Writing Sample on Conflict Management Sri Harsha Kotamarthy

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Introduction
Research shows that high performing teams are capable of mediating and managing their own conflicts
besides improving productivity and strengthening relationships (McDaniel et al.1998). Usually, individual
role employees execute operating tasks, but the majority of them work in regular small groups where
their efforts must unite like the portions of a picture puzzle. Where their work is interdependent, they
act as a task team and seek to develop a cooperative state called Teamwork. (John and Keith, 1995).
According to Singh, 2004, Teamwork is the capability of a group of people to collaborate and work
effectively together, the possibility of each participant to think and act for the group rather than for
his/her own personal benefits.
Conflict is a driving force of change (McDaniel et al.1998). When managed properly, conflict results in
new ideas for changing organizational practices, solving iterative problems, a chance for employees to
improve their capabilities, and the introduction of creative thoughts about organizational problems
(Bowditch & Buono, 1997). The outcomes of poorly managed team conflict results in fall of team energy,
disturbance in healthy relationships, and the obstructions for completing a job. The major phase
involved in dealing with team conflict is-team should realize that the focus is not on conflict itself, but
how it is being managed. The idea behind managing conflict is not to reduce it, but to manage it in a
constructive manner (Rayeski & Bryant, 1994). In general, conflict is handled by a team leader and if it is
not resolved; the end result is a reinforcement of differences between team members that drops the
teams performance level (Wisinski, 1995).
Team Conflict
Typically, Conflict word causes a great degree of discomfort, anger, frustration, sadness, and pain to
people. In the workspace, a simple disagreement among team members, if unresolved, may lead to
avoidance, failure to work together, verbal assaults, and offense. In the most awful instance, it may also
head to hostility and eventual split-ups from the organization. Therefore, it is very important to resolve
a conflict as soon as possible.
Source of Conflict
Use of common resources: In a sales related company where the institutional and retail sales teams
coexist, they share the same warehouse or C & F (Clearing & Forwarding) agents, billing systems,
promotional team, delivery team and the accounting division. Hence, both the teams demand a priority
level of treatment to their own customers or their particular channel members. They effort to bring
pressure on billing teams and delivery staff to process their orders immediately. They keep building
pressure on them even if it costs more to the company by way of small delivery loads or multiple
consignments within the same geographical area. On the other hand, the promotional team remains
under pressure to cut-off the operating costs, tries to optimize the space usage in any carrier and club
the consignments supplies in one direction. This practically leads to some unexecuted orders at any
point of time, and thus results in conflict between the sales teams.
Writing Sample on Conflict Management Sri Harsha Kotamarthy
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This problem appears magnified at every month sales closing stage where all the sales team members
extract orders from each channel partner or customer to fulfill their targets. Every sales team member
wants the work to be accomplished at any cost; acquired orders should be billed and delivered before
the sales bell is closed by the commercial department. Even though this situation arises when there is
only one sales team, but more evident while with both teams. Probably, this is due to the presence of
two different team leaders, which creates a feeling of our sales and their sales in the two groups
(Zameer 2005).
Team conflict if managed correctly it can become a source of excellence, quality and creativity.
However, situations can raise where conflict in teams turns interpersonally destructive and results drop
of effective bonding among members. This occurs especially where the conflict takes on a personal
quality, which results in team members attacking one another, or denigrating each others skills, abilities
or functioning in some way.
This is unhealthy for both individuals and the team. Interpersonal conflicts are often not caused because
of the personalities of individuals involved, but by work role or organizational factors. There is a
tendency to point the individuals problems, which may be due to factors in the work environment.
Occasionally, conflicts among team members cannot be dismissed as because of the factors like
function, organizational, or team personality and irritations do arise and difficulties do have to be
worked through (West 1996).