Recommendations to assist Tesco apply constructive conflict strategies
Tesco is a leading supermarket chain company in the United Kingdom. The supermarket should apply constructive conflict strategies in handling both internal and external conflicts. The supermarket has to begin by assessing both the internal and external conflict situation. This will help them to understand the main causes of each conflict.
The management can not get a solution unless they understand the causes. The leadership should engage in a collective bargain and negotiation with employee representatives. The representation should be from all departments within the organization.
This will help it to come to a common ground that is beneficial to both parties. The Company has to come up with a positive conflict management culture that relies on mutual relationships. This will allow for an open discussion between the organization and its employees in case of any potential conflict (Ongori, 2009, p. 16-24).
The company should engage arbitration and mediation when dealing with local retailers and suppliers. Tesco supermarket should appoint an arbitrator to help it mend the relationship with local retailers and suppliers. The arbitration has to be an independent, private judicial determination.
The arbitration process should lead to a binding decision to govern the conflicting parties. The organization should also carry out customer surveys to determine complains from the public. They should come up with the best ways of addressing these conflicts (Ongori, 2009, p. 16-24).
Ways in which fusion leadership can help Tesco manage conflicts constructively
Fusion leadership is a modern way of leading that involves bringing people together to accomplish organizational goals on the basis of shared values and vision. This approach will help the organizational leaders manage the existing conflict constructively.
Fusion leadership encourages communication between the leaders and the employees. This will entail engaging not only the minds and bodies of the parties in the conflict, but also their souls and hearts. Employees will be free to air their concerns, and management will be willing to attend to each of them. There will be less room for murmuring and in the process conflicts will reduce (Daft and Lengel, 1998, p. 194-250).
Fusion leadership will allow the organization to grow together with its employees. Being mindful entails an open mind, personal creativity and independent reasoning. Vision refers to the objective which employees strive to achieve. The heart refers to compassion and caring, which is the positive feeling evident in workplace relations.
Communication affects emotions, values and visions; it also entails discerning and listening. Courage is a motivating factor that enables individuals to be risk takers. Integrity comprises of service, trust and honesty. This goes beyond personal interests to positive organizational contribution.
With a combination of all these leadership factors, employees feel part of the organization. Fusion leadership reduces internal conflicts within the organization (Daft and Lengel, 1998, p. 67-194).
How the organization will benefit by considering these strategies
If the organization implements these considerations, it will reduce the escalated tension and the perception of the company by consumers and employees. The organization will also mend its relationship with the government authorities, human rights groups and small businesses. This will lead to fruitful corporation within the organization and the external environment.
Tesco will achieve its goals effectively due to improved work relations. If Tesco develops a positive conflict management culture, it will reduce these conflicts in the future.
The organization will in turn pay more attention to achieving the set goals, and not solving conflicts. This will mean higher profitability for the supermarket hence recording growth and expansion. This will result to the success of both the organization and employees.
References
Daft, R.L., & Lengel, R. H. (1998). Fusion leadership: unlocking the subtle forces that change people and organizations. San Francisco: Berrett –koehler Publisher, Inc
Ongori, H. (2009). Organizational conflict and its effects on organizational performance. Research Journal of Business Management, 3, 16-24.