Nick Cunningham functional conflict

        Nick Cunningham functional conflict

    Nick Cunningham is experiencing a functional conflict. A functional conflict can take place between individuals or groups.  It positively impacts a situation and considers both sides of the story. The disagreements within a functional conflict are, in most cases, healthy. Dysfunctional conflicts describe unhealthy or harmful disputes that might occur between individuals and groups. Dysfunctional conflicts usually offer win-lose situations and not win-win situations.

The above definitions demonstrate that a functional conflict accosts Nick Cunningham. From his perspective, he does not consider the forced changes relevant to the situation. The new corporation they have purchased is doing well. Nick acknowledges the fact that Beauchamp’s managers should be maintained for the new business, its performance. This argument is healthy because he prioritizes the interests of the organization’s performance despite the tight rules of the top management.  This disagreement exists based on Nick’s goodwill on the organization.

The cause of the conflict in this context is primarily as a result of the strict regulations set by Nick Cunningham’s superiors. The bosses are stringent on imposing massive changes to the new corporations. These strict regulations which have been established by Synergon are relevant to corporations that were not doing well before. Therefore, this implies that it is useful to implement gross modifications to corporations that were performing poorly. On the other hand, they have not established regulations concerning corporations that are performing well, that is Beauchamp in this scenario. Therefore it is healthy to keep the managers that have whose performance has been excellent. I think it is impractical and ineffective to make changes merely due to the existence of set regulations. It is significant to be practical, realistic, as well as rational in dealing with the situation.

The form of conflict in is this context is intrapersonal. The disagreement exists within the merger’s manager, who is Nick Cunningham. He is aware and sure that despite the rules set by the company, maintaining Beauchamp’s team of managers is significant since the corporation is performing well. Besides, Beauchamp’s success is attributed to its competent and skilled team of managers. Nick Cunningham is also definite that Synergon’s managers do not comprehend and support the idea.  He knows and is certain that the managers believe in implementing and effecting massive changes. Since Nick is the one responsible for the merger, he is unsure and hence torn between the managers as well as the success that has already been established by Beauchamp’s managerial team.  If Nick does not impose the significant changes desired by bosses, he might lose his employment to Julian Mansfield, the Beauchamp manager through retirement. Julian Mansfield might take over since he is a successful and effective manager in the previous corporation. Also, Nick Cunningham is confronted with interpersonal conflict. This is because he is required to impose changes according to the recommendations of his bosses, or he loses his occupation.

Effective conflict management is an essential quality of an effective manager. Active managers should access and respond to conflicts appropriately. According to Shearouse (2011), there are five basic ways of responding to a conflict. The five responses to any conflict include collaboration, compromising, avoidance, and accommodation. All these five conflict responses uniquely fit into various disagreements. Therefore, it is the responsibility of managers, and all individuals to make the right choices as well as choose the most effective decision depending on the type of conflict that one is experiencing.

The best approach that Nick Cunningham can apply in response to this disagreement is the collaborative style of conflict. I choose the above style since the collaborative technique involves teams coming together, discussing, and making a cooperative decision concerning the issue or dispute at hand. When the parties involved in the conflict discuss the problem, they can critically analyze the issue as well as make rational decisions without prejudice. This approach towards conflicts is functional and offers a win-win situation. If Nick Cunningham together with his team, uses this approach, they will highly increase their chances of benefiting as a whole. Therefore, Nick should approach his bosses to convince them and explain his perspective on effecting and implementing the set changes concerning this unique scenario. The managers should also demonstrate a willingness to discuss with Nick Cunningham why it is significant to make the change. If Nick and his bosses solve this cooperatively, they will fully benefit the organization. Also, Nick Cunningham will not feel threatened with losing his job or retirement. The collaborative style of conflict response favors Nick and his bosses because the individuals in the conflict are few. It would be challenging to establish an agreeable solution and explanation when the team involved is enormous. This is so because, in most scenarios, it is challenging to arrive at a full consensus concerning a particular issue. However, since Nick and his team are not too many, there is personal contact; hence consensus can be arrived at within a short period.

I would, therefore, advise Nick Cunningham to approach the bosses confidently. As a good Manager, Nick should not fear but embrace the problem positively. Individuals face conflicts daily in their places of work. Therefore, it is significant for individuals to be optimistic when facing any dispute. Also, conflicts present better opportunities for interaction and growth. Nick should also uphold the organization’s integrity and ethics. He should confidently share his views regarding the Beauchamp’s team of managers. Also, he should observe the organization’s written policies. Nick should also encourage and advise the bosses about revising its policies to match unique and future situations that the corporation might face. This is because written policies such as those of Synergon enhance conflicts when situations at hand are more ethical issues. Conflicts usually arise when an individual’s perspective and decision on a particular issue do not march an organization’s written policies. Ethical decision-making is affected when the decisions conflict with the perspective of the managers. Individuals tend to be inferior when disagreeing with the top managers because they are the ultimate decision-makers.  Therefore, Nick Cunningham should not avoid or fear the conflict despite the challenges he faces. This because avoiding conflicts results in the same disagreements resurfacing in the future.

In conclusion, conflicts are frequent in our daily lives. They exist in both workplaces and social relations. Therefore, individuals should embrace conflicts positively and not fear them. Conflicts should be viewed and utilized as opportunities to comprehend significant issues facing organizations.  Individuals should confidently face any situation and always remain calm regardless of the outcome.  It is also essential to focus on functional conflicts and always avoid any dysfunctional conflicts. Even though avoiding disagreements seems to be the friendliest approach towards conflict, avoiding conflicts does not imply that the disputes will not reappear. The best conflict approach is actively and positively resolving them when they arise.