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ABSTRACT<br/>LAGMAY, KRISTELLE ANN PAULINE T., TULAY, HANNAH JANE R., and<br/>GABAT, MARY JOY Q. 2019. Conflict Management Styles Practiced by the<br/>Couples For Christ - Youth For Christ in Ilocos Norte. Department of Development<br/>Communication College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development. Mariano<br/>Marcos State University. City of Batac, Ilocos Norte. Undergraduate Thesis, 128 pp.<br/>Adviser: Emile Kathleen M. Aguilar<br/><br/> This descriptive survey research study sought to identify the conflicts faced by<br/>the CFC-YFC members related to their program operations in terms of types, persons<br/>involved, causes, and effects. It also determined the styles that could help them<br/>manage these conflicts including the strengths and weaknesses of each.<br/>Eighteen members of the CFC-YFC in the Batac (9) and Laoag (9) chapters in<br/>Ilocos Norte who were involved in organizational conflicts in 2016-2018 provided the<br/>needed data for the study.<br/> In-depth interviews were done on April 1-5, 2019 in the respective homes,<br/>schools, and work places of the respondents in their most convenient time. Interviews<br/>were recorded and afterwards, transcribed. They were then tabulated using frequency<br/>counts and percentages. All the processed data were interpreted narratively with<br/>illustrative quotes to reinforce these. <br/> The CFC-YFC members mostly experienced relationship conflicts. Of these,<br/>attitude differences were mostly encountered. The conflict mostly involved leader-leader<br/>and caused frequently by arrogance which resulted typically to anxiety among those<br/>involved. The CFC-YFC members also experienced task conflicts. Of these, disagreements<br/>over goals for the task were mostly experienced and involved leader-leader. This was typically caused by the members' incompatibilities in their perception of their goals which<br/>caused lack of teamwork among them.<br/> The least experienced were process conflicts. Of these, disagreements on the<br/>strategies, policies, and procedures on how to carry out the task were mostly<br/>encountered. The conflict mostly involved leader-leader which was caused by the lack of<br/>clarity on how to accomplish their task, which resulted in alienation.<br/>The mediation style was mostly used by the CFC-YFC members in handling their<br/>relationship conflicts while negotiation was frequently applied for task and process<br/>conflicts.<br/> The three conflict management styles were found to predominantly have<br/>strengths than limitations.<br/>Generally, negotiation was used by the members because they can settle their<br/>differences on their own without the presence of a third party. They can also engage in<br/>it voluntarily and informally but still in a private manner. However, it can hinder<br/>compromise when one party refuses to cooperate by not speaking about their true<br/>feelings about the issue or are unwilling to share information. Moreover, the side of the<br/>more powerful leader usually prevails.<br/> On the whole, mediation was also used by the members because they have more<br/>courage to open up about their feelings in the presence of a third party facilitator who<br/>guides them in the discussion and helps them arrive at an agreement. However, the<br/>facilitator can be impartial at times and has a tendency to side one party.<br/>Although least employed, arbitration was used because it is quicker to manage or<br/>solve problems with the presence of their couple coordinator who listens to both sides of the conflicting parties and hands down a final decision in which the parties are obliged or<br/>compelled to follow. No limitations were found in this style.<br/> These results imply the wide range of conflicts that could occur in an<br/>organization composed of people with different backgrounds, attitudes, workstyles,<br/>interests, goals, views, and scarce resources. The variety of management styles (l.e.,<br/>negotiation, mediation, arbitration) used by the CFC-YFC members in handling conflicts<br/>implies that they have a variety of options and that they are free to choose which<br/>method is appropriate in every conflict situation in their organization. The common use<br/>of negotiation implies that it is quicker to reach agreements or compromises in an<br/>informal, voluntary, but private manner by two conflicting parties for as long as they are<br/>honest with their feelings and willing to share information. The usual use of mediation,<br/>likewise, implies that it is also quicker to settle differences among conflicting members<br/>because of the presence of a third party who enlightens them about their issues and<br/>guides them in working towards an agreement with the condition that they are willing to<br/>share information and their true feelings. <br/> Conflicts can damage relationships and affect productivity levels; therefore, it is<br/>important for the organization to always be mindful of the signs of conflict and not to be<br/>hesitant to intervene. In as much as the organization members can freely choose among<br/>themselves the management style appropriate for every conflict situation they face, they<br/>should sustain negotiation and mediation. The predominantly favorable outcome of each<br/>should encourage the members to go through the respective processes of these styles.<br/><br/><br/><br/> |
