Conflict Resolution, Leadership, and Authority in Management
Conflict: The process that occurs between two parties, characterized by the feeling of frustration experienced by one party.
Sources of Conflict
Individual Sources:
- Divergence of Goals: Uncoordinated goals and planning activities.
- Clash of Interests: Incompatible personal results and lack of mutually beneficial agreements.
- Distinct Personalities: Varied performances due to differing personalities, objectives, and actions.
Organizational Sources:
- Interdependence of Activities: Lack of clarity about activities and tasks. Solution: Clearly allocate and define tasks for each team member.
- Differentiated Reception of Information: Use of information according to objectives. Solution: Ensure regular communication between departments.
- Unequal Distribution of Resources: Unfair resource allocation or focus on immediate needs. Solution: Allocate resources equally based on needs and objectives.
Group Conflict
- Collective Bargaining: Attempting to solve problems between employers and workers, aiming for higher profits and social guarantees for workers, and conflict resolution for the entrepreneur.
Conflict Resolution Methods
- Mediation: An impartial, external mediator provides solutions.
- Arbitration: For quick and urgent solutions, especially when agreement is unfeasible. The government appoints an arbitrator whose solution both parties must accept.
- Conciliation: A third-party conciliator encourages and calms both parties to reach an agreement, as admitted to labor law.
Alternative Conflict Resolution Approaches
- Flight and Subjection: Avoiding resolution, masking the issue, and living with it.
- Commitment: Reaching an agreement where both parties compromise.
- Domain: A party in power imposes the most convenient solution.
- Integration: Relies on the cooperation of both parties.
Leading to the exercise of authority and decision-making.
Leadership
Leadership is what makes a person exceed the basic requirements of their position.
- Direct: Managing and influencing a group through the power granted by a formal organizational status.
- Lead: The ability to influence or motivate others to achieve common goals.
Functions of a Manager
- Planning: Having vision and anticipating possible situations.
- Organization: Structuring the organization to be flatter and less pyramidal.
- Command: Exercising leadership using authority.
- Control: Promoting self-control.
Abilities to Lead Work Teams
- Efficiency and Effectiveness: Acting efficiently to achieve effective results.
- Listening: Actively listening to employees.
- Communication: Communicating effectively within and outside the company.
- Conflict Management: Knowing how to manage conflict to avoid dissatisfaction.
- Team Building: Building and leading effective work teams.
- Effective Meetings: Conducting accurate meetings to meet targets and outcomes.
- Time Management: Avoiding delays in work.
- Change Management: Having sufficient alternatives to manage change.
- Mistake Recognition: Leading by example and learning from mistakes.
- Trust Building: Building credibility and trust.
- Reason: Using good humor and praise.
Authority and Power
Authority: The power to decide and act to implement decisions.
Power: A person’s ability to command or compel others.
Types of authority: Top-down authority is formal and officially recognized, delegated by senior management. Bottom-up authority results from experience and knowledge, recognized by the group.
Types of Power
- Information: Power derived from possessing information.
- Charismatic: Power derived from personal charm.
- Legitimate: Power based on hierarchical status.
- Coercive: Power based on coercion and fear of not meeting performance standards.
- Reward: Power derived from the ability to reward and recognize good performance.
- Expert: Power derived from knowledge and experience.