Quality professionals in today’s food industry face more challenges and competing priorities than ever before. This is a result of the dynamic nature of the food industry, changing regulatory policies/standards/regulations, globalisation, continuous business improvement efforts, and demanding customer and consumer expectations. Food safety and quality are critical to the success of a food business. In order to deal with inevitable challenges, quality professionals must understand and be trained to deal with conflicts that arise with internal and external stakeholders. This article provides information to help quality professionals in the food industry lead and manage conflict resolution.
Conflict, a state of opposition, disagreement or incompatibility between two or more parties, is natural and occurs in all organisations, and it can be a source of change and creativity [1]. Conflict is the result of different or contradictory goals or perspectives and is reflected in emotional reactions that can include outrage, apprehension, disillusionment, disappointment, hostility, and depression. Some conflict is unavoidable in human interactions. Conflict is especially common in situations where one or more people’s actions are controlled or overseen by another person [1].
Once a conflict escalates to a dispute, e.g. where one person makes accusations against another, it must be acknowledged and resolved. It is important to resolve the cause, not just the effects of conflict. Conflicts are often rooted in differences in needs, roles, pressures, job positions, priorities, goals, approaches, values, interests, and perceptions [1, 2]. Conflicts can be categorised according to the relationship between the individuals involved. Power or status differentials between individuals are factors in both the cause and the outcome of conflicts. Conflicts can occur at four levels [1, 2]:
- Intrapersonal (within an individual)
- Interpersonal (between two or more individuals)
- Personal–functional (between an individual and their work)
- Personal–organisational (between an individual and their workplace)
The results of conflicts may be positive, negative, or neutral. Positive conflicts have the following outcomes [1, 2]:
- Win–win circumstances
- Creative ideas developed
- Better understanding of tasks and issues
- Wider selection of alternatives
- Increased motivation and energy
- Desire to unite and improve
Negative conflicts result in [1, 2]:
- Win–lose or lose–lose circumstances
- Undesirable outcomes
- Decreased productivity
Quality professionals in the food industry can use a number of approaches to manage conflicts, depending on the circumstances and relationships involved.
Styles of Conflict Management
The Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) evaluates an individual’s behaviour in conflict circumstances [2]. There is no specific right or wrong method for handling conflicts; the approach that works best depends on the situation and the interactions between affected parties. The leader, facilitator or manager must be able to understand various conflict resolution methods and use tools that are appropriate for the situation [1].
Conflicts occur when the concerns of two or more individuals are contradictory. The TKI provides a tool for describing an individual’s behaviour in terms of assertiveness (self-assuredness) or cooperativeness (helpfulness) [2]. Assertiveness is the degree to which the individual endeavours to satisfy his or her concerns, and cooperativeness is the degree to which the individual endeavours to satisfy the other party’s concerns. These measures of conduct can be used to assess approaches to conflict management, as reflected in the five common styles discussed below [1, 2]:
Competing: Competing behaviour is assertive and uncooperative (you lose–I win, taking). When competing, an individual attempts to win, even at the expense of others. Competition may involve standing up for your rights, guarding a position you consider correct, or attempting to dominate [1, 2]. The competing style can be dominating, manipulative, or pushy, focusing on resolving conflict in a manner that satisfies the competing individual. This approach may be appropriate when decisions need to be made quickly and when one party has a stronger position [2].
Accommodating: Accommodating behaviour is unassertive but cooperative (you win–I lose, giving). When accommodating, an individual yields to the wishes of others [1, 2]. An accommodating style allows others to have their way so as not to create conflict. Accommodation can be appropriate when one party is wrong, or when the issue at hand is more important to one party than to another [2].
Avoiding: Avoiding behaviour is unassertive and uncooperative (you lose–I lose, running). An individual practicing avoidance withdraws from the situation, does not address the conflict, and tries to strategically bypass the issue, putting it off until a better time or neglecting it entirely [1, 2]. Avoidance includes not responding, ignoring, denying, rationalising, and/or disengaging. Avoiding behaviour can be appropriate for less critical issues or when the potential harm from conflict exceeds the benefits of stated objectives [2].
Compromising: Compromising behaviour is intermediate between assertiveness and cooperativeness (neither wins or loses, sharing). When compromising, an individual is ready to work to achieve a middle ground, put aside differences, and fulfil the needs of both parties to the extent possible. Compromise addresses the issues at hand, but not to the same extent as collaboration (teaming up). Compromising can involve getting past differences, trading concessions, or looking for a rapid understanding or trade-off [1, 2]. The compromise approach includes giving something up for the “greater good,” i.e. each party concedes something so that the conflict can be resolved. Compromising is utilised when the involved parties are equally strong and avoiding conflict or disturbance is more important than achieving the original objectives [2].
Collaborating: As a food industry quality professional, I strongly encourage you to use the collaborative approach, which I believe is the best method for conflict resolution. Collaboration is both assertive and cooperative (win–win, problem-solving); collaborating individuals endeavour to work together to find a solution that satisfies the concerns of both. It involves diving into the issues to recognise the underlying concerns of all parties and to develop options that address all major concerns. Collaboration can involve investigating differences to benefit from one another’s knowledge or working to discover an innovative answer to an interpersonal issue; it can be used for cross-functional root cause analysis, to trouble-shoot an issue, and to work with internal and external stakeholders. A collaborative approach attempts to find “common ground” in the conflict, i.e. to discover root causes and to come up with a resolution to which all parties can commit. Collaboration is utilised when both perspectives are vital and a coordinated arrangement is desired [1, 2].
In simple terms, the following six steps can help quality professionals to resolve conflict [3]:
- Clarify and define the issue
- Capture all parties’ points of view
- Reach agreement on goals
- Brainstorm alternatives
- Jointly select an alternative that everyone can work with
- Jointly decide how to determine whether the alternative is working
People, processes and problems are the three main components of any dispute [4]:
People: Every conflict involves a history of relationships and personalities [4].
Process: People fight in different ways, but every conflict has patterns of interaction that define the way in which it intensifies, eases or spreads [4].
Problem: Every conflict has content—the issues and interests that form the “reasons for the dispute” [4].
Each party’s preferred outcome to a dispute is determined by the way in which that party perceives the situation. A successful transition from conflict to an agreed outcome that everyone can live with sometimes requires skilled intervention by a mediator. Views of conflict are influenced by emotions and behaviour. The emotions and behaviour of each party, the context of the dispute, and the relationships among disputants can all contribute to escalation of the conflict and to difficulties in conflict resolution [4].
Food industry quality leaders, facilitators, or managers must understand and be able to use methods of conflict resolution that are appropriate for a given situation. Effective communication, active listening, clear assignments, achievable challenges, and meaningful purpose and feedback are critical to avoiding or dealing with conflict and to optimising team performance. Quality leaders and managers invest large amounts of time in overseeing conflict, and coordinated efforts are required to address challenges. More than one approach to conflict resolution may be used to achieve desired outcomes. Helping people recognise the need for change is fundamental to transforming conflict, so that disputants can reach a solution that is beneficial to all concerned [1].
References
- DuBrin, A. (2010). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning.
- CPP. (2009). Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI). Retrieved from https://www.cpp.com/products/tki/index.aspx
- Bruce, S. (2013). 6 Steps to Conflict Resolution in the Workplace. Business and Legal Resources (BLR). Retrieved from http://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2013/06/24/6-steps-to-conflict-resolution-...
- Beer, J., & Stief, E. (1997). The mediator’s handbook (3rd ed.) Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.
Ravi Chermala FIFST, CSci, RFoodSP