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Case study about organizational conflict
A Research Study On Organizational Conflict
Case study about organizational conflict
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Organisations today face many challenges and threats in the rapidly changing and highly competitive global environment , one of these challenges is organisational conflict. Conflict is an inevitable and normal phenomenon between individuals and groups in each organization (OJO and ABOLADE,no date). There is growing recognition of the importance of conflict in the organization (Garcia-Prieto, Bellard, and Schneider, 2003) . According to Hocker and Wilmot in 1995,quoted by Henry(2008),said that not all conflicts can be easily regarded as good or bad. This essay will critically discuss both functional and dysfunctional organisational conflicts and their good or bad consequences. As a general rule, not all conflicts should be eliminated.
Functional conflicts have a beneficial effect on team-based working organisation and should be encouraged(van Woerkom and van Engen, 2009) .It is usually regarded as corporative or constructive conflicts in management circle(Amason, 1996). If well-handled the functional conflict, it can lead to synergistic human interaction and solutions that benefit everybody involved.(Thomas,2004)A third family-owned business, mentioned by Thomas
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While dysfunctional conflict tends to be associated with negative features and situations which give rise to inefficiency, ineffectiveness of organisation development . Therefore , organisations should endeavour to stimulate functional conflict and reduce dysfunctional conflict, manage both of them to the benefit of the
The last episode of conflict is conflict aftermath. At this stage if the issues listed in the latent conflict episode are dealt with in a satisfactory manner, the conflict will be resolved (Stojkovic et al, 2008). This is the type of resolution that managers and supervisors should seek in order to keep organizational conflict to a minimum. However, if the conflicts listed above are not addressed and only suppressed, then the conflict will resurface and the organization will enter the stage of conflict aftermath (Stojkovic et al, 2008). The problem with this episode is that it could become serious and weaken the relationship between two parties and will never be repaired fully. For example, in prisons, if the conditions listed in the latent conflict are never resolved the conflict will worsen until another disturbance occurs (Stojkovic et al, 2008)
In this paper, conflict, its effects, and some management and resolution strategies as they relate to team dynamics will be discussed. Understanding the various conflict resolution methods, including how and when to apply them, is of utmost importance. In teams, different types of conflict call for different solutions. Conflict resolution is certainly not an area in which one size fits all. Conflict may be classified as Substantive, Procedural, or Affective, depending upon the context to which it relates.
Riaz, M. & Junaid, F. (2011). Types, Sources, Cost and Consequences of Workplace Conflicts. Asian Journal of Management Research. 2(1), 600-611.
When couples become romantically involved with one another, obviously, they cannot be expected to agree on everything at all times. Conflict becomes a normal part of every relationship. Some say it is harmful because it can lead to hatred. Some say it is beneficial for the relationship because it is a learning lesson on how to deal a problem in a healthy way. I say it can be both good and bad depending on how people manage it. If a conflict is not handled appropriately, it can really damage the relationship which can also affect the people around us. When conflict is managed in a positive way, it gives us many opportunities learn more about ourselves, as well as our partners. It can also help us grow maturely which can strengthen our relationship.
According to the Theorists as groups turn into teams, most conflict happens in the “storming” stage of team development (De Janasz, Dowd & Schneider, 2001). First, one must understand what conflict is. Capozzoli (1999) cites Boulding’s 1962 definition of conflict as “a situation of competition in which the parties are aware of the incompatibility of potential future positions and in which each party wishes to occupy a position which is incompatible with the wishes of the other.” Conflict can be either constructive or destructive to the team and can be created in several ways. Conflict must be analyzed and understood for the team to resolve it.
It has been estimated in a study by the American Management Association that managers spend between 20% to as much as 50% of their times dealing with conflict among their employees (American Sentinel, 2012). When workplace conflicts are left unresolved they can lead to dissatisfaction, depression and other problems such as aggression and violence (Whitworth 2008). The negative, sometimes hostile, environment created by unresolved conflict has been recognized to be a hazard not only to staff, but also to patient care (The Joint Commission 2008).
Conflict Management can often be the toughest task for a leader to handle. It involves dealing with inter-personal and intra-personal conflict. As a team leader of a technical event called Pulse’09 at my university, I had to deal with conflicts on a regular basis. Conflicts usually arise either due to lack of effective communication, different ideologies, lack of resources or due to task interdependence [3]. It was by far my most life changing experience as it taught me the reason behind conflicts and the way to resolve them. In this paper, I will be talking about the way I dealt with conflicts and managed them, the impact they had on the team performance and what I could do to improve my leadership by contrasting my experience to the class readings.
According to Ivancevich, Konospaske and Matteson, dysfunctional conflict is a confrontation or interaction between groups that harms the organization or hinders the achievement of organizational goals. The authors also state that if conflict levels become too high, the resulting chaos can threaten the organization’s survival.
Thomas, K. W. (1992). Conflict and conflict management: Reflections and update. . Journal Of Organizational Behavior, 13(3), 265-274.
Many people enjoy working or participating in a group or team, but when a group of people work together chances are that conflicts will occur. Hazleton describes conflict as the discrepancy between what is the perceived reality and what is seen as ideal (2007). “We enter into conflicts reluctantly, cautiously, angrily, nervously, confidently- and emerge from them battered, exhausted, sad, satisfied, triumphant. And still many of us underestimate or overlook the merits of conflict- the opportunity conflict offers every time it occurs” (Schilling, nd.). Conflict does not have to lead to a hostile environment or to broken relationships. Conflict if resolved effectively can lead to a positive experience for everyone involved. First, there must be an understanding of the reasons why conflicts occur. The conflict must be approached with an open mind. Using specific strategies can lead to a successful resolution for all parties involved. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument states “there are five general approaches to dealing with conflict. The five approaches are avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise, and collaboration. Conflict resolution is situational and no one approach provides the best or right approach for all circumstances” (Thomas, 2000).
Differences within the team are the major reason for conflict. This stems from differences in opinion, attitude, beliefs, as well as cultural back grounds and social factors. The Conflict can be positive which is functional and supports or benefits the organization or a person’s main objectives (Reaching Out, 1997). Conflict is viewed as positive when the conflict results in increased involvement form the group, increased cohesion, and positive innovation and creativity. Conflict tends to be positive as well when it leads to better decisions, and solutions to long-term problems.
When managed correctly, functional conflict helps managers anticipate and solve problems, feel confident and strengthen relationships. Dysfunctional conflict is a confrontation or interaction between groups that harms the organization or the achievement of organizational goals (Kumar, 2009). Cunningham is faced with a functional conflict. The conflict created by the merger that Cunningham is faced with can create positive consequences for both Synergon, and Beauchamp. Cunningham must solve the problems between the two companies and make it acceptable to all parties involved.
Rahim (2002) differentiated person’s perception towards handling a conflict into two: “concern for self and concern for others” (p. 216). Further, the study explored two types of conflicts and observed that most conflicts arise during the decision-making process. Dysfunctional conflict, which hinders team performance and interpersonal relations due to individual’s self-interest in implementing particular decision. Functional conflict serves organization purpose with employees involved in the conflict regarding which proposal to implement (Rahim, 2011).
Conflict exists in every organization as a result of incompatible needs, goals, and objectives of two people while aligning to the overall business requirements. Though disagreement is linked with negative impact, the approach has healthy considerations (Leung, 2008). For instance, some conflicts create an avenue for the exchange of ideas and creativity to meet the set organizational purposes. However, damaging disagreement in organizations results in employee dissatisfaction, turnover, and poor services and reduced productivity. The paper establishes different types of interpersonal conflict and key resolution strategies used to address the problem. Human resource managers need to have the capacity to identify different levels of conflicts and the best methods to negate them.
(Asawo, 2011). Conflict can occur in any setting and as leaders in organizations guide and