Managing Conflict in Modern Organisations

As stated by Afful-Broni and Tah, conflict management is an evitable part of all the organisations in the modern industry. The workplace culture in the contemporary society has changed significantly due to the increase in diversity and have increased the level of the conflict in both developed and developing economies. On the hand, Saundry and Latreille state that there has been a change like the conflict in the organisations and there has been a reduction in the industrial action of the concentrated form, mostly, in the developed countries. The emphasis has been shifted to individual conflict manifestation where employment litigation and employee grievances are two factors out of many such factors for personal conflict. A significant amount of importance has been provided to individual conflict of employees as the organisation is burdened by the direct cost that is associated with management of conflict within the organisation (1).Therefore, developing ways of managing conflict within the organisation has been an issue for the policy makers, trade unions and employers.

According to the Baillien et al. (23(4):511-24), conflicts can be defined as the clash of interest between individuals or groups, and there is a distinction between conflicts and disputes. Conflicts are the dissatisfaction arising due to the difference in interest between the individuals whereas disputes are the manifestation of these conflicts within the organisation. There is a wide range of reasons which may give rise to conflict within an organisation. The tradition view on conflict management suggests that conflict arises due to lack of communication and trust among a group or between to individual (3). On the contrary, the contemporary view states that conflict is a part of the organisation and it can be used for the benefit of the group and the organisation.  Disputes occur almost on a daily basis within the, and there is no point in trying to avoid or prevent conflict. Management of massive disputes which may lead to the deterioration of the organisational culture and productivity have to be focused on.  The interactionist view states that conflict is necessary for effective work of individuals as it cannot be considered as positive at all times.  

The several types of conflict which affect the individuals within the organisation are task conflict which is related to goals and content of work, process conflict that is related to overall work process and relationship conflict that is focused on the interpersonal relationship. Therefore, in this view conflicts has been considered as either dysfunctional or functional. As opined by Einarsen et al. (1-22), relationship conflict exists due to the incompatibility between individuals or among group members. These conflicts spread negative vibes to the team due to the development of negative emotions such as tension, annoyance, animosity, mistrust, resentment and anxiety.  Task conflict is another form of conflict which arises due to disagreement in performing their work. This may arise due to a difference in point of views, opinions and ideas and unlike relationship conflict, task conflict can be used effectively for the benefit of the group and the organization (2). The third conflict within the organisation is process conflict which arises due to the divergence between individuals about the way in which task has to be accomplished, delegation and responsibilities.

Types of Conflict in the Workplace

According to Currie et al. ((4):492-509) conflict can also be classified as interpersonal conflict, intragroup conflict, interpersonal conflict and inter-organisational conflict. However, the significant factors resulting in conflict with the organisation are specialisation, shared resources, interdependence, roles and expectations, authority relationships, jurisdictional ambiguity and goal differences.  While working in the organisation, there are sets of employees that become specialists in doing specific jobs, and when the number of specialists within the organisation are high, they are unaware about each other’ job roles and responsibilities (6).  By taking an example of a receptionist and a technician, the receptionist may promise a client unreasonable deadline as she does not have the technical ability to understand the requirement. These would create a conflict between the receptionist and the technician.  There are occasions where different teams have to share their resources. When resources are scarce, the chances of conflicts within an organisation increase significantly. The conflict arises because each of the individuals requires this resource to fulfil their goals and scarcity makes it difficult for them to achieve.  The incompatibility between the different departments within the organisation results in the development of conflicts.  The level of interdependence between the individuals will result in the event of a dispute within the organization (7). When the task of one person is dependent on the functions of another person will increase conflict. Authority relationship leads to conflict when the managers in the organisations available added facilities such as flexible shift timings, longer breaks and long distance calls. When a manager is strict with its employees, it may also lead to conflict between individuals.

 Interpersonal conflict refers to the conflict among the individuals due to different reasons. In the workplace, interpersonal conflict is one of the most common occurrences due to the idea that in the current business scenario, employees belong from different social and cultural backgrounds and they have different approaches in their workplace. One of the primary reasons for the emergence of the interpersonal conflict is the difference in values. This is due to the reason that employees in the organisations are having a different set of values. According to Yarnell and Neff (p. 146-159), employees from different social and cultural backgrounds have traditions and beliefs. Thus it is difficult for them to adhere to the diverse opinions and values of others that are contradictory to their own. According to the authors, this leads to the emergence of conflict among the employees in the workplace and further originates the probability of interpersonal conflict.  

Understanding Interpersonal Conflict

 However, some other authors have given different views about the causes and reasons of origination of interpersonal conflict. One of the significant reasons is a conflict of interests. According to Zhang and Huo (p. 479-498), if the employees are having a conflict of interests among themselves in their workplace, the probability of the emergence of interpersonal conflict is more. According to the authors, the conflict of affairs in the organisation emerges when the decision or approach to be taken by one employee will cause a loss for another. In this case, employees tend to indulge in conflict when they are confronted by their peers in the decision making process. This is also leading to the interpersonal conflict among the employees in the workplace.  

Intrapersonal conflict refers to the conflict among the individuals with themselves. This means that intrapersonal conflict is the dilemma faced by the individuals in their workplace where they are facing the issue of inner conflict. In this case, also, there is a number of reasons being identified that cause intrapersonal conflict. One of the primary reasons being identified is the conflict between the desired goals and the actual goals given to the employees by their management. According to Hsiaw (p. 601-626), goal setting is one of the significant areas where intrapersonal conflict can get aroused. In different cases, when the employees can match the organisational goals stated to them with their personal goals, then they tend to be in a dilemma about how to manage and balance between the two. According to the authors, if the employees follow the organisational goals, the will be unsatisfied with their personal goals and vice versa.   

On the other hand, Evans, Carney and Wilkinson (p. 436-441), stated that stress, dissatisfaction and frustration of the employees with their job roles is another primary cause for the emergence of intrapersonal conflict. This is due to the reason that if the employees are not happy and satisfied with their job role or for any other factors in their workplace, then they will face the issue of intrapersonal conflict in balancing between the importance of earning money and accepting the unfavourable job situation. This is another prime reason for the occurrence of intrapersonal conflict.

Intergroup conflict refers to the origination of conflict between different teams in the workplace. This mainly occurs due to some common differences between the groups in the organisation. One of the major differentiating factors being identified is the religion due to the reason that religion is one of the major factors that divide the people around the world and groups in the organisation is of no exception. According to Neuberg, Warner, Mistler, Berlin, Hill, Johnson, Filip-Crawford, Millsap, Thomas, Winkelman and Broome (p. 198-206), if the groups in the organizations are being divided based on the religion or if a particular religion is superior in different groups, then it is highly probable that intergroup conflict will get emerged. According to the authors, if one group with having the superiority of one religion gets in to the conflict with another religion having the superiority of another religion, then intergroup conflict will get raised.  

Understanding Intrapersonal Conflict

On the other hand, another major reason for the emergence of intergroup conflict is gender differences. As stated by Nishii (p. 1754-1774), in the majority of cases, males and females have different approaches or views for a particular situation. In addition, this difference is natural and cannot be changed or overcome. Thus, according to the author, if the groups are differentiated by gender, then it is having the high probability that the groups of females and the group of males will confront each other.   

 Intragroup conflict refers to the emergence of conflict among the group members of the same team. In this case, also, there is a number of reasons being identified that contribute to the origination of intragroup conflict. One of the major reasons being identified is the different level of emotion among the group members. According to Meng, Fulk and Yuan (p. 675-700), members of a group belong to the various social structure, and thus they possess a different level of emotion towards particular incidents. Therefore, if the feelings of the group members are different and diverse in nature, then the probability will be high about the emergence of conflict among the team members. The authors have also stated that this issue of intrapersonal conflict will be more relevant during decision making process in the team and during building consensus among the team members. This is one of the prime reasons for the emergence of intragroup conflict among the team members.  

According to Hanif, Mohsin, Adeel and Shah (p. 72-78), another primary reason for the occurrence of intragroup conflict is cultural differences. This is due to the idea that if the members of a group belong to different cultural backgrounds, then they will be more likely to have different sets of approaches and views. This will lead to the conflict among the team members at the time of the decision making process. According to the authors, this can also be considered as one of the major reasons of intragroup conflict.  

As stated by Rahim, the most important source within an organisation is the human resource. Therefore, adequate evaluation of the human resources within an organisation while making change and development is one of the major concerns for the employees.  The managers should be proactive enough to cease conflicts between individuals and resolve the conflict between them. However, this does not mean that every dispute can be resolved within the organisation and attempt to conflict resolution will result in a worsening of the situation (20). Therefore, effective management of conflict where the conflict will not cause a problem for the operations of the organisation is essential.  It is the role of the manager to monitor the workforce so that there is no increase in the different situation which may hamper the work environment and cause harm to the organisation. A competent manager should be aware of the opposing parties, the reason of conflict, the conflict phase, the positive and negative impact of this conflict and whether the conflict can be managed or not (6). This will help in identifying the appropriate solution for the organisation.   The managers that have knowledge regarding this factor will be able to effectively solve the conflict as they have the valid information regarding the issues which will facilitate in decision making.

Understanding Intergroup Conflict

According to Saeed et al., the managers should be aware of the different phase of the conflict within an organisation as the conflict is not developed without a valid reason.  Conflict within an organisation grows through different stages. In the first phase, a manager is supposed to the foresight and wait. The different foresight will be analysed by the manager during this phase. In the second phase, the symptoms of conflict will be readily visible, and various indications will show the signs of conflict. The third phase is the interview phase where face to face interview will unfold the difference in opinion between the groups or individuals. In the fourth phase, the subject matter of the conflict will be discussed, and in the final stage, the positive or negative decision is being concluded by the individuals (5). Therefore, a manager can prevent the conflict or annihilate the conflict based on the phases and depend upon the impact of this conflict on the workforce and the organisation.  The involvement of managers varies in different aspects where active participation will be highest in the first phase and will be the lowest in the final stage.  

The method that a manager can use to manage conflict effectively is freezing which is a method of moderation. In this method, the decrease in the difference between the different groups will be achieved by providing them with common benefits (19). The managers will have to identify the elements of conflict, behaviour, contradictions and emotions.  After this phase, the manager will have to change the orientation of conflict which is known as transformation.  This will lead to the development of the solution due to the transformation. 

As opined by Lipsky, Avgar and Lamare, the managers will have to develop conflict resolution values which will guide the employees with the organisation.  These values are such as respect for all which means that both the parties should have the appropriate level of respect for each other. The solution achieved at the expense of one party is not expected to last very long.  Participation and empowerment is another value where the conflicting parties can obtain more if they can cooperate with each other and work together.  The next benefit is respect for differences in perspectives and views. It is essential for the parties involved in the conflict to be able to respect each other’s opinions and perspectives.  

 However, resolution of the conflict is not always the appropriate solution as it may result in enhancement of the problems and may not be beneficial for the organisation. It is essential for the manager to be aware of the origin of the conflict so that active talking between the groups will be facilitated for improving the level of conflict with the organizations (18). The openness of the discussion allows the employees to talk about the issues effectively and develop an outcome that is positive. Early recognition of the conflict is one of the skills that the managers will have to develop as this will enable the manager to judge whether the conflict will have a negative impact or a positive impact for the organisation. The early recognition is especially effective in the case of dysfunctional and functional disputes which makes the management of conflict much easier.

Conclusion 

 The critical analysis of different peer-reviewed journals shows that conflict arises within the organisation due to leadership style, resource scarcity and competition for gaining power. The satisfaction of the employees is profoundly affected by these factors which result in the development of different types of conflicts. Early recognition is one of the best solutions for resolving and managing conflict as the managers would have more amount of time to analyse the situation. Moreover, having proper knowledge about the conflict is important for the manager to manage conflict effectively.

The organisations should keep enough space for improving the decision making process.  The managers will have to take staff welfare into account for receiving the optimum productivity within the organisation.  However, the managers should be a better judge of the situation and should try to draw the positive outcome out of every possible conflict.   

References 

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