What Does Conflict Mean Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

What Does Conflict Mean - Research Paper Example The case is based on the department of Mass Communication in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Management (which is the departmental head) should be wary of conflict and try to avoid them or resolve them as early and quickly as possible as their dire consequences are something that may cause not only physical damages but emotional ones and above all financial damages to the department crippling it. One of the most common causes of conflict is poor communication. This is especially so between the management and the employees or students. If the important departmental information is wrongly passed around or misinterpreted, then tensions are bound to rise within the department which if not quelled down quickly escalate into full-blown conflict. Poor communication caused by grapevine channels is usually misquoted or embellished with wrong details and is bound to cause unnecessary and avoidable conflict and hence are quick to correct and resolve. The other cause is competition ov er resources within the department. This is especially the case if the organization is organized into groups and they have to share the resources. The resources, in this case, may include departmental assets such as cars, students’ accounts or even financial grants. Competition may also be over the monetary resources especially salaries and benefits. This type of conflict leads to enormity, destruction of property and may even cause parties to leave the department and seek more peaceful service elsewhere. Lack of following the norms set in place by a team or management is also another cause of conflict within the department. Each team has its own established norm such as time management and allocation of duties within the team members. If any member goes against these norms, it is bound to cause conflict.