Interpersonal Conflict Case Study

Conflict is a fact of life, it is present in any situation and it is not different within the workplace. One of the most common types of conflict in the workplace is intergenerational conflicts. The demographic changes in the past are currently affecting the work, it resulted in a diverse workforce where different generations share same titles, tasks and workplaces. According to Gursoy, Maier and Chi (2008) there were multiple generations working together in same organizations before, however “they were usually separated from each other by virtue of their job descriptions and system hierarchy” (Gursoy, Maier & Chi, 2008, p. 448). In addition, a workplace with multiple generations “brings in a lot of complexities as each generation have their …show more content…
Therefore, the study of interpersonal communication brings approaches and strategies to assist in conflict resolution. One of these approaches points how conflicts are correlated with interpersonal relations, interactions, and emotions as suggested on research. Sargent, Picard and Jull (2011) concluded that “according to the insight approach, conflict emerges out of this responsive interactive framework by which people make meaning out of their environment and seek to realize what matters to them – their cares” (p. 345). Thus, this approach addresses cares as not only basic individual or collective needs and values, it understands cares as a deeper subject in interpersonal communication, counting for example, even assumptions, expectations based on biases, patterns or how people act when facing situations and their judgments (Sargent, Picard, & Jull, 2011). This perception of people’s behavior and communication designed in the insight approach introduces a complementary strategy to analyze intergenerational conflicts where differences and details have a higher contrast between the …show more content…
The third party may request individual meetings prior the re-frame, where confidentiality can be improved. “Low trust, or distrust, is linked to low concern for other” (Davidson, Mcelwee and Hannan, 2004, p. 277), therefore, the low trust climate can be changed once the parties notice that they have been heard by the third party. Individual meetings will facilitate to restore trust and confidentiality in the workplace, the third party will create a safe environment where the parties involved in the conflict can express and tell their story. The third party may use questions to help in the interpretation and find out what the parties really mean with that and what they