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Entrepreneurial team creation using conflict management diagnosis

20 April, 2016 - 16:59

First step:

Ask the subjects to answer the following questions in a sincere and spontaneous manner. To do this, they should place a cross (x) at the site that best represents the correct answer.

When experiencing conflict, to what extent do you perform each of the following behaviours:

Table 9.1 Conflict Management behaviours
 

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Frequently

Always

1. I explain the problem, clearly looking for a solution

         

2. I try not to argue

         

3. I try hard to solve the problem

         

4. I draw attention to common interests

         

5. I am looking for a mutual commitment

         

6. I face the question openly

         

7. I try not to get involved

         

8. I insist that a particular solution is taken

         

9. I note that the differences are less important than goals

         

10. I am looking for an intermediate solution

         

11. I do not let the issue pass without resolving it

         

12. I give up easily

         

13. I impose my interests on others

         

14. I bridge the gap

         

15. I am ready to negotiate

         

16. I face the conflict directly

         

17. I am ready to quit the situation

         

18. I do not accept “No” as an answer

         

19. I look to smooth out disagreements

         

20. A little early in order to receive something in return

         

21. I express my point of view clearly

         

22. I ignore the conflict

         

23. I impose my solution

         

24. I behave as if mutual objectives were of vital importance

         

25. I take both sides of the problem into account

         
 

Second step:

Assign the values one, two, three, four, and five to their responses, according to the following logic:

Table 9.2 Scale punctuation.

Answer

Assign the value

Never

1

Rarely

2

Sometimes

3

Frequently

4

Always

5

 

Third step:

Fill in the tables below, using the figures arrived at through step two. Calculate the totals by adding up the values in the columns.

Table 9.3 Style punctuation.

Collaboration

Answer

Assign the value

6

 

9

 

16

 

18

 

25

 

Sum

 

Accommodation

Answer

Assign the value

2

 

4

 

14

 

19

 

20

 

Sum

 

Sharing

Answer

Assign the value

1

 

5

 

10

 

15

 

21

 

Sum

 

Competition

Answer

Assign the value

3

 

8

 

11

 

13

 

23

 

Sum

 

Avoidance

Answer

Assign the value

7

 

12

 

17

 

22

 

24

 

Sum

 
 

Fourth step:

Taking into account the values received, check the style of conflict management that is used most frequently. Through the above, the results reflect on its effectiveness in managing conflicts. We know that all individuals have interests, and according to the degree of satisfaction in personal interests those of others, we obtain the values of these interests. This measurement identifies five kinds of individual behaviour:

  1. Accommodative: This style of behaviour means: “I subjugate my power to your will”. The person is only interested in satisfying the interests of others rather than their own interests. This kind of person demonstrates submission and complacency if issues agree with them and meets the interests of other. We use this style when:
    • We know that we are wrong, and if we want to hear a better opinion.
    • When it is important to meet the other halfway and maintain their cooperation.
    • When we want to create a good environment and store personal credits to be used in the future.
    • When harmony and stability are very important, allowing subordinates to learn from mistakes.
  2. Avoidance: This style of behaviour means: “Let the problem take care of itself”. The person is not interested in satisfying either their own interests or those of others. This kind of person has the procedure of ignoring the conflict and hoping that it will pass, encouraging slow procedures that delay conflict resolution, being secretive to avoid confrontation, and calls on bureaucratic rules as a source of conflict resolution. This kind of style is used:
    • When an aspect is trivial or more important ones are pending.
    • When there is a perceived inability to meet the issue’s needs.
    • When disruption outweighs the benefits of resolution.
    • When it is important to collect more information before resolution
    • When others can resolve the conflict in a more satisfactory way.
    • When the current problems depend upon others being resolved first.
  3. Competitive: This style of behaviour means: “For me to win the other must lose”. The individual is only interested in satisfying their interests. This kind of person inserts themselves in win-lose situations, makes use of rivalry and power to achieve their own objectives, and to force submission in others. We use this style when:
    • Quick decisions are needed, as in emergencies.
    • Where unpopular decisions need to be implemented: cost reduction, discipline, and implementation of disliked rules.
    • When, in aspects vital to the well-being of the company, you know that you are right.
    • You need to counter the behaviour of people who take advantage of the complacency and submission of others.
  4. Collaborative: This style of behaviour means: “These are my objectives, what are yours and how we can achieve together”. The person is interested in fully meeting both their interests and those of others. This kind of person facilitates the sharing of ideas and information, investigation of integrative solutions, and situations where everyone can win. Problems and conflicts are viewed as challenges. This kind of person is:
    • Used in the search for an integrative solution where it is important to reach a compromise between both sides of the problem.
    • When the aim is learning.
    • When we aim to find better solutions through understanding the different perspectives of other people.
    • When we aim to gain commitment through the establishment of a consensus.
    • When we try to resolve feelings that may compromise the working relationship.
  5. Sharing: This style of behaviour means: “Let’s make mutual concessions to one another so that we both win a little”. This kind of person is very interested in satisfying the interests of others, negotiates, and focuses their attention on trade and agreements, and demanding satisfactory or acceptable resolutions. This kind of person is used:
    • When the goals are important.
    • When opponents with equal power are involved with objectives that can be shared.
    • When there is a need to achieve a temporary understanding of complex issues.
    • When there is a possibility of collaboration and competition is not possible.

Finally, we verify in each member the awareness of capabilities that we need to for a productive business life according to an application of a frequency scale 1, measuring variables such as time pressure, family life, mobility, interest, challenge, task, risk assumption, tolerance of failure, confidence, reaction to criticism, leadership, delegation capability, decision making, choice of partners, success, and the capacity to request help. The test may present the following results: more people put an “x” by “always” and “sometimes” the more closely they come to being successful as an entrepreneur. If an “x” were placed by them predominantly by “sometimes” and “occasionally”, we recommend that they must think twice before moving on because their profile shows some weaknesses as an entrepreneur. If on the other hand, putting most “x” by “occasionally” and “never”, they must be advised to choose a better opportunity for them than being an entrepreneur. See the table below:

Table 9.4 Awareness of capabilities needed in business life

Scale

1

2

3

4

1. Are you able to work several hours?

Always

Sometimes

Occasionally

Never

2. Are you persistent?

Always

Sometimes

Occasionally

Never

3. Is your project more important than the rest your family?

Always

Sometimes

Occasionally

Never

4. If your project mobilized you intensely for five years, would you continue to pursue it?

Yes, easily  

Yes

Yes, with difficulty

No

5. Do only your financial business successes interest you?

Completely

Mainly

Partly

No

6. Do you consider yourself as a survivor?

Always

Sometimes

Occasionally

Never

7. If you experience difficulties, can you find an original way to overcome them?

Frequently

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

8. Do you always complete the projects or tasks you are involved in?

Always

Normally

Sometimes

Occasionally

9. Are problems a challenge for you?

Always

Normally

Sometimes

Occasionally

10. Are you able to live with a situation of uncertainty with jobs and personal finances?

Yes easily

Yes

Yes, with difficulty

No

11. Do you have self-confidence?

Yes, always

Yes, sometimes

Sometimes, I lack confidence

No

12. How do you deal with failure?

It is an opportunity to learn

With disappointment

It is a defeat

It is a disaster

13. Do you accept being criticized?

I agree, but I may not agree

I always agree

I agree, but do not like it

I cannot agree

14. Do you ask others’ opinion of your performance in order to correct them in the future?

Always

Normally

Sometimes

Rarely

15. Do you believe that your success depends from external factors only?

Entirely Disagree

I disagree

Sometimes I agree

I always agree

17. Do you consider that you will always be able to find the right people to get what you want?

Quiet

Very

Not really

I never can manage it

18. Can you recognize when you need help?

Always

Normally

Sometimes

No

19. Can you identify what decisions are important and which are not?

Yes, always

Yes, normally

Yes, sometimes

No

20. Are you able to delegate to others?

Yes, when appropriate

Yes, sometimes

With difficulty

No

21. Have you already taken risks in the past?

Yes, calculated

Yes, high

Yes, low risk

Sometimes I ran risks

 

With this method, we found over the years that this diversified methods that increased the likelihood of generating more organizational and social gains, not only in the content of the strategies and exercises but also in their number and scope. Thus, methods facilitating creativity encouraged research subjects to develop their designs of prototypes, contribute to their motivation and autonomy, and enhance the use of their technical competencies and relationships. Therefore, we enumerate a list of products or services that have been designed since 2008 during creativity classes by students in Portugal, Spain, and Italy:

  1. Funeral coffin of sturdy card holding weights of up to 250 kg, ideal for cremation.
  2. Mattress alarm for deaf people.
  3. Universal restaurant with dishes from around the world.
  4. Mobile multipurpose space.
  5. Diaper with dirt detector alarm.
  6. Ghetto music: music publisher for amateurs.
  7. Mobile sports equipment.
  8. Multipurpose chair.
  9. Vegetable crackers.
  10. Cup multi drinks.
  11. Pre-school convenience.
  12. Ecological Clearwater.
  13. Smart Eco point.
  14. Personalized products distribution.
  15. Student smart card.
  16. Auto recycling centre.
  17. Automatic self-cleaning kit.
  18. Anti-theft pocket.
  19. Bag multi uses.
  20. Anti-vandal handle.
  21. Multipurpose toothpaste.
  22. Multi-function beach kit.
  23. Smart t-shirt.
  24. Seed separation filtration machine.
  25. Glasses with windshields.
  26. Facilities space organizer.
  27. Multipurpose alarm.
  28. Electric motorbike.
  29. Dog robot watcher.
  30. Multipurpose ladies handbag.
  31. Support mobile charger jack.
  32. Glasses detecting obstacles for the blind.
  33. Deodorant sticker.