Intervention Strategies and Conflict Resolution
Conflict abounds in our daily lives. It is a natural phenomenon that occurs to all humans. On the one hand, conflict is viewed as destructive because it can permanently put an end to important, interpersonal relationships. On the other, it can also be constructive because it can help reinforce and strengthen existing interpersonal relationships. This paper will examine how the mediation process applies to a recent news report as well as the intervention strategies that were employed.
What happened in the United Airlines plane made headlines last April. Dr. David Dao, a Vietnamese-American doctor was on board as an ordinary airplane passenger. Due to an urgent appointment, airline workers needed to replace some of the passengers on board. Some adhered, but Dr. Dao did not. After several instances of negotiation, he finally agreed to get off. In a few moments, he came back and sat on the last row of the plane while uttering the words “I have to go home” repeatedly. The staff decided to call the police. The police then dragged the man off the plane. The man ended up appearing bloody and beaten (Victor & Stevens, 2017).
The two ways to resolve this kind of conflict are: (1) negotiated outcome and (2) mediated outcome. Negotiated outcome happens when the two disputing parties reach a conclusion by themselves. The mediated outcome involves a third-party who will seek to reconcile the two disputing parties in a more formal negotiation. They then try to come up with a mutually-acceptable resolution. (“Employment Relations,” 2017).
Dr. Dao expressed to the media that he wanted to a file a lawsuit against the airline company. Of course, being in a lawsuit is costly and time-consuming for United Airlines. This will also irreparably damage its reputation. United Airlines resorted to the negotiated outcome by apologizing to Dr. Dao. CEO Oscar Munoz admitted that it was “a mistake of epic proportions” (Banks, 2017). Clearly, the United Airlines has gone to the depths of humiliation to save its international reputation. Another news report even stated that Dr. Dao was given a financial compensation which probably amounted to a million or more than a million dollar – the exact amount not being disclosed to the public. (Banks, 2017). Thus, the law suit did not push through.
Another applicable intervention strategy is the mediated outcome. In this case, the United Airlines can seek a third-party to arrange a formal meeting between Dr. Dao and the airline company’s representative. Then the third party can gather the background information – that is, the disputing parties’ sides on the matter (Moore, 2014). The third party is fair and knowledgeable about conflict resolution. It will then generate the resolution options based on the data that has been collected (Moore, 2014). If there is a seemingly-favorable option to the disputing parties, they can reach a mutually-agreeable outcome (“Employment Relations, 2017). They can then arrive at a closure wherein the dispute is finally settled.
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