Effect of Conflict Management on Organizational Productivity

Effect of Conflict Management on Organizational Productivity

Abstract of Effect of Conflict Management on Organizational Productivity

Sometimes, during the course of labour-management relations, conflicts are inevitable. Infacts, some specialists are of the view that conflict is an institutionalized aspect of industrial relation because it brings about the much-needed co-operation at the end. Conflict is described as antagonism between people-between managements and workers at workplace. It is believed that conflict is better managed than eliminated within the growing realization that a number of benefits are accruable as well as costs. The study objectives includes the following; the examination of conflict on organizational productivity; nature of conflict and employee job commitment and means of managing conflict within an organization. The research hypothesis includes; the significant relationship between conflict management and organizational productivity; between implementation of conflict management policies and organizational productivity and between intelligent cooperation and organizational productivity. Survey research method was used and the population size was (170) but (150) one hundred and fifty were returned, analyzed and computer in the chapter 4 analysis of data, while the statistical tool of Chi-square was used to analyse the hypotheses due forts significant.

The study was concluded, summarized and recommendations were preferred at the end of the study for public and national consumption as my contribution to extending the frontiers of knowledge

Chapter One of Effect of Conflict Management on Organizational Productivity

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The word ‘conflict’ is universal because today organizations are faced with vast array of conflicting situations.

Conflict is wide spread in human societies and runs through the whole organization both profit and non-profit making organization. It arises among members in an organization and even within the personality of an individual. Thus, conflict is one of the most difficult challenge a manager faces.

The American Heritage College Dictionary defines conflict as “a state of disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideals, or interest; a clash”. A modern view of conflict is defined as follows: “conflict is a process in which one party perceives that its interest are being opposed or negatively affected by another party.

The use of the word perceived in the Second definition is a reminder that the source of a conflict can be real or imagined. Conflict can also mean that there is a difference in opinion or agreement between two parties or groups who are trying to achieve the same goal, causing one of the parties to feel that his or her efforts to achieve the goal is being hindered or .challenged by the other party. When disagreement is poorly dealt with, the outcome can be contention, creating a sense of psychological dissonance between people.

Conflicts occur due to the dynamic state of things today in organization and the society at large. In this way we could say that there is a growing recognition of the importance of conflict in organization. A recent survey that managers spends a considerable portion of their time dealing with conflict, and that conflict management has become increasingly important to their effectiveness most especially in the area of organizational productivity, therefore we can say that conflict is inevitable and important in human process.

In the earlier stage, conflict was viewed as evil and also linked with violence, destruction arid irrationality to re-engage it negative connotation by this definition “Conflict” is regarded as harmful and must be avoided.

To the “traditionalist” the absence of conflict in an organization is an evidence of success in status- quo interest, yet the existence of conflict in an organization shows that the degree of co-operation is generally present in a well-managed organization. Due to this, we could say that conflict is better off when it is managed than eliminated. In this way one agrees that with the growing realization, conflict has a number of benefits as well as costs.

Therefore it needs to be managed rather than eliminated. The various ideals about conflict, human relations argued that conflict is a natural and inevitable occurrence in all groups and organization and that conflict is a normal and natural consequence of human interaction :n organization settings, but they are complex and its occurs for many reasons. For example, internal stress coming from the person and overlapping with the job, incompatible expectations among workers, workers group and values etc. With these the human relations come out with the idea that conflict need not be evil, but rather has the potential to be a positive drive in determining organizational productivity, thus it is inevitable and unavoidable.

Organization in another Way is a principle of life. It meets many different kinds of man’s emotional, spiritual and intellectual and economic needs. The major purpose of organizations are developed and designed by man to overcome his own limitations.

Organizations are grouped into two mainly:

1.   Formal organization

2.   Informal organization

Format organization is an organization that has a well defined structure that described it authority, power, accountability and responsibility.

Informal organization is an organization that is loosely organized, flexible and not well defined.

In organization, conflict often occurs between the supervisors and subordinate, supervisors in the same rank etc. However, the solution is objective and skilled at creating a climate in which the two parties can arrive jointly at a solution

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The real challenge managers are facing today is the necessity of understanding and learning how to respond positively and creatively to conflict at the various levels and in the widely diverse areas found in the organization.

Conflict, if not properly managed can cause problem in job satisfaction and organizational commitment, thus, leading to an un-conducive atmosphere, strikes, labour disputes and unrest, distress on the part of the organization as well as hindering the realization of the organizational goals and objectives. The focus of the study will be on how to manage conflict effectively in order to avoid those problems

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major objective of this study is to investigate the effects of conflict management on organization productivity. Other objectives include:

1.   To examine the impact of conflict on organizational productivity

2.   To examine the nature of conflict on employee job commitment

3.   To find the means of managing conflict with the organization

4.   To examine the different types of conflict and its impacts on organizations

5.   To emphasized the relationship between conflict and the organizational productivity

6.   To examine the causes, sources and solution of conflict in business organization

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

For the purpose of this study the following research questions- were formulated to guide the study:

1.   How can conflict lead to organizational decline in productivity level?

2.   What are the general effects of conflict on organization performance?

3.   What bring about conflict in an organization?

4.   How can conflict be effectively managed in an organization in order to increase productivity?