Constructively Managing Conflicts in Organizations

Question: Discuss about the Constructively Managing Conflicts in Organizations. Answer: Element Completed for selected article 1 Completed for selected article 2 1 The citation information should be in the same format as it would be in the reference list. Use Harvard Referencing Style - leave a line BELOW the citation Tjosvold, D., Wong, A. and Yi Feng Chen, N. (2014) Constructively Managing Conflicts in Organizations,The Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, . Verma, V. (1998) Conflict Management, inProject Management Handbook. San Francisco: Josse Bass, pp. 353376. 2 What is the journal articles author viewpoint? Write a short statement of the authors viewpoint. The authors in the article Constructively Managing Conflicts in Organizations objectively explore the topic of constructive conflict management in an organization. Although making argument for constructive conflict, the author acknowledges traditional studies on inevitable and destructive conflict (Tjosvold, Wong and Yi Feng Chen 2014). In the article Conflict Management, the author objectively addresses the topic of conflict in project management. The author starts by giving an overview of traditional perspective of conflict where it was viewed as negative and bad. The author then gravitates to the newest perspective where researchers have seen it as necessary in increasing performance (Verma 1998, p. 353). 3 What is the article about? Write a short summary of the theory, research findings and/or argument. The article is about developing constructive conflict management mechanisms in an organization. The authors note that conflict has pervaded many organizations and the use of an elegant constructive conflict management model can help end conflicts. The article recommends open-minded discussions as the foundation of constructive conflict resolution. The authors observe that participants in constructive conflict can express diverse ideas while considering and understanding each others opinions. The article postulates various arguments among them mutually beneficial relationships as the drivers that help managers and their employees to share their ideas in an open minded manner (Tjosvold, Wong and Yi Feng Chen 2014). The authors delve into the idea of constructive conflict noting that conflict does not always have to be destructive. The author explores the issue of conflict in project management noting that it is as inevitable as change. The author observes that when team members interact in the course of project execution, conflict is bound to occur. It is therefore prudent as the author suggests, that project managers analyse, identify, and evaluate negative and positive aspects of conflict and their effect they have on performance (Verma1998, p. 353). 4 What are the strengths and limitations of this journal article? Write a comment on the usefulness and/or limitations of the text for your topic The article succeeds in defining conflict and in postulating the idea of constructive conflict. Although many studies have attributed conflict to opposing forces, the article observes that people or circumstances without opposing can still conflict. The article also brings out the idea of constructive conflict noting that maximum benefits can be realized out of a conflict when the issues are discussed skilfully and openly. The article however seems to focus more on interpersonal conflict at the expense of intrapersonal conflict. Intrapersonal conflict is where there is incompatibility within an individual and this has been overlooked in the article (Tjosvold, Wong and Yi Feng Chen 2014). The author does well in exploring the nature of conflicts in projects. Apart from highlighting possible causes of conflict in project management, the author goes ahead to recommend a strategy for conflict resolution. The author recommends a win-win approach as one of the most effect conflict resolution strategy since parties know they have to reach an amicable solution that is satisfying to everyone. Although the article does well in highlighting the views of conflict from past scholars, it fails to talk about intrapersonal conflict as it focuses more on interpersonal conflict (Verma1998, p. 353). 5 What is the value or contribution of this journal article on the topic being researched? Write an evaluative comment on the work, taking into account how this work will fit into your research on your topic. The article has contributed immensely to the topic of conflict management in an organization. While borrowing from past research, the article explores the concepts of constructive conflicts, open-minded discussions in conflict resolutions, as well as mutually beneficial relationships as foundation of conflict resolutions. The article uses studies carried out on the dynamics of open-minded discussions to propose skills that employees and managers should have to manage conflicts constructively. All these have greatly enriched the field of conflict management (Tjosvold, Wong and Yi Feng Chen 2014). This article contributes richly to the concept of conflict and especially conflict management in projects. Delving more into the topic of conflict in projects, the author introduces a new concept of conflict stimulation which the article notes can help improve performance. The ideas in this article can be beneficial to any person undertaking any project (Verma1998, p. 353). Contrast and comparison between the two articles Questions to consider Complete for your selected articles 1 What are the similarities between the arguments presented by each author about the topic? The two articles presents quite similar concept in conflict management. Both articles note that conflict does not always to be destructive. The authors agree that unlike traditional perspective of conflict, newest perspective looks at conflict as one that can increase performance. The two articles are in agreement that managers and employees should know when to use conflict to increase performance of team members. This they termed as constructive conflict. The two articles also failed to bring the argument of intrapersonal conflict as they focussed more on interpersonal conflict. 2 What are the differences between the arguments presented by each author about the topic? The two articles follow different arguments although on the same topic of conflict. The first articles focussed more on the benefits of constructive conflict in an organization while the latter postulated the concept of conflict management in projects. The two articles also differ in the choice of conflict resolution strategies. While the first article recommends open-minded discussions as the effective method, the latter article notes that conflict resolution strategy is determined by several factors. It however proposes a compromised methodology there the parties think win-win. 3 How do the conclusions drawn by each author differ? The first article concludes by reiterating the importance of open-minded discussion as a means of constructive conflict resolution while the latter articles concludes by summarizing a range of conflict resolution strategies in project management. 4 Which author provides the stronger or more robust argument and why? The first article seems to provide stronger arguments on the topic of conflict management. The author before delving more into the concept of constructive conflict begins by exploring several studies which have traditional described conflict as always negative. The reader is drawn attention to the fact that conflict does always have to be bad. When the author therefore introduces the concept of constructive conflict, the reader is objective and can understand the new concept (Verma1998, p. 353). 5 Having compared and contrasted the two journal articles, what questions do you now have about the topic? What else do you want to know about the topic? The idea of constructive conflict is quite interesting. I would like to know more about constructive conflict and what other ways apart from open-minded discussions can constructive conflict be realized. References List Verma, V. (1998) Conflict Management, inProject Management Handbook. San Francisco: Josse Bass, pp. 353376. Tjosvold, D., Wong, A. and Yi Feng Chen, N. (2014) Constructively Managing Conflicts in Organizations,The Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, .