Thesis (DTech (Human Resources Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 220-233). / Reputable organisational gurus agree that workplace competency can be measured by the skills, knowledge and attitude of the employees. Skill and knowledge are the minimum that is expected from employers but attitude, which includes the construct of emotional intelligence, is more difficult to measure. It has often been said that people in organisations are hired for their skills and knowledge but fired for their poor attitude or behaviour. Changing adult behaviour is considered by many human resource practitioners to be nigh impossible. Human beings are creatures of habit and by the age of six years old their personalities are virtually formed. (Baldwin, 2001). If the six year old further experiences poor parenting or any other traumatic experiences, it may transpire that the adult who enters the workplace presents as a dysfunctional person. This person can rely only on skills and knowledge and will do his best to project an acceptable behavioural front to the organisation.The premise of this research suggests that improved self-awareness can allow people in the workplace to recognise their own ‘blind spots’ and choose to deal differently with others when faced with conflict. It may be unrealistic to expect employees to demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence, when they have never been given the opportunities to learn these skills. However, ignoring the behaviours that lead to dysfunctional conflict may come at a high cost for organisations. The researcher alludes to the cost of industrial disputes in South Africa, which are reaching unacceptable levels for both the private and the government institutions. It is also an alarming trend that many government institutions ignore the cost of lengthy individual labour disputes and outsource their responsibility to lawyers and forensic investigators, rather than adopting sound conflict resolution practices to resolve these matters. The effect of these strategies is to protect politicians and to blame the officials in administrative positions and furthermore to prosecute them via legal channels, a process that costs both ratepayers and taxpayers millions of rands in unnecessarily wasted revenue.The primary research objective was to determine the most effective approaches to utilise the Enneagram as a tool to resolve subliminal conflict in the workplace. The researcher argues that increased self-awareness leads to individuals being more emotionally intelligent. In order to grow self-awareness an intervention or tool is needed to ‘wake the person up’ from his automatic responses to situations. The Enneagram is a modern tool with ancient roots, which can be used to give people clarity on their automatic behavioural responses. It is not intended to put people in ‘boxes’, but rather to help them recognise what their fixations are and then to give them options and pointers on where they could progress in their development. Hudson and Riso (1993, 1995, 1996, 2000 and 2002) have authored five books and are recognised as being two of the most credible researchers and authors of the Enneagram. They identified three social styles based on the research of Karen Horney. The researcher investigated the relationship between the Hornevian social styles and a Conflict Assessment questionnaire. Secondary objectives were thus as follows:• Conducting a pilot study in the design of Conflict Assessment Style questionnaires. • Investigating the relationship between the Conflict Assessment Style questionnaires and the Hornevian social styles and to applying the consequent information during conflict training workshops. • Facilitating the Mastering Conflict workshops. • Designing Enneagram typing cards. • Holding coaching sessions with each of the nine personality types in order to resolve a subliminal conflict issue. Ontological coaching was suggested as an additional intervention over and above the conflict workshops to enable employees to deal effectively with conflict in the workplace. This way of coaching encourages people to become self-generating and self-correcting. This coaching methodology deals with people in a holistic manner and is based on phenomenological principles. Qualified coaches, either internal or external to the organisation, are able to hold a mirror to employees faced with dysfunctional conflict work situations to find solutions that lead to personal growth for those employees. When the lessons learned from coaching enable the individual to adapt or change, the organisation benefits too, in that the lessons learned are often passed on to others in that organisation. Sustained conflict resolving mechanisms have further advantages: employees who are parents or hold leadership positions in their communities are able to apply these behaviours in those spheres too, thus creating a systemic positive change. The researcher demonstrated how the Enneagram could be used as a model to help coaches understand their clients’ subliminal reactions to conflict situations. The intention of these coaching conversations was to assist employees in dealing with potentially dysfunctional conflict situations in a process that is both time efficient and creates lasting problem solving. The researcher proposes that organisations that are serious about creating environments where people want to work, grow and succeed must adopt strategies where people are able to become more self-aware and to deal more effectively with conflict that does not enhance creativity. It is incumbent on the organisation to create learning forums for employees and to provide coaching dialogue as ways to explore meaningful and sustained remedies to dealing with dysfunctional conflict in the workplace. The researcher did not propose that the Enneagram is the only model that could be used in personal development interventions, but found it to be robust as a model to help “unstick” employees from their false perceptions of conflict situations, thus creating a way forward that offers lasting change and personal growth.

Park management at Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS) actively continues to modify the General Management Plan to maintain the safety of the increasing numbers of visitors and protect natural resources. When changes conflict with anglers' current usage of the beach, park management receives vocal opposition from local and visiting anglers who do not want their long-standing rights to the beach to be affected. To better inform management decisions and policies surrounding the beach area, this qualitative thesis research used ethnographic interviews to address the following key objectives: (1) Understand the relationship between surf anglers and the beach at PAIS, (2) Identify the main issues, concerns, needs, and expectations of the surf anglers at PAIS, (3) Describe the relationship between surf anglers and the National Park Service (NPS), and (4) Determine key areas of conflict and tension surrounding NPS management of the beach. At Padre Island National Seashore (PAIS), referred to by local anglers as "the PINS," anglers connect to the beach because of memories experienced there, a heritage of use, a sense of serenity and spirituality, and camaraderie. Those who have a long-standing relationship to the beach at the PINS, in some cases multi-generational, feel a sense of guardianship and even ownership over the beach. Many surf anglers at the PINS experience the outdoors through a family heritage of fishing, connect to others through fishing, and promote conservation practices through media, camaraderie, and local knowledge. Angler feelings towards the NPS range from distrust to an appreciation of the role of the NPS in protecting their sacred fishing place. Areas of conflict and tension stem from anglers' safety concerns, new regulations that challenge and threaten their traditional values and experiences associated with surf fishing, and a lack of communication and inclusion of anglers in the National Seashore's decision-making processes. To better manage conflict surrounding management issues on the beach at PAIS, this thesis suggests that park managers (1) reinstate public meetings; (2) utilize moderated roundtable discussion at public meetings; and (3) involve the scientific community, appropriate stakeholder groups, and angler knowledge in informing decisions and new regulations.

Organizational systems from a variety of fields and industries have begun to investigate and evaluate the skills, strategies, and lessons learned from conflict. Yet, many of the findings are isolated to their specific organizations or industries, decreasing the impact of the newly emerging knowledge. Due to the lack of interconnectedness in the fields and industries, this study poses the following research question: How do organizations develop skills and strategies to respond to internal and external conflict within systems? The purpose of this grounded meta-analysis was to discover what skills and strategies organizations learn through the process of managing conflict and to utilize the findings to develop a comprehensive integrated conflict development model to aid organizations in the development of their systems. The study utilized Hossler and Scalese-Love’s (1989) grounded meta-analysis methodology. Theories such as systems theory, social constructivism, and frame analysis were used to inform the development of the new theoretical framework: the roadmap for organizational conflict management systems (ROC framework). From an initial sample of 33 reports from 1990 to the present indicating conflict, I reviewed 12 executive reports and publications relating to conflict in organizations (before, during, or after conflict). Data analysis produced a framework including a holistic, transparent, and innovative context for learning, using strategies of communication, knowledge sharing, support, and collaboration. The resulting ROC framework is presented in the form of a chart to assist organizations in developing an integrated conflict management system resulting in organizational effectiveness, cooperative conflict management, and a culture of openness and trust.

The purpose of this study is to gain an insight into what the most common conflicts are between pupils in the leisure-time center according to leisure-time teachers, how the leisuretime teachers handle these and how the leisure-time teachers prevent conflicts. The previous research done in our study is based on previous thesis and research on conflicts and conflict management. The theoretical perspectives of the study are based on Johan Galtung's ABC model, Cohen's conflict pyramid and Arne Maltén's conflict strategies. The empirical evidence was collected through a qualitative method with interviews of four leisure time educators and an assistant principal. In addition, two observations were made on two different occasions in a school located in the Stockholm area. We analyzed our empirical evidence with help of Andrzej Szklarski's four categories for various reasons for the emergence of conflicts, Johan Galtung's ABC model, Cohen's conflict pyramid and Arne Maltén's conflict strategies. In our study we have found that the reason why conflicts arise between pupils can, for example, be due to a lack of occupation among pupils, envy in friends' relationships but also in disagreement on game and play rules. Another reason may be verbal comments where students disturb the play of other students but also conflicts that occur through social media where the students take the conflicts from home when they come to school. Based on interviews and observation we have seen that the leisure-time teachers usually handle conflicts by letting the ones involved in the conflict tell their experience of the conflict situation without being interrupted to then resolve the conflict together. It also emerged in our empirical evidence report that in conflict situations where the parties do not find a solution to a conflict it is possible that the leisure-time teachers may make a decision, especially if the conflicts have been going on for a long time between the parties. Good leadership and competent, present and educated staff are of great importance in order to prevent conflicts in the leisure-time center.