Introduction
In contemporary organizations, conflicts, stress, and indifferences are normal. This phenomenon confirms the complex relationships that exist in organizations. In many organizations, issues can stem from divergent opinions between the various agents in the company setting; these could be shareholders, managers, and departmental heads. Such differences can result in conflict within the organization that has adverse consequences on the optimal performance of the organization. Besides, it is important to note that conflicts, like stress and indecision, are caused by different organizational conditions. Structural and behavioural organizational factors such as organizational design and human emotions and thoughts. Additionally, indecision or stress are caused by organizational conditions such as communication breakdown, power dynamics, internal pressures, personal factors, lack of clarity and organizational factors.
Organizational conditions for conflict
Organizational conflict occurs when members engage in activities incompatible with those of colleagues within their network, members of other collectivities or unaffiliated individuals use the services or products of an organization (Rahim, 2023, p. 18). In the organizational context, two primary conditions can cause conflicts; these include structural and behavioural conditions (Blank, 2020). The structural conditions include issues relating to the organization’s design, including the organization’s size, with larger organizations having a greater basis for conflict due to impersonal formality with ambiguities on various supervisory levels, hence propagating conflict. Organizational design also influences conflicts, especially when there is a lack of clarity on reporting lines, overlapping responsibilities and a lack of properly mapped out roles and responsibilities. Lastly, ambiguities in the supervisory levels characterized by a lack of clear authority and responsibilities can lead to power struggles and disputes over decision-making.
Behavioural conditions Arise from human thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and personalities. In many instances interpersonal conflicts in the organization arise from the individual’s thoughts, emotions and personal perspectives that might not be aligned (Blank, 2020). Attitudes and personalities among team members can also contribute to conflicts, especially about work styles, preferred communication, and problem-solving approaches that cause friction in the organization (Rahim, 2023, p. 115). The other cause of conflicts within the behavioural context is power dynamics. Unequal distribution of power, perceived favouritism and misuse of authority can result in tension within the organizational hierarchy. Lastly, divergent perspectives concerning individual experiences, departmental objectives, goals, and organizational culture can also cause conflict.
Organizational conditions for stress
Occupational stress remains a common phenomenon in the contemporary society work environment. Organizational conditions for the stress include organizational culture, work-life balance, job requirements, and the physical condition of the organization. CahayaSanthi and Piartrini (2020) indicate that role ambiguity positively correlates with work-related stress and reduces the job satisfaction of employees in the organization. Lack of clarity in job responsibilities causes employees to stress as they feel uncertain about what is expected of them. Organizational culture is another important phenomenon affecting the stress of workers. Studies indicate that organizational environments characterized by incivility and bullying increase stress among employees (Wang et al., 2020). Such an environment often results in employees feeling unappreciated and unvalued, increasing their stress levels.
Poor work-life balance is another important condition that affects work-related stress. According to Kelly, Soles, Garcia, and Kundu (2020), poor work-life balance will likely result in burnout, poor job satisfaction and work-related stress. The lack of proper work-life balance also adversely affected the employees’ emotional well-being in the organization. This adversely affected the productivity of employees in the organization. Extended working hours and inflexible policies in terms of working hours can strain the employee’s life outside the organization, making it hard to meet their personal and family obligation, which also has the potential to add to the stress of the workforce.
Organizational conditions for indecision
Many factors and issues, including workload, emotional exhaustion, and decision-making, must be revised in the organization process. Ferrari (2020) argues that the workload in the organization can result in decision procrastination. Additionally, a lack of effective and proper communication in the organization can result in indecision. Studies highlight the significance of proper and effective communication in addressing the problem of indecision in the organizational context. The lack of effective communication makes it challenging for clear and proper instructions to be transmitted to employees, creating uncertainty about various decisions and matters (MacFarlane, 2020). Additionally, an appropriate decision-making model can result in certainty concerning the various decisions taken by individuals in the organization, resulting in indecision.
In summation, while conflict, stress, and indecision have negative impacts on the organization, they differ in their causes. Conflict in the organization stems from organizational and behavioural factors such as the organization’s design that blur various supervisory roles, often resulting in ineffective communication. Behavioural factors such as human thoughts and opinions can cause interpersonal conflict among organizational employees. On the other hand, stress in the workplace can be caused by factors such as job ambiguity and ineffective work-life balance that might result in burnout and low levels of job satisfaction. Finally, indecision in the organizational context stems from the need for an effective decision-making model, resulting in decision procrastination.
References
Blank, S. (2020). Managing organizational conflict. McFarland.
CahayaSanthi, N. P. M., & Piartrini, P. S. (2020). The effect of role ambiguity on work-related stress and employees’ work satisfaction. American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research, 4(6), 99–107.
Kelly, M., Soles, R., Garcia, E., & Kundu, I. (2020). Job stress, burnout, work-life balance, well-being, and job satisfaction among pathology residents and fellows. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 153(4), 449–469.
MacFarlane, J. (2020). Indeterminacy as indecision, lecture I: Vagueness and communication. The Journal of Philosophy, 117(11/12), 593–616.
Rahim, M. A. (2023). Managing conflict in organizations. Taylor & Francis.
Roster, C. A., & Ferrari, J. R. (2020). Does Work Stress Lead to Office Clutter, and How? Mediating Influences of Emotional Exhaustion and Indecision. Environment and Behavior, 52(9), 923–944. doi: 10.1177/0013916518823041
Wang, Z., Zaman, S., Rasool, S. F., Zaman, Q. uz, & Amin, A. (2020). Exploring the relationships between a toxic workplace environment, workplace stress, and project success with the moderating effect of organizational support: Empirical evidence from Pakistan. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 1055–1067.
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