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Running head: CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Conflict Resolution in Teamwork


Laura Godinez, Charleyne Khamasi, Andrea Moreno, Tuyet Nguyen, & Nora Vue
California State University, Stanislaus
December 2, 2014

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Conflict Resolution in Teamwork

Conflict is recognized as being a common occurrence and can be problematic and


potentially beneficial to both individuals and organizations. Handling conflicts in an efficient
and effective manner results in improved quality of care, patient safety, and decreased stress for
health care workers, especially in the nursing profession (Johansen, 2012). To handle situations
of conflict, nurses must have the appropriate skills to recognize and resolve conflict in a timely
manner. Team Rain consists of nursing students pursuing baccalaureate degrees. Different types
of conflicts and conflict resolution styles will be discussed. Team Rains conflict resolution
styles will also be analyzed. This will be done to better understand how nursing students resolve
conflict and to improve Team Rains conflict resolution styles.
Conflict Definition and Types
In order to better understand how conflict affects people, the definition of conflict must
first be examined. Conflict is defined as the competition between interdependent parties who
perceive that they have incompatible needs, goals, desires, or ideas (Slyke, 1999, p. 5). The
parties involved feel that there is a disagreement in their opinions or that they have irreconcilable
differences (Chou & Yeh, 2007). The way in which conflict is handled depends on the types of
conflict. The different types of conflict are interpersonal, intrapersonal, intragroup, and
intergroup (Typesofconflict.org, 2014).
Intrapersonal conflict refers to the conflict that occurs within an individual and this
makes it hard to identify (Typesofconflict.org, 2014). It is psychological in nature because it
involves ones values, principles, thoughts, and emotions. This may lead to anxiety, restlessness,
stress, insomnia and may even cause depression (Ghaffar & Khan, 2012). The experience may
lead to personal growth and a positive change if the individual is able to come out of the situation
(Typesofconflict.org, 2014).

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Interpersonal conflict refers to a conflict that occurs between two people


(Typesofconflict.org, 2014). It can be resolved as long as the individuals involved are willing to
make adjustments to work with one another. In this case, there is room for personal growth and
healthier relationships with others. (Typesofconflict.org, 2014). Intragroup conflict is
interpersonal conflict that occurs among individuals within the same team or group (Ghaffar &
Khan, 2012). Intergroup conflict refers to a conflict that arises among two or more teams in an
organization. It is caused by the varied sets of interests and goals (Typesofconflict.org, 2014).
Conflict Resolution Styles
Five basic conflict resolution styles include accommodating, avoiding, collaborating,
competing, and compromising (Cavanagh, 1991). Accommodation is characterized by the belief
that the maintenance of harmonious interpersonal relationships is more important than creating
disagreements between co-workers and is often preoccupied with the acceptance of others
(Cavanagh, 1991, p. 1255). Avoidance is characterized by a negation of the issue at hand, and
the belief that any attempt either to discuss or challenge the behavior of another is both hopeless
and futile (Cavanagh, 1991, p. 1256). Collaboration involves an effort of an individual actively
to seek effective problem-solving activities so that all parties can achieve a mutually satisfying
conclusion to the dispute, a win-win situation (Cavanagh, 1991, p. 1256). Competition is most
frequently observed when an individual pursues his/her own needs and goals to the exclusion of
others (Cavanagh, 1991, p. 1256). Finally, a compromising style is observed among individuals
who realize that there are times when one must be prepared to set aside personal wants and
needs in preference for others in order to resolve a conflict situation (Cavanagh, 1991, p. 1256).
History of Conflict Resolution
Historically, decisions of moral significance were not made by nurses, but predetermined
for nurses by physicians and organizational hierarchies. Nurses followed orders in regards to

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patient care. Any organization that follows a plan of hierarchy increases the risk of moral
injustices amongst authoritative leaders at the top of the hierarchy. Examining the history of
nursing is an accurate way to visualize how nursing was founded, and how hierarchal
organizations that made decisions for nurses had resulted in undesirable outcomes. This system
used in nursing has encouraged nurses to be subtle and compliant throughout the years, thus
making conflict resolution nearly impossible because nurses were never truly a participant of the
resolution. Therefore, the history of nursing is a major contributing factor in the way that
contemporary nurses resolve conflicts. The following is an example of conflict powerlessness in
nursing history.
Nursing history shows that nursing values and the ability to resolve conflicts within the
nursing profession clearly coincides with current cultural values, societal values, and knowledge.
Nurses, such as Florence Nightingale (The National Archive, 2008) and those that followed her
direction, such as Matron Muriel Powell (Harris, Bennett, & Ross, 2013) pioneered for education
so that nurses would be better able to direct patient care and resolve conflicts that may arise.
A study in Madrid, Spain documented the conflict resolution styles of nurses (Losa
Iglesias & Becerro De Bengoa Vallejo, 2012). This study found that although collaboration is
the most effective conflict resolution style, it is the style used the least by nurses. It was found
that most nurses compromised when faced with conflicts. Compromising results in a no win
situation for either party. The long term goals of the nurse and patient may not be met when
compromising is used in conflict resolution. The next methods used most by nurses were
competing, avoiding, and accommodating in that order. Avoidance was found to be used by
many new nurses, as many may fear risk of job loss or reprimand from supervisors (Losa Iglesias
& Becerro De Bengoa Vallejo, 2012).
As times have changed, so have issues in the nursing profession. Nurses today have

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different sources of conflict that arise from the modern healthcare system. According to
American Sentinel University (2011) common sources of conflict amongst nurses are cultural
differences between healthcare staff and patients, differences in knowledge, high demand units
that require cooperation, and a shortage of resources. A shortage of resources was probably the
largest factor in the events leading to our patients worsening respiratory status, discussed next.
Conflict Experience
As L.G.s clinical instructor slowly became a distant dot, a deep feeling of dread filled
her stomach (L.G., personal communication, November 3, 2014). This was her first day in the
hospital as a nursing student, and she was overwhelmed by the realness of the patients that filled
the unit. The preceptor nurse that L.G. was assigned to scurried through each of her patients
room administering medications and conducting brief assessments. On several occasions, the
nurse would indicate which of her patients had the most needs with what seemed to be deep
disgust. She allowed L.G. to follow her, but she seemed to be in too much of a hurry to do much
teaching. As they entered a particular patients room, L.G. was shocked by seeing a patient with
a halo. The patient was on oxygen, but the nasal cannula was displaced. The nurse from the
previous shift had attempted to tape the cannula down. L.G.s current nurse tried pressing on the
worn tape in order to properly position the cannula, but her attempts were unsuccessful. Yet, she
did not attempt to re-tape the cannula. After conducting a brief assessment, she crushed some of
the patients medications. However, the patient was unable to swallow most of his medications.
The nurse seemed unconcerned with this. Shortly after, the patients oxygen saturation began to
drop. The nurse would repeatedly suction the patient and silence the patients monitor. L.G. was
sent by the nurse to get a new pulse oximetry for the patient. Yet, the patients oxygen saturation
continued to drop. His wife came to visit and was alarmed by her husbands current state. The
nurse ignored her questions and began to avoid entering the room. She would periodically send

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L.G. to silence the patients monitor since his oxygen saturation was dropping. L.G. felt that she
needed to talk to the patients wife, but she felt useless and unexperienced. However, L.G.
taught the wife how to read her husbands monitor and attempted to calm her down. The
patients wife became a bit less distraught and began to open up about her husband. At one
point, the patients oxygen saturation dropped to 82%. The monitor kept on beeping and L.G.
began to feel anxious. She felt like something needed to be done, so she began to question her
nurse regarding the patients condition. The nurse became defensive and would indicate she was
busy trying to administer medications to all of her patients. After several failed attempts of
trying to get the nurse to enter the patients room, even after informing her that the wife wanted
to speak to her, L.G. felt completely useless and incompetent. She did not want to anger her
nurse. After all, L.G. wanted to have a great clinical experience. L.G. tried to act as if she was
unsure about the patients condition. She asked the nurse for the criteria of a normal oxygen
saturation level. The nurse did not answer L.G.s questions and used her patients in more need
as an excuse as to why she had to leave so suddenly. Once L.G. noticed the patients oxygen
saturation and blood pressure dropping, she rushed out of the patients room. L.G. looked for the
nurse, but the nurse was on her break. L.G felt a sense of panic rising. She rushed back into the
patients room and was shocked by his vitals. His oxygen saturation and blood pressure
continued to drop. He appeared to be sweating as well. L.G. rushed out of the room. To her
relief, L.G. ran into the charge nurse and informed her about the patient's deteriorating condition.
The charge nurse called the Rapid Response Team after assessing the patient. Within a few
minutes, the room seemed to be flooded by people. L.G. did not know what to do. So, L.G.
focused on comforting the patients wife and attempted to explain to her what was going on. The
patient was transferred to the intensive care unit since he was actually going into septic shock.
After this incident, the nurse tried to justify her actions. L.G. quickly agreed with her reasons

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because L.G. did not want to anger her. Yet, the nurse was very upset and resentful. She began
to ignore L.G. and give L.G. dirty looks. The nurse was no longer interested in attempting to
teach. She seemed to disappear and L.G. was unable to find her. She made L.G. feel as if what
L.G. had done was unacceptable (L.G., personal communication, November 3, 2014).
Personal and Professional Conflict
Personal conflict is a conflict that affects one on a personal level (Beheshtifar & Hesani,
2013). It is not related to ones employment. Professional conflict is related to the conflict
within the workplace. Professional conflict may also be interpreted as organizational conflict.
Organizational conflict may be defined as conflict within or between groups in an organization.
This may include groups such as management and the staff of a specific organization
(Beheshtifar & Hesani, 2013). Conflict resolution strategies for both types of conflict are
similar. Accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, competing, and compromising conflict
resolution styles may be utilized for both types of conflict. Yet, the extent in which these
strategies are utilized differs depending on the conflict type and particular situation.
The professional conflict between L.G. and the assigned nurse is common in a hospital
setting. A lack of resources forces nurses to prioritize patients on a scale of needs.
Unfortunately, the assigned nurse failed to recognize the needs of this particular patient due to
the high demands placed on her. The conflict resolution styles of student nurses on their first day
in the clinical setting are not sufficient to contest the decisions of an experienced nurse. This
experience was unfortunate for the patient, yet it was a valuable opportunity for L.G. to learn that
effective conflict resolution styles are essential for nurses to utilize in the workplace.
Appropriate Assertive Responses for the Described Experience
Poorly managed conflict and unresolved conflict have a negative influence on
individuals, organizations, and, most importantly, patient safety. The Joint Commission (TJC)

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issued a Sentinel Event Alert suggesting that poor communication, lack of teamwork, and
ineffective management of conflict among health professionals are main contributors to sentinel
events (TJC, 2008). According to nal, Hisar, and Grgl (2012), assertiveness improves
communication skills, enhances self-confidence, and increases decision-making skills. L.G. was
afraid to speak up because of her nurses disruptive behavior. In addition, that was her first day
in the hospital as a nursing student. Being subjected to disruptive behaviors undermines the
enthusiasm for learning and personal development of nursing students (nal, Hisar, & Grgl,
2012). Thomas (2010) suggested that faculty must convey to nursing students that they are
important and deserve to be respected (p. 304). The university period is an ideal opportunity for
students to practice assertiveness and communication skills (nal, Hisar, & Grgl, 2012).
L.G. and members of Team Rain agree that an appropriate assertive response that might help
resolve the described situation above would be continuing to nicely question the nurse about the
patients condition until L.G. could get the nurses attention regarding the patients serious
condition. If L.G. fails to get the nurses attention despite multiple attempts asking questions,
L.G. should ask the clinical instructor for help.
Team Rains Conflict Resolution Styles
Four out of five members of Team Rain use the accommodation as their conflict
resolution styles. One member uses the avoiding style. All four team members with the
accommodating style expressed that they would like to address the conflict in an open-minded
manner. They are willing to give up some aspects to maintain an environment as peaceful as
possible. However, they do want the other party to appreciate their efforts and possibly give up
some of their aspects in return. For the team member with the avoiding style, she would like to
let the situation go with the flow. She admitted that people sometimes take advantages of her as
she often has little concern for her own need during conflict situations. Both accommodation

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and avoidance are not assertive conflict resolution styles (Cavanagh, 1991). Therefore, as Team
Rain gains additional knowledge, more effective conflict resolution styles, such as collaboration,
can be practiced and utilized.
Solutions and Recommendations of Conflict Resolution Styles
Majority of team members use accommodating conflict resolution style and one team
member uses avoiding style. In 2012, a study determined that majority of nurses in the clinical
settings preferred the accommodating resolution style (Losa Iglesias & Becerro De Bengoa
Vallejo, 2012). Accommodators tend to make their decisions based on emotions, rather than
logical facts (Eilerman, 2006). They may put their needs on hold to fulfill the needs and wants
of others in order to uphold the peace in the work environment. Accommodators are
cooperative, yet they lack in assertiveness which makes them more susceptible to be taken
advantage of by others who are more competitive and out-spoken. Therefore, accommodators
can benefit from assertiveness training and role-playing to help them build the confidence to face
conflicts. Additionally, it is suggested that the accommodator be aware of when it is appropriate
to step outside of this role and onto a different approach that may be more productive (Eilerman,
2006). Accommodators should assess the issue and find a middle ground where they can
cooperate and be assertive, as seen when using the collaboration resolution style.
Although collaborating style is ideal when dealing with conflicts, it is rarely practiced
(Gardner, 2005; Losa Iglesias & Becerro De Bengoa Vallejo, 2012). Only 10% of nursing
students were reported using the collaborating style to resolve conflicts that they encountered
(Pines, Rauschhuber, Norgan, Cook, Canchola, Richardson, & Jones, 2011). It is understood
that collaboration involves cooperatively working together to share plans, make decisions, and
set goals, while obtaining strong communication between members. However, there are still
obstacles to using collaborating style successfully (Gardner, 2005). In response, it is

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recommended that all participants have a mutual understanding of the meaning of collaboration
and the shared responsibilities of individuals to create a strong foundation (Gardner, 2005; Nair,
Fitzpatrick, McNulty, Click, & Glembocki, 2011). Additionally, workshops should be
developed to focus on improving communication skills, working relationships, and enhancing
group participation and discussions to strengthen collaborating conflict management (Nair et al.,
2011). It takes time to acquire the skills and knowledge to produce effective collaboration; thus,
it should be understood that conflict resolution skills will be an ongoing learning process
(Gardner, 2005).
In contrast to collaboration, avoidance is noted to be the worst conflict management as it
leads to destructive communication and usually escalates into a bigger issue (Mahon & Nicotera,
2011). A study in 2011 determined that as a group, majority of baccalaureate nursing students
scored above the 60th percentile for using the avoiding and accommodating conflict styles (Pines
et al., 2011). Avoidance can be due to unpreparedness for conflicts, which leads to poor conflict
resolution management (Pines et al., 2011). It is suggested that students use effective
communication and decision-making when trying to successfully manage a conflict in the
workplace. Additionally, those who reported having low self-esteem and unassertiveness tend to
use the avoiding conflict style (Sportsman & Hamilton, 2007). For that reason, students can
benefit in assertiveness training and teaching. Acquiring additional training has been found to
increase assertive behavior tendency and self-esteem in nursing students (Arslan, Akca, & Baser,
2013). It is emphasized that students use the collaborative resolution style as it can satisfy both
parties and work on reducing stress in the environment. Furthermore, students should be
prepared by including conflict management into the school curriculum that focuses on effective
communication and promoting better resolution strategies by utilizing a collaborating approach
(Pines et al., 2011).

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Conclusion

The types of conflicts that one experiences in the workplace can be uncontrollable;
however, what can be controlled is how the conflict is handled. Five conflict resolution styles
include avoidance, accommodation, collaboration, competition, and compromise. However, the
one that is shown to have better outcomes is collaboration. As seen with L.G.s personal
experience, to simply avoid a conflict can not only threaten patient safety, but is also the least
effective style of conflict resolution. Collaboration requires individuals to cooperate and be
assertive in the planning and decision-making process during a conflict. Effective assessment of
the issue and strategically collaborating with team members can generate the most productive
and successful outcome that can benefit everyone involved.

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