Sunday, April 4, 2010

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 was about the conflicts that may arise in the workplace. One part of the chapter that caught my attention was about managing conflict. There were many different ways to be able to manage conflict. One of them that really caught my eye was the Alternative Dispute Resolution, or ADR. There were several ways that ADR could be implemented, but the main core of it resolving conflicts through mediation or negotiation. It is different per company—and it depends on the company’s policies. Some include peer review, mediation, conciliation, and facilitation.


What is interesting to me, though, is the fact that though conflict rises among different places, the way that it is handled is different. One of the articles that I researched on was about how conflict was solved in Nepal. It was interesting to me how here in the United States, we focus our attention more on fairness and equality. This was not the case in Nepal. “More than anything else, the existing sociopolitical system determines the outcome of disputes.” (Upreti) The author then goes on further and explains, “Only the power and elites benefit from the current system.” (Upreti) It basically meant that who was to come out victorious in a conflict is usually determined by the one with more power and money. To me this was surprising and it’s really sad to hear.

Source:
Upreti, Bishnu Raj. "Resource Conflicts and and Conflict Resolution in Nepal." Mountain Research and Development (2004): 60-66.

1 comment:

  1. ADR is interesting in the fact that it almost takes a "muddling through" approach to conflict resolution. Although there are some methods that define specific steps in the resolution process, managers can change these according the values of their organization or leadership style. There are many ways to deal with conflict resolution, and as long as people maintain open minds throughout the process, everybody can gain something.

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