There is no use denying the fact that the level of performance of every company depends on the relations within the collective and how a team, comprised of the workers of a company, can handle various situations. Under these conditions, one realizes the fact that the main aim of any manager is the creation of a good atmosphere within the collective and establishment of clear and trustful relations between the members of any team. That is why, the sphere of the conflict management is given special attention as the appearance of even insignificant dissidents could result in the lowering of the performance of a team and a company. Nowadays, conflicts are taken as a very important issue which should be analyzed.
Modern science considers conflict to be a sort of disagreement between the litigants which could result in the appearance of new problems and deterioration of relations between the sides involved in it (The Conflict Perspective, n.d.). As it becomes obvious from the definition, it is impossible not to analyze the conflict and try to solve it because of its great impact on the functioning of a team.
That is why, resting on the possible complications triggered by disagreement, sociology tends to suggest various possible scenarios and theories that could help to solve the appeared problem and minimize the aftermath of the opposition between the members of the team. The science also underlines the great role of a leader in this sphere and the actions, which he/she should perform in terms of the conflict.
Speaking about the given issue, it is also possible to outline the fact that the conflict could influence various levels of the organizational structure (Crossman, 2014). First of all, it is an individual level, which means that the disagreement appears only between several workers and it does not affect the team. However, if to ignore it, it could continue its development and spread its influence on the whole collective. This stage could have the great impact on the functioning of the whole company and lead to the appearance of the conflict on the organizational level, resulting in the decrease of the level of the company’s performance. Being very important for the functioning of any organization, all these stages should be analyzed with the help of various conflict theories.
Traditionally, conflict theory points out the role of coercion and power in producing order and close relations between the members o a team (Conflict Theory: Three Models, n.d.). However, resting on the great importance of the given issue, it is possible to say that there are many various approaches to the conflict suggested by different researchers. Gumplowicz describes the conflicts between cultures and ethics groups (Crossman, 2014), while Mills, as one of the founders of the modern conflict theory, emphasizes the fact that social structures are created due to the conflicts between people with various interests and, that is why, these conflicts are an integral part of evolution (The Conflict Perspective, n.d). Being different, these theories, however, underline the great importance of such aspects as culture, ethics, interests, mentality and leadership.
The change theories are also very often analyzed in terms of the conflict management. They are taken as the way to get rid of disagreement between the members of a team and establish good atmosphere with the help of changes (What is Theory of Change? n.d.). There are also several theories suggested by various scientists. According to Lewins Three-Step change theory various forces push employees in the desired direction and the conflict might appear due to this very influence. The first step to change the situation is to unfreeze it (Kritsonis, 2005).
It could help to see the problem better. The second step means the movement of the whole system in the new and desirable direction. Finally, the third step is freezing as it is vital to fix and protect the new and efficient system. Thus, it is not the only theory. Prochaska and DiClemente’s Change Theory revolves around the serious of states which people pass in their development. Resting on these states, they outline precontempation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance as the steps of their theory (Kritsonis, 2005).
Besides, despite the changes in various approaches to conflicts, it is vital to say that they all underline the great role of leadership in this sphere. A leader is taken as the main change agent who can introduce all changes that are needed to solve problems and renew relations between the members of a team (Woodrow & Oatley, 2013). Especially vital the role of a leader becomes in the healthcare environment which is oriented on the team work. The ability of a person to handle various conflict situations could contribute to the development of professional skills of a specialist greatly. If a person could find the right solution in some extraordinary situations, he/she could be taken as a good leader and specialist.
With this in mind, it is possible to say that the issue of conflicts is very topical nowadays. Sociologists give a great deal of attention to it, suggesting ways to solve the existing problems and implement new changes.
References
Conflict Theory: Three Models. (n.d.). Web.
Crossman, A. (2014). Conflict Theory. Web.
Kritsonis, A. (2005). Comparison of Change Theories. International journal of scholarly academic intellectual diversity, 8(1), 1-7. Web.
The Conflict Perspective. (n.d.). Web.
What is Theory of Change?. (n.d.). Web.
Woodrow, P., & Oatley, N. (2013). Practical Approaches to Theories of Change in Conflict, Security & Justice Programmes. Web.