Organizational Communication Concept
Organizational Conflict Theory
Employee conflicts are inevitable, and organizations ought to adopt effective resolution mechanisms. When having disagreements, subordinates are often dependent on their managers and supervisors. The situation can worsen when organizational leaders are the perpetrators of conflicts. Organizational leaders should be on the frontline when addressing their firms’ issues. The organizational conflict theory can describe different kinds of disagreements within an organization.
The organizational conflict theory is one of the significant approaches to disagreements among an institution’s stakeholders. The theory propounds that conflicts in organizations are inevitable and exist in various forms (Hussein et al., 2022). While many types of conflicts exist in corporations and other business organizations, interpersonal conflicts are the most common.
Other types of conflicts described under the theory include inter-departmental conflicts, struggles for power among senior officials, and inter-organizational conflicts. Birkeland and Trondal (2022) state that organizational conflicts encumber business success and can harm strategic decision-making. However, Christen and Lovaas (2022) argue that, to some extent, conflicts at the workplace help steer the company toward success. Therefore, companies can exploit the conflicts among their stakeholders to identify growth opportunities.
Interpersonal conflicts involve disagreements arising between two or more organizational members. For instance, a senior manager may have discord due to opposing needs, interests, or values (Alharbi & Alnoor, 2022). Such a cacophony can affect how the subordinates view the management and respect the institutional leaders. On the other hand, inter-departmental conflicts arise when two or more departments within an organization oppose each other.
Consequently, it is difficult for employees in the disharmonized department to have a common unity of purpose (Alharbi & Alnoor, 2022). Inter-organizational conflicts occur when different business organizations have opposing business objectives that are toxic to their relationships. Disagreeing organizations have problems with working together, affecting their routine operations. Workplace conflicts, regardless of the type, are detrimental to overall business purposes and objectives.
According to the organizational conflict theory, various factors influence organizational conflicts. Interpersonal relationships are some of the key causes of disagreements among employees. Some employees may develop a negative attitude towards their counterparts based on race, culture, and gender, among other personal characteristics.
Another influencing factor of disharmony among employees is unclear responsibilities. Organizations with poor management structures that exacerbate miscommunication are vulnerable to conflicts. Therefore, clear and effective communication can help solve potential conflicts.
Case Study: Linda and Elizabeth’s Experience at ACD Law Firm
ACD: Successful Law Firm
Legal practice is one of the most competitive businesses in the U.S. ACD, not its real name, is one of California’s most successful law firms. The firm has won various awards in the past ten years, including the coveted ‘Law Firm of the Year’ award. ADC has adopted a bureaucratic approach to its communication, giving the supervisors much authority. The method has been crucial for the firm since its employees have been productive. Although the firm’s reputation has been excellent, most of its employees, especially the subordinates, feel dissatisfied with the working environment.
The Management and Communications Approach
ACD management is structured so that the heads of departments make all communications. The adopted structure follows the hierarchical communication theory, where employees communicate with one another until the information reaches the top management. Edwards, not his real name, is the head of the legal research department and supervisor of all pupils admitted at ACD. The firm’s management aligns with its mission of increasing the value of its clients and stakeholders. The pupillage program package at ADC includes decent pay above the U.S. average salary, scholarships for further studies, and an assured job.
Linda and Elizabeth’s Case
As new pupils at ACD, Elizabeth and Linda were taken through the company’s policies, including the sexual harassment one. According to the law firm’s regulations, any sexual harassment case must first be reported to the supervisor, who can take disciplinary action or escalate the matter to senior partners. ADC’s organizational entry path focuses on the firm’s policies and employees’ familiarity with their working environment. Edwards was excited to take Linda and Elizabeth through the company’s operations and was so friendly that they forgot he was their senior. Linda and Elizabeth were designated in the legal research and commercial law departments, respectively.
Linda was the top student in the majority of units related to business law. She thought it beneficial for Edwards to interchange her designation with Elizabeth. “Sir, I have read the firm’s mission and find it reasonable to place us in departments that align with our passions. You would increase my value as a pupil if you placed me in the commercial law department.” Said Linda. “No! Didn’t they teach about seniority in law school? To succeed in the legal profession, you should not question your seniors’ decisions. My decision is final, and it stands!” Edwards retorted to Linda. The organization’s hierarchical model of communication had created a toxic superior-subordinate relationship.
Elizabeth, thinking that it was Linda who used an uncouth approach to convince Edwards to interchange them, raised a similar issue with Edwards. However, her request was denied, and Edwards started being harsh. Every time they had a routine morning meeting, Edwards would advise other pupils with a common phrase, “Do not be like a lady I placed in the commercial department but complained.” Edwards’ actions showed that ADC’s authoritative communication approach was detrimental to low-level employees. The approach exacerbated the management relationship, as was the case with Elizabeth and Edwards.
The hierarchical approach can encourage favoritism by the management, which is unfair. Linda noted that Edwards was prejudiced against them and decided never to raise a complaint. Linda’s behavior “amazed“ Edwards, who was willing to transfer her to any department of her liking. “Linda, if you experience any problem, I am always ready to help you.“ Edwards kept on reminding her. The relationship between Linda and Edwards grew fonder to the extent that he would visit her daily in the new department of work. One day, he invited Linda to his office after work for coffee. A bureaucratic approach to communication maintains respect between the management and employees. However, the approach encourages disrespect of staff at lower levels, as was exhibited by Edwards.
The next morning, Linda narrated to Elizabeth and told her that she was becoming uncomfortable with Edwards. “Elizabeth, I don’t think this man has good intentions for me.“Said, Linda. “But why? He hates you and has given you an opportunity we all wanted. Please do as he says.“ Elizabeth blurted. A few minutes into their conversation, Linda received a text message from Edwards reading, “morning beautiful, today is on Friday, and I can’t wait for our night out! Orsa & Winston is my favorite. A beautiful girl like you deserves a good man like me. Enjoy your day!“ Linda rejected the offer, and what followed was harsh and unfair treatment by Edwards.
Worsening Situation
Linda and Elizabeth were at loggerheads with Edwards, and their appraisal forms were poorly written. According to Edwards, the two are poor at interacting with other employees. Additionally, Edwards suggested that Linda and Elizabeth be excluded from the list of pupils who deserved a job after pupillage and scholarship opportunities. Linda and Elizabeth were among the hardest-working pupils at ADC. One of the cases that the two worked together on won the company about $20 million. Therefore, Edwards’s report to the senior partners was solely based on his disharmony with them.
The Dilemma
Linda and Elizabeth felt that their supervisor was unfair to them. Therefore, they wanted to seek help from the senior partners on the sexual harassment and favoritism manifested by Edwards. However, it was difficult for them to communicate with the senior managing partner since he was always busy. What worsened their situation was that they would need approval from their supervisor to schedule a meeting with the senior partner. Although they approached one of the partner’s secretaries, she turned them away. “There is no way I can allow you to see him without your supervisor’s approval.“ Said the secretary.
Linda and Elizabeth were in a dilemma about whether to approach the senior partner or not. If they decided to report Edwards directly to the top management without going through the firm’s bureaucratic process, they would violate the recognized organizational culture. Meanwhile, asking for approval from Edwards would worsen their situation since the supervisor would want to protect his reputation.
The conflicting interests of Linda Elizabeth and Edwards would worsen their interpersonal conflict. Following the organizational conflict theory, a firm needs to adopt an effective communication strategy to reduce superior-subordinate and interpersonal conflicts among employees. However, ADC has no effective communication frameworks, making the working environment toxic for employees.
The bureaucratic communications approach limited the employees’ communication with top management. Although the secretary could help Elizabeth and Linda, she could not do so without their supervisor’s approval. The model has made the employees fearful of the top authorities, as the secretary expressed. Additionally, the hierarchical communication processes have limited ADC employees’ enjoyment of their hard work. For instance, despite their excellent work that improved organizational value, Elizabeth and Linda cannot benefit from the opportunities associated with the pupillage program.
Summary
ADC is a highly reputable law firm in California, attracting clever minds from U.S. law schools. The organization has adopted a bureaucratic approach to communication, which has instilled discipline in its employees. However, supervisors like Edwards have exploited the approach by exercising excess authority over junior employees. While Linda and Elizabeth were mistreated by their supervisor, they could not report the case to the top management due to the limitations of the bureaucratic communication model adopted by ADC.
References
Alharbi, R., & Alnoor, A. (2022). The influence of emotional intelligence and personal styles of dealing with conflict on strategic decisions. PSU Research Review. Web.
Birkeland, T., & Trondal, J. (2022). The rift between executive contraction and executive detraction: The case of European Commission battery policy-making. Journal of European Public Policy, 1–23. Web.
Christen, C. T., & Lovaas, S. R. (2022). The dual-continuum approach: An extension of the contingency theory of strategic conflict management. Public Relations Review, 48(1), 102145. Web.
Hussein, B., Ibrahim, M. S., & Ismael, F. (2022). The influence of perceived leadership styles on employee commitment: The mediating role of conflict management. Journal of Humanities and Education Development, 4(1), 43–60. Web.