Reasons for Conflict
Workplace conflict may arise for a number of reasons, including age differences, cultural diversity, gender imbalances, and communication challenges. Poor corporate management might lead to unresolved workplace concerns. When it comes to age inequalities, conflict may occur when people of different ages have different perspectives on shared workplace difficulties. Every generation is raised with different ideas, and in today’s workplace, younger people prefer to work to play rather than work to live, resulting in less productivity and a different view of what it means to have a work ethic. Cultural variety may be a problem when people grow up in different households, towns, or even countries. Understanding the current culture in which the organization exists, the language and use of slang phrases, and the many modes of communication it employs may be challenging for persons from differing cultural backgrounds. You might have been trained to work hard for your employer while not fighting, or you could have been taught to fight while still taking care of yourself.
Language problems may generate frustration and misunderstanding, which can lead to unresolved conflicts. Gender differences in the workplace might generate conflict if they are not recognized and addressed equally. Conflict in the workplace is handled by communication, whether through words, actions, or gestures, and everyone must communicate with respect. Individuals expect and want respect, yet there are times when those same individuals fail to show respect in their conversations since emotions and thoughts are permitted. Negative conflict can be exacerbated by someone who communicates disrespectfully, angrily, defensively, or threateningly. Still, it can be mitigated by someone who communicates with respect, kindness, and questions and wants to understand what the other person is trying to accomplish in addition to the conflict. The attendees will either reach an agreement or leave the meeting with a better understanding.
Poor leadership may result in unresolved workplace disputes by neglecting to address voiced issues, failing to explain clear expectations, expecting respect but failing to provide respect, or disregarding differences. People’s perceptions may differ depending on how they hear things (Carton & Tewfik, 2016). The manner in which information is received, understood, and acted upon may all be impacted by the manner in which it is presented. A person may raise an issue, and their behavior becomes aggressive; receivers may feel threatened or ashamed rather than appreciated. They may get enraged or defensive or not respond but do not participate in the dispute. When someone asks a question, the receiver may reply with dismissive, hostile body language or by ignoring the speaker, all of which may lead to negative conflict that deviates from the subject and produces further difficulties (Mosadeghrad & Mojbafan, 2019).
Functional Conflict
Fostering functional conflict in the workplace may assist individuals in improving their conflict resolution skills by promoting and supporting the communication styles they prefer. Sharing views, ideas, and choices, as well as dealing with the good and bad elements of situations, may help to reduce annoyance and conflict while increasing decision-making and respect. Workgroups, business idea promotion, surveys, and rewards for good behavior all foster constructive conflict rather than destructive conflict. Employees gain from the existence of functional conflict, which is also communicated to other employees who are not involved in the conflict. Employees feel protected and valued, which leads to increased productivity, self-confidence, motivation, and loyalty (Caputo et al., 2019).
Dysfunctional Conflict
Dysfunctional conflict devastates the workplace, hurting both those who are active and those who are not but work in the same business, area, department, or team. Employee motivation and commitment are also impacted when conflict is not dealt with favorably. Communicating in the workplace using words or body language that convey disdain, anger, violence, or meaninglessness may result in a negative response. Unresolved workplace arguments, among other things, may create interruptions, damage the atmosphere, make people uncomfortable, lead to bad morale, distrust, a lack of commitment, and promote conflict. If firm management fails to resolve dysfunctional conflicts, the team suffers and has no obligation to the organization; they may resign or refuse to interact and share thoughts, ideas, and problem-solving talents. In a hostile workplace, people don’t communicate to deal with issues, workflow, and team development, which leads to more errors. If the underlying reasons are not addressed and controlled, dysfunctional conflict may escalate into violence, harassment, and hostile working conditions, which can result in worker lawsuits (Caputo et al., 2019).
Conflict Strategy for Functional Conflict
A functional conflict resolution technique would include learning and practicing the skills needed to engage in a mutually respectful atmosphere. The manner a person handles conflict impacts the outcome of the dialogue. Emotional intelligence skills are a strategy that helps people become more conscious of their own emotions while also paying attention to the reactions of others. Managing emotions and conveying feelings to others, as well as preserving respectful conversation. Everyone has a responsibility to play in how they communicate. When the skills of respect, understanding, listening, and empathy are applied, messages and disagreements may be generated graciously and successfully. For example, at work, I oversee a vast group of people that operate in a range of areas. I hired a new manager, and he was having difficulty forming a team. There’s a lot of sarcasm about what each team member doesn’t do, but not nearly enough on what they do well.
I think that everyone comes to work with the objective of doing a good job and not making a mistake. Every week, I give an award to one person, but in order to be considered, a colleague must recommend it and explain why. I read each nomination, then put all of the names in a box, choose one, and submit the award. This method encourages polite, courteous debate, which often leads to resolving problems. Each team member has a distinct viewpoint on their team, and they hope that their colleagues will share their opinion, appreciate them, and show up to work hard. Attitudes and communication improve as a result of fewer complaints and more helpful discourse (Soliku & Schraml, 2018).
Dysfunctional Conflict Strategy
Dissatisfaction and conflict thrive in an environment that promotes dysfunctional conflict via communication. Unresolved conflicts and the handling of communication are two instances of dysfunctional practices. If the leader does not deal with the situation that has arisen and a person is allowed to be rude, aggressive, or demanding towards his coworkers or employees, the team will no longer want to participate in communication skills, people will become angry, and the burden on the environment will not be positive or productive. Believe that problems will be fixed or that loyal employees will no longer be dedicated and look for jobs elsewhere. When I first started working in the role, I now occupy four years ago, I came across an example of this kind of dysfunctional practice. My predecessor rejected the team’s complaints and issues.
When the team confronted him, he refused to promote skill development, and he seemed to tolerate, if not encourage, dysfunctional behavior from individuals who generated a culture of negative thinking among personnel who were not engaged or devoted to their professions. Employees feel powerless as a result of poor performance and an unresolved problem. Four years later, the team was still working with functional skills to emphasize their value and respect. As difficulties arise, they are dealt with politely, and as annoyance grows, teams turn things around because they believe in mutual respect and care, which influences how they conduct. When leaders fail to demonstrate functional competencies, the workforce does not feel safe and respected (Carton & Tewfik, 2016).
Conclusion
Any organization must comprehend functional techniques to create functional conflict as opposed to managing dysfunctional conflict. The team will be filled with a strong sense of dedication, loyalty, and production. Practicing and using functional skills becomes a habit, resulting in a respectable work environment that encourages businesses to stay with their teams and operate efficiently with them, as seen by their actions.
References
Caputo, A., Marzi, G., Maley, J., & Silic, M. (2019). Ten years of conflict management research 2007-2017: An update on themes, concepts and relationships. International Journal of Conflict Management.
Carton, A. M., & Tewfik, B. A. (2016). Perspective—A new look at conflict management in work groups. Organization Science, 27(5), 1125-1141.
Mosadeghrad, A. M., & Mojbafan, A. (2019). Conflict and conflict management in hospitals. International journal of health care quality assurance.
Soliku, O., & Schraml, U. (2018). Making sense of protected area conflicts and management approaches: A review of causes, contexts and conflict management strategies. Biological Conservation, 222, 136-145.
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