Nonemployment_Conflict

Non-Employment Management Assignment Wamayo River Basin is becoming a commercialized area with more dams going in to offer irrigation and hydropower for the community, also the area is used for paper products and many of the trees are being cut down for this reason, which is speculated to the contributing to the declining salmon population. The Wamayo Salmon population is dwindling due to these commercial activities and within 10 years it is expected that the salmon population at Wamayo River will be extinct. As a policy advisor for Wamayo Basin Management and Conservation, it will be my duty to implement a policy to protect the wildlife while also insuring the region receives hydropower, and all four stakeholders are pleased. In the paper the potential non-organizational conflicts will be discussed along with, alternative dispute techniques, implementation plan, and a metrics systems to measure the success of these methods. Potential Non-organizational Conflicts While the salmon population is in danger of becoming extinct and the salmon fishing industry in this area has diminished tremendously due to the commercial industry, Wamayo Basin needs to develop a policy that will offer hydropower as well as protect the salmon. This is going to create some conflict with the timber companies, as well as the agriculture industry, and the community that is involved in fishing. Some potential conflicts that may arise is that if there are tributaries that are blocked off for protection of the salmon, the timber companies won’t have access to these areas and it will cut down on their business and areas they are allowed to cut trees. If these tributaries were designated and blocked off to protect the salmon population, the timber company is suffering business and this is creating a conflict. Another conflict that may arise is the fact of irrigation supply to local farmers. If there is a cut back in the number of dams to be put in to protect the salmon population this can cut back on the irrigation supply to local farmers. Or also, if there are more dams put in place, there was talk of charging a tax to local farmers; this may not sit well with the local farmers. They may not agree to this and not want to pay a tax for the irrigation. The farmers are well aware of their water rights in the area and their right to irrigation. However, all these methods to be used are to save the salmon population. But there are also other options that can be done to benefit both situations. For example, building dams to provide hydropower and including fish ladders on the dams so the salmon can move through the dams safely. In the situation of eliminating the extinction of salmon and also trying to conserve the commercial industry taking place at Wamayo River is a situation that can cause a lot of conflict. The stakeholder groups involved in this project include; The Salmon Survival Group, The Wamayo Department of Energy, The Northwest Timber and Paper Association, and The Wamayo Farmers Association. With all these stakeholders involved and believing that their cause is top priority, it is not unlikely that conflict will occur. This can create conflict between the stakeholders and make them go after one another and make them feel as though one stakeholder is cause for the other problems. For example, The Salmon Survival Group believes the logging is the contributing factor to the killing of the salmon population. To eliminate these conflicts and keep them to a minimum, alternative dispute resolutions will need to be created for this project. Alternative Dispute Resolution Techniques With so many different organizations, and stakeholders involved and emotions involved there is sure to be conflict during this project. The best solution is to have alternative dispute resolution techniques in place. Having these techniques in place will help eliminate conflict; as well as resolve conflict should it arise. The first step in reducing conflict and eliminating it is to have open, equal communication between all four stakeholders. Allowing for open, equal communication will make all the stakeholders feel involved. If one stakeholder feels that another is getting more time to discussion their point of view this will lead to conflict. Having an organizational meeting with all the stakeholders and telling them the policy and their rights will help in reducing conflict. Also, another important aspect to inform the stakeholders of is the building process of the dam. This will ensure everyone is aware of how the process works and what will be done so there is no confusion, which will reduce conflict. Keeping the stakeholders informed will help in the reduction of conflict. The stakeholders will also need to be informed of the consequences should they not follow the policies, having consequences for their actions will minimize potential conflict risks. Another method that can be used to resolve and prevent conflict is continuous feedback. Providing feedback to the stakeholders and receiving feedback will allow the stakeholders to let the company know their feelings and current position on the project as well as any changes they would like to see. Allowing the stakeholders to give their feedback is a great tool that the company can use to prevent conflict. By simply listening to the stakeholder’s wants and needs this can prevent future conflict. Addressing these issues before they occur, or giving the stakeholders what they need will prevent and eliminate any conflict. The conflict can be stopped before it occurs. As well as having preventive measures there should be measures in place to resolve conflict. Resolution techniques should be put in place. Those techniques are as follows; communication and arbitration. Having these two techniques in place will help in the resolution of conflict for Wamayo River Basin. Communicating is the first step, stakeholders will need to communicate with the company in regards to the conflict, why the conflict occurred and what they feel can be done to resolve the conflict. If communication does not work in solving the conflict the company will then need to move forward with arbitration. Arbitration is a more formal process of resolving conflict, but is less formal than litigation. This type of conflict resolution can be used for contractual and commercial disputes. The arbitration process allows both parties to meet with a third party that would serve as the arbitrator; both parties present their facts, figures, and evidence. A legal and binding decision is then made by the arbitrator. This would be another technique the company can use to resolve the conflict. The company needs to properly implement these techniques and ensure all parties understand. Implementation Plan Implementing these alternative dispute resolution techniques will be a smooth process if all parties are informed properly. Letting all the stakeholders know the new policies that will be in place and the order these policies will occur should conflict arise is the first step in implementation. Informing the stakeholders that open communication will be the first technique used to resolve in the event of a conflict, if this is not successful this is when arbitration will be used. Having the stakeholders sign contracts stating these conditions will be part of the implementation process. The company needs to inform the stakeholders that open communication are strongly suggested for a form of reducing and eliminating conflict. Having open communication allows individuals to come in and discuss the issue at hand and hopefully eliminate it before it turns into conflict. Letting all the stakeholders know this and providing this option is a great resolution to conflict management. The stakeholders will receive updates and feedback on the building of the dam during the whole process, this is another technique that will be used to implement the open communication and reduce conflict. This will also be a time when the stakeholders can provide their feedback to the company. If they are receiving feedback from the stakeholders they know what they need to change and what is running smoothly. Feedback is a great tool to use in companies during conflict management. Measuring the success of these solutions is the next step the company will need to do. Recommend Metrics The best method to measuring the success of the alternative dispute resolutions is to monitor the amount of conflict occurring before and after the resolutions was put into effect. If the amount of conflict has dropped then you know that the methods are working. Human Resources will be the department to log and track the amount of conflict for the company. It is important to document the steps that were taken to resolve the conflict, this will tell the company which methods were used and what was successful. The data should be reviewed after a period of time, whether it be six months or a year. If the data indicates a drop in conflict the company will know the methods were successful, if there is an increase or a steadiness in conflict they will need to re-evaluate the ADR techniques for the company. Also, the company can evaluate the amount of time it took to handle the conflict and resolve it. Measuring the resolution of the conflict at different intervals will give the company an idea of the impact of the conflict on the organization such as; cost, time, relationships, etc. Measuring these aspects can give the company insight on the conflict management and if it is successful. Conflict will occur, so it is important to have a plan in place to prevent as well as resolve conflict should it arise. Conclusion Conflict will occur in organizations and business whether it is employee conflict or non-employment conflict. Handling the conflict in the appropriate manner and resolving the conflict as quickly and effectively as possible is important for the company. If the conflict is not resolved and continues to occur the company will not be successful and the company will eventually feel the effects of the reoccurring conflict. Forgiveness is an important aspect to remember during conflict. Forgiveness isn’t excusing the conflict or saying it is okay it is just acknowledging the truth. “Forgiveness does not dismiss or minimize an event or situation. It acknowledges the truth about what happened and the consequences that followed” (Hocker, Wilmot 2007). Wamayo Basin River is implementing a plan and policies to attempt to please all four stakeholders involved and save the salmon habitat. It is not an easy task to please different stakeholders with very different needs and wants. Managing them all appropriately and having appropriate policies in place to address conflict should it arise, is very important. Using techniques to reduce risk will be important for WBMC, reducing risk and conflict will make the project of building dams much more effective and efficient. Meeting the needs of many different stakeholders and individuals in a company is a tough task, but managing it appropriately and properly will result in success for the company as well as the stakeholders. References Hocker, J., Wilmot, W. 2007. Interpersonal Conflict. The McGraw-Hill Company, Inc. Retrieved September 4, 2010 from rEsource. Dana, D. 2001. Conflict Resolution. The McGraw-Hill Company, Inc. Retrieved September 4, 2010 from rEsource.