Workplace Conflict - Essay Example

Some are little that are resolved in no time with a little communication (Cahn & Abigail, 2007); while, some are big enough that a mediator is needed to resolve them. The mediator comes with his own mediation plans and strategies to work out the problems between the parties involved. In organizational context, conflict occurs due to a number of reasons. Conflicts may happen among employees of the same level but mostly conflicts arise when job satisfaction decreases at the employees’ part (Masters & Albright, 2002).

This makes the employees enter into trouble with the management or higher officials. They may go on strikes or do other sorts of protests. Major conflicts occur when, for example, employees experience gender discrimination, work overload, forced overtime, short deadlines, and no opportunities for promotion, reward or compensation. These factors reduce job security and the employees suffer from work related stress. Other major causes may include dissatisfactory wages and salaries, and poor communication between the management and employees due to which the latter feel that their problems are not being considered.

Also, when employees feel that they are not being able to participate in the decision-making process, they may acquire conflicting views about the project at hand. All of these conflicts may get serious enough to be requiring a mediation plan for resolution (Moore, 2003). No matter the conflict is small or big, the management should make serious efforts to resolve it as soon as possible so that employees do not lose their morale (Dana, 2001; Wimot & Hocker, 2007). My Experience This section of the paper describes a work related conflict that I experienced at my workplace.

I am a teacher at a community college. As I stated, most conflicts occur due to unfair treatment or policy changes from the management side, this incident also involves a conflict between the assistant principal and I. It was about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). For reader’s information, the major responsibility of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is to make accommodations for disabled employees, under the title I of the Act. ADA makes sure that the disabled employees do not have to face discrimination by their seniors or co-workers when they are at the workplace.

In order to get protection by ADA, the individual must have a disability which is defined by the Act as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2005). All persons who have in their medical history that they have been or are going through such a disability, or people perceive him as disabled, are accommodated by this Act. My college had also included this Act in its major policies regarding the selection and employment of teachers.

Last year, when my college announced vacancies for professors, I was appointed to interview the candidates for selection. I had to select three candidates for a project. Two of the candidates I selected were medically and academically fit for the job, but the third one whom I selected, Mr. Harrison, was obese. His academic career was excellent. I selected him on the seat of disabled persons so that he could be given all the facilities that an obese employee would require in performing his job in a better way.

Also, Title I of the Act clearly states that all the employers who have at least fifteen employees working under them, must give equal chances of employment to qualified disabled persons as well so that they get all the benefits that the organization is giving to the otherwise fit persons. To me, Mr. Harrison was a physically disabled person according to the Act because his weight was hindering with his job performance, as was the definition of