Effective Management of Conflicts in Organizations Research Paper

Abstract

Conflict is an inevitable part of all human interactions. Most people perceive conflict as a negative element in human relationships due to its disruptive and emotional consequences. However, if properly managed, conflict promotes innovation and prevents occurrence of major disagreements.

Conflict in organization often results from competition over limited resources, ineffective communication, differing views and perceptions, ambiguity in role description, and organizational change. Human resource managers have devised various methods of resolving conflict most of which are aimed at reaching a consensus acceptable to the conflicting parties.

Some of the strategies employed include cooperation, compromise, avoidance, reconciliation, among others. The hospitality industry’s human resource management has to motivate its workers in order to enhance work relations and improve productivity. Unfortunately managers are often faced with a major challenge of striking a balance between the positive and negative impacts of conflict.

Introduction

Conflict is an inherent part of life. It occurs between people in all kinds of human interaction and social settings (Condrey 608). Conflict in itself is not necessarily a bad thing; the manner in which people handle conflict determines whether it is constructive or destructive.

Conflict has been defined as the incompatibility of goals and values between two or more parties coupled with attempts to dominate each other. These incompatible goals may exist in reality or merely in perception. However, the opposing actions and hostile emotions elicited by the conflicting parties are the real causes of persistent human conflict.

Modern organizations are characterized by conflict emanating from economic interests, value conflict, and power conflict (Guttmann 33). Constant conflict occurring in organizations can have devastating effects on overall business performance due to its tendency to result in demoralization of employees, polarization of co-workers, and diversion of energy from meeting the organization’s objectives (Guttmann 33). This has prompted organization’s human resource management to devise strategies to deal with human conflict in organization.

A survey conducted on 1400 workers by the University of Colorado revealed that over half of workers in the organization lost a considerable amount of time engaging in conflicts with colleagues (Guttmann 33). In addition one third of the employees acknowledged that their commitment to work and to their employers had significantly reduced due to organizational conflict while 22% claimed that it had reduced their productivity (Guttmann 33).

Managers suffer equally from the negative impacts of conflict within organizations. The same study revealed that managers spent an estimated 25% of their time resolving work place conflict which resulted in low office performance (Guttmann 33).

Due to the negative impacts of conflict in organizations, there has been an increased need to effectively manage human interactions and associations within organizations.

An organization’s human resource management should be adequately equipped with the necessary tools and mechanisms to handle conflict between co workers and conflict arising between the workers and the management. Effective management of conflict in organizations results in improved human interaction and consequently improves the overall performance of the organization.

Consequences of Conflict

One of the greatest misconceptions that people often hold regarding conflict is that it is inherently bad. While conflict can cause great harm to the organization, it can also result in creativity, excitement and even strength (Guttman 33). Conflict can energize the parties involved (Anonymous 1) causing them to be more alert and self driven.

It is often used as an avenue through which larger issues, which are too delicate to be confronted openly, are solved. Consequently, conflict resolution plays an important role in preventing larger conflicts from occurring by reducing the tension and anxiety existing between conflicting parties (Anonymous 1).

Conflict occurring in organizations draws attention to possible disfunctions and malpractices that needs to be addressed. Thus occurrence for such conflicts may enable the management to identify the problems existing in the system in time to avoid major conflicts from arising (Anonymous 1).

In addition, conflict encourages the development of innovative solutions for an organization’s problems whereby the human resource management looks at a specific conflict from a new perspective which integrates various organizations’ interests (Anonymous 1). Conflict therefore boosts creativity and draws focus to matters requiring organization’s attention.

On the other hand, conflict may result in increased costs and other negative impacts to an organization (Anonymous 1). Constant disruptions resulting from conflict may disorient the organization’s goals and significantly hinder the achievement of its objectives.

In addition, it may cause both mental and emotional fatigue to the management as well as the parties involved consequently reducing their overall performance (Anonymous 1). Further, conflict often results in aggression and provocative feelings among the parties involved which in turn increases the chances of destructive consequences due to existing tension.

Every organization encounters conflicts on a daily basis (Turkalj 505) and it is possible for organizations to manage it in a way that they avoid long term destructive effects on the organization (Turkalj 505).

The human resource management should constantly track the signals of conflict in the organization in order to solve it in time to avoid hostile encounters and emotional outburst which negatively impact on the image of the organization. As an independent variable of organization behavior, conflict is a major determinant of productivity, efficiency and performance among the human resource (Turkalj 505).

Effective conflict management entails the prior determination of goals to be achieved in resolving the conflict, unveiling the perception that the conflicting parties have towards each other, promoting communication between the conflicting parties and accommodating the view of other actions involved in the conflict (Anonymous 1).

An organization may also employ various techniques of conflict such as structural and tactical approaches of conflict management (Anonymous 1). Structural approach involves the use of a third party mediator in conflict resolution while the tactical approach involves the cooperation of the parties involved in the conflict to negotiate in order to reach an agreement most suitable for both parties.

Sources of Conflict in Organizations

Conflict in organizations is driven by many factors. Lack of effective communication in the organization often results in conflict (Talmaciu & Maracine 124). Communication breakdown leads to misunderstandings between co workers, managers, workers, etc.

When such situations arise, the management should heavily emphasize on cooperation which allows the conflicting parties to accommodate each other’s views and find an acceptable solution. Effective communication enables the conflicting parties to gain access to each other’s thinking, knowledge and mistrust which highly diminishes the differentiated ideas consequently promoting conflict resolution (Talmaciu & Maracine 124).

Interpersonal conflicts within organizations may result from differences in professional training which results in clashing view points between the employees, stress displacement, non correspondence of character and behavior, differing social perceptions and attitudes, among other factors (Talmaciu & Maracine 124). Inter group conflict arises as a result of communication breakdown, organization ambiguities, lack of adequate resources, dissatisfaction, value systems, and lack of professional compatibility (Talmaciu & Maracine 124).

Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman identified the essential causes of conflicts as follows (Talmaciu & Maracine 124); Different views regarding priority objectives often resulting in conflict of interests and lack of consensus on the priorities despite the presence of similar organization’s goals and objectives (Talmaciu & Maracine 125).

In addition, different ideas regarding strategies and methodologies to be applied in business operations and execution of tasks may result in conflict which in turn slows down the process of goal accomplishment. Further, perception differences regarding various aspects of life result in conflicts due to the presence of diverse views on how people perceive the reality.

Competition is a major source of conflict in modern organizations (Talmaciu & Maracine 125). Competition arises due to presence of limited resources whereby every individual or group competes to gain access to the limited resources. Indeed, the more limited the resources are, the greater the magnitude of the resulting conflict (Talmaciu & Maracine 125).

Workers within organizations also compete for power and status and differences between such statuses often results in conflict (Talmaciu & Maracine 125). Competition for supremacy is also prevalent in organizations whereby the employees are in constant strives to outshine each other in order to gain promotions. This may significantly trigger unhealthy competition which may result in conflict.

Lack of precision in role specification is likely to result in role conflict in organizations (Talmaciu & Maracine 125). Lack of clarity and ambiguity in the lines of authority, responsibility, and decision making often results in misrepresentation of reality which causes conflict. In addition, lack of coordination between interdependent groups and departments may result to failure of coordination which may in turn cause conflicts between departments or teams (Talmaciu & Maracine 125).

The dynamic nature of the modern organization settings may result in conflict arising from lack of accommodating and failure to adapt to changes occurring in the environment (Talmaciu & Maracine 125). Increasing competition, changing government regulations and advances in technology and communication forces the human resource to restructure itself in order to be compatible with internal and external changes.

Failure or reluctance to adapt to these changes significantly contributes to conflict in organizations. Conflict may also arise as a result of general aggression and stubbornness of some of the workers which may hinder their ability to deliver a specified task (Talmaciu & Maracine 125).

Conflict Management Strategies

The success of any organization is heavily dependent on the human resource management ability to recognize and effectively manage conflict (Turkalj 509). Effective conflict management strategies entail the integration of all the factors that can contribute to conflict resolution and its prevention.

These include improvement in organization communication and promotion of interpersonal relationships within the organization (Turkalj 509). Although numerous approaches to conflict management have been established, the organization’s role as an arbitrator in conflict resolution is the most essential. The human resource managers employ various skills acquired through experience to handle conflict cases in the organization.

Possessing adequate knowledge regarding the scope and essence of conflict within the organization is essential for managers to be able to avoid and control adverse effects of conflict in daily interactions (Talmaciu & Maracine 129). Whichever the method that the HR manager chooses to employ, it is important for them to precisely define the actual cause of the dispute, narrow the scope of dispute and widen the spectrum of possible solutions (Talmaciu & Maracine 129).

Some of the methods widely used in organizations for conflict management include avoidance; this occurs when the probability of cooperation and persistence in satisfying is relatively low prompting withdraw or repression of the conflict (Turkalj 510). It is often applied when the subject of conflict is less significant or to give the concerned parties ample time to calm down and reconsider (Talmaciu & Maracine 129).

The human resource may also apply cooperativeness in situations where the conflicting parties are ready to cooperate in order to resolve the dispute (Turkalj 510). It involves the attempt to win compliance by both parties through consideration of multiple interests and achievement of a general consensus.

Compromise involves equal level of contribution from both sides so that the conflict is solved by each party through compromising an equal portion of value (Turkalj 510). Compromising is often applied in situations when the goals at stake are equally important and the risk of triggering further conflict is substantially high. Dominance is applied when the chances of cooperation are extremely low and the persistence of satisfying personal interests is extremely high (Turkalj 510).

On the other hand, integration is better applied when the chances of cooperation are high and there needs to an appropriate solution for all the parties involved in the conflict. Other methods often applied in conflict management within organizations include competition, adjustments, withdrawal, reconcilement, force application among others (Talmaciu & Maracine 129).

Conflict Management in Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry is faced by a lot of challenges which are inclusive of environmental issues, labor cost issues, multicultural issues, increased competition, among other issues (Jin-Zhao & Jing 54). Conflict management in the hospitality industry is therefore an area of major concern in which the human resource managers have to constantly deal with especially due to the stressful nature of hotel work (Nicolaides 2).

While some conservative managers in the hospitality industry still view conflict as a disruptive element, certain amounts of conflict are still essential in ensuring the careful analysis of business goals and innovative performance which is essential in enhancing business performance (Nicolaides 2).

However, persistent conflict in the hospitality industry results in destructive effects emanating from failure by various departments to meet the business objectives. Consequently, managers seek to manage conflict in the industry by promoting effective communication and boosting the morale of the employees.

The hospitality industry is characterized by high rates of employee turn over (Nicolaides 3) and dynamism emanating from external environmental changes (Chew et al., 2006) which calls for the need for improved conflict management strategies in the industry. Managers in the hospitality industry are faced with a great challenge of implementing change and ensuring compliance while at the same time motivating a group of employees who possess different and unique individual personalities and attitudes (Chew et al. 61).

Workers in the hospitality industry are subjected to numerous pressures emanating from low wages, overworking, emotional exhaustion which renders them more prone to organizational conflict (Karatepe & Uludag 646). Hospitality managers have to fulfill a wide range of roles that aim at promoting cohesion in daily operations of the businesses.

A critical analysis of the hospitality industry in South Africa revealed that the agenda of conflict resolution had become increasingly important due to the dynamic nature of the industry as well as the conditions prevailing in the industry (Nicolaides 2). Most of the employees claimed that they were de motivated by inconsistent and unfair shift allocation and these negative feelings may have significantly influence the way they related to their superiors as well as the customers (Nicolaides 9).

Other workers complained of being overworked and underpaid while those working in bars complained of having to deal with abusive guests thus rendering them vulnerable to intimidation and violence (Nicolaides10). This significantly influenced their social interactions and stirred conflict in the industry calling for the human resource managers to intervene.

As a result of the challenges constantly faced by employees in hospitality industry, human resource managers should embark on extensive motivation of its work force in order to minimize the negative feelings harbored by the employees in the industry (Chew et al. 63).

It is especially important to motivate workers to adapt to constant changes in order to maintain a company’s productivity. In addition, promotion of effective communication between the managers and the employees boosts the employees’ morale and this may enhance the employee’s willingness to embrace organizational change hence significantly reducing conflict (Chew et al. 64)

Managers should promote employee satisfaction in the hospitality industry which in turn promotes consumer satisfaction. They should also consider the employment of mentors to assist employees in the hospitality industry to deal with work conflict and emotional exhaustion in order to enhance their efficiency (Uludag 18).

n addition, the managers should create opportunities for interaction and socializing with the frontline employees in order to reduce tension and improve their interaction skills which significantly reduce incidences of conflict (Uludag 18).

Challenges Encountered by Human Resource Managers in Conflict Management

For the smooth running of any organization, effective administration and resource allocation is essential (Adeyemi 1). Effective management of human resource aspect is especially important in the coordination of operations in an organization.

Therefore, the organization’s management should have the skills and experience to understand conflict, avoid it, and deal with it upon occurrence (Adeyemi 1). The greatest challenge often faced by the human resource managers is the ability to reduce conflict in organization by creating an environment where conflict is healthy and effectively controlled not to negatively impact on the organization (Adeyemi 1).

Human resource managers have to possess adequate conflict resolution skills demonstrated through ability to speak their mind and heart, expression of strong feelings appropriately, rational decision making, providing employees with an opportunity to air their views, avoiding harmful remarks and promoting employee relations in the organization (Roper 2).

Creating consensus among a group of people from diverse cultures is also a major challenge for conflict mediators (Sanginga et al 10). Resolving conflicts is further complicated by lack of shared norms, trust, limited resources and lack of coordination that is present in most organizational settings (Sanginga et al. 1). In addition, managers have to ensure effective team coordination in order to effectively deliver tasks (PE 1).

Further, it is essential for managers to develop good communication skills in order to build good relationships in otherwise hostile work environments (Jones 1). Good interpersonal skills are essential for creating the right environment and reducing disruptive behavior (Jones 1).

Conclusion

Conflict is inevitable parts of life which can be manipulate to result in positive impacts. In the hospitality industry, conflict management can be achieved through provision of employee motivation and creation of a condusive environment for workers to interact.

From the study, it is evident that conflict in the hospitality industry emanates from poor working conditions coupled with constant changes occurring in the industry. It is therefore important for the human resource managers to promote employee satisfaction in order to improve performance in the industry.

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