Multi-Generational Workforce
ANSWER:
Conflict Management
Accessing the situation
Following a recent merger with another health care organization aimed towards expanding the company, the finance departments from both organizations had to be consolidated. The union comprised of various employees of different age set and of different cultural backgrounds. This perpetuated the emergence of conflicts, which has so far affected performance, shift scheduling and cooperation with other departments. As a departmental head, examination and scrutinizing this circumstance will help to get a hold of the situation and forester positive organizational culture. The overall organizational output performances; improved service delivery, customer satisfaction, improved productivity etc. is a cumulative effort from the departmental units of the organization. Take for instance in our newly formed amalgamation, we have various departmental units i.e. oncology, neonatal, maternity, human resource, finance department etc. Performance at both the organizational level and departmental level is affected by multiplicity of individuals, task, group, structural, managerial and technological environmental factors (Mukherjee & Upadhyay, 2019). Individual differences and incompatibilities between workers and its unions and the overall management has an adverse effect on work output and performance. The work environment, currently comprises different people with different attitude, abilities and personalities, therefore conflict becomes inevitable.
Expectations and goals to achieve cohesion, communication and cooperation
Conflict refers to a situation where there are incompatible goals, cognition or emotion between or within groups or individuals that led to opposition (Mukherjee & Upadhyay, 2019). There are three basic types of conflicts that exists in the organizational departmental level i.e. goal conflict; where there is incompatibility between groups or individuals on desired outcome or milestone, cognitive conflict; that arises due to incompatibility in ideas and emotional conflict that arises when there is incompatibility in emotions. Conflict has both negative and positive effect and that gives reason for effective conflict management. Conflict management is the attempt to control conflict through employment of orchestrated measures. The hidden cost of unresolved conflict in organization are adverse, finding effective ways to manage conflicts as a departmental head and resolve conflicts can have a significant effect on productivity and organizational performance (Mukherjee & Upadhyay, 2019). As a departmental head, to achieve cohesion, communication and cooperation, I will use proactive management skills to identify sources of conflicts, look beyond the incident, request solutions, and identify solutions both disputants can support. All this stated management dynamics will be incorporated in the light of understanding and evaluating people’s emotional responses, considering views of all parties, getting to the root of the issue, implementing regular feedback meeting, accepting people for who they are and who they are not and finally adopting communication guidelines(Priyadarshini, 2017). Employing the stated techniques will in the end; spark creativity and energy, create unique insights or solutions, involve employees in discussions, and enhance cohesiveness communication and cooperation (Priyadarshini, 2017).
Adopting conflict management strategy
To adopt an effective conflict management strategy, I have to consider all factors, which can contribute to conflict resolution. These factors are upholding discipline and encouraging communication among members or employees in the organization as well as considering the dynamical nature of the involved parties in the organization. With an aim of trying to find balance in conflict resolution, two primary conflict handing intentions i.e. assertiveness and cooperativeness can be identified which can help inform conflict management. Cooperativeness is the extent to which one tries to satisfy a colleague’s concern, while assertiveness is the extent to which one tries to satisfy his or her own concerns (Hu, Wu & Gu, 2017).
Evaluating adopted strategy and Success Rate Based on Goals and Objectives
These basic behavioral dimensions can be mapped on a grid matrix defining methods that can aid in conflict resolution (Hu, Wu & Gu, 2017). These methods are; collaborating, Accommodating, avoiding, compromising and competing. These methods of dealing with conflicts all have a degree measure of assertiveness and cooperativeness. Collaborating is both cooperative and assertive; the process indulging with the other individual to find solution agreed upon by both parties (Hu, Wu & Gu, 2017). It may take the form of exploring the contention between involved parties to understand insights from both sides eventually solving the conditional situation, which would rather result in confrontation in attempt to find solution to the interpersonal disagreement. Accommodating is unassertive and cooperative, where one neglects his or her own concerns to satisfy concerns of others. It can take the form of generosity, obedience and refrain. Avoiding is uncooperative and unassertive, where one does not pursue his or her own concern but those of his or her colleagues (Hu, Wu & Gu, 2017). It may take the form of side stepping, waiting to raise an issue at the perfect time and withdrawing form a potential situation that may lead to conflicts. Compromising is intermediate in both cooperativeness and assertiveness; the motivation is to find a mutual solution that satisfies both parties. It might mean splitting differences and finding middle ground position (Hu, Wu & Gu, 2017). Competing is assertive and uncooperative, where one pursues his or her own concern at the expense of other people’s concern. It may take the form of standing up for your rights, defending a position or trying to win (Hu, Wu & Gu, 2017). Adoption of this strategy (competitiveness and assertiveness matrix) will help me as the departmental head in acting responsibly, diagnosing conflicts, and maintaining boundaries, respecting differences and identifying a goal.
Important Leadership skills in conflict management
Conflict resolution is a challenging aspect of leadership. The leadership traits needed to enhance positive work environment and resolving conflicts are; being receptive, depersonalization, Effective listening, accountability, profound communication and candidness (Mukherjee & Upadhyay, 2019). An effective departmental leader can coordinate and facilitate activities of team members and this calls for ability to promote positive group culture, balancing workload among employees, constantly monitoring the team, setting priorities and making effective decisions as well as allowing others to express their concern, seeing beyond conflicts learn from difficult behavior and express emotions in a positive way (Mukherjee & Upadhyay, 2019).
References
Mukherjee, K., & Upadhyay, D. (2019). Effect of mental construals on cooperative and competitive conflict management styles. International Journal Of Conflict Management, 30(2), 202-226. doi: 10.1108/ijcma-11-2017-0136
Priyadarshini, S. (2017). Effect of Personality on Conflict Resolution Styles. IRA-International Journal Of Management & Social Sciences (ISSN 2455-2267), 7(2), 196. doi: 10.21013/jmss.v7.n2.p9
Hu, N., Wu, J., & Gu, J. (2017). Cultural intelligence and employees’ creative performance: The moderating role of team conflict in interorganizational teams. Journal Of Management & Organization, 25(1), 96-116. doi: 10.1017/jmo.2016.64
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
We’ll write everything from scratch
QUESTION:
Imagine that you manage a department in a health care organization of your choosing. The organization recently merged with another, layoffs occurred, and departments are now being consolidated. Your department now has employees whose ages span four generations, three different cultural groups are represented, and conflict is brewing between them. The conflict is affecting performance, shift scheduling, and cooperation with other departments.
Write a 700- to 1,050-word directive to address these conflicts. Do the following in your directive:
- Assess the situation that your department is facing.
- Create clear and reasonable expectations and goals to achieve cohesion, cooperation, and communication in your department.
- Lay out a strategy to overcome these conflicts and improve workplace performance.
- Explain how success will be measured based on your strategy and goals.
- Consider using tables, matrices, or other visuals.
- Evaluate what leadership traits you need to incorporate in order to lead your diverse department.
Create a 10-minute, 5- to 9-slide voice-over presentation using either Microsoft® PowerPoint® or websites like Google Slides™, Adobe® Slate, or Prezi that presents your directive to the human resources manager and chief operating manager
Cite at least 3 reputable references to support your assignment (e.g., trade or industry publications, government or agency websites, scholarly works, or other sources of similar quality).
Format your assignment according to APA guidelines.
Submit your assignment. For additional help, check out the ULTRA: Access your assignments page.
HINT HINT HINT HINT HINT HINT HINT
This assignment requires 2 parts/ 2 attachments: a word document and a PowerPoint presentation.
There are 8 parts that will be graded:
Assignment completeness.
Situational Assessment
Clear and Reasonable expectations (**HINT – use SMART goals)
Strategies to overcome conflicts
Measuring Success (*HINT – be clear, concise and quantifiable)
Leadership Style Evaluation (*HINT – Self Reflection, incorporate creativity)
Written Communication
Information Utilization (*HINT – 3 or more CREDITABLE references, citations throughout)
For the PowerPoint – I expect something that you would submit to your boss. Complete, final, and aesthetic. Choose a background. Slides should have bullets, and should have voice-over or detailed notes. Include citations and reference lists.
