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Essay / Impact of Power Imbalance in Conflict - 1126
IntroductionAlmost all conflict situations consist of one party having more power than the other. When the power gap is large, it usually has a major effect on both the subject matter and the process of the dispute. For the outcome of the conflict to be fair, both parties must be relatively equal in power so that the resolution of the conflict is fair. If one party is much more powerful than another, it is more likely to impose its solution on the weaker party, who in turn will be forced to acquiesce because it has no other choice. (Tost, Gino & Larrick 2013) argues that “When a formal leader experiences an increased subjective sense of power, he or she tends to dominate group discussions and interactions, leading other team members to perceive that their views and perspectives are not valued.” This perceived imbalance definitely hinders any attempt to manage conflict in the workplace. When employees feel like they have no authority or power, they tend to become disengaged, and disengaged employees affect productivity. Low productivity can be seen as a form of dissatisfaction and therefore termed as a conflict that needs to be resolved by both the employee and the manager. Conflict and Power The classic definition of conflict is when two or more individuals or concepts seem incompatible, and in this case, low productivity. versus high productivity is the conflict that needs to be resolved between the employee and the manager. Power, on the other hand, is the ability to do something either by physical force or by force and in this case the employee perceives that the manager has all the power in this situation. This now becomes a power imbalance or struggle of major magnitude, as the employee perceives middle of paper...... and determines how effectively the conflict is resolved. ReferencesAbigail, RA and Cahn, DD (2011). Manage conflicts through communication. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Fast, N. and Chen, S. (2009). When the boss feels inadequate: power, incompetence and aggressiveness. Psychological Science, 20(11), 1406-1413. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02452.xGreer, LL & van Kleef, GA (2010). Equality versus differentiation: The effects of power dispersion on group interaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(6), 1032-1044. doi:10.1037/a0020373 Wilmot, W. & Hocker, J. (2011). Interpersonal conflict. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Tost, L., Gino, F. and Larrick, R.P. (2013). When power leaves others speechless: the negative impact of leader power on team performance. Journal of the Academy of Management, 56(5), 1465-1486. doi:10.5465/amj.2011.0180