Conflict Management Essay Research Paper Conflict Management

Conflict Management Essay, Research Paper

Conflict Management

The case that is being analyzed is about the power issues between Lenore and Caroline. This paper will assess the power relationship between the two and explain in great detail the power balancing strategies that can be used. Also included in this paper, will be the Wilmot- Hocker assessment guide. The Wilmot Hocker Assessment Guide will be the basic foundation for this paper. This assignment will explain the goals of each individual and the messages they use to achieve them. This case study will include examples from the conversation in order to back up certain ideas.

Before Lenore and Caroline engage in conflict, Lenore felt she was being shunned from the family. This feeling of being shunned, resulted in Lenore having a hostile attitude toward Caroline and her family. Even though Lenore feels neglected, she will only state a few of the reasons why she Feels a non-person in Caroline s life and her kid s. The reason why she will not engage fully into conflict is she afraid of conflict. She views confrontation in a negative way. If she did not perceive conflict in a negative view, she would then be more direct on how she feels. When Caroline begins to defend herself and her family, Lenore instantly backs away and pretends to forget what she had previously stated. Lenore is denying that something was communicated because she is trying to ignore the existence of power (Interpersonal Conflict p. 87).

Caroline is the exact opposite of Lenore. Although Caroline does not initiate the conflict, she does not back down from conflict. It is obvious that Caroline is not afraid of conflict. Since the relationship between her mother and her is important, she wants to understand why her mother feels the way she does. Caroline realizes in order to do so, a conflict between ideas will occur. She understands if the conflict is handled correctly, the relationship will gradually become stronger with her mother. Both of their ideas about how a family should be raised will brought out into the open in a conflict.

After reading over the case, it was apparent that both Lenore and Caroline use metaphoric images when they are communicating to each other. Lenore states that parent s are the best role models for children. If you re not going to provide that model for them, who is. Caroline responds by saying, I can not buy what you are saying. Although this type of metaphoric image is not mentioned in the book, one must assume that this is an example of conflict as a product. By saying I can not buy what you are saying, Caroline is stating the metaphoric message that conflict is a product and can be bought if it is at the right price.

When Lenore told Caroline that she is heading into fairly stormy waters, Lenore is using what is considered to be a negative metaphor. Stormy waters can be extremely destructive by being repetitive, powerful, and inescapable. The book would compare Lenore s statement as being Conflict is a Tide. Both Lenore and Caroline do not use metaphoric images in a positive way. If both parties realized those metaphors can cast a negative tone, it would limit the possibility for productive conflict management. Neither party would have used the metaphors.

Lenore is a senior citizen, which would make her over sixty-years of age. Taking her age and the way she communicates into consideration, one can assume that she is a conservative and an old fashion type of lady. She demands that Caroline and her children show her respect because of her age. It is even mentioned in the case, that Lenore would drop everything when her parents came to visit her. Caroline is thirty- years old, and it is obvious that she is more liberal then Lenore. Caroline can understand her daughter s actions a lot clearer then can Lenore. The difference in generations is one of the main ingredients of the conflict. The older generation of people can not adapt to the change in families. For example, people in Lenore s time were not so busy with Car pools, tennis games, and trips that we re really not crucial to any part of your life style. This generation of families is on a lot more hectic schedule. Lenore and many other people from her generation, have a hard time adapting to the fast pace life many families endure.

Lenore must understand and accept that Caroline s parenting style suits the lifestyle of the family. Lenore s parenting style may have worked in the fifties, but it will not work in the nineties. Until Lenore accepts this fact, there will always be a conflict between them.

The event that triggers the conflict, is when Caroline s daughter runs right past Lenore and does not say hello. Lenore interprets that the kid is spoiled , and that Caroline has failed at raising her children correctly. This is the event that brought the conflict into mutual awareness. Since Lenore is Caroline s mother, she unarguably believes she knows what is best for Caroline s family. This first event lead s into a destructive spiral of more of Lenore s problems with Caroline and her family. One of the other problems in the past that upsets her, is that she wants to feel a part of their lives. It seems that if Lenore is not the center of attention, then there must be something wrong.

Caroline believes that there is nothing wrong with her family. Lenore is overreacting and she should just le