Conflict Resolution A Psychological Perspective

By Dr. Niranjan Prasad Upadhyay

DIFFERENCES of ideologies, interests, desire to control and lust for power, have been some of the reasons in raising conflicts. Conflicts have had devastating outcomes that affect the country adversely. These days, Nepalese people are happy for initiating peace dialogue with the Maoist rebels. In fact, internal conflicts raise problems in relation to maintaining safety and security in the country.

Cease-fire

Peace and overall development of the country is not an individual's job. There must be joint efforts of the people of Nepal. The contributions of politicians, bureaucrats, journalists and other professional groups is needed in achieving the above targets and objectives.

Basically, due to the internal conflict, economic condition of the country is badly affected. The January 29 declaration of cease-fire from both the government and the Nepal Communist Party -Maoists has raised hopes of the common Nepalese people that there will be an end to the conflicts that have cost the nation millions of rupees. Usually, negative conflict affects the nation destructively. Mostly, positive conflict leads to stimulation, adaptation and innovation. In fact, positive conflict serves as a safety valve and allows people to release frustrations and also helps bring forward concealed agendas.

Conflict relates to aggression, threats, arguments, hostility, war, and so forth. As a result, people often feel that conflict is always undesirable, should be avoided when possible, and should be immediately resolved when it does occur. Fundamentally, there are five different modes of conflict resolution. They are competing (high assertiveness and low cooperativeness), collaborating (high assertiveness and high cooperativeness), accommodating (low assertiveness and high cooperativeness), avoiding (low assertiveness and high cooperativeness) and compromising (medium assertiveness and medium cooperativeness).

The book, Asian Perspectives on Psychology (1997) by Henry S. R. Kao and Durgananda Sinha urges that in negotiation, the parties of their representatives try to work out a solution that is acceptable to both parties without the help of a third party. A variety of tactics are frequently used in negotiations, such as persuasion, threats and other forms of coercion, bluffing, reward, exchange, and concessions. British researcher Wendy Carter says good negotiators must possess basic attributes i.e. understanding of the issue, quick reorganisation of key issues, expectation of a win-win outcome, willingness to compromise, to solve problems, stamina, flexibility to tolerate conflict and stress, ability to cope with personal attack or abuse, good listening skills, sensitivity to the needs of others and patience.

Asian cultures are characterised by complex relationships, collectivism and high context communications styles, and as a result, conflict resolution procedure that allow compromises and avoid direct confrontation are preferred. Studies have shown that in negotiations, Asians seem to prefer a less confrontational style, and are eager to maintain the existing social ties with the other disputant, the other negotiation party.

In day-to-day practice, when two or more people meet at table, conflict emerges. Essentially, self-centered nature of man may cause conflict and breaks the human relations. Undoubtedly, differences, disagreement and competition engender conflict. Nepalese researchers have pointed out that innovatively managed conflict can shake people out of their mental ruts and give them new points of view. In the context of conflict issue, researches have shown that conflict in the country should be managed on the basis of negotiation and dialogue. Researchers have introduced several methods for dealing with conflict; they are avoidance, constraint and the use of improved coping mthods, and confrontation. Interpersonal peacemaking involves the adoption of the well-managed confrontation. If applied, this method should result in greater understanding of the issues involved, greater authenticity and enhanced personal integrity. In the research report completed by the Centre for Economic and Social Development (CESOD), the research team has critically examined the past peace processes and presented the weakness in the negotiations.

Most conflicts contain a core of truly incompatible goals surrounded by a larger exterior of misperceptions. The extent of misperceptions during conflict provides a chilling reminder that people need not be insane or abnormally evil to form distorted, diabolic images of their antagonists. When in conflict with another nation, another group, we readily develop misperceptions that allow us to perceive our own motives and actions as wholly good and the other's as totally evil. Our antagonists usually form a mirror- image perception of us. So, trapped in a social dilemma, competing for scarce resources, or perceiving injustice, the conflict continues until something enables us both to peel away our misperceptions and work at reconciling our actual differences.

Usually, even in government, conflict can occur among ministers, bureaucrats, politicians and bureaucrats as well as between government and opponent leaders. A conflict is a clash in expectations, values, ideas, and interests. Today, government is spending a significant percentage of its resources on conflict management. Some political leaders and bureaucrats use half of their time attempting to resolve conflicts in various diversified issues.

In reality, a sound leader always carries out successful communication as well as manages conflict within the country. A leader is one who can always obtain confidence of his or her followers or the general public, take quick and courageous decisions on the strength of his or her own understanding and objectivity, relate himself or herself to the changing surroundings and context. To manage the conflict, the Nepalese political leaders must be sincere, obedient, punctual, integrated personalities and should possess leading role in managing conflict.

Management studies have shown some key strategies pertaining to deal with conflict in Nepal. In connection with this, they have advanced methods of controlling techniques of overcoming conflict through various approaches i.e., openness to new ideas, better communication, setting up information groups, trust, respect for other's opinion, negotiation, transparency, proper resource allocation and clear policies. In addition, they claim that difference of personality, frustration and generation gap may also produce conflict. At the same time, feedback, motivation, fair competition and open discussion may create a healthy environment in negotiation.

Recently, Management Association of Nepal has said that assertive skills, awareness on interactive behaviors, cooperativeness, tolerance and acceptance of the ideas from different corners also help resolve the conflict. Usually, the government seeks to resolve the conflict by constituting a committee, commission, study team and task Force.

Cause

At this crucial moment of history, all political leaders and workers must forget their ideological differences for the larger cause of peace and sovereignty of the country. They must prove it to the world that Nepalese people are united and remain one when the existence of the country is jeopardised by any inner conflict and outer threat.

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