Sunday, February 28, 2016

Blog #3: Communication & Conflict Management by: Megan Wright


 

Blog #3:

 

My family and I rarely have conflict, I have lucked out in having very wonderful and supportive parents, but like most families we have had our ups and downs. I think how we handled our family conflicts truly shows our family dynamic, but there has been times we may have shown our true colors. It seemed as though as I got older and started working, along with my parents working in more demanding and stressful roles, that is what was causing our conflicts. My dad is one to bring his work issues home, and not be able to let go of stress or frustration very easy. My mom is one to bottle her work frustrations up until something at home makes her boil over, in which then it is a combination of the two. I personally love to talk out my work place frustrations with my parents, but as I begin to vent I get more worked up about the work issue than I had been in the actual situation. These three different ways of handling work conflict in our home, then trickles down and causes family conflict as well. Especially in our different roles in our family, it is only the three of us so my mom stands as the stoic leader, my dad the goofy fun loving role, and me the understanding and calm family member. When one of us is experiencing conflict in work, and we bring it home and cause conflict at home it causes a rift in roles. In the article, “Differences in the Outcomes of Work and Family Conflict Between Family- and Nonfamily Businesses: An Examination of Business Founders”, it discussed the importance of these roles in conflict stating, “there will be challenges in meeting unmet role expectations and responsibilities, which result in interrole conflict.” For example, my family and I planned a nice family dinner, my dad came home that day from work fuming with conflict with his boss. He could not shake that conflict, and that caused my mom and I to have conflict with him for not being able to shake off his anger and enjoy our plans. He took on a new role from his usual goofy self, and we were not happy with it. This then transitions into how we are going to solve our family conflict caused by work conflict. The book mentions, how to evaluate some conflict is the solutions that come afterwards, and luckily after about 20 minutes of a fit, my parents and I were able to settle the work inspired family conflict and have a lovely family night out.

 

Citation:

Carr, J.C, & Hmeileski, K.M. (2015). Differences in the Outcomes of Work and Family Conflict Between Family- and Nonfamily Businesses: An Examination of Business Founders. Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice, 39(6), 1413-1432. Doi:10.1111/etap.12174

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