Conflict Handling Assessment - Essay Example

CONFLICT HANDLING ASSESSMENT Student Name Institution Date Introduction The success of any given organization depends upon among other things the organizational behaviour. The behaviour of people in an organization is directly related to the success or failure of the enterprise. Organizational behaviour, therefore, is defined as the interaction of individuals and groups within an organization (Schermerhorn, 2012). These interactions, whether good or bad have profound effects in the productivity of an enterprise. The study of behaviour in an organization is important because it focuses on the performance of a company in the currently competitive global market. The study of organizational behaviour within an organization is important because it determines the performance of the organization. The relationship between people in an organization affects the success or failure of the enterprise. These interaction affect communication, leadership, motivation and hence the overall performance of an organization. Companies that do not consider the need to study the behaviour of individuals are likely to crumble since there is no understanding of the specific behaviour among the employees (Cole, 2004). Another importance of studying organizational behaviour is the capacity to increase the input of individual employees hence the overall performance of the organization. Human behaviour has a profound effect on the performance of an organization. Managers should, therefore, try and incorporate better intervention such as efficient communication as well as motivation of the employees to boost the performance of an organization. The recognition that employees are critical assets in an organization can increase the performance of the organization. In companies and institutions where employees are not taken seriously, there occurs a lot of conflicts. The feeling that employees are not part of an organization can make them sabotage work, feel less motivated and seek for better jobs elsewhere or even strike. All these affect the image of a company as well as its position in the market. Employers and managers should devise proper methods of dealing with the workers in their organizations to effectively realise the goals of the organization (Johnson and Keddy, 2010). The behaviour of individuals within an organization is influenced by both internal and external factors. The internal factors include the things within an organization that influence the productivity of the workers. These include the internal conflicts, the working environment and the culture of an organization. Organizations in which employees cannot make decisions from their own judgement can demoralise the workers. Also, communication is a key internal factor that affects the performance of an organization. There is the need for employers and managers to improve their communication skills to achieve the vision of an enterprise (Martin, 2001). External factors are the things outside an organization that affect organizational behaviour. Environmental conditions in which an organization operates can have adverse effects on the employees. These factors include technological changes, marketing and social conditions. Of significant consideration in management is the role played by the interaction of all these factors in organizational behaviour. Managers need to consider how both internal and external conditions affect organizational behaviour and the overall performance of an organization. This way, the management can improve the image and performance of the organization (Schermerhorn, 2012). Organizational behaviour depends upon the attributes of individuals in the working environment in dealing with problems. Individuals deal differently with situations and this may cause the success or failure of an organization. Stress management, for instance, is different among individuals. Some people can properly manage stressful conditions and come out victorious while others cannot. Among the personal attributes that affect organizational behaviour and hence the work output in organizations are the methods of handling conflict and emotional intelligence. This paper explores conflict handling strategies, its effect on organizational behaviour and overall performance of an organization (King and Lawley, 2012). Discussion In any given working environment, conflict is a common occurrence that cannot be completely eluded. The diversity of people in a workplace results in diverse opinions and hence conflict in various organizations. Depending on how conflict is handled in an organization, it can either shape or completely destroy an enterprise. For conflict to occur, there must be communication between two or more people. Conflict is, therefore, defined as the misunderstanding of the values, beliefs and opinion of a person. Conflicts that occur at work are commonly called workplace conflicts (Johnson and Keddy, 2010). There are two major types of conflicts that may occur within an organization. The first is the relationship conflict which involves misunderstanding of personal values, norms, taste and beliefs. The description of this type of conflict is usually negative and sparks up emotions. Inappropriate communication, for example, within an organization can lower the morale of the workers and affect the output of an organization in the long run. Also, the lack of proper communication can cause the organization to make decisions without consultations, hence poor decision making. The other type of conflict is the task conflict. The main aim of this conflict is to solve the issues that may arise in a given organization. There is a positive perception towards this kind of conflict. It is seen as crucial in proposing solutions to the problems faced by an organization. Its application in organizations causes improved decision making and creativity which are important in improving the overall organizational performance. A combination of these two conflict types are essential in organizational performance since they have the potential to either build or destroy an enterprise (Lebedun, 1998). In a working environment, conflict arises from different sources. Workplace conflicts occur among different categories of people. For instance, conflicts can occur among the employees, in the top management or between the management and the employees. Among the causes of conflicts in any given organization are the working conditions. The working conditions in an organization have a direct effect on the behaviour of the employees. The important components of the working conditions are the salaries, comfort and resource availability. Companies that offer poor working conditions are always at loggerheads with the workers who advocate for their rights to proper working environments (Goldsmith et al., 2013). Another cause of conflicts within an organization is the personality differences. Many enterprises employ workers from different places with different backgrounds. This causes diversity in opinions based on the cultures and personalities of the individuals. Conflict arises when two or more people in an organization cannot work towards the realization of a company’s goals because of difference in personality. When the ideas and opinions of a person cannot be embraced by the management and other employees, the result is demotivation and hence poor performance. Conflicts in organizations may also arise from poor communication. The effective management of any organization depends on how information is conveyed to the individuals in an organization. Crucial information delivered in the wrong manner can lead to poor decision making which may affect the organization. Poor methods of communication can cause demotivation of the employees and affect both team and individual performance. It is essential that all information be communicated properly from the management to the junior employees. Conflicts may also arise from competition between the employees within an organization. Healthy competition is important for the success of an organization. On the other hand, competition can cause negative results especially in situations where the employees view each other as competitors rather than team mates. This causes employees to have certain behaviours that can reduce productivity of an organization. Misunderstandings in the working environment can also result from non-compliance with the rules and regulations in an organization. Failure to comply with the regulations can cause conflict with the management and result in poor organizational performance (Information Resources Management Association, 2012). The major effect of unresolved conflicts in organizations is stress among employees. The inability of different people within an organization to work together causes decreased morale among the employees. Also, the inability of the management to consider the views of the employees as important in decision making can cause employee demotivation and affect their performance. Unresolved conflicts may also cause employees to sabotage their work or strike. The result is poor performance of an organization amidst other organizations. Conflict management Having realized that conflict is inevitable in the working environment, both the managers and employees should develop interpersonal skills that can help them in handling conflicts. Conflict management requires that an individual clearly understands the causes of the same within the organization. Conflict management, therefore, refers to the various ways through which conflicts are handled in an organization. The ways of managing conflicts in an organization depend on the culture of the organization. Conflict management styles in enterprises include; collaboration, compromise, avoidance, competition and accommodation (Collins et al., 2009). The occurrence of conflicts in workplaces should be looked into carefully to avoid reduced individual and hence organizational productivity. The company that I work with has recently been experiencing a lot of difficulty managing its employees. The reason behind this is the poor working conditions that the employees are exposed to while at work. I work for a privately owned cement company as the head of the production unit. My roles involve ensuring that cement is produced in sufficient enough quantities and quality. However, the company does not provide good working conditions for the employees. The noise that is produced in the production unit requires that the company provides protection gears to the employees which is not the case in my company. Production of cement also releases a lot of dust into the atmosphere. Inhalation of this dust causes respiratory diseases to the employees and many of them suffer from bronchitis and related breathing problems. In addition, employees are also exposed to the chemicals that are used in forming the end product. Many employees have died from these infections and the employee social welfare, which I also chair, is under pressure to deliver its duties. The situation has been worsened by some of the employees threatening to sue the company for what they consider as negligence. Others have been poached from the company to other companies that promise them greener pastures. For several days now, the day to day businesses of the enterprise have been paralysed. Employees have even started to sabotage the work and are organizing strikes against the company. Attempts by the employees to reach the top management and air their grievances directly to the director have failed miserably. The reason behind this is, being a private company, the owner does not feel obliged to offer proper working conditions to the employees. Surprisingly enough, he suggests that the employees should go back to work immediately and forces them to deliver. This has caused the workers to be demotivated and some of them have stopped coming to work, fearing for their health. In the last one week, the company has made a lot of losses and the management has even become stricter with the employees, who are not also relenting (Johnson and Keddy, 2010). However, this week many of the employees who sabotaged work in the last week have returned to work. Having been caught in the middle of this mess, and as the chairperson of the employees’ social welfare, I had to act to end this conflict. I managed to secure an appointment with the management and in a patient manner argue my points in favour of the employees. I made the management understand the root cause of the problem and the consequences that may result from court orders issued to the company as threatened by the employees. This way, I managed to convince the management to look into the concerns of the employees. The other way through which I solve conflicts that arise in the company is through mediation. Mediation involves listening to all the conflicting parties and trying to reach a common ground acceptable to both parties. This method is effective since the needs of all parties are taken care of in the long run. Mediation also helps in finding the primary cause of the conflict as the conflicting individuals or groups have a chance of expressing their views on the matter at hand (Doherty and Guyler, 2008). Having understood the need for studying the organizational behaviour and the implications it can have on a company, the management of the company realised that some of its policies should be changed. This need for change came as a result of the management reviewing some of its policies and noticing that they are not applicable in the current globalized world and the competitive market. One of the policies that was proposed for change was the need for the company to incorporate the needs of other employees in decision making. For years, decisions in the company have been made by the top management on behalf of all the employees and communicated to them. The employees are then mandated to act as per the policies, non -compliance of which leads to being sacked. The employees who are adamant to change are uncomfortable with this while those who feel that their ability to work appropriately is infringed are happy (Collins et al., 2009). Representatives of both parties in the employee fraternity brought the problem to my desk. Having sat them down, we looked at the advantages and disadvantages of both arguments and the effects they could pose to the company. This way, the representatives were able to see that in situations where one is cornered and the issue of concern is urgent and requires quick thinking and faster decision making, it would be time consuming to start looking for managers and asking for the appropriate decision to be made. Instead, the employees can make sound decisions on behalf of the company and drive the company towards realization of it goal. This way the employees feel more content with the company and motivated this causing increased competition and hence overall performance of the enterprise. Another method of conflict resolution that best works for me is collaboration. This conflict management style involves open, neutral and frank communication between the conflicting parties. This way, all the parties feel satisfied with the final decision that is made as they feel part of it. The only limitation of this method of conflict management is that getting the parties to an agreement is time consuming. Hence the amount of time taken in collaboration is quite long. Being the chairperson of the social welfare of the employees, I deal with conflict issues at all times (Maravelas, 2005). The manner in which I handle the different conflicts that arise in my company has enabled me to build a good rapport with the junior employees as well as the management. My fellow employees see me as an arbitrator between them and the management and they re-elected me to continue serving as the head of the social welfare. The management also enjoys the conflict handling skills that I have and I was recently appointed to the decision making committee of the company. The company management has finally realized that proper communication rather than force leads to the success of an organization. Conclusion The overall performance of an organization and its public image depend on how well conflicts are resolved within the organization. Conflict resolution does not depend on the authority exercised but on the ability to effectively communicate. Enterprises should focus on the importance of employees and effectively address the issues that cause their behaviour in a certain manner. This can result in increased individual and departmental output and thus better organizational performance. References Cole, G. A. (2004). Organisational behaviour: Theory and practice. London: Thomson Collins, S. D., & O'rourke, J. S. (2009). Managing conflict and workplace relationships. Mason, OH, South-Western Cengage Learning. Doherty, N., & Guyler, M. (2008). The essential guide to workplace mediation & conflict resolution rebuilding working relationships. London, Kogan Page. Goldsmith, J., Bennis, W., & Cloke, K. (2013). Resolving conflicts at work eight strategies for everyone on the job. San Francisco, Calif, Jossey-Bass. Information Resources Management Association. (2012). Organizational learning and knowledge: concepts, methodologies, tools and applications. Hershey, PA, Business Science Reference. Johnson, C., & Keddy, J. (2010). Managing conflict at work: understanding and resolving conflict for productive working relationships. London, Kogan Page. King, D., & Lawley, S. (2012). Organizational behaviour. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Lebedun, J. (1998). Managing workplace conflict. West Des Moines, IA, American Media Pub. Lipsky, D. B., Seeber, R. L., & Fincher, R. D. (2002). Emerging systems of managing workplace conflict: lessons from American corporations for managers and dispute resolution professionals. San Francisco, Calif, Jossey-Bass. Maravelas, A. (2005). How to reduce workplace conflict and stress how leaders and their employees can protect their sanity and productivity from tension and turf wars. Franklin Lakes, NJ, Career Press. Martin, J. (2001). Organizational behaviour. London [u.a.: Thomson Learning. Parthasarathy, A., & satyaraju, R. (2010). Management: text and cases. New Delhi, Prentice-Hall of India. Robbins, S. P., Odendaal, A., & Roodt, G. (2003). Organisational behaviour: global and Southern African perspectives. Cape Town, Pearson Education South Africa. Schermerhorn, J. R. (2012). Organizational behaviour. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Van Gramberg, B. (2005). Managing workplace conflict: alternative dispute resolution in Australia. Annandale, N.S.W., Federation Press. Read More