Introduction
A conflict is a situation in which there exists a discord between two groups or parties. As a result, quite often prolonged fighting or struggle may be observed between or among the warring parties. Conflicts in the workplace are very common and inevitable. They may be a result of some personal issues of employees. Interpersonal conflicts could be caused by organizational factors.
Interpersonal conflicts can be divided into two categories which are the intra-group conflicts that refer to conflicts between two groups in an organization, and the intergroup conflicts which refer to conflicts between individuals in an organization (Daniel &Robert, 1966). Most workplaces are usually quite stressful. Sometimes employees may be forced to work for long hours. Different workers may have different styles of doing things.
Workers may have different personalities which may compel them to disagree with one another. Each workplace environment may be comprised of workers with different educational backgrounds, personal experience, and ethnicities. Some organizations do not have clear work guidelines and policies.
If, for instance, a company does not have a clear organizational hierarchy, confusion may arise among employees on who to report to, thus, leading to conflicts between or among employees. A passive aggressive behavior may exist between different employees.
This can lead to employees sabotaging office activities including projects. Some employees may appear to be supportive, agreeable, and diplomatic. Behind the scenes, the same workers could be dishonest (Chris, 1957). Hostile working environments can also be created as a result of conflicts.
Problem Statement
Sandra and Yvonne are the proprietors of Rodie’s Ladies Wear, an exclusive shop for ladies. They bought the business at a price of $20,000 a year ago and decided to retain two salesladies. One of the employees retained from the previous proprietor of Rodie’s Ladies Wear was a 62 year woman.
As the business continued to grow, other young salesladies were employed. As the number of customers continued to rise, the management required an appointment of one young lady as the supervisor of the others. One of the ladies who happened to be the most active of all salesladies was appointed by the supervisor.
The lady who was appointed as supervisor also happened to have joined the company much later than other colleagues. The 62 year old lady did not agree with the idea of having a younger lady as her supervisor. She argued that she was the one who had been very experienced and had worked for a long time for the company. As a result, she then began to take instructions reluctantly given by her supervisor.
The situation continued until one morning when she once again ignored some instructions from the supervisor. The supervisor was very upset and a heated argument between the two colleagues ensued which eventually turned into a fight.
Neither the management nor the workers had realized that there had been an outstanding conflict. It is important for every management to identify the signs of conflicts in the work place and deal with them. Conflicts in the work place should not be approached as opportunities to improve departmental policies but they should be looked at as ailments to be eradicated to improve departmental efficiency (Alfred, 1976).
Conflict resolution
Sandra and Yvonne, the proprietors of Rodie’s Ladies Wear were in their office when the fight began. With the help of other employees, the situation calmed down and the fight was put to an end between the two workers. Later on, they summoned the two conflicting individuals.
They listened to each of them. No punishments were endorsed though. The proprietors were calm and respected the opinions of the warring employees. It is at that time that the management of Rodie’s Ladies Wear realized that a conflict existed in their institution.
The managers of the company Sandra and Yvonne decided to come up with a comprehensive organizational hierarchy where every worker would know who to report to. The work polices were improved. Every employee was given a clear outline stating his or her duties and responsibilities. This aimed at reducing vagueness in the existing polices.
The Human Resource Department of Rodie’s Ladies Wear was restructured in such a way that the management would be able to recognize emerging conflicts and address them expeditiously. Long outstanding conflicts may make workers feel frustrated. Regular training for all workers, the supervisors, and those at the management level is important. This equips every worker with conflict management skills.
Conflicts at the workplace may make the workers feel frustrated. Counseling sessions for employees who are in conflict should be started to restore their self esteem. Rodie’s Ladies Wear decided to start a counseling department within the Human Resource Department of Rodie’s Ladies Wear.
Conclusion
Companies should come up with a comprehensive conflict management strategy. This would ensure that conflicts in the workplace are minimized (Kenneth, 1994). Stress management should be taught to all employees. It is important that employees are involved in outdoor activities so as to reduce stress. Team building should be encouraged to create cohesiveness among employees.
References
Alfred, W. (1976). Experimenting with Organizational Life: the Action Research Approach. New York, NY: Plenum Press Books.
Chris, A. (1957). Personality and Organization; the Conflict between System and the Individual. New York, NY: HARPER & ROW, PUBLISHERS, INC.
Daniel, K., &Robert, L. (1966). The Social Psychology of Organizations. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Kenneth, K. (1994). Workplace Wars and How to End Them: Turning Personal Conflict into Productive Teamwork. New York, NY: AMACOM BOOKS.