Empowerment Perceptions and Conflict - Essay Example

EMPOWERMENT PERCEPTIONS AND CONFLICT In most organizations, conflicts arise when the employees state their demands for a certain position, recognition, appreciation, financial benefits and independence. The same concerns the management that faces conflicts with forces outside the organization, as government or unions do not often recognize and appreciate what leader of certain organization did. Conflict situations arise as a result of the different status employees have. For instance, management at higher levels of the organization feel resent about the change suggestions that the employees of lower levels propose.

Such situations usually evoke conflict between the management and the employees, however it can be prevented by developing activities of tolerating suggestions, for example. In the organizations, conflict situations appear because of fear of power, force to do certain activities against the will of employees or fair attitude toward the employees (Richmond, Wagner & McCroskey, n.d). The imaginary concern for a certain demonstration of power from the management side bears fear and thus conflict.

Force to be involved in to any kind initiates lead to conflicts. Fair determines the moral values of every individual and can evoke conflict situation with the empowered person that is the management in the organization. Besides, differences in personality, perceptions and status of empowerment arise conflicts. Employee empowerment begins with the concept of strategic compatibility of staff and tasks, technology or the information processes, as well as rewards and the organization structure for which everything should be in accordance to ensure the effectiveness of work (Sahoo, Das, 2011).

Communication gaps, personality differences, lack of cooperation and substandard performance of the leaders within certain organization can be misunderstood by its employees, thus provoke conflicts. Having different styles of leadership, principles and values that differ from the others employers risk to arise conflict situations with the employees. For instance, a risk- taking manager can be in conflict with a risk- minimizing manager as both have different principles of their work of the organization control and a well- being of the company.

However, such strategies as changed styles, improved organizational practices and changes in roles and structure can help prevent conflicts within the organization (Conflict management, n.d.). In the situation with a risk- taking manager and a risk- minimizing supervisor, a conflict is in different approaches both use for the well- being of the organization. While the supervisor possesses the higher level in the organizational hierarchy, one can display the competing type of behavior. The supervisor is concerned more about personal goals rather than a concern for establishing good relationship with the specialist of the similar position.

 On the contrary, the attitude of the risk- taking manager is more of collaborating behavior, as he/she searches for a mutual satisfactory solution and it involves high cooperation with the supervisor and low confrontation. Avoiding of the conflict resolve from the supervisor side will not lead to the conflict situation to resolve itself. While supervisor due to the status within the organization does not recognize the way to find the solution of the conflict, the manager demonstrates the behavior of accommodating, which is a search for common understanding of the situation.

What is more important, both should find compromising, a mid- way solution, that will enable conflicting parties to become relatively equal in power and have mutual independent goals. Since avoiding conflict is one of the major responsibilities of high- level managers, it is their duty to create a healthy environment in the organization to ensure the effective working surrounding, which will avoid conflict situations. The power relationships between the management and the employee compose an important aspect of the social environment for the employees inside the organization.

Perception of power appears as a significant mediating variable for employee’s behavior and the main predictor variable of the employer’s commitment. Since most employees perceive power with an ability of an employer to move, persuade or encourage personnel or even threaten it or promise reward, they define it in a different way according to the situation they are involved into. ReferencesConflict management, n.d., Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations, Available from http://www.fao.org/docrep/w7504e/w7504e07.

htmRichmond, V., Wagner, J. & McCroskey, J.., n.d., The Impact of perceptions of leadership style, use of power and conflict management style on organizational outcomes, Available from http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/publications/113.pdfSahoo, C. & Das, S., 2011. Employee Empowerment: A Strategy towards Workplace Commitment, European Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 3, No.11