Conflict

Conflict is a comportment proposed to hinder the accomplishment of certain individual’s objectives. It is founded on the mismatch of aims and ascends from contrasting actions. Further explanation for conflict is that it tends to be related with adverse attributes and conditions which contribute to the growth of inadequacy, futility or inefficient concerns. It is remarked as unruly and peculiar and signifies a type of divergent conduct that must be well-ordered and altered.

There has been a problem at work where I had conflict with the personal assistant of my manager. We had different attitudes that made us clash and resulting to have various miscommunication causing arguments. I tried to keep calm all along and ignore her most of the time but it is not possible as she deals with important things to do with the staff especially with the part-timers like me. But there came a time, which I had enough of her attitude and asked my manager for resignation. However, after a week, my manager rang me stating he needs me back at the work place urgently and I agreed to come back the week after. On the day that I started working again, my manager invited me and his personal assistant to have a meeting in his office and told us that we need to communicate properly and set aside the conflicts that we had in the past as he said in order to work more peacefully, enjoyably and more comfortable, we had to settle our differences. From then on, we tried to take things very slow and decided to work as more professional individual not involving our personal issues.

French and Raven (1959) identified five main sources of power which are reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, referent power and expert power. Reward power is founded on the staff’s insight that the leader comprises the capability and means to gain recompenses intended for those who fulfil with the organisation’s orders. An example would be for the leader to promote the subordinate into a higher level with increased responsibilities. Coercive power is founded on fright and the staff’s awareness that the leader has the skill to penalise or to generate adverse consequences meant for those who do not conform to commands .An example would be dismissal by the leader, which is the opposite of the reward power. Legitimate power is founded on the staff’s view that the leader is reasonable to implement guidance as for the leader’s role in the organisation. An example would be for leaders and managers of the organisation where their roles are more important than the nature of association with others. Referent power is founded on the individual’s discovery with the leader. The leader employs guidance because of apparent desirability; own physical characteristics, status or what is called ‘charisma’. For instance, specific manager may not have the right to issue rewards or punish staffs, but they are still respected for their role. Expert power is founded on the individual’s insight of the leader as somebody who is proficient and who encloses various distinct acquaintance or capabilities in a specified capacity. An example would be for roles such as human resource manager who is one of the specialists.

There are a number of strategies that can be used to manage conflicts. The explanation and repeated enhancement of aims and objectives, role descriptions and routine principles will benefit to evade misinterpretation and disagreement. Another one would be for cautious and thorough consideration to impartial and reasonable HRM rules and ways may aid to lessen parts of conflict. Also, expansions of social/group progression services may support produce a healthier empathy of one’s personal manners, the other individual’s perspective, consultation developments and working out issues. Fourthly, Consideration to the arrangement of clusters and to issues that distress group unification may diminish conflict. Last of all, Conflict conditions may be condensed by courtesy to structural procedures as the disposition of the specialist arrangement; labour structure; forms of interaction and apportioning facts; autonomous working of the establishment; pointless devotion to administrative and authorised guidelines and principles.

In conclusion, although most conflicts are inevitable, leaders and organisations need to use their power to ease off with the conflicts that disrupts the well-being of their business. Also, they should also look upon whether the conflict that occurred can actually help the organisation itself for its future innovation.

References:

Mullins, L.(2010) Management  & organisational Behaviour : ninth edition. Harlow : Pearson Education Limited.
Bailes,A.,Frommelt,I.(2004)Business and security: Public-private sector relationships in a new security environment.United States:Oxford University Press Inc.
Johnson,C.,Keddy,J. (2010)Managing Conflict at work :Understanding and Resolving Conflict for Productive Working Relationships.United Kingdom:Kogan Page Limited.
The Team Building Directory.(2011) Resolving Conflict In Work Teams [online]. Available from: http://www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/pages/articles/conflicts.htm [ Accessed on 16 December 2010]

The Times 100 Website.Conflict at work[online].http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/theory/theory--conflict-at-work--309.php[ Accessed on 16 December 2010]