Conflict Management



Conflict Management

Abstract

The paper review the sources of the organizational conflicts and appropriate strategies to resolve conflicts. The discussion is incorporated by the past research and disciplinary views on conflict management. It develops a summarized view of the effects and the predicted and desired results of organizational conflicts, types of conflicts that commonly exist in the organizations, strategies & theories used to resolve the organizational conflicts, conflict management process. The paper provides a constructive approach to implement the conflict management process in an organization to decrease the negative effects of an organization's performance

Introduction

Before 90's, most of the organizational literature presumed conflicts to be counterproductive and theorists hardly suggested any constructive edge of the conflicts for the organization under specific circumstances but the empirical studies were still lacking. Organizational conflicts become more visible when the firms got experimented by the decentralized structures and workers are given more responsibilities and independency in decision making (Dumaine & Nohria, 1991). The changes indicate that conflicts may arise between the individuals and between the groups in the organization (Janssen, Van de Vliert & Veenstra, 1999). Diversity is increasing in the organizational workforce as people from different educational and cultural backgrounds, minorities and women are entering the workforce that inevitably leads to various kinds of organizational conflicts as compared to the workforces that are homogenous. (Fiol, 1994 and William & O 'Reilly, 1998). Recent empirical researches focus on the potential benefits of the conflicts instead of its negative effects.

Discussion

Conflict is inevitable and is natural when two or more p[arties come in contact with each other to attain their objectives. Relationships become incompatible and inconsistent when two individuals or parties desire a similar resource within the organizational structure.

Conflict is broadly defined as the perceived incompatibilities or change in thoughts, ideas or views among the individuals, groups, teams ...