Royal Mail Managers Skills, Conflict Management Ability of the Management - Case Study Example

Running Head: MANAGEMENT SKILLS Management Skills [Writer’s Name] [ Institution’s Name] Table Of Contents Executive Summary Conflict is something which arises in every organization. Mostly this conflict is between the management and the employees, such conflicts usually rise due to change. Conflict due to change is something which causes a lot of discomfort for the management. In this paper a detailed analysis is given on this kind of conflict. In this paper Royal mail’s management ability to resolve this kind of conflict is analyzed. Theorists and models of conflict and change management are used to give a better understanding of the conflict management used by them. Thus this paper provides a complete understanding of the entire conflict management ability of the management of Royal Mail. Management Skills Introduction Conflict is something which arises in every organization. Mostly this conflict is between the management and the employees, such conflicts usually rise due to change Royal mail is one such example, royal mail is organization which cares for it’s employees the only very few conflicts take place with their employees. A few years back they had to implement some changes to reduce their losses, they knew that this could cause a lot of conflicts with their employees so the management implemented a conflict management plan. These strategies are still used in the organization. This paper shall analyze the conflict management strategies used by royal mail. Change is usually the main cause of conflict thus this paper shall analyze how change causes conflict and how royal mail resolves them. Analysis The change was needed because the organization could no longer rely on subsidies by the government through the tax payers to cover their losses as they were no longer a nationalized business but a private one with had to fund itself and was expected to produce a profit for its shareholder The huge losses needed to be addressed before 2006 because at the start of that year the consumer Mail market would no longer be a monopoly and any organization, in theory, would be able to place a post box on the street and handle letters/parcels for distribution. This meant the organization could potentially no longer rely upon a continuous flow of business. When Royal Mail started the program the first thing they did was to appoint someone to oversee the operations. Instead of using someone from within, the organization brought in Tony McCarthy. And from then on royal mail revolved their conflicts with their employees Conflict Management Ability of the Management The way in which McCarthy manages the conflicts that take place due to changes are similar to aspects that Kotter & Schlesinger (1979) outlined as there strategies to manage conflict regarding change . These were; - Education and Communication; - Participation and Involvement; - Facilitation and Support; - Negotiation and Agreement; - Manipulation and Co-optation; and - Explicit and Implicit coercion McCarthy's focus leans towards the positive approaches education, communication, participation, involvement, facilitation and support over the more direct and negative aspect. McCarthy used education and communication as a way to ensure there was not a lack of information concerning the changes that were being made. The use of seminars to explain the new operations and practices to the HR staff helped McCarthy express to the employee the logic and reasoning behind the changes thus reducing the conflict. Making clear exactly what was happening and changing ensures that unfounded rumours are not spread the increases the level of resistance. Addressing the way in which people were educated in the changes is one aspect highlighted by the emergent school of though into change management. Pettigrew etal (1992) and Wilson (2003) of the learning aspect of the emergent school highlighted how an increased willingness to change can be bought about by educating the employees of the situation and bringing the crises to the employees, they realize there is no other option. Using the seminars to educate of the job cuts and the bad press in the media, meant that the HR employees became more committed to the changes as they knew the risk to them of not supporting the changes and thus causing conflict. Clarke (1994) also suggested that using education like seminars to express the benefits towards the employees in terms self development encourage commitment as well as a sense of shared ownership. If Royal Mail was to succeed in applying the jobs cuts and reducing the conflict they needed to ensure that they developed upon this sense of ownership and made the employees proud to work for them. The Royal Mail continues to hold presentation, dinner and award ceremonies to try and encourage employees to further adapt a to the 'identification' level of commitment, where the employee are proud to be associated to the firm this ensures management of conflict. The success of these dinner and ceremonies indicated that the employees are showing more of willingness to be associated with the firm. These aspects of the Royal Mail also shows there awareness to employee needs on a higher level, as suggested by Maslow (1943) in his paper A Theory of Human Motivation concerning esteem needs (4th level) Martin and Nicholls (1987) three pillar model of committed (diagram below) shows how ensuring a sense of belonging through the seminars and bringing a sense of excitement of the job through the dinners and reward schemes introduced. Went a long way to ensuring commitment. The introduction of two-way communication session as well as the 'Talk-About' programs between management and employees where employees can inform management of potential problem and suggest solution, has also helped continue in developing the sense of ownership idea amongst the employees Hickson and Pugh (1995) of the emergent school also highlighted that in order to generate a change culture; those employees involved in the changes should be able to aid in the diagnosis and development of solutions. This opportunity for participation (2-Way conversation/talk-about programs) was another aspect of Kotter & Schelsinger's (1979) model. They argue that involving them in this way will ensure they are more likely to 'buy-into' the changes and this reduces the conflict . This shift in management thinking to start considering the employees opinions is supported by the emergent school and helps lead onto its effect on commitment and conflict. Shifting the manager's so that they became facilitators (another aspect from the Kotter & Schelinder (1979) model) and aware of there change conscious workers as well as committing to long term staff so that the Royal Mail managers gained they're support, helped increase the effectiveness of any further changes. This was the 'central argument' of Dawson (1994) from the power/politics aspect of the emergent school. The general understanding to address the culture of an organisation when implementing positive change is highlighted by both the emergent school and the OD school. Baron (1985) from the emergent schools perception suggested, that in order for change to be successful, the change needs to be attached to the organizations culture so that conflict associated with the change can be reduced. The facts from the outcome of the culture shift/organisational commitment at Royal Mail show that there has been success whichever model you hold it against. Before the shift there was poor relation between the employee/unions and the firm, which led to strikes, however within 18 month of the program being implemented when similar union action was called of, members voted against a strike. Thus this reduced the conflict between the management and employees regarding the change Recommendations The main objective now for the Royal Mail has to be in ensuring that they sustain the changes they have made while continue to develop further changes keeping in mind the reduction of conflict as a goal. They need to address what is next for McCarthy. When he was bought in to the organisation he benefited by not having previous experiences with the Royal Mail to cloud his ideas and aloud him to see the real problems from a new angle. But with being with the Royal Mail for 3 years, which while having its advantages in that he has experience of the firm and would have observed over the years other areas that could be improved, there is a chance that he, himself has become to enclosed in the organisation to fully implement further big changes without any conflict arising . One option is to move McCarthy to a support/sustaining role. Royal Mail could then bring someone in from the outside to try and access where further changes may be needed. This worked before with McCarthy so there is no reason it couldn't work again. Moving McCarthy to a sustaining role to reduce conflict and to ensure that those changes implemented continue to have an effect. Some of the changes, especially those that adjust the culture will need to be sustained in order for new changes to be accepted. Also by ensuring investment is used to sustain the changes will show the employees that the changes were not a quick-fix but based on long-term goals, this way the employees won't return to old ways and instead, stay calm and do not indulge in any kind of conflict against the management . In Armstrong (1996) highlighted the need for a well-motivated, committed, skilled and flexible workforce in order to ensure an excellent culture so it is utmost important that Royal Mail in order to maintain a conflict free environment continue to invest and sustain support in ensuring the employees needs are considered. When the employee feel that the management is giving them importance and that their needs are being considered then automatically their conflict with the management lessens and they start to accept the changes. Royal Mail needs to ensure that they continue to work around Kotter et al's positive strategies (education, facilitation, cooperation, participation) and not fall back into using more negative strategies (Manipulation and Coercion). In doing this Royal Main can hope to maintain the integrative conflict free culture that they have formed. Integrative cultures as outlined by De Bono (1985) are cultures that can sustain effectiveness through ensuring challenging the normalities such as the actions of McCarthy. If an organization maintains it’s culture then it can be successful in reducing conflict with the employees, as employees are already accustomed to the old culture. The management must continue to be educated in order to be more employees and change conscious. Through using Kanter's et al's positive strategies when implementing the education to the managers will help ensure that the managers themselves can become conflict reducing agents who are more facilitating of the employees and share characteristic such as those outlined by (1998) (Clear vision, explanation, confidence, opportunity provider, empowering others) The culture shift that has taken place, above all needs to be maintained. Keeping a positive, more employee conscious culture will ensure changes and challenges are not met with conflicting attitude of the employees when they are needed, which will speed up the process (Filley 1975), Peters and Waterman (1982), through carrying out a large scale survey, highlighted upon 8 key characteristics (Bias for action, customer focus, entrepreneurship, productivity through people, value orientated CEO's, Sticking to their business, Centralised while being decentralised), that excellent organisations share which made up the culture-excellence model. The finding of Peters/Waterman may be considered irrelevant today, however in 1996Their work was largely based on McKinsey Model which Peters/Waterman had developed in 1980 to outline effective organisation practices. Whichever model you look towards, it obvious that the Royal Mail have addressed many of the McKiney Model areas (Staff, system, skills, strategy, culture) as well as moving towards the aspects of their culture-excellence model, for example concerning decentralization and productivity through people. In order to maintain a conflict free environment during the process of change they now need to expand throughout the organization and other departments (not just the HR Department) to ensure they can achieve a shared vision throughout, which involves all of these aspects. Conclusion By the analysis given above it can be concluded that the Royal Mail, by addressing the HR department and staff morale using more positive techniques of involvement, communication, facilitation, etc has helped when conflict between the management and employees regarding change needed to be controlled. While Royal Mail has seen success in tackling the conflicts that arise in their organization they have implemented so far, they cannot rest because not only have they got the problems of there own financial situation to address but also the affect of competition now that the market has opened. Failure to continue commitment in investing in there employees as well as supporting the changes may take them back to square one as conflicts will arise in the organization and this may lead to strikes and unhappy workers. References Armstrong, M (1996); Personnel management practice, Sixth edition. London: Kogan Page. Baron, R. A. (1985). Reducing organizational conflict: The role of attributions. Journal of Applied Psychology. 70, Clarke, L (1994); The Essence of Change, Prentice Hall International Ltd., London, Dawson P, (1994); Organizational Change: A Processual Approach, Paul Chapman De Bono, E. (1985); Conflicts: A Better Way to Resolve Them. London: Harrap. Filley, A.C. (1975);. 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