Chapter 6
Managing the Conflict Climate
The purpose of this chapter is to describe the role played by climate in conflict situation. Abuse of power, competition, distrust, and defensive behavior create a hostile, dangerous, and harmful conflict environment that produces unsatisfactory outcomes for one or both parties. Unabusive power or equality, cooperation, trust, and supportive behavior create a warm, friendly, and nurturing conflict environment that is more likely to produce mutually satisfactory outcomes.
Abusive power contributes to a harmful conflict climate because it is perceived as threatening. The more powerful person in the conflict situation has greater latitude in using power in abusive and unabusive ways. Those who abuse power may find that the other person responds in passive or passive-aggressive ways in order to avoid threats and abuse. Although it is difficult to embrace the idea of giving up power, something doing so is one's best option in resolving conflict. At the very lease, deemphasizing power differences leads to a nurturing conflict climate. Those with less power in the situation should also seek opportunities to be more assertive, use power-neutral language, and take responsibility for the outcomes in the conflict situation.
Competition becomes part of a harmful conflict climate when the parties view the conflict situation only in terms of win-lose outcomes. This perception results in the conflicting parties seeing themselves as individuals who must win at all costs. By shifting to a conflict in terms of win-win outcomes, the conflicting parties can view themselves as partners, where maintaining and preserving the relationship is as important, if not more, than winning an argument or forcing one's decision on another.
Both distrust and unhealthy trust are threatening to an interpersonal relationship when they contribute to a harmful conflict climate. Some people distrust others too much and some are too trusting. Earned trust contributes to a nurturing conflict climate. People maintain the trust of others when they continue to act in cooperative ways, avoid suspicious activity, and reciprocate in trusting ways to the action of the other.
Critical to our success in conflict situations is the use of communicative behavior that is supportive and nonthreatening. Conflicting parties should try to establish a nurturing conflict climate by being supportive and not being defensive. The most significant steps toward creating supportive climate are found in communication that describes behavior rather than judges it, that is oriented toward solving problems rather than assigning blame, that focuses on description and problem solution rather than "you-orientation", that manifests an attitude of empathy rather than an attitude that is neutral and unconcerned, and that conveys a sense of equality with the other rather than a position of superiority. Finally, a supportive climate is created spontaneously rather than through behavior perceived as strategic an through talk that suggests that the conversation is still in progress rather than certain and final.
The concept of defensive behavior differs from that of power imbalance. While a few defensive behaviors are sometimes associated with people in positions of power, such as evaluation (criticizing), control (being dominating), neutrality (lacking interesting in subordinates problems), and superiority ("pulling rank"), defensive behaviors may appear irrespective of power. They are more consistently associated with feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, fear, or uncertainty that make one turn defensive in a threatening situation. When powerful people manifest defensive behaviors, it is an indication of feelings of insecurity about their role as supervisor, leader, or parent.
Communicators who create nurturing climates are more likely to create mutually satisfying outcomes because they participate in the decisions, agreements, solutions, and resolution of conflicts that affect them. If we feel safe enough to assert our interests, needs, and goals; listen to others; and collaborate in interpersonal conflict, we are more likely to achieve mutually satisfying outcomes.
Chapter Objectives
At the end of the chapter, you should be able to:
1). Describe the role that climate generally plays in conflict situations.
2). Describe specifically the role played by an imbalance of power in a conflict situation and explain how to equalize power.
3). Describe specifically the role played by competition in a conflict situation and explain how to encourage cooperation.
4). Describe specifically the role played by distrust in a conflict situation and explain how to create trust.
5). Describe specifically the role played by defensive behaviors in a conflict situation and explain how to engage and encourage supportive behaviors.
6). Explain how the concept of defensive behaviors differs from that of power imbalance.
-Abigail, R.A., & Cahn, D.D., (2011)
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