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Introduction
Conflict and change are commonly occurring issues in any organization where people interact in the working environment. Nursing is not an exception because a fundamental dependence of the healthcare field on evidence-based practice, research, and policies implies continuous updates and changes. However, the changes as the basis of development should be managed by leaders to ensure timely implementation and relevant results. Thus, the present essay will explore and discuss change theories, conflict theories, and the role of a leader in organizational conflict and change management.
Change Theories
Several change approaches theorize the causes, processes, and outcomes of change in the organizational setting. The identification of the most common change theories might demonstrate the variety of approaches to change management for effective organizational outcomes. Firstly, one of the first change theories, Lewins change theory, was introduced to the change management literature in 1951 and approached change as a process impacted by two opposing forces (Udod & Wagner, 2018). They are driving forces, which direct and enforce change, and restricting forces, which resist change. Lewin introduced a three-stage approach to change management, including unfreezing which encourages the employees to abandon old practices, moving (change implementation), and refreezing, which implies solidifying new practices (Udod & Wagner, 2018). Secondly, Lippitt, Watson, and Westleys theory emphasizes the role of the change agent rather than the process of change management and allocates responsibilities for assessment and implementation to a leader (Udod & Wagner, 2018). Thirdly, Havelocks theory consists of six steps, including relationship building, problem identification, resource acquisition, solution finding, change acceptance, and maintenance.
Fourthly, similarly to Havelocks theory, Roger introduces five concisely presented steps: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. These elements are considered essential for informed decision-making and effective change implementation in an organizational setting. These theories might apply to the healthcare environment since they provide a structured approach to timely problem-solving by addressing the opposing forces and leading change professionally and effectively.
Conflict Theories
Since change often occurs with conflicts that involve a disagreement between several parties on important issues, the discussion of conflict theories is relevant. However, in the contemporary organizational discourse, conflict is referred to as a natural, inevitable phenomenon that can have beneficial effects and lead to personal, as well as organizational, growth (Arveklev et al., 2018, p. 210). In nursing, as in any other professional setting, various types of conflicts might occur, which necessitate different models for their resolution with positive outcomes for the organization and its employees. One of the conflict theories is the ABC theory developed by Galtung. It implies that a conflict consists of (a) attitudes and assumptions, (b) behavior, and (c) contradiction, all of which must be considered to ensure constructive conflict resolution (Arveklev et al., 2018, p. 210). In essence, conflict theories address specific steps toward reaching an agreement between conflicting parties by eliminating emotional tension, misunderstanding, and harm to relationships.
Leader as a Change Agent
A change agent is an individual who is responsible for the proper implementation of change in an organization. These are the professionals who have the legitimate power to initiate and guide change (Udod & Wagner, 2018). In nursing, change agents are nurse leaders who are in charge of decision-making. According to Udod and Wagner (2018), Leading change is a challenge for nurse leaders amid the complexities and challenges of evolving health care environments in providing quality patient care (para. 2). The very necessity of change might be an implicit issue that only leaders with access to particular data and resources might be aware of. It is within leaders scope of competencies to analyze the quality of organizational processes and environment, identify areas for change, and initiate successful change management interventions. Therefore, the knowledge and the skills of using change theories are essential for a competent change agent to follow all the necessary steps of the change management process to ensure the implementation of the plan.
Conflict Management and Effective Leadership in the Healthcare Environment
Similarly to change management competence, the ability to manage conflict is also a decisive element in the role of a leader in a healthcare organization. In nursing, conflict is an unwanted but unavoidable occurrence, the elimination and successful resolution of which guarantees proper patient care. Since patient health outcomes are prioritized in the nursing setting, the leader must be capable of timely and effective application of conflict management models. Otherwise, the incompetence of a leader in this area might cause harm to patients safety and the overall performance quality of a whole unit.
Conclusion
In summation, the overview of common change and conflict theories demonstrates the variety of management approaches to competent and positive result-oriented problem-solving. The variety of change and conflict theories provides nursing leaders with sufficient information and tools on how to handle these issues effectively. Competent handling of change and conflict by organizational leadership predetermines the effectiveness of workplace management and allows leaders to direct their organizations toward high-quality patient care.
References
Arveklev, S. H., Berg, L., Wigert, H., Morrison-Helme, M., & Lepp, M. (2018). Learning about conflict and conflict management through drama in nursing education. Journal of Nursing Education, 57(4), 209216.
Udod, S., & Wagner, J. (2018). Common change theories and application to different nursing situations. In Leadership and influencing change in nursing. Pressbooks.
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