Project Summary (Edited)

Introduction
Engineering is a diverse sector with a range of specialized fields including electrical, computer science and mechanical.  As an undergraduate in the engineering field, exposure is important because there are more updated and newer machines implemented in the industry. With this, schools send students out for internship programmes to help students get used to what the industry is like.
Apart from being exposed to updated and newer machines, they are also exposed to the culture of the company and why being a good communicator is important. Disagreements between colleagues leading to miscommunication and workplace abuse becomes more significant. “Interpersonal problems are likely to arise. In turn, hostility may fester.” (Nicholas, 2014) shows that miscommunication would result in a conflict. As well as, “In a 2012 online survey conducted by Jobscentral, 24 percent of Singaporean employees said they were victims of workplace bullying.” (Nicholas, 2014) and in a scholarly journal,”33.7 per cent in the bullied/non-victim category” (Jennifer, Cowie & Ananiadou, 2003) and “21.1 per cent in victim category.” (Jennifer et al., 2003) Based on these two articles, we can say that there is a significant number of victims dealing with workplace abuse.  Therefore, we will need to do something to solve this issue.
Problem Identification
The culture between school setting and workplace setting is different. The differences would bring disagreements and miscommunication between the interns and colleagues. This would eventually snowball into an issue where workplace abuse arises.
Objective of study
Workplace abuse is gaining more attention since recent years. Workplace abuse is the result of miscommunication between parties. The aim of this study is to explore different types of communication models (such as Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes and Daniel Goleman’s emotional intelligence) that can be used to educate on what it means to be a good communicator.
Potential Solutions/ Implementation for Problem Resolution
The goal for interns in this scenario is to become a good communicator and in order to become one, we look into the sources from huff post, Thomas Kilmann and Daniel Goleman. From these sources, we can learn how to be mindful and deliver yourself properly. “1. Pause and get grounded. If your feathers are ruffled, it’s best to take a moment to regroup before having a knee-jerk reaction you might regret later.” (Marter, 2013) When an intern face an abusive environment, he should be calm and think through the situation, rather than reacting at that point of time. If he had reacted to it wrongly, he would regret it later. Intern can also look into the other resolutions such as Thomas Kilmann indicator (TKI) on “collaborate” and “compromising”. (Thomas, 2002) where it can bring the message across clearer. It is also stated in 10 tips for resolving conflict, “Ask for what you need, say no to what you can’t do, and be open to negotiation and compromise.” (Marter, 2013).
Likewise using Daniel Goleman’s “self-awareness” (Goleman and APA, n.d) allows him to understand how he is feeling at the moment and “self-regulation” (Goleman and APA, n.d) helps him to control his emotions and make wise decisions before getting into something.

Data Collection/ Research Method
Secondary sources were used to relate the relevant data.
Concluding Thoughts
This issue on workplace abuse will not be completely gone but it can be managed by certain actions using the Daniel Goleman self-awareness and self-regulation, as well as Thomas Kilmann conflict model to help ease the situation and making it a better workplace.

References
Goleman, D. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_59.htm
Jennifer, D., Cowie, H., & Ananiadou, K. (2003). Perceptions and experience of workplace bullying in five different working populations. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ab.10055/pdf
Nicholas, G. (2014). Facing up to bullies at the workplace. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/facing-up-to-bullies-at-the-workplace

Thomas, K., Kilmann, R. (n.d.). An overview of the Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode instrument (TKI). Retrieved from http://www.kilmanndiagnostics.com/overview-thomas-kilmann-conflict-mode-instrument-tki

 (edited on 27/07/2017)

Comments

  1. Unknown11 August 2017 at 00:04

    Hi Syu Lynn,

    That was good read and I enjoyed reading your post. So do you think that the interns should have compulsory classes to learn about Daniel Golemann and Thomas killmann model?

    Since, everyone will be starting internship very soon, workplace abuse might bound to occur but it can be reduced. I agree with your post as workplace abuse should never be tolerated in any environment (be it verbal or non-verbal abuse)

    Overall, the post was well-written and a job well done to the edit as well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Syu Lynn12 August 2017 at 09:10

      Hi Alfin, thank you for reading my post. I am glad you enjoyed. I would suggest that interns should have compulsory classes on Daniel Golemann and Thomas Kilmann model to educate them before entering the industry.

      This would help them understand how to handle such conflicts and manage their EQ when they enter the industry.

      Thank you for reading and commenting once again.

      -Syu Lynn

      Delete

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