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conflicts

 2.IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CONFLICTS

Conflicts are inevitable and necessary. The goal is not to eliminate or avoid them systematically, but to know how to channel them. It is necessary to clarify that neither it is necessary to look for them, nor to create occasions of that they give. The important thing is to know that for the growth and maturation of people and groups conflicts are necessary. That is why we must see them in a positive way, as an opportunity for awareness and change for the better. The objective is to solve conflicts by getting improvements for each of the parties, but this is not always possible, since there are conflicts that have no immediate solution. In this case the objective is not the resolution, but the regulation, that allows to live them in the most constructive way possible.

There are, as on many other occasions, a multitude of definitions that help us to understand what a conflict is. First we must mention the definition given by Pruit and Rubin (1986) in which they define conflict as "the perception of divergence of interests or the parties' belief that their current aspirations can not be satisfied simultaneously or jointly". This definition, focused mainly on the concept of individual perception as the beginning of the conflict, concisely expresses that there is not always a conflict where we perceive it, that is, what some people perceive as conflict, others not, and it is that the facts, according to the person, are interpreted in different ways.

If we follow the line proposed by Fernandez (1999) and Touzard (1981) we could say that for a given situation to be qualifiable or not of conflict should have the following characteristics:

- An interaction between two or more participants, being the participants people, small groups or large groups.

- Player of antagonistic interactions.

- Intention to harm the other or attribution of such intentionality

- Direct or indirect use of power.

- Regulatory efficiency.

 

According to Moore (1994) there are five types of conflicts depending on their causes:

• Conflicts of relationship: They are due to strong negative emotions, false perceptions or stereotypes, to little or no communication, or to repetitive negative behaviors.

• Conflicts of information: They occur when people lack the information needed to make correct decisions, are misinformed, differ on what information is relevant, or have discrepant estimation criteria.

• Conflicts of interest: They are caused by the competition between incompatible needs or perceived as such. Conflicts of interest result when one or more parts believe that to meet their needs, they must be sacrificed to those of an opponent. Interest-based conflicts occur over substantial issues (money, physical resources, time, etc.), procedural (how dispute should be resolved), or psychological (perceptions of trust, fair play, desire for participation , Respect, etc ...).

• Structural conflicts: They are caused by oppressive structures of human relations (Galtung, 1975). These structures are often shaped by forces external to the people in conflict. Shortage of physical resources or authority, geographical conditioning (distance or proximity), time (too much or too little), organizational structures, etc.

• Conflicts of values: These are caused by incompatible belief systems. Values ​​are beliefs that people employ to make sense of their lives. Value disputes arise only when one tries by force to impose one set of values ​​on others.

 

Another of the most widely used criteria for classifying conflicts is the actors or persons involved. Thus Lewicki, Litterer, Minton and Saunders, (1994) classify them as follows:

• Intrapersonal or intrapsychic conflict: At this level conflict occurs within individuals. The origin of conflicts includes ideas, thoughts, emotions, values, predispositions, impulses, colliding with each other.

• Interpersonal: This type of conflict occurs between individuals. Most of the theory of negotiation and mediation refers to the resolution of interpersonal conflicts.

• Intragroup Conflict: This type of conflict occurs within a small group: within families, corporations, classes, etc. It affects the ability of the group to solve its disputes and continue to pursue its objectives effectively.

• Intergroup conflict: In this last level the conflict occurs between two groups: two nations at war, unions and employers, etc. This level of conflict is very complicated because of the large number of people involved and the interactions between them.

 

The elements or components of a conflict that we must review to understand and manage the conflict are:

• People: interests / positions / attitudes / beliefs / values ​​/ goals / experience / expectation.

• Relationships: relevance of the same for each party / previous history / existing power relations / relationship dynamics.

• Methods and styles: what each party has tried to do to handle the conflict.

• Scope and context: level of conflict (individual, family, informal-formal group ...) / rules governing the area in which the conflict is circumscribed.

• Problem: description of the conflict in the form of facts or objective data.

• Cycle: history of conflict / escalation-stagnation-de-escalation.

• Result: description of the conflict in the form of facts or objective data / how it affects the partiess, the context, the relationship.

• Function: What is the purpose of this conflict? Are you helping the evolution of the parties, or are you blocking? How?

 

We can find different answers to a conflict:

- Denial: deny what is happening.

- Suppression: isolate the source of the conflict, stay alert and spend energy.

- Power / force: use the power to get their own needs.

- Conciliation: partial solution proposed by one of the parties, does not satisfy all.

- Integration: a solution that takes into account all parties. Creative and participative.

 All these ways of responding to a conflict have both advantages and disadvantages that at a given moment can be adapted to the problematic situation, however we must take into account that some solutions are more durable than others and therefore more profound or superficial. It is up to us to decide and risk what kind of solutions we want to use according to the conflict.

 

In order to properly handle a conflict, we must take into account the basic moments necessary for its management. These key moments are:

- Identify: to realize what is happening, to become aware of the facts, emotions, thoughts verbalizing them and describing these facts, emotions and behaviors that mark the beginning of the conflict.

- Analyze: investigate the conflict by dividing the conflict into several sections (stakeholders, positions, needs, relationships, etc) to map the conflict that will give us the perspective needed to generate alternatives to conflict

- Acting: it is time to take action, exchange positions, dialogue, conduct, try new things by intervening and facilitating dialogue, mediating between the parties and offering guidelines or criteria for agreement, etc.

 

There are many strategies useful for conflict resolution, however, the most appropriate has a very marked socio-affective approach, it is the technique called "I win, you win" which focuses on that both sides of the conflict win. The withdrawal, suppression or the pact, are also strategies for conflict resolution, however, the best of them is this strategy as both parties participate and win, thus they feel committed to the solution facilitating the success of it.Steps:

1. Find out why you need what you want.

2. Find out where the differences fit.

3. Create new options for everyone to get more than they need.

4. Do it together. Make it clear that you are partners, not opponents.

 

Finally we are going to take a breaf look at different methods of conflict resolution:

• Negotiation: Problem solving and / or voluntary negotiation, carried out directly between the parties to reach a joint agreement on common concerns.

• Arbitration: Voluntary or required participation in a procedure, to explain, present and justify needs, interests and / or positions and results in an agreement. Compulsory or recommended by a neutral third party.

• Reconciliation: Voluntary negotiation with the help of a third party that serves to gather to the participants to speak or to transmit the information between them. The conciliator Proposes solutions to the parties.

• Mediation: Voluntary participation in a structured process in which a third neutral party helps them to identify and satisfy their interests in relation to the dispute.

 

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