Team Building Project - Conflict Resolution

For the final piece of your course project, you will focus on conflict resolutions.

• Explain three generational issues that could impact a team and create a plan to deal with each situation.

 • Evaluate three multi-cultural issues that could occur within a team and how the issues would impact the team. Create a plan that could be used to resolve multi-cultural issues.

SUPPORT Info:

Generational Issues and Conflicts

Do generational differences really affect teams? Think about a work team in businesses today. The leader in a nursing home could be a generation X (born 1965-1980) supervising a baby boomer (born 1946-1964) who has been a nurse of 35 years in the nursing home industry taking care of a traditionalists (born 1900-1945) and the new medical doctor intern a millennial (born 1981-1999) giving advice to everyone. Think about the dynamics of the team and the situations that might arise.

For the first time in history four generations are working together and they are different in many ways but yet still have similarities. Let's take a closer look at the four generations.

• Traditionalist: lived through World War II and the Great Depression, embrace patriotism, adhere to a military management style, and save their money.
• Baby boomers: Have prospered and is considered the "me generation." This generation question authority and was disillusioned by many of societies events that included the Vietnam War and the civil rights struggle.
• Generation X: Questions authority and American institutions. Experience the loss of the traditional family they have become very resourceful and skeptical.
• Millennial: Access to 24/7 technology, very multicultural and diverse, very "techno-savvy', collaborative. This group has been labeled "echo boomers" (children of the baby boomers). (McCready, 2011).

From the description of the four different generations, you can see there can be generational differences that occur within a team environment. Two typical differences involve technology and organizational structure shifts. Technology has created a huge impact on everyone's lives but do not assume that one generation is more knowledgeable than another. The other is the fact the work environment has changes from a hierarchy system to more of level system involving teams, creative thinking and the decision making processes can now be at all levels of an organization. It will be the leader's responsibility to recognize the conflicts and be prepared to handle the situations.

Multicultural Issues and Conflicts

According to Mannix & Neale, 2005 research diversity does affect teams and conclude that there are three perspectives to examine:

1. Similarity-attraction theory

2. Social categorization theory

3. Information-processing theory

Similarity-attraction theory affects a team when individual team members are attracted to working with other team members that are similar in many ways. These individuals are similar in values, beliefs and behaviors. These actions may be noticeable and should be dealt with right away to ensure creativity, team work and the ability to accomplish the goals. Leaders should be prepared with activities that used in the team environment.

Social categorization theory is when people place themselves into a group and others into another group. Members tend to treat each other with favoritism while judging or stereotyping outside group members. Awareness of team member's behavior during tasks could give an indication of stereotyping.

Information-processing theory includes a team of diverse individuals that work together to bring ideas from a broad range of sources. The sources could include their background with different perspective, networks, their creativity and the ability to solve problems.

Culture can affect teams in different ways. Sometimes the effects are small while other times the effects can be very noticeable and create a struggle within the team. Remember, culture can be perceived as a strong categorization and/or stereotype by a leaders or team members. This perception could create cultural diversity as a stronger source of conflict than any other issue. (Stahl, Günter, Maznevski, Martha , Voigt, Andreas, Jonsen & Karsten May 2010).

Kelman's Methodology

Herbert Kelman's and his peers have worked on team conflict for more than 40 years and developed what Kelman calls interactive problem solving (IPS), to deal with conflict between teams. Kelman's goal with interactive problem solving (ISP): "its goal of promoting change in individuals-through face-to-face interaction in small groups-as a vehicle for change in larger social systems: in national policy, in political culture, and in the conflict system at large" (Kelman, 2010).

The three main components:

1. Understand that there is a problem

2. Agree to create a solution to a problem

3. The willingness to allow other to influence the situation

4. The agreement that negations can take place if needed (Kelman, 2010).

When a situation is very difficult between two groups or within a group the modified version Kelman's theory could be used.

• description and analysis of the different parts of the problem by the different parties, independently and analytically
• free presentation of proposals for solutions of parts of the conflict, including improbable but desirable proposals.
• freewheeling dialogue trying to induce the other party, through positive motivation (and not through threats or a demonstration of power), to modify its position and agree to a compromise.
• linkage between the small-group discussions and results and the real political environment. This was accomplished by reporting back to the authorities and the public and creating, step-by-step, a political environment and a readiness on both sides to accept the compromises reached in the small-group discussions. (Spillmann & Kollars, 2010).

Leadership tips

Leaders must understand the cultural diversity will impact a team and to monitor teams for both underlying issues as well as issues that are more noticeable. Communication skills are essential part of teams that are culturally diverse. Leaders and team members must be aware that communications methods and abilities when working in diverse teams. Plan ahead when leading diverse teams. Create trust building exercises, communication training, diversity training and most of awareness.

Multicultural teams can create frustration for leadership and within a team. Cultural differences can create conflict within teams but it is not always noticeable and if undetected can cause the team to be dysfunctional. Research indicates that there are four major causes that create conflict. These include: (Brett, Behfar & Kern 2006)

• Communication - direct and indirect
• Fluency and accents
• Hierarch and authority issues
• Decision making styles

Most successful leaders and teams use four strategies within teams. These strategies include;

• adaptation (acknowledging cultural gaps openly and working around them)
• structural intervention (changing the shape of the team)
• managerial intervention (setting norms early or bringing in a higher-level manager) exit (removing a team member when other options have failed) (Brett, Behfar & Kern 2006)

Additional Materials

References:

Spillmann, K. R., & Kollars, N. D. (2010). Herbert Kelman's contribution to the methodology of practical conflict resolution. Peace And Conflict: Journal Of Peace Psychology, 16(4), 349-360. doi:10.1080/10781919.2010.518072

Stahl, Günter K; Maznevski, Martha LView Profile; Voigt, AndreasView Profile; Jonsen, Karsten. Journal of International Business Studies41. 4 (May 2010): 690-709.

Leadership that prepares a plan, constantly observes for sign of conflict, and realizes that it will happen will be able to avoid major conflicts within a team. Team members also play a major part in avoiding and/or resolving major conflict. Team members need to understand that conflicts can happen at any time and be trained to recognize signs of early conflict so the situation can be dealt with immediate.

When dealing with conflict there are several things to keep in mind:

• Active listening
• Clarify and question effectively
• Effective feedback
• Think and analyze in a methodical and systematic way
• Set clear, reasonable, achievable goals
• Identify risks and assumptions
• Focus on facts and issues, not personalities or personal attitudes or behavior
• Cross training opportunities
• Use of "rules of engagement'
• Mentoring
• Focus on the content of their interactions, rather than the delivery style (i.e., tone);
• Explicitly discuss reasons behind work assignment decisions
• Assign work to members who have the task expertise rather than by other means, such as volunteerism or convenience

Researches Wageman & Donnenfeld suggest four kinds of conflict intervention:

1. Team (re)Design: change may occur by changing out team members, creating new goals and/or adjusting the team's activities.

2. Task process coaching: coaching that could include a variety of exercises or learning objectives. Communication skills, team skills such as strategy and/or increasing motivation.

3. Conflict process coaching: leadership creates activities to increase team building abilities, trust and create team conflict

4. Changing the individual: team members are trained to be tolerant, respectful and decision makers by negotiation skills and behavioral training.

There are many methods to help teams with conflict that can be implemented. Teams and leadership that perform at the highest level understand that conflict will happen in teams and understand the best ways to resolve conflict is to be proactive.

References:

Thompson, L. L. (2011). Making the Team: A Guide for Managers, Fourth Edition. Prentice Hall Kelman, H. C. (2010). Interactive problem solving: Changing political culture in the pursuit of conflict resolution. Peace And Conflict: Journal Of Peace Psychology, 16(4), 389-413. doi:10.1080/10781919.2010.518124