Understanding the Causes and Solutions to Organizational Conflicts

The survival of a company depends on the efforts put in revenue generation in the presence of stiff competition. Unfortunately, internal organization conflict derails focus on beating the competition. Nevertheless, keeping employees focused on being battering the competition and productive requires an understanding of the conflict. The case study presented in the paper is a diagnosis of a conflict between employees of a major supermarket involved in disputes with the management. Such kind of conflict has numerous implications and consequences.

Notably, the triangle of satisfaction is applicable in the definition of organizational conflict since disagreement arises from difference in strategies, duties and power balance.

On the other hand, a description of human wants and basic requirements. Unclear distinction between such factors is the primary causes of organizational conflict. Moreover, in as much as human wants are insatiable, the strive by the management to listen to employees and provide some of the basic requirements is a proof of harmony and integration of all business dimensions such as corporate responsibility and occupational safety and health in any industry.

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The circle of conflict is equally significant in the diagnosis of employee-employer dispute. Most organizations have requirements or qualifications for recruitment of workers in any filed. Indeed, numerous laws are spelt out in the company policies and in the employment terms. Irregularities in the laws or understatement of any policy could trigger a factor in the circle of conflict and therefore generate conflict in a particular setting. Nevertheless, the relationship between the fundamentals in the triangle off satisfaction and the circle of conflict are critical in separate and conclusive diagnosis of the conflict between employees and employers.

The above brief discussion presents general significance of the two models. However, a more elaborate discussion is necessary to confirm my assertion.

Conflict circle

The circle of conflict is a prediction model that elicits the different causes of disputes. In the model, the five causes of disputes include values, interest, structural, data and relationship differences. In the diagnosis of organizational conflict, it is imperative to look at each category and try to classify the existing conflict after a reflection on the primary causes of the same. Conflict resolution will be successful following effective diagnosis. Notably, investigations on the trigger of a fight are primary diagnosis of any conflict. Therefore, description of each category and analysis of the complaints and grief from both parties is inevitable in eliciting the cause of the conflict.

Missing data or information cause disagreement between employees and their employer. Misinterpretation of information or misreporting also causes disagreements. In a shopping mart, information on sales, customer service delivery reports or duty schedules lead to grievances. A diagnosis of data as a conflict cause necessitates the finding of the missing data or correction of incorrect information. Data resolution could also extend to discussion of its meaning in harmony. It takes time to resolve data issues; however, an effective diagnosis works to make all the necessary information available before initiation of conflict resolution.

Structural disputes presents through power imbalance. Indeed, employees remain subjects to the employers. However, misuse of the employer's power in various ways such as work abuse generates conflicts. On the other hand, if the employer poorly controls resources needed by the employee to perform, then conflict between the two parties is inevitable.

Relationship disagreement remains the most prevalent causes of organizational conflict. Misunderstanding in the work place could be difficult to resolve. In a diagnosis of relationship conflict, it is imperative that a practitioner reflects on the existing relationship between the employee and the employer. It is often confusing to clarify the relationship principles due to over shadowing of casual relations and official ones. Nevertheless, an effective diagnosis of an organizational conflict gets both the employer and employee to realize the implications of their behaviors in generating the dispute.

Different values conflict. In an organization, there exist people from various cultures with different world views. Ethnic and religious differences could also cause misunderstandings between employees and managers. Unfortunately, it is impossible to change certain values and principles such as religious beliefs. A company with strict policies that do not appreciate human diversity is likely to be in work turmoil occasionally. During the diagnosis, thee practitioner must identify the conflicting values and work on a resolution process or recommend a proccees that will create harmony.

Triangle of satisfaction

The triangle of satisfaction model is founded on three interests, each unique but interconnected at the same time. The interests include, emotional interest, the procedural interest and the end-result of the conflict resolution process. The model can be employed mediation or negotiation as a point of reference or for analysis. Sometimes the model is used in combination with the circle of conflict model. The outcome of a conflict is dependent on employee-employer interests, hence the need to address them adequately. Therefore it is crucial for the negotiator or mediator to identify the relevant interests to consider to avoid setbacks during resolution.

Procedural interests entail the manner in which the resolution process is conducted. The environment under which resolution occurs should be favorable to both parties, since both the employer and employee have varying priorities. For instance transparency between the employer and employee during resolution is paramount to ensure that the whole process is a success. More so, factors such as, fairness, good timing and inclusiveness are key to the resolution process. In addition each party should be satisfied and comfortable during the resolution process.

Emotional interests encompass the psychological component of both employer and employee. The thoughts, feelings as well as perspectives of the employer or employee influence the end result of the resolution process. For instance if both parties feel satisfied during resolution the outcome is likely to be excellent. On the other hand a party with sense of fear will not cooperate fully during resolution rendering the process ineffective.

Both the employer and employee are always interested in the outcome of a conflict resolution process. This forms the result component of the triangle model. The issues that the employer or employee present during negotiation process dictate the end-result. Therefore, the mediator should strive to ensure that the best outcome suits the wants and needs of either party and at the same time avoid biasness.