Human Factors Case Studies Example

Communication

Communication

Question 1

Conflict is an inherent occurrence for people given that they are social beings who interact regularly. Conflict emanates from the differences in the interest of the two or more parties, which leads to a misunderstanding between the parties. Conflict can exist between individuals, groups, countries, or regions, and there must be a certain aspect that leads to a connection between the parties (Katz, Lawyer, & Koppelman, 2010, p. 6). It is important to resolve conflicts in good time to prevent their escalation that can affect lives, production, and property in a negative manner. In this context, the paper will evaluate the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia over the ownership and control of the Kharkiv and the Donetsk cities. The positional statement made by both parties in the conflict is that they have the right to the ownership and control of the regions. Both parties assert that the region is in their territory and within the confines of the national borders. The conflict escalated to the point that the parties involved resolved to the use of military forces to restore the ownership of the regions that they believed belonged to them.

Question 2

The underlying interest of the Ukrainian government was to reclaim the occupation in the Donetsk taken over by the pro-Russian Protestants who attempted to seize the regional State Administration. Nearly one thousand activists occupied and seized one of the administrative buildings in the region. When Russia reclaimed that some of the groups in Ukraine were in support of its governments, they decided to intervene in the conflict claiming that they wanted to protect the interest of the public. Russia claimed that most of the citizens in the region were Russian hence, its underlying interest was to protect a region in which most of the inhabitants are Russian.

Question 3

In this context, the parties do not have any mutual interests. They are not willing to share the ownership of the regions, and the conflict will be resolved by making the region belong to either Russia or Ukraine. However, other interest makes the countries eager to own the region. These are:

• The region may be rich with certain natural resources

• The region contributes heavily to the national income of the country that will enjoy its ownership.
• The area is a rich cultural hub that attracts visitors from other parts of the world, which may help either Russia or Ukraine improve its international relations with other countries in the world.

Question 4

Based on the existing conflicts and the interests of the parties, the following methods may help to resolve the conflicts between the parties:

Negotiation

It refers to a method of settling the differences where the parties meet and agree on conditions that help in the fulfillment of their needs. Depending on the nature of the conflict, negotiation may take long especially when the parties cannot share the resources or elements leading to the conflict (Katz, Lawyer, & Koppelman, 2010, p. 12). In this case, the negotiation may begin by the governments of the two nations agreeing to pull out their military forces from the region and agree on the best mechanisms of meeting the interest of the people in the area.

Mediation

Mediation refers to an act where a party who has no interest in the conflict intervenes and helps the conflicting parties to agree on certain conditions. For instance, another country may intervene and help both Ukraine and Russia to reach an agreement.

References

Katz, N. H., Lawyer, J. W., & Koppelman M. (2010). Communication & conflict resolution skills (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt Publishing