Conflict management. Dealing with conflicts in companies

Table of contents

List of abbreviations

1. Introduction
1.1Problem statement
1.2 Structure of the paper

2 Conceptual delimitation
2.1 Conflict
2.2 Conflict.

3 Conflict management in companies
3.1 Objectives and tasks
3.2 Instruments

4 Conflict analysis in companies
4.1 Forms of conflict
4.2 Causes of conflict
4.3 Conflict escalations

5 Conflict resolution
5.1 Strategies for conflict management
5.2 Conflict assessment and resolution in companies

6. Conclusion

Bibliography

List of abbreviations

Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten

1. Introduction

1.1 Problem statement

Where people want to live together, work and achieve goals together, be it in a professional or private environment, conflicts of interest and at the same time potential for conflict can arise.¹ Conflicts are part of everyday life and are inevitable when people with different interests meet. They are side effects of all human coexistence.² In today's age of increasing globalization, increasing competition and internationalization, profit-oriented companies are also under a continuous field of tension between pluralistic interests. Negative emotions are often associated with conflicts and conflicts of interest, as they can, for example, lead to escalations, hardening and/or the setting aside of one's own goals.³ In companies, conflicts and conflicts of interest can lead to massive consequences for the company's success and thus also for cooperation, e.g. strike, lockout, transfer and/or absenteeism.⁴ However, once the opponents of the conflict have negotiated their different interests and reached an agreement, conflicts can also be used as a driving force.⁵ Conflicts therefore also offer opportunities, including the beneficial further development of the company and the joint finding of an optimal solution.⁶ as well as to increase entrepreneurial creativity.⁷

Based on these facts, it makes sense for companies to analyze conflicts, deal with the advantages and disadvantages and initiate appropriate measures.

1.2 Structure of the paper

The aim of this work is to present an understanding of conflicts and the handling of conflicts, especially in the company. The processing of the problem presented is divided into six chapters. After a short introduction to chapter one, chapter two explains the terms underlying the problem, the conflict and the conflict management. In chapter three, possible goals, tasks and instruments of conflict management are examined in more detail. In order to be able to actively manage conflicts in companies, a conflict analysis is required. The following fourth chapter deals with this by identifying possible forms of conflict, causes and escalations. The following fifth chapter deals with the possible conflict resolution measures, the strategy for conflict management, as well as the assessment and resolution of conflicts. The work concludes with the sixth and final chapter, the conclusion, which is based on the knowledge gained in the work.

2 Conceptual delimitation

2.1 Conflict

The term conflict is understood as a state of tension between two or more opponents of conflict, which can be characterized by stress, fear and hostility. Such a state of tension arises from conflicts of interest, i.e. incompatible goals, interests, ways of looking at things or even assessments of the individual opponents of the conflict. Such an opponent of conflict can be, among other things, a single individual, an organization or a group. A conflict therefore presupposes an opposing objective and incompatible action plans. Furthermore, conflicts can arise from verbal misunderstandings, differences in age, race or gender.⁸ Conflicts are normal and caused by individual and structural factors, i.e. that they are immanent to human life. Consequently, conflicts are ubiquitous and permanent, i.e. conflicts exist constantly and everywhere and thus also in all companies.⁹ Conflicts cannot and should not be avoided, because conflicts can identify differences and translate them into positive impulses, for example by solving them in a consensus-oriented manner.¹⁰

2.2 Conflict.

The term conflict management is a broad term. In addition to the analysis of causes, it also includes conflict handling, the actual perception of conflicts, as well as the consideration in the planning and implementation of processes in the company, up to the organizational and personnel implementation of these processes.

Conflict management attempts to reconcile the norms, values, goals and interests of the conflict opponents/conflict parties through a timely and effective management of conflicts. The purpose of conflict management is to achieve a long-term satisfactory solution for the conflict opponents involved and thus at the same time to keep all conflict and follow-up costs as low as possible.¹¹

3 Conflict management in companies

3.1 Objectives and tasks

The starting point of conflict management is the competing behavior of different conflict parties, as well as existing interdependencies and differences of interest of the participants. The conflict potentials should be influenced by conflict management in such a way that the achievement of the company's goals is not endangered. Consequently, the objectives of conflict management are the goal-oriented design of relations between the individual parties to the conflict, the control of their behavior.¹² and the neutralization of conflicts in order not to endanger the achievement of goals.¹³ The question of right or wrong is not in the foreground. Rather, it is a question of resolving the differences of interest between the parties to the conflict as peacefully as possible and by mutual agreement, without any attacks by the individual parties to the conflict.¹⁴ Conflict management also includes the task of seeing the conflict between the individual parties to the conflict as an opportunity and of optimising and strengthening internal operational cooperation.¹⁵ In order to solve these tasks and achieve the goals, conflict management uses various instruments.

3.2 Instruments

In order to fulfil the tasks and goals, conflict management has both coordination instruments and motivational instruments at its disposal. The coordination instruments serve to shape interdependencies between the individual parties to the conflict. The motivational instruments, on the other hand, are aimed at influencing the conflicts of interest, i.e. they serve to influence the behaviour of the conflicting parties.¹⁶ Other instruments of conflict management are sanctions and sanction-like measures. They are used by superiors or employers if, for example. Conversations with employees about misconduct remain inconclusive. Sanction-like measures within the framework of the work regulations are e.g. additional regulatory provisions, the introduction of new controls and the exercise of claims for damages by undertakings. In contrast, there are the real sanctions, which can e.g. B. Include warnings and/or fines. In a conflict situation in which sanction-like measures have not led to the desired results, i. d. R. labour law steps preferred such as e.g. suspension, warning, transfer and termination. They can be applied according to the respective conflict situation. For example, in the event of a renewed violation of the working time requirement by an employee and an already taken place, but ineffective conversation, a warning can be considered as a sanction.¹⁷ In order to use these conflict instruments constructively and to achieve the goals of conflict management, a conflict analysis is necessary.

[...]

¹ cf. Regnet (2001), S. V.

² cf. Jost (1999), p. 1.

³ cf. Regnet (2001), S. V.

⁴ cf. Staehle (1999), p. 389.

⁵ cf. Ury/Brett/Goldberg (1991), p. 11.

⁶ cf. Regnet (2001), p. 5.

⁷ cf. Jeschke (1993), p. 1.

⁸ cf. Jost (1999), p. 12 f.

⁹ cf. Kruger, p. 38

¹⁰ cf. Jost (1999), p. 12 f.

See Chapter 5.2 Conflict assessment and resolution in companies.

¹¹ cf. Gilbert (1998), p. 35 f.

¹² cf. Jost (1999), p. 35.

¹³ cf. Aigner/Heilmann (2003), p. 123.

¹⁴ cf. Kellner (1999), p. 4.

¹⁵ cf. Aigner/Heilmann (2003), p. 123.

¹⁶ cf. Jost (1999), p. 40 ff.

¹⁷ cf. Aigner/Heilmann (2003), p. 130 f.; Arentewicz/Fleissner (2003), p. 99.