Conflict In Interpersonal Relationships

Conflict is a natural part of any relationship. Interpersonal relationships can involve anyone from people you work with to family members to neighbors. Conflict arises when people disagree about something, which is a part of life. If you experience conflict, it means you probably have some kind of relationship with the other person. It is how you handle the conflict that will either make or break the relationship.

Identification

According to Donna R. Bellafiore, MSW, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker, conflict is actually healthier in many ways than no conflict at all. Bellafiore came up with six ways to resolve conflict. They are: identify the problem; come up with several possible solutions; evaluate the solutions; decide on the best solution; implement the solution; and continue to evaluate the solution.

Significance

Such steps seem pretty straightforward, yet people seem to stumble over them. Tim Borchers, professor and chair of the Communication Studies Department at Minnesota State University Moorhead, thinks the reason people can't get to the point of resolution is because they want to avoid conflict altogether. The other reason is that they simply blame the other person. These are the two biggest hindrances to conflict resolution.

Warning

Conflict in Interpersonal relationships can become quite serious when it moves from individuals to nations. Charles Hauss is Director of Policy and Research at Search for Common Ground USA and teaches Political Science and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. In his article, "Interpersonal Conflict and Violence," he discusses how governments should be doing more in terms of conflict resolution. He believes that governments should strive harder to promote win/win conflict resolution skills in all areas of interpersonal relationships. He further states that it is a "growth industry" because of the amount of wars occurring all over the world.

The Missing Factor

Another study on conflict and interpersonal relationships was done at the Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Arlington, and published by the National Institutes of Health. It found that there was another factor involved in resolution--agreeableness. Two studies that involved elementary students found that the agreeableness was particularly correlated with efforts of conflict resolution strategies in children. The study further disclosed that children's perceptions of themselves and others during conflict was affected by their agreeableness, despite their companion's level of agreeableness. Analysts of this study also reported that children higher in agreeableness had more amicable, effective conflicts.

Prevention/Solution

In the business world, conflict in interpersonal relationships is of huge interest because of the growing diversity of employees. Conflict-management skills are a necessity for any manager worth his salt. Managers must practice active listening and adaptability. They must also optimize certain areas of communication so employees will respect them as managers. These skills are influence, interpersonal facilitation, relational creativity and team leadership. All these components have their own sets of rules, but all strive to create a peaceful, happy, productive work environment.