Organizational behavior (OB) is an aspect of management that involves the study of human practices in a business setting. It also explores the relationship which exists between these individual habits and the company itself. In essence, OB primarily aims at revitalizing structural theory and developing an improving conceptualization of corporate life (Thomson, Overall, Cameron, & Low, 2018). Some of the significant components of OB are people, technology, the environment in which a firm operates, and structure. Conflict resolution is a component of organizational behavior and it refers to the process by which a mediator intervenes between two or more parties in an attempt to find a diplomatic solution to their dispute (Thomson et al., 2018). This paper explores the concept of organizational behavior in the context of real-life applications such as conflict resolution at Facebook and Apple and further discusses how effective leadership can be used in business practices.
There are various ways in which managers can solve cases of disagreement. For example, when a structure is considered the origin of a dysfunctional discord, an organizational change should act as the dispute’s solution (Lyskova, 2019). In addition, there are other scenarios where the manager will be compelled to alter the composition of a team. It applies in circumstances where the conflict is between team members, and as a result, the most convenient means of changing the arrangement of the group is separating the personalities that were colliding (Gelfand, Aycan, Erez, & Leung, 2017). In instances where the dispute is associated with various styles, preferences, and values of a minority of members, substituting them may resolve it. With organizational behavior, managers are able to understand the different causes of conflicts in a company. It is because this aspect of management adopts various theoretical models to gain insight into multiple reasons attributed to the problem (Lyskova, 2019). Therefore, it suggests some ways of handling conflicts, such as accommodation, compromise, collaboration, avoidance, and competition.
A famous example of workplace conflict is based on Facebook, a social networking company. Its latest debacle has prompted several cases of internal clashes and conversations about the future of the organization and its leadership. After a year filled with bad press, internal worries are intensifying and are now reaching the public. The uproar is surprising considering the rich history of Facebook, where its staff members have little incentive to disclose information or voice dissent outside its premises (Marino, Gini, Vieno, & Spada, 2018). Throughout its growth, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, who maintains a significant stockholder control, has proven exceptionally immune to external criticism, especially from the media, investors, and politicians. As Facebook’s stock price falls and its organizational mission of connecting the world is questioned, public pressure is rising.
Generally, workplace conflict comes with several consequences to the organization. Internally, the dispute seems to have separated Facebook into three groups. For example, there are employees devoted to Mark Zuckerberg and the Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg (Marino, Gini, Vieno, & Spada, 2018). There are also individuals deeming the current outrage as an indication of corporate disintegration and people who see the whole narrative. In an attempt to reach conflict resolution, the company’s executive management deems the current crisis as emanating from public relations problems (Marino, Gini, Vieno, & Spada, 2018). Generally, Facebook has not reached a point of resolution, as it continues to get public pressure from consumer organizations and other parties. However, the most probable means of eliminating such conflict would be for the social networking site to consider revamping its communication strategy and not making drastic changes to the workforce or platform.
Apple company is one of the leading organizations in the technology industry, offering a wide range of gadgets to customers. With the popularity of its famous product, the iPhone and MacBook, this enterprise was experiencing remarkable growth when these items were released. According to its financial report in 2007, it generated 918 million USD in sales from its retail segment (Marino, Gini, Vieno, & Spada, 2018). As such, the number of these outlets was increasing at an annual rate of 33% (Marino, Gini, Vieno, & Spada, 2018). However, the problem was this development was influencing the customers toward its stores and away from the intermediaries that sold its product, resulting in a channel conflict.
Moreover, the channel conflict intensified when the technology company decided to sell its iPhone products only at its stores, through the Internet, or through AT&T and intended to sell Macs directly to learning institutions. In an effort to reach conflict resolution, some stores were able to establish and maintain relationships with customers. While Apple was not able to sell the computer hardware from its physical shops, they were successful in selling educational accounts and continued its relationship with schools, offering training and technical guidance.
The Toyota leadership feud is another case example of conflict management. In summary, this organizational dispute involves the pioneering Toyota family and the company’s leadership group (Barron, Pereda, & Stacey, 2017). In its years of growth, this automobile firm has successfully transitioned its management style until this particular case. Both the Toyota family and its management have taken their long-standing disagreement with the public, and it also involved personal aggression. The family group headed by Akio Toyoda, the incumbent CEO, and his grandson have claimed that the firm’s quality standards have been compromised at the expense of making significant profits (Barron, Pereda, & Stacey, 2017). However, the other party, the former presidents Katsuaki Watanabe and Hiroshi Okuda, have contradicted the statement purporting that the automotive maker’s troubles are not quality-related but rather an administrative and public-relations problem orchestrated by the family.
Leadership plays a vital role in any organizational context, especially in conflict resolution. Facebook’s current challenges are examples of scenarios that require competent management approaches since the primary issue is related to personnel management. Since the social networking site is exposed to several criticisms from various governmental agencies and other consumer organizations, Mark Zuckerberg should take a different approach to build his team and strengthen its cohesiveness. In the case of Toyota’s leadership crisis, the company’s management team should stand together and settle their differences for the strategic and organizational well-being of the automobile maker.
In conclusion, organizational leadership is a vital component of running a business in the 21st century. Regardless of an enterprise’s scale of operation, instances of conflict may arise. Multinational enterprises are generally exposed to a wide range of cases that may jeopardize their brand image. Therefore, it is upon the leadership incorporate to act as a foundation which will hold the firm in such circumstances. The paper has explored different instances of conflict resolution in the context of Facebook, Toyota, and Apple. These corporations faced internal conflicts which required the expertise of their management and leadership role. As such, managers should practice the art of allowing their employees to express their concerns. In addition, vigilance and interpretation of different scenarios with an in-depth focus can help leaders understand situations.
References
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Gelfand, M. J., Aycan, Z., Erez, M., & Leung, K. (2017). Cross-cultural industrial-organizational psychology and organizational behavior: A hundred-year journey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 514–529.
Lyskova, I. (2019). The conceptual basis of the formation of organizational behavior quality in the condition of the knowledge economy. 3rd International Conference on Culture, Education and Economic Development of Modern Society (ICCESE 2019), 1873–1878.
Marino, C., Gini, G., Vieno, A., & Spada, M. M. (2018). A comprehensive meta-analysis on problematic Facebook use. Computers in Human Behavior, 83, 262-277.
Thomson, R. A., Overall, N. C., Cameron, L. D., & Low, R. S. (2018). Perceived regard, expressive suppression during the conflict, and conflict resolution. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(6), 722–732.