Management and Conflict Resolution
All conflict within an organization is detrimental to employees and the organization. Discuss.
Conflict can be defined as “a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or it is about to negatively affect, something the first party cares about”,(Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). Huczynski and Buchanan (2007) also perceive conflict as a mental state which has to be acknowledged by the two parties involved to comply with its definition. In an organizational environment, conflict is strongly connected to managerial skills. There are different situations where conflict can occur but it is often a consequence of lack of communication, misunderstandings, disagreements which mean basic human interaction. According to French et al (2008) “managers must be skilled participants in the dynamics of interpersonal conflict”, moreover when they are directly involved.
Frames of reference
In order to address the question “Is conflict detrimental to employees and the organization?” we would have to look at the four frames of reference on conflict (Fox, 1966, 1973 cited in Huczynski and Buchanan 2007): unitarist, pluralist, interactionist and radical.
The unitarist view upon conflict is that it is nonexistent in an organization and has to be avoided by all means. This implies that employees have to have the same goals as management and no difference of opinion may interfere, while the company is seen as an ideal environment. Generally the attitude of the company relies on the resolution, considering the causes as being lack of communication due to involvement of third parties such as unions.
The pluralist approach is opposite the unitarist one, rejecting the idea of a harmonious environment where employees and management share the same interests and goals. In this frame, the conflict will appear between groups (departments), or managerial functions of the same level. This is due to clashes between views upon the organizational goals.
Conflict can be defined as “a process that begins when one party perceives that another party has negatively affected, or it is about to negatively affect, something the first party cares about”,(Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). Huczynski and Buchanan (2007) also perceive conflict as a mental state which has to be acknowledged by the two parties involved to comply with its definition. In an organizational environment, conflict is strongly connected to managerial skills. There are different situations where conflict can occur but it is often a consequence of lack of communication, misunderstandings, disagreements which mean basic human interaction. According to French et al (2008) “managers must be skilled participants in the dynamics of interpersonal conflict”, moreover when they are directly involved.
Frames of reference
In order to address the question “Is conflict detrimental to employees and the organization?” we would have to look at the four frames of reference on conflict (Fox, 1966, 1973 cited in Huczynski and Buchanan 2007): unitarist, pluralist, interactionist and radical.
The unitarist view upon conflict is that it is nonexistent in an organization and has to be avoided by all means. This implies that employees have to have the same goals as management and no difference of opinion may interfere, while the company is seen as an ideal environment. Generally the attitude of the company relies on the resolution, considering the causes as being lack of communication due to involvement of third parties such as unions.
The pluralist approach is opposite the unitarist one, rejecting the idea of a harmonious environment where employees and management share the same interests and goals. In this frame, the conflict will appear between groups (departments), or managerial functions of the same level. This is due to clashes between views upon the organizational goals.
References: 1) Department Chair Online Resource Center (1996) Managing Conflict. Available at: http://www.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/docs/Higgerson_conflict.pdf 2) French, R. et at (2008) Organizational Behaviour. Chicester: John Wiley &Sons Limited 3) Godse, A.S. and Thingujam N.S. (2010) Perceived Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Resolution Styles among Information Technology Professionals: Testing the Mediating Role of Personality. Singapore Management Review pp.2-3. 4) Hucziynski, A. A. and Buchanan, D. A. (2007) Organizational Behaviour-6th edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited 5) Joni, S.A. and Beyer, D. (2009) How to pick a good fight. Harvard Business Review Vol. 87, pp. 2-5. 6) Kanter, R.M. (1977) Men and women of the corporation. New York: Basic Books 7) Mills, A.J and Murgatroyd, S.J. (1991) Organizational rules- a framework for understanding organizational action. Buckingham:Open University Press