Conflict Management Styles: A Comparative Analysis in Business Ethics

This report delves into the critical area of conflict management styles within organizational ethics. It contrasts Christian and secular leadership perspectives, highlighting their approaches to resolving workplace conflicts. The report begins by defining the problem of conflict in organizations and explores the secular worldview's approach to business decision-making. It then examines the biblical perspective on conflict management, emphasizing the importance of love, compassion, and ethical considerations. The paper compares and contrasts these two leadership styles, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses in managing employees and fostering a positive work environment. The report concludes by advocating for secular perspectives in management ethics to mitigate conflicts arising from religious or ethnic differences, while also acknowledging the value of biblical principles like love and compassion. The report emphasizes the need for managers to create an environment where all employees are treated with respect and given equal opportunities. The research paper is based on the analysis of multiple scholarly references and provides a comprehensive understanding of conflict management strategies in the context of ethical leadership.

Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL ETHICS
Organizational Ethics
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Abstract
The following report has aimed to give its opinion about the ethical measures that should be
taken in order manage the conflicts within the organization. In the contemporary organizations,
some managers opt for the secular perspectives of business decision making and some managers
use the perspectives of Christian ethics. Here it should be remembered that employees have not
been able to maintain a peaceful situation within their organizations. Conflicts have been there
and it’s the responsibility of the managers to resolve these conflicts by their decision making
abilities. Finally,, it has been found through the discussion, that managers in the contemporary
business organizations should opt for secular perspectives of management ethics to ensure that
there are no conflicts because of the religious or ethnic issues.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Business environment and secular worldview.................................................................................3
Biblical scenario of the conflict management style.........................................................................5
Compare and contrast between Secular and Christian leadership...................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
Reference List................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction
The purpose of the following research paper is to develop the idea about the conflict
management styles from the different perspectives of the conflict management styles. This is one
of the most important factors to resolve the problems within the organization. Many times it has
been seen that employees have got into conflicts with their managers. It is because some
decisions of the employees will impact negatively on the welfare of the employees (Crane &
Matten, 2016). This is why some styles or methods have been invented on how to cope up with
these problems.
It has to be said that managers will have to learn the important methods on how to see the
issues. In this context, religions play a major role. Some managers see this issue from the
perspective of secularism. In the other hand, some managers see this matter from the Christian
perspectives. The decision making of the managers will depend upon the factor of their
perspective. The employees will also have to go through the organizational learning process.
This is due to the fact that employees should look to work on this issue as per the management
perspectives. The ethics, values and religious values of the employees will have to be shown
from this perspective.
Business environment and secular worldview
The leading of the organizations is one of the most important factors for all the managers
in the world. Therefore, those managers will have to be very cautious about implementing their
strategies in the global business environment. The secularism has been applied by many
managers in their business organizations as they work with people belonging to different ethnic
and religious backgrounds. However, the role of the Christian ethics in the business

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organizations has been viewed as a very essential one. This is why strategists have put much
importance in this discourse (Crane & Matten, 2016). However, religious diversity is one of the
most important things all over the world. Therefore, employees will always have to be alert
about the activities they do. Managers, too, does not have the right to insult the religious views of
the employees or interfere and force one to abide by the religious factors that they implement
within their organization. The socio-economic factors in the organizations are also important
factors amongst the organizations to decide their strategies (Trevino & Nelson, 2016).
Many people believe that spirituality has a very little to do with the management
decisions. On the other hand, managers have to fix their different strategies based on the
spiritual-existential dimensions. Therefore, it is quite necessary that organizations will have to
implement their different strategies based on the religious thinking. In general, managers who
follow the secular views must be able to assess the fact that equal opportunities should be given
to all the employees who belong to different religious groups. The messages of the Bible should
not be applied to the decisions made by the management. Therefore, it is the role of the managers
to think how they can motivate their employees in the secular perspectives and work for the
betterment of the organization.
On the contrary, it should be said that basic teachings of Bible of ‘love’ and ‘compassion’
should be practiced in managing the organizations properly. So, it has to be mentioned that
organizations will need to be more conscious about dealing with the several issues that arise with
their employees (Trevino & Nelson, 2016). If the secular managers apply techniques to resolve
the conflicts with the traditional and strict ways of dominance over the employees, it might not
bear the positive fruits as expected. This is why employees should be convinced that they are
cared and respected by the organizational managers (Peifer, 2015). In this scenario, it would be

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highly important to make the employees understand that they will not be underestimated for their
views and their views will be respected (Grem, 2016).
Biblical scenario of the conflict management style
The conflict management is one of the most crucial aspects that can be dealt with the
Christian perspective as well. Therefore, it will be very important for the organizational
managers to apply Christian ethical considerations within their work process. If this is done
properly, they will surely be able to earn the faith of the employees. The messages of love and
peace have been given thoroughly (Trevino & Nelson, 2016). This is why organizational
managers should follow this as well. This will make them understand that the company cares for
them and fulfill their demands by proper considerations.
According to the Christian ethics, these conflicts always affect the daily routines and
rhythmic life of the individuals- both employees and managers. This is why this factor should be
dealt with much calmness (Hoffman, Frederick & Schwartz, 2014). The goodness and meekness
of God is very much important in this context. Therefore, employees want their managers and
supervisors should be as meek as God. It will give them enough confidence to work with faithj
and honesty as Jesus Christ has always advised (Ray et al., 2014).
As per the Bible, many methods have been prescribed on conflicts can be resolved within
individuals. This has been implemented in several organizations as well. So, quite apparently
organizations will need to take the proper steps on hearing the demands of both sides and make
the In Bible, many things have been described on resolving the conflicts of the organizations.
Therefore, it will be quite important to meet the needs of the employees by listening to their
issues (Hoffman, Frederick & Schwartz, 2014). This is just like the case when Jesus used to

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listen to all complaints of His disciples and followers. The organizational managers will have to
address those conflicts properly and judge their demands on the ground of its legitimacy
(DesJardins & McCall, 2014).
At first, self-reflection should be addressed by the people or the employees because it will
validate their claims or how they could cope up with these issues positively (Alzola, 2017).
Therefore, employees must look to view their demands from different perspectives. They should
judge by themselves if any unethical demand has been raised (DesJardins & McCall, 2014). This
goes for the managers as well. The managers reflect or critically analyze their position regarding
this conflict situation. They should address if their viewpoints have caused this conflict. They
should also realize if they could have been softer on handling this conflict (Davies, 2016).
It is the duty of the managers to take the proper decisions and establish an environment of
peace among all men. This has been written in the Bible because conflicts would hamper the
progress of the society. This is also applicable for the different organizations since this will
hamper the organizational integrity as well. Bible’s lessons have always insisted on making
peace with all men within the society or community. The managers must make sure that their
employees are surrounded within the community and this is very important to secure the integrity
within the organization (Alzola, 2017).
Many times it has been seen that an employee has done something unethical with his or
her employee and the victim has suffered many times. Therefore, the teachings of Bible opine
that the victim should meet with that guilty person alone and tell him or her about the fault he
has done on his face. It will be essential since this will make the guilty man realize his fault and
be ashamed. (Matthew 18:15-17). If this does not solve the issue, it will seriously affect the

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organization and its activities. It has also been written that employees should not fear to do this
since they are innocent victims of this conspiracy (Jennings, 2014).
Resentment is a part of this clash and one side might get hurt by the obligations put up by
others. This is why employees will have to make it clear that everyone should work with unity so
they can achieve the organizational objectives together. The degree of involvement of other
members in this case is crucial as well. God always ensures the positivity and good things within
the society and community (Melé, 2015). Therefore, it is also the liability of the managers to be
God-like. They can get involved in these conflicts to make a better outcome in this issue. It is
undeniable that conflicts will happen without any exceptions. The best way to solve this is by
staying calm and patient (Nelson, 2015). However there are some differences in this matter as
well. Therefore, employees will have to stay patient and wait for the right time to put in their
opinion. Employees must have to make the proper efforts and prove in front of everyone that
they are innocent (Twiss, 2018).
Compare and contrast between Secular and Christian leadership
In the recent times, one of the most important things is to determine the contrasts between
the Christian and Secular leadership within the organizations. Most companies of the current
generation follow the secular leadership process since many issues have been faced by them for
following a particular religious leadership style (Twiss, 2018). Though there are many good
points in Bible for the organizational managers, there are some negative issues as well. Most
successful global leaders of this century have followed this secular leadership style and they have
become quite successful as well (Nelson, 2015).

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So, their strategies have worked to manage their employees and form a good relationship
between everyone. They are quite confident about their leadership style that they believe that
they will not God to protect them. They have enough leadership qualities that will be able to
resolve conflicts by pacifying their employees (Arli, 2017). They are very much practical about
their leadership style and they think that everything that goes around within the organization are
all the outcomes of their strategies. Either their strategy would yield good results or they will fail.
They do not believe in any uncanny supernatural or spiritual interference in this. They might
have good faith on God in their personal beliefs but they do not like this to play an important part
in their professional lives (Dion, 2017).
On the contrary, it can also be said that these conflicts or disagreements in the
organizations among managers and employees are never mitigated completely. Some resentment
will always be there in the minds of both the employees and managers. This is why employees
will need to make the most out of the situation (Arli, 2017). If they face with any conflict with
their colleagues, they should learn to deal with secular viewpoint. It is because the person with
whom the conflict is involved, he or she might not be a Christian believer or belong to some
other religion. He or she might think upon this as an insult upon them. Besides, he or she might
think the Christian perspective is being thrown upon them (Weiss, 2014). This is where they
protest and urge their leaders to judge the conflict from a secular angle. The rising tensions
between employees will give away for conflicts. Thus, employees get into conflicts and behave
in strange ways (Dion, 2017).
The managers should adopt such stances that will cater for the overall welfare of their
employees. The primary target for these leaders will be to do the common good. The hostility
between these two sides should not be in place. So, they should sit down for discussions and

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these discussions should lead to peacemaking efforts. Apparently, organizations will have to
make way for the secular beliefs to be practiced (Weiss, 2014). The teachings of Bible should be
followed in some cases where managers should address their employees of not taking the help of
some dishonest means to get their works done. If any such thing is observed, it will hamper their
organizational creativity in a large manner (Zsolnai, 2015).
Therefore, the managers will have to convince their employees that they should not take
the help of tampering of important files, taking bribes from customers or such kind od staff. It is
because this will disturb the reputation of the concerned organization in a big manner.
Employees should quit practices and habits like drinking, smoking (Hill, 2017). This is how they
can stay healthy and work for a longer period of time. Managers should also encourage them to
work honestly and maintain the overall integrity of the organization. They believe all the truths
are truths of God. So, employees can fulfill their business objectives by following the advice of
their managers. The Christ-centered ethics can be kept aside to avoid further religion-based
conflicts.
Conclusion
In the concluding part of this paper, it can be said that the ethical considerations in the
business environment of the organizations are mostly surrounded by either secular perspectives
or the Christian ethical perspectives. One of the most important things that can be said is the
business managers must be able to apply the ethical considerations using the secular
perspectives. It is because multicultural organizations have to work with employees from various
religious and ethnic backgrounds. If they apply the Christian ethics within their business, it will
be harmful for them and might create conflicts. In order to manage the conflicts, managers can

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use the teachings from Jesus about love, peace and compassion. Therefore, they can earn the
trust of their employees and make the most of it. In this manner, managers will require to
implement these secular perspectives so the employees can work in a better workplace
environment without any conflicts. Thus the employees can also work in a better environment
without any conflict.

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