Competition is ineffective as a conflict resolution strategy because the two sides to a conflict are more concerned about winning the battle than cooperating. Which of the following is an advantage of managers exercising power unobtrusively?
Full Answer
Accommodation is ineffective as a conflict resolution strategy because A. the parties to the conflict do not make any concessions . B. it escalates levels of conflict as each party tries to outmaneuver the other .
But competition as a way of responding to interpersonal conflict is not fun and is highly ineffective. Basically, it doesn't work. Ever. It can seem as though it works.
The competition response to conflict perpetuates the phenomenon that 'the bullied becomes the bully' and there are plenty of current debates between those who advocate a no-blame approach to bullying and those who seek to simply 'punish' the bully and 'enforce' a change of behaviour....... the latter being no different to bullying itself.
Experts in conflict resolution say people tend to have a “default style” — a preferred approach that typically we rely on. Here are five styles, drawn from the work of conflict scholars Kenneth Thomas and Ralph Kilmann. Which one are you apt use, especially in difficult conversations?
Another example of competition is in the way that we can often approach parenting or teaching. In the past, thankfully, the use of corporal punishment was used to 'win' disagreements between child and adult. This resulted in a belief that to 'win' in an argument, force was the ultimate convincer, even where the adult was clearly on 'shaky ground'......in fact, particularly in those situations.
The war on terror is based on the use of might to dominate, destroy and suppress the 'subversive' terrorists.
You get a clear winner and a loser but that's part of the fun and aim of it. It isn't something personal.