Understanding Workplace Conflict: Causes, Union Dynamics, and Resolution Strategies

Irritants to Employers

• Shift in worker loyalty
• Reduction of management's right to discipline
• Belligerence of labor leaders
• Intra-union and inter-union rivalries
• Harassment by the union
• Abuses by some employees

Why Employees Join Unions

1. Employer's unfair treatment of employees
2. Discontent with salary
3. Worker realization that collective action is more effective
4. Unions can wield power over management
5. Management's failure to provide legal entitlements
6. Worker desire to render social services to fellow workers
7. Better economic and working conditions
8. Feeling of job security
9. Lack of management recognition of job value
10. Desire to seek solutions to common problems

Consequences of Conflict

• Issues are recognized
• Risk to group cohesion and performance
• Poor performance
• Constructive and destructive results
• Rise of leaders

Causes of Conflict

• Poor communication
• Inept control systems
• Leadership styles at odds with employee expectations
• Poor system of personnel selection
• Capricious compensation decisions
• Inequitable work assignments
• Inconsistent promotion policies
• Need to share scarce resources
• Interdependence in work activities
• Differences in goals between organizational units
• Differences in values and perceptions among organizational units
• Organizational ambiguities

Conflict Management Outcomes

• Increased cohesion and rise in performance
• Rise of leaders
• Distorted perceptions
• Increase in negative stereotypes
• Selection of stronger representatives
• Development of blind spots
• Issues recognized and brought into the open
• Poor performance

Conflict Reduction Strategies

• Physical separation
• Use of rules and regulations
• Limiting intergroup interaction
• Use of integrators (shuttle diplomacy)
• Confrontation and negotiation
• Third-party consultation
• Rotation of members

Effective Conflict Resolution

• Analyze the issues involved (substantive vs. emotional)
• Eliminate conflict issues
• Initiate direct dialogue

10 Tips for Conflict Resolution

1. Avoid "win-lose" outcomes.
2. Respect your conversational partner's personal space.
3. Watch your eye contact.
4. Don't mistake ego issues for content issues.
5. Recognize "ritual opposition" for what it is.
6. Don't get hung up on whether people were telling the truth.
7. Emphasize commonalities or assume the mindset of the other person.
8. Pay more attention to body language than verbal content.
9. Don't get trapped in paranoid cycles.
10. Avoid comparing your conversational partner with someone else.