Conflict at Workplace

Workplace conflicts

This paper I devote to methods which help to prevent and resolve workplace conflicts, this topic is very useful for everyone who wants to succeed in communication and be able to stand up for himself/ herself not only at work but in everyday life.  I will focus on several types of conflicts and their resolution using various types of relationship (between employer and employee, within teamwork and between the member of the group and his colleagues…) from different perspectives; motivation theories and some instruction for individuals connected with my own experience.

Anytime people work together, conflict is a part of ‘doing business’. Conflict exists in every organization and to a certain extent indicates a healthy exchange of ideas and creativity. However, counter-productive conflict can result in employee dissatisfaction, reduced productivity, poor service to clients, absenteeism and increased employee turnover, increased work-related stress or, worse case scenario, lawsuit based on claims of harassment or a hostile work environment. And a well-qualified HR manager or leader has to be able to identify the reason and source of a conflict and be able to deal with it by developing special anti-conflict strategy and motivation, moreover it’s very important for everyone to be prepared to different kinds of misunderstandings at workplace, to avoid and be able to channel them in the right direction. People differ and our opinions and points of view can collide…

To understand what the role of conflict at work I will insert some statistical date.

1) It has been estimated that human resource managers spend 25 to 60 percent of their time working through employee conflicts – causing lowered office performance. (1)

2) In a University of North Carolina study showed that more than half of workers said anxiety about a past or present conflict with a co-worker cost them time while they were on the clock. More than a quarter of workers said they were less productive because they spent time trying to avoid a confrontation with a co-worker. (2)

3) It is estimated that more than 65% of performance problems result from strained relationships between employees — not from deficits in individual employees' skill or motivation. (3)

Workplace stress causes approximately one million U.S. employees to miss work each day. (4)

So we can see that conflicts effect on company’s indices visibly and slow down it is development. Organizations lose countless dollars each year to unresolved conflict in lost productivity, performance, employee turnover and absenteeism. Lost opportunity costs include the improvement or solution that might have resulted from creative collaboration (versus black holes that emerge when employees refuse to deal with each other). Morale also is affected -- not only between participants but among people around them. People who are embroiled in conflict often are under great stress. Many report not sleeping well and being unable to focus at work