decisions. Maybe these decisions are just randomAfter much thought, Randy has decided to look for another job rather than take the chance that he will be laid off in January. Since the criteria used for these decisions has NOT been shared, and since the uncertainty is driving him crazy, he will go ahead and see what he can find elsewhere. In the meantime, he wont worry about coming in late or leaving earlyeveryone else is doing it.
Biological, physiological, and evolutionary theories of conflict.
Personality and individually-based sources of conflict.
Psychodynamic theories (including cognitive biases)
Social learning theory.
Framing and Communication theories.
Procedural and distributive justice theories.
Structural versus non-structural sources of conflict.
