Conflict Management of an Organization

 

Figure 1, source; (www.ccpl.org)

There is no argument that conflict management is a critical role in an organizational culture as this could be a natural part in a business process. With the HRM transformation and its concepts this could be effectively applied in our industries as well.

Organizational conflict refers to internal disagreements or misunderstandings between colleagues or leaders, often resulting in a lack of relation and collaboration in the workplace (Herrity, 2023).

According to Toppor (2023), conflicts can be occurred based on three as relationship conflicts which is interpersonal tensions among individuals, task conflicts which is the disagreement the works between two parties and the process conflict which is the disagreements regarding the way of performing a specific work.

According to Herrity (2023), common causes for a conflict can be listed as below,

• Communication gaps
• Types of personalities
• Ambiguous expectations
• Unclear responsibilities
• Issues with the resources  

Therefore, the conflict management is the ability to recognized managing the conflicts in a reasonable, equitable and effective manner (peoplehum, 2023).

Benefits of the conflict management

According to the Unicornlabs (2021), below mentioned benefits has listed for a well conflict managed organization. 

• Increased team performance, productivity, energy, and engagement.
• Improved leadership throughout the entire team.
• Greater innovation and creativity.
• Increased trust and connection among team members.
• Higher employee retention rates.
• Reduced employee stress and absence.
• Advanced workplace communication and collaboration

Conflict management styles

Figure 2, source; (www.mtdtraining.com)

The commonly discussing conflict management styles are based on the five basic ways described (Thomas & Kilmann ,1974). According to the tutorialspoint (2024), this has mentioned as below.

1. Collaborating (win / win) - Collaborating involves integrating ideas from multiple parties to find creative solutions, requiring significant time commitment.
2. Compromising (win some / lose some) - The technique involves compromise, where both parties agree on some points and compromise on others. Both parties has to agree some ideas of others and has to give up of some own ideas.  
3. Accommodating (lose / win) - Accommodating means giving up of own ideas and thoughts so that the other party wins and the conflict ends.
4. Competing (win / lose) - Competing refers to a person or group that is unwilling to collaborate or adjust in a dispute, merely aiming for the opposite party to lose.
5. Avoiding (no winners / no losers) - Avoiding involves rejecting both parties' ideas and involving a third person who makes a decision without favoring any party. 

When discussing on the best conflict management style, mostly it will depend on the situation however collaborative style has the potential to be highly effective in mane situations (University of Minnesota, 2017).

 

Strategies for conflict management process

Following up proper strategies is a key to implementing an effective conflict management system. According to Cranston (2021), few important methods has described.

1. Clarify the source of conflict - conflict resolution involves clarifying its source, fostering mutual understanding, and obtaining comprehensive information from both parties to ensure they comprehend the issue at hand.
2. Safe private place to talk - constructive conversations require a safe environment, allowing for honest and risky discussions on the issues at hand.
3. Let opportunity to explain & active listening - ensure a private meeting for both parties to express their views on the issue, promoting open communication, understanding the root causes, and identifying solutions.
4. Investigate situation - parties involved in a dispute must engage in a thorough investigation to understand the highlighted issues and perspectives of the parties involved.
5. Determine way to a common goal - Parties must work together to resolve conflicts effectively, identifying stages of conflict, and exploring solutions until all options are exhausted.
6. Agreed on best solution & responsibilities - After investigation, parties agree on solutions, common ground, responsibilities, and root causes to resolve conflicts. This is ensure to come that issue again. 

Conclusion

Conflict management is essential in organizational behavior as it help to create a positive work environment. Identifying  of deferent types of conflicts which can be happened in order to the possible reasons in very important. Therefore proper strategies can be established and maintain within the organization. For the leadership team there is vital role in conflict management to wisely understand & handle the situation and be neutral to avoid any unnecessary impact for any of the party.

 

References

Cranston, A., 2021. HR Cloud. [Online]
Available at: https://www.hrcloud.com/blog/7-tips-on-how-to-manage-and-resolve-conflict-in-the-workplace
[Accessed 11 April 2024].

Herrity, J., 2023. Indeed career guide. [Online]
Available at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/organizational-conflict
[Accessed 11 April 2024].

peoplehum, 2023. peoplehum. [Online]
Available at: https://www.peoplehum.com/glossary/conflict-management#:~:text=Conflict%20management%20process%20deals%20with,know%20how%20to%20resolve%20them.
[Accessed 11 April 2024].

Thomas, K. & Kilmann, R., 1974. Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode instrument. 1 ed. s.l.:XICOM, Tuxedo, NY.

Toppor, 2023. Toppor. [Online]
Available at: https://www.toppr.com/guides/fundamentals-of-economics-and-management/organizational-conflicts/strategies-for-conflict-management-in-workplace/
[Accessed 11 April 2024].

tutorialspoint, 2024. tutorialspoint. [Online]
Available at: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/organizational_behavior/organizational_behavior_conflict_management.htm
[Accessed 11 April 2024].

Unicornlabs, 2021. unicorn labs. [Online]
Available at: https://www.unicornlabs.ca/blog/the-importance-and-benefit-of-conflict-management
[Accessed 11 April 2024].

University of Minnesota, 2017. Organizational Behavior. s.l.:University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing.