Introduction
The emergence of conflict situations within organizations is an integral process of their development and activities. In some cases, tensions between different departments and managers can lead to disagreements that negatively impact productivity. One of the biggest causes of conflict between supervisors, employees, and the HR department is a lack of mutual understanding. This may be due to a communication breakdown that was supposed to provide reliability and stability.
Consequences of Misunderstanding
Misunderstanding due to misinterpretation can lead to negative perceptions. This is also illustrated in the Bible: “The tongue has the power of life and death” (NIV, Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, a clear designation of information is necessary to communicate effectively within an organization. Mutual misunderstanding can become a significant obstacle that will destroy the existing ties between employees and different departments of the company.
A lack of mutual understanding can also impact the dynamics of relationships between employees and management. Negative communication can lead to misunderstandings among employees, which will only intensify and result in low efficiency within the company. The dispersal of the team’s efforts may occur because the organization will initiate a struggle for power between managers and the HR department. In such a situation, the injured party will remain employees who will not know the precise goals and objectives of organizations during a period of discord (Ho & Kuvaas, 2020).
The lack of mutual understanding leads people to feel insecure and have an incomplete understanding of how they should behave. Differences in management’s points of view can be detrimental to the actions of all individuals in the organization, as a unified strategy will not be approved. This is a constant source of conflict as each employee can argue over what to follow.
A lack of mutual understanding can lead to the incorrect implementation of company policies and norms. If there is no coordination between all aspects of the firm, the coordination of personnel movements within the company may be disrupted. HR is responsible for developing a comprehensive policy for employees that will need to be implemented using unique methods to coordinate actions. However, if the management is not satisfied with the methods and tools that HR offers, then it will not be able to approve the policy for action (Peccei & Van De Voorde, 2019). Employees can suffer due to such disagreements, as they may not have clear instructions for action, leading to conflict with management, which can be misleading and potentially damaging. The principles of impartiality and fairness should be applied in such cases to regulate relations between employees and all departments of the organization.
Conclusion
Misunderstandings can lead to unfulfilled expectations, which can harm the moral component of the team. Each of the groups discussed, such as supervisors, employees, and the HR department, may have different expectations both before and during work. To achieve this, the formation of expectations must be carefully planned and well-structured, as it is crucial to plan and work sustainably.
Building a positive corporate culture is vital so that the source of conflict is less important to employees. Ethical communication among colleagues, management, and HR can ensure a successful company operation that must continue to maintain a sufficient level of support (Raymond et al., 2023). High expectations can be a significant obstacle for employees to feel comfortable in their place. In addition, this will increase the demands from the management, which will also create additional difficulties associated with mutual understanding.
References
Ho, H., & Kuvaas, B. (2020). Human resource management systems, employee well‐being, and firm performance from the mutual gains and critical perspectives: The well‐being paradox. Human Resource Management, 59(3), 235-253.
New International Version. (2011). Holy Bible.
Peccei, R., & Van De Voorde, K. (2019). Human resource management–well‐being–performance research revisited: Past, present, and future. Human Resource Management Journal, 29(4), 539-563.
Raymond, N., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B. & Wright, P. (2023). Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage. McGraw-Hill.