Managing Organizational Conflict- Causes Impacts Resolution Strategies and Negotiation Outcomes

Managing Organizational Conflict- Causes Impacts Resolution Strategies and Negotiation Outcomes

Top managers in an organization often face situations characterized by ambiguity, high stakes, and uncertainty. A conflict between managers in an organization is expected, but it is not always detrimental. If the dispute is managed well, it may lead to new ideas and strengthen relationships between managers. However, a conflict can be harmful to the organization if it derails organizational harmony and processes. The firm can aid managers in addressing conflicts to ensure it becomes a positive force instead of a negative force.

Factors Causing Conflict

A leading factor for workplace conflicts between managers is poor communication. That may be a difference in communication styles or failure to communicate (Isa, 2015). For instance, the cause of conflict in the case at hand could have resulted from one of the managers reassigning another employee a task but failing to inform a colleague manager. In that case, one may interpret it to be biased while it is just an ordinary action. In a diverse organization, adverse action against an employee may easily be construed as bias.

Also, differences in personalities between managers may cause workplace conflicts. Managers come from different backgrounds and experiences, and these shape their personalities (Isa, 2015). Problems are likely to arise if managers fail to understand and accept the differences in their personalities. For instance, some managers have a straightforward character such that they say what is in their minds without much consideration. Such statements may be construed to be rude, even if that is their personality.

Lack of sufficient resources also causes workplace conflicts between managers. Managers have different interests they would pursue, and if resources are not enough, a conflict may arise (Isa, 2015). Considering the case at hand, managers dispute what events will be sponsored by the organization. If there were sufficient resources, likely, managers would not conflict.

Outcomes of Top Management Conflicts

Top management conflicts may also kill the sense of camaraderie and morale in the workplace. Employees have limited respect for managers they feel have poor leadership skills (Liu, Fu & Liu, 2009). If they think that the managers’ poor leadership skills may eventually affect the organization’s very existence, they would rather quit or stay around without doing much. Constant conflicts prevent leaders from communicating expectations to their employees, a severe impediment to productivity.

Poor management may also lead to a high turnover rate. Team management conflicts depict a failing organization, a recipe for voluntary turnover (Liu, Fu & Liu, 2009). With team members changing constantly, it will be hard for the remaining employees to collaborate and develop a sense of camaraderie.

Also, as stated earlier, a conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. A dispute between an organization’s top management may eventually help build relationships. For instance, a conflict between line managers will boil down to members of a department. If managed well, this will lead to mutual understanding between team members, which will help the two teams collaborate.

Conflict Resolution Style

To solve this conflict, I will employ the compromising strategy. The strategy offers a middle ground between assertiveness and cooperative conflict resolution. It focuses on a solution that partially satisfies conflicting parties without compromising on the company’s goals. The essence is to eliminate competition among the managers, leaving room for future deliberations. Later on, the collaborating approach can be applied. A compromising conflict resolution approach is applicable when a quick solution is needed.

Conflict Negotiation Strategies

An open interactive session is a viable resolution strategy to achieve a win-win situation. It allows the opposing parties to express opposing views, assimilate them, and create acceptable alternatives (Tabassi, Abdullah & Bryde, 2019). Interactive sessions will solve the conflict at hand and contribute towards better relationship outcomes between the conflicting managers.

Conflicting managers can also solve their conflicts based on their shared goals. Despite disputes, all top leaders pursue collective organizational goals that are well-known to all of them (Wilmot & Hocker, 2010). By sitting together and talking through their conflicts, managers will also mutually profit from diverse standpoints. An underlying goal is to achieve a mutually-beneficial solution that is practical. Cooperative conflict resolution enhances creativity while enhancing teamwork.

Outcome

There is no end to conflicts. As long as there is a personality clash among people from diverse backgrounds, there will always be accusations of bias based on color, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and age. The first step is to dig into whether the conflicts are racially motivated. The outcome of the investigation will reveal whether an action violates existing values on equality.

If the outcome shows that the conflict results from values being compromised, the organization will need to undertake a compulsory multicultural training course. The training should not be used as a checkbox but as a way to eliminate bias and enhance harmony. In the end, it is incumbent upon top leaders to ensure discrimination is eliminated by holding everyone to account.

References

Isa, A. A. (2015). Conflicts in organizations: causes and consequences. Journal of Educational    Policy and Entrepreneurial Research (JEPER), 2(11), 54-59.

Liu, J., Fu, P., & Liu, S. (2009). Conflicts in top management teams and team/firm outcomes:      The moderating effects of conflict‐handling approaches. International Journal of Conflict        Management.

Tabassi, A. A., Abdullah, A., & Bryde, D. J. (2019). Conflict management, team coordination, and performance within multicultural temporary projects: Evidence from the construction industry. Project Management Journal, 50(1), 101-    114.

Wilmot, W. W., & Hocker, J. L. (2010). Interpersonal conflict (p. 384). McGraw-Hill Higher      Education.

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Develop a 3-4 page plan to identify the causes of organizational conflict, explain how conflict affects an organization, and select a conflict resolution style.

Managing Organizational Conflict- Causes Impacts Resolution Strategies and Negotiation Outcomes

Explain conflict negotiation strategies and determine the likely outcomes.