Conflict is a divide or disagreement between one or more people within a group. ‘Conflict is apparent when at least one party perceives that it exists and where an interest or concern of that party is about to be or has been compromised or frustrated,’ (Brooks, 2006). Conflict can have huge emotional effects on people in the work place and can result in staff resigning or being very depressed at work.
In my own experience I have come across conflict when working on a group assignment. There were five members in the group and organising times at which the whole group could meet to participate in research, data input and writing the report was very difficult. When dates were agreed some group members still didn’t turn up or were late, this causes conflict as some members were putting a lot more effort in than others. The work was very rushed at the end just before the deadline because of delays caused by some members and the work was probably not at the best standard it could be. The way the conflict was resolved was by the more responsible members to take more work upon them to proof read, put the report together and correct errors. The members that were doing this however were very frustrated as they were doing work that gave the rest of the group a higher grade that they did not deserve.
Sources of Power
Coercive Power - This is when an authority is created through fear and minimising free will. Threat and punishment is used to influence the fear. This power is enforced by the expectancy of punishment if a task is not achieved efficiently and correctly.
Reward Power – This is when rewards such as bonuses, pay rises, employee of the week and many other rewards are used to enforce power and authority over employees. The managers or team leaders have the power to reward people that are achieving, this is very motivating as many people want to do their best and be recognised for it.
Expert Power – Is when someone has the respect from others because they have the knowledge and expertise and specialised skills. Therefore they can influence the behaviour of others in the organisation through having more knowledge than the others.
Legitimate Power – This is when power is established because of the hierarchy system within an organisation. A person’s role or job title is higher up the chain of command. This power comes with more responsibility however is those tasks are not met the power will decrease.
Referent Power – This type of power derives from others identifying you as a more senior member of staff; your identification as manager, captain or chief. There is an expected image of a person with this authority and the person in its role should be charismatic, confident and have courage.
Strategies to Overcome Conflict
Human resource management policies and procedures should be in place for all organisations; this is so that all pay and opportunities are fair. HRM are there to see that all job positions are filled correctly and one person is not taking on extra work that is not in their job description. They are there to insure regulations are abided by and deal with performance issues when relevant. They are a main body there to ensure everyone is doing the job they are supposed to and are working in an enjoyable environment.
A good way to keep conflict at bay is to have good communication, this means any employees can discuss problems before they turn into conflict that effects the way people work and the environment of the work place. Progress meeting can be put in place with management to evaluate how the employee is doing this should be done as frequently as needed and increased in some situations. Involvement in decision making can help reduce conflict as then departments or teams are working together and feel they have input, this creates a democracy and usually is a good way for everyone to feel involved and have responsibility. In autocratic environment generally subordinates feel they have no freedom of speech or responsibility and are not valued and usually encourage conflict.
Goals and objective keep a team focused and able to understand the task ahead of them, this is a great motivator and keeps employees positive. If everyone is clear of their individual task and how it fits within a team’s objectives they know what is required of them and can achieve it will minimal problems. If a task is unclear generally people will become agitated and unsure so will begin to dictate to others about what they should be doing or will question others in their team and conflict begins to start.
When personal life becomes hard for example a close member of the family has died then emotions will be very present in the work place, if a member of staff comes back before they have grieved and cleared their mind and body of these strong emotions then usually they will react with anger to simple questions or concerns. Therefore a member of staff that is suffering personal problems should have suitable time off to allow time to regain a calm state of mind.
When offered a job a disciplinary method should be presented to you and this is applicable to all members of staff within the organisation. Knowing this method of discipline allows staff to understand the procedure when inappropriate behaviour is encountered in the work place. It is also fair as each member of staff is dealt with in the same way when it comes to discipline.
In conclusion conflict could easily be present in the work place however most organisations use methods such as disciplinary action, goals and objectives and communication to prevent it from being apparent in their company. These preventatives are essential as without them conflict would be present and workers would become unhappy and demotivated in an argumentative or tense atmosphere at work. Having procedures in place means employees are clear of the consequences of bad behaviour or poor work and therefore everyone is treated fairly.
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