CONFLICT AT WORK

According to Mullins (2010, p.96) conflict is behaviour intended to obstruct the achievement of some other person’s goals.

The view of conflict is that it is bad for organisations and tends to be associated with situations which give rise to inefficiency, ineffectiveness or physical stress.

The place where conflict will almost always occur is workplace.

In my previous job which was in a DIY store, one of the staff members had a conflict with a department manager over working hours. The department manager wanted all employees to work from 7a.m. He thought that it was a big asset for the shop if customers could receive service first thing in the morning. The employee couldn’t work so early because she was a single mother and had two small children. Sometimes she arrived late what caused arguments with the manager.

After discussing the problem and understanding each other’s needs, the manager let her work from 9a.m. and modified her timetable so not to interrupt with childcare responsibilities.

In 1959 two social psychologists John R.P. French and Bertram Raven listed five sources of power within organisation:

-Positional power- also called ‘’legitimate’’ power is the most obvious and most important kind of power. It is formal authority delegated to the holder of the position and exists when the leader has the right to tell others what to do. Also it might be created by the leader’s job title. A good example of legitimate power is a military captain etc.

-Referent power- is the most effective power of individuals to attract others. It is based on appeal, charisma or charm. People with referent power can have an influence on others. Perfect examples of referent power are celebrities.

-Expert power- is usually limited to the area in which the expert is trained and qualified. Its influence is based on special skills, knowledge or experience. From which the employees can gain expert power.

-Reward power- people in power are able to give out rewards such as: benefits, time off, promotions etc. It is based on the ability to distribute rewards that others view as valuable.

For example: Managers are people with reward power.

-Coercive power- is similar to reward power, but this type of power is based on fear and abuse.

What 5 strategies can organisations use to overcome conflict at work?

It is very important for organisations to know how to minimise conflict at work, one excellent method is to intentionally build relationships with all subordinates, setting goals, regularly evaluate and revise job descriptions. If a conflict has already occurred it is important to face it and deal with it.

Conclusion

Underlying stress and tension, problems, different points of views, beliefs, values and personality clashes – they all might cause conflicts in the workplace. There are many different ways to overcome or minimise a conflict but the ideal solution is to put systems in place that greatly reduce the chance of conflict occurring.

References:

-         Armstrong, M (2006) Strategic Human Resource Management.3^rd edition. London and Philadelphia. Kogan Page

-         Mullin, L.J. (2010) Management & organisational behaviour. 9^thedition. Essex. Pearson Education Limited.

-         Ehow.com [Online]. Available from:

     http://www.ehow.com/how_6318570_overcome-conflict-    .html Accessed: January 2010