Conflict Management & Addressing Wrongdoing

Conflict Management & Addressing Wrongdoing in the Workplace

Course Information

  • Course Code: OCCU 5003

  • Institution: Dalhousie University

Outline of Topics

  • Definitions of conflict and wrongdoing

  • Moral agency

  • Roots of conflict

  • Conflict management strategies

  • Mandatory reporting

  • Approaches to conscious decision-making

Communication & Collaboration Standards

Competency B3: Collaboration

  • Collaborate with clients, other professionals, and stakeholders.

  • B3.9: Recognize and address real or potential conflict in a fair, respectful, supportive, and timely manner.

Professional Responsibility E1

  • Meet legislative and regulatory requirements.

  • E1.8: Respond to and report unprofessional, unethical, or oppressive behavior when observed.

Key Definitions

Conflict

  • Definition: Discord arises when goals, interests, or values of individuals/groups are incompatible, blocking efforts to achieve objectives.

  • Characteristics: Disagreement, dispute, hostility, misunderstanding, difference of opinion (Jones & George, 2013).

Wrongdoing

  • Definition: Willful violation of professional standards and/or laws.

  • Examples: Misconduct, malpractice, unethical behavior, criminality, corruption.

Moral Development in the Professions

Key Aspects

  • Moral Judgment: Determining morally right or wrong actions.

  • Moral Character: Prioritizing moral values in terms of importance.

  • Moral Sensitivity: Understanding situations from various perspectives.

Roots of Conflict

Common Causes

  • Misunderstanding

  • Personality clashes

  • Competition for resources

  • Authority issues

  • Lack of cooperation/collaboration

  • Differences in methods/styles

  • Low performance

  • Differences in values/goals

Conflict Management Styles and Strategies

Overview

  • Conflict management seeks to improve situations and strengthen relationships.

Key Styles

  1. Competing: Asserting one’s position regardless of others’ viewpoints.

  2. Collaborating: Finding a solution that fully satisfies and plans to win both sides.

  3. Compromising: Finding middle ground to have some concerns met.

  4. Avoiding: Not satisfying personal concerns, often ignoring the issue.

  5. Accommodating: Putting aside personal concerns to satisfy others.

Conflict Management Process

Steps for Resolution

  1. Designate a private meeting place.

  2. Define desired outcomes.

  3. Allow each party to voice their views.

  4. Agree on viewpoint differences.

  5. Explore possible solutions/alternatives.

  6. Agree on a plan and follow-up steps.

  7. Implement the agreed-upon actions to achieve resolution.

Types of Wrongdoing

Categories of Misconduct

  • Corruption: Bribery, misuse of public power, nepotism, cronyism.

  • Fraud and Theft: Improper private gains from the organization.

  • Conflict of Interest: Personal interests conflicting with public interests.

  • Improper Use of Authority: Using illegal methods for organizational goals.

  • Discrimination and Sexual Harassment: Misbehavior towards colleagues and clients.

  • Waste and Abuse of Resources: Non-compliance with organizational standards.

  • Private Time Misconduct: Conduct harming public trust, even outside of work.

Mandatory Reporting Requirements

Obligation of Occupational Therapists

  • Regulatory Duty: Report other occupational therapists or health professionals if there are reasonable grounds for suspicion of misconduct, incompetence, or danger to the public.

  • Relevant legislation: Occupational Therapists Act (effective April 7, 1999).

Influences on Peer Reporting

Individual Factors

  • Newness to the workplace.

  • Fear of incorrect judgments.

  • Desire to curry favor with superiors.

  • Membership in a professional association for guidance.

  • Personal beliefs and self-confidence.

Situational Factors

  • Severity and cost of wrongdoing.

  • Potential for recurrence.

  • Harm to others and normalization of wrongdoing.

Organizational Factors

  • Clarity of legal vs. illegal conduct.

  • Familiarity with organizational policies.

  • Supportive vs. retaliatory organizational climate.

Approaches to Ethical Decision-Making

Frameworks for Evaluation

  • Deontological Ethics: Focus on duty and adherence to rules/laws (policy-based).

  • Teleological Ethics: Focus on outcomes (utilitarianism).

  • Areteological Ethics: Emphasis on virtue, values, and character (what is ‘good’).

Case Examples of Conflict Management

Scenario Discussions

  • Scenario 1: Team project with non-contributing members; strategies for collaborative engagement.

  • Scenario 2: Navigating older colleagues’ resistance to changes; application of conflict resolution styles.

  • Scenario 3: Managing client session interruptions; strategies to assert professional boundaries.

Case Examples of Wrongdoing

Example Situations

  • Example 1: Gossiping among nurses about clients' health; impacts on client trust and ethical responsibilities.

  • Example 2: Discriminatory treatment of a child by a staff member; implications for professional conduct and regulation.

Final Exam Information

  • Date: Friday, December 13, 9-11 am

  • Location: Dentistry Building, Room 4116