Introduction
Conflicts normally arise in organizations. It is said that conflict cannot be avoided especially between individuals or groups of people who regularly work together. This is because working together allows people to use their skills, bring out their ideas and show their personalities. As each person is made unique, personal differences on these mentioned aspects are likely to collide among workers in the organization. While conflict may be inevitable, this common organizational problem can be resolved. In this discussion, the conflict case at TVN will be taken into consideration. The company has encountered a problem between two of its important employees.
Due to a number of causes, the company feared that something must be done so as to resolve this issue; considering that both employees are vital to TVN, the loss of either or both employees is not an acceptable outcome. For this reason, the sources of conflict in the company and the possible means of resolving the matter are highlighted. The prevention and management of conflict in the workplace will be stressed further through another company case.
Conflicts and TVN
Workplace conflict occurs due to a number of reasons. In most literature, types of conflicts are often categorized based on the source or origin. Affective conflict for instance is a type of conflict that arises when two contradicting parties have incompatible emotions or feelings. This is why this type of conflict is also termed as relationship, emotional or psychological conflict, affective conflict happens when interpersonal clashes are observed between the contradicting parties. Oftentimes, this type of conflict is characterized by frustration and anger.
In the article written, Rahim and Bonoma provided a summary of conflict sources by developing the three main levels of organizational conflict. These levels include intrapersonal, intragroup and intergroup conflicts. The researchers stated that intrapersonal conflicts occur when an organizational member is asked to perform a particular task that does not match his of her interest, values, goals or skills. Intragroup conflict on the other hand, happens between organizational members or groups disagree over a certain issue. When the organizational members’ leaders or representatives are the ones arguing, intergroup conflict results.
Other authors also raised similar sources of conflict in the workplace. In a literature review done for example, the author noted that intra-organizational conflict occurs due to differences in beliefs, basic values or knowledge; personal dislike; differing attitudes or perceptions generated through organizational structure; and competition for power, position or recognition. Diversity in the workplace is said to be an important aspect for efficient and optimized organizational performance. Diversity does not only pertain to people’s gender, age and race; differences in role expectation. Goals, thoughts and values are also part of this concept. The concept of diversity is a notion of individual differences. While others may consider this as a way of expanding one’s perspectives, experience or ideas, diversity may be taken negatively and be seen as a factor that hinders organizational effectiveness.
These literatures clearly suggest that conflict within the workplace is a normal occurrence; nonetheless, it is necessary that conflicts are resolved immediately in order to prevent worst outcomes. In the case of TVN, the conflict is observed between Tony Dancer and Neville Cottingham. With this identified conflict, a number of causes can be identified. For instance, Tony Dancer, the company’s program director, believes that in order to continue producing good programs that TVN has been known for, considerable financial resources must be allocated.
On the other hand, Neville Cottingham, TVN’s new managing director, thinks that it is best to control the cost of program production in the company. Cottingham believes that going over the budget to create the programs is not a tolerable company practice, when two or more organizational parties argue over content or task issues, substantive conflicts result. Also known as cognitive, task or issue conflict, this type of conflict occurs when group members disagree on each other’s opinions or ideas in relation to the task at hand.
Noted that conflicts, particularly those related to assigned tasks, can create an uncomfortable working environment. As a result, the perception level of satisfaction and teamwork among the members of the team are significantly reduced. In most cases, individuals or group members subjected to such situation feel inferior towards their performance or output. They are likely to compare their output to other departments that appear to enjoy their group work experience. Although task conflicts in the workplace may encourage others to work more objectively, it is possible that their satisfaction level on their performance is not as high.
Organizational conflict also happens when the conflicting parties have different interests. In this type of conflict, two parties realize and understand what needs to be done; however, the solution they intend to use to solve it is different from one another. Taking TVN’s case into consideration, this kind of conflict is also observed between the two employees. Basically, this conflict type occurs when two or more social entities have contradicting ideologies over certain matters. This conflict is often observed in human resource issues especially when one party prioritizes what is best for the company while the other is after the interest of the employees. While Dancer’s interest is on the production of high-budget programs, Cottingham is more after cost-cutting. This type of conflict is also known as conflict of values or ideological conflict.
As employees of TVN, both Dancer and Cottingham are driven by similar work principles. They actually have similar personalities in terms of work attitude. For instance, both have confidence in their skills and capabilities. This then give rise to their tendency to assert their ideas and stress their acceptability. This similarity in characteristics somehow amplifies the conflict as both wanted to apply their ideas for the company’s benefit. It is indeed a trial of strength. However, while their views are beneficial for TVN, the personal differences of both employees seem to dominate the issue, resulting to greater conflict. Dancer’s approach is dominated by repugnance whereas Cottingham is more open; Tony thinks that the other is only prying on program matters, while Neville thinks that Tony does not intend to entertain issues relevant to program direction since it is his territory and not his. From this observation, it can be said that personality differences is also a possible root of the conflict .
Possible Solutions
In general, the conflict between TVN’s two employees is brought about by differing goals, interests and personalities. The focus of managing conflict however, does not stop from the identification of the problem and its causes; among others, the most important phase of conflict management is the identification of ways on how the problem can be resolved. There are actually a number of known alternatives used for handling workplace conflicts. Traditional methods of conflict management styles include compromise, postponement and avoidance. In compromise, the conflict is addressed by asking one of the conflicting parties to agree to one side of the argument. Procrastination or postponement on the other hand, is done by identifying the cause of the problem while delaying the development of a solution. When no effort is exerted to identify neither the cause nor solution for the conflict, the avoidance technique is applied.
Analyzing these cited conflict management alternatives, it seems that none of them will be helpful for TVN. In particular, the postponement and avoidance methodologies do not result to positive resolution. If the management will just settle on identifying the cause of the conflict, a resolution may not be developed. Total avoidance of the issue on the other hand may be adapted by the company. This conflict management style may be useful in order to avoid hurting others’ feeling or acting impolite. However, no resolution is achieved in this alternative either. It is likely that postponing or avoiding resolutions for conflicts will only lead to worst outcomes; considering that both parties take pride in their role in the company, the absence of a clear solution may motivate one or both parties to just leave the company.
The focus of the cited alternatives is also on short-term rather than long-term solutions. In compromise for example, one contradicting side will just have to give in to the argument so as to prevent the conflict from worsening. The postponement technique on the other hand, used the delay factor so as not to prolong the argument. Among other conflict management styles cited, the avoidance strategy is perhaps the most ineffective as there were no effort exerted to resolve the problem. These alternatives may be applied and might be utilized by actual organizations; however, none of these will be of use neither in addressing current conflicts nor preventing future rifts.
In another literature, the research done noted that conflicts may be managed with the same alternatives used for handling negotiations. These include lose/lose, win/lose and win/win techniques. In the lose/lose conflict management strategy, neither contradicting party wins the argument. Although either party may have benefited from this strategy as the disagreement is immediately addressed, this style may still not be recommendable since no solution is reached. The outcome of this alternative is then similar to the possible solutions mentioned earlier.
In the win/lose style, the losing party will likely be hostile to the winning party; this negative feelings in turn prevents the losing party from being cooperative and committed to the given solution. In a sense, there is no actual winner in this conflict management style since cooperation and friendship is not achieved. If this will be used by TVN, it is likely that Dancer’s negative emotions towards the settlement may affect the program production; the lack of control given to Cottingham for cost reduction on the other hand, can motivate him to just leave the company. Either way, the use of this approach along with the parties’ strong personalities is likely to cause unpleasant results.
Compared to other negotiation tactics for conflict management, the win/win strategy perhaps is the most efficient. This is mainly because the win/win alternative results to the most favorable outcome for both conflicting parties. With this alternative, a solution is developed to resolve the problem; the solution is developed in such a way that both sides will benefit from it. In this alternative, it is very possible that the parties involved may not obtain what they initially intend to achieve; however, with the win/win strategy, both sides receive at least part of their objectives. As both conflicting parties gained something beneficial out of the disagreement, friendship is established. Furthermore, both are likely to participate in implementing the solution they agreed upon. Although this strategy results to the best outcome, it is the most difficult to apply. Compared to the two other cited styles, the win/win strategy takes the most time, energy and effort. Since both parties would have to benefit in the situation, all possible alternatives would have to be considered.
Nonetheless, TVN can apply this technique to resolve the conflict between Dancer and Cottingham. For example, the management can still have Dancer develop and direct the programs; however, a budget assessment will have to be done by Cottingham’s department. The assessment will have to be done by both parties; in this way, practical and less expensive production alternatives may be used. By means of this set up, Dancer will still be able to make plans good programs for the audience while Cottingham will be able to have the authority to take part in the production’s budget control; in addition, the development of good programs at reasonable budgets and the maintenance of two valuable employees will benefit the company as well.
Company Analysis
In one company example, the win/win strategy is also applied by its management in order to prevent conflicts. While the case of TVN is centered on a conflict between employees; the win/win strategy in the company example is applied to address conflicts between the management and the employees. For ethical reasons, the actual name of the company will not be mentioned. From this point forward, the company will then be named as XYZ Store. For years, XYZ Store has been operating in the retail industry, selling products manufactured by other companies. Known for its mission to provide quality products at low prices, the company has also been recognized for its quality customer service. Contrary to its competitors who had focused on targeting the market in larger towns, XYZ Store concentrated on establishing discount stores in small rural areas; this has been the strategy of the company on its initial years of operation.
Over the years, the company was able to acquire more and more products for sale, including those produced by international companies. The improved diversity of its products as well as the increased profit and market growth of the company all contributed to XYZ’s present international status. With its global reach, XYZ has constantly empowered its employees to perform their best. For example, the company employees are subjected to extensive training to handle its online marketing and product distribution strategy.
The company wanted to ensure that all products given to the customer meet their satisfaction. XYZ Store then implemented a policy were employees must do everything that they can in order to satisfy the needs of the customers. Employees are then oriented to employ a pleasing attitude towards the customers; in addition, items that need to be exchanged, repaired or refunded must be accommodated without delay. The company believes that by means of this training and service approach, consumers will come back to the store again and again. Moreover, this is one way of making customers feel valued and respected. With the presence of these work policies, company strategies and business challenges, the employees experience considerable stress, increasing the risk for conflicts.
Stress in the workplace may give rise to interpersonal conflicts. In particular, if the employees are not attuned to the tasks assigned to them, stress factors may develop and lead to worker conflict. In the case of the XYZ Store, the primary cause of conflict will be the presence of too much work for the employees to handle. If this will not be addressed, stress reactions may develop. Negative attitudes related to this type of conflict include anger and frustration. One of the major outcomes of this conflict is the increased problem on theft in the company. The company however, addresses this problem by means of the win/win strategy.
Similar to what has been suggested to the TVN case, XYZ Store resolve the presence of stress conflict in the company by implementing a solution that will be beneficial for both the company and the employees. The company in particular believes in the concept of reciprocity; thus, in order to motivate the employees to work hard and perform their best for XYZ, dedicated workers are given due rewards and recognition. Based on certain factors, the company employs a profit-sharing policy especially among regular employees. Aside from this, employees are also given incentive bonuses, salary increases based on performance and not on seniority, promotions and discount stock purchase plans. Through this approach, the company is able to make the employees feel that their efforts are highly appreciated. Moreover, this style helps in establishing loyalty and harmonious relations between the company and the workers. Most importantly, this win/win style helps in reducing company arguments, feud and conflicts. With this approach, both the company and its employees are able to pursue their own goals.
The company tried to address its problem on pilferage through the win/win technique. This was done by implementing a policy wherein fifty percent of the savings obtained from the decreased instances of pilferage will be divided among store employees through store incentive plans. In this case, the company is able to benefit from reduced company losses due to pilferage while employees are able to receive additional bonuses through honest services; both conflicting sides are then able to get something out of the developed solution. From this example, it becomes clear that organizations can actually spend time and effort in developing conflict solutions that will be for everyone’s advantage; this apparently emphasizes that giving priority to developing effective conflict solution can lead to more beneficial long-term outcomes.
XYZ Store’s win/win strategy is actually based on employee motivation principles; in this company example, employees are mainly motivated through rewards. Rewards can come in a number of forms. In general, rewards can be given as monetary incentives like bonuses or as non-monetary incentives like dinner certificates, public recognition and other similar rewards that do not have any monetary value. This concept is actually based on two theoretical frameworks: the expectancy and agency theory. The expectancy theory states that the provision of rewards serve as a powerful driver to motivate others. The agency theory on the other hand is based on the perspective that rewards are a useful tool for aligning the goals of the management with that of the stockholders. From these theoretical perspectives, reward is viewed as an instrument of motivation, which in turn optimizes the employees’ performance. These theories clearly suggest that XYZ was able to connect its goals with the goals of the employees by means of providing sufficient rewards.
Analysis
From the given case and company example in this essay, it is clearly shown that managing organizational conflicts is a challenging task. Considering that contradicting sides are involved in a conflict, it is essential that the conflict manager adopts an appropriate approach that will develop a solution that is favorable for both parties. For this reason, the win/win strategy is considered as the most effective conflict management style that TVN can use for its problem; the efficacy of this strategy has been emphasized further by XYZ Store. While the manner on how conflicts are managed in the organization is important, the resolution of the conflict also relies on other factors. Taking the case of the XYZ Store as example, the management of the company has an apparent ability to listen and identify the needs of its workers. There is a clear openness in the company’s management for these matters and willingness to resolve conflicts in the best way possible. These then suggest that aside from the selection of the right approach, other factors must be integrated in order to resolve organizational conflicts.
For instance, it is important that conflict managers have the right listening and communication skills. It is essential that managers are able to speak their thoughts to others. The absence of proper communication abilities will just make the involved parties frustrated every time a conflict occurs. It is also important that organizations practice two-sided communication; with this practice, conflict manager should allow involved parties to raise their reasons and views in relation to the issue. In other words, managers should not refrain from hearing the parties’ inputs and just focus on deciding for the right solution. Listening abilities are also significant among conflict managers; with this ability, managers will be able to concentrate on the points of both conflicting sides rather than on the response to be given for each point raised. With these essential skills, conflict manager will be able to maintain a positive environment despite the presence of the conflict. The maintenance of the positive environment will be useful not only in developing the right solution but also in speeding up the process of conflict management. In particular, this should be observed in the TVN case.
The right conflict management must also be observed by the managers. In the XYZ Store case for example, rather than punish the employees stealing from the company or reprimand those expecting too much from the company, the management employed policies that will be beneficial for both sides. It is important that conflict managers do not verbally attack their workers who are causing conflicts; rather, they should be given due priority so as to prevent even more serious problems. Rational behavior is also important in conflict management; managers should realize that they have to be connected with the parties at all times so as to understand the situation and implement the proper solutions.
The company example used in the discussion showed that conflicts can be addressed through solutions that will benefit both conflicting sides. Through this strategy, harmonious relation is developed and maintained. Specifically, by giving due recognition and rewards for the employees hard work, the workers become more motivated to do their best. In turn, XYZ Store was able to maintain an effective and honest workforce. In TVN, Dancer and Cottingham are considered assets of the company; however, their task and interpersonal conflicts could possibly cause their resignation from the company. It is then possible to resolve this through the same win/win strategy applied by the XYZ Store. In conclusion, conflicts in an organization must be addressed through the collaborative effort of the involved parties and the conflict managers.
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