C7 - Conflict in the Workplace

Overview

Workplace conflict is inevitable when employees of various backgrounds and different work styles are brought together for a shared business purpose. Conflict can—and should—be managed and resolved. This page examines the causes and effects of workplace conflict and the reasons why employers should act to address conflict.

The first steps in handling workplace conflict belong, in most cases, to the employees who are at odds with one another. The employer's role—exercised by managers and HR professionals—is significant, however, and is grounded in the development of a workplace culture designed to prevent conflict among employees to the extent possible. The basis for such a culture is strong employee relations, namely, fairness, trust and mutual respect at all levels. This HR Expert information page offers suggestions to create such an organisational climate and includes methods to deal with employee grievances and conflicts.

Here we also explore the various roles HR professionals play in managing workplace conflict, ways to communicate an organisation's conflict-resolution procedures and how to measure the effectiveness of those procedures.

Background

Conflict can occur in any organisation when employees with different backgrounds and priorities work together. Conflict can be expressed in numerous ways such as insults, noncooperation, bullying and anger. Its causes can range from personality clashes and misunderstood communication to organisational mismanagement. The negative effects of workplace conflict can include work disruptions, decreased productivity, project failure, absenteeism, turnover and termination. Emotional stress can be both a cause and an effect of workplace conflict.

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that four in 10 UK employees reported having experienced some form of interpersonal conflict at work in the last year. Most of that conflict is between an employee and his or her line manager. The survey also found that employees are more likely to report that they have experienced conflict with a staff member who is more senior to them.

Experts offer several causes of workplace conflict, including:

• Personality differences;
• Workplace behaviours regarded by some co-workers as irritating;
• Unmet needs in the workplace;
• Perceived inequities of resources;
• Unclarified roles in the workplace;
• Competing job duties or poor implementation of a job description—for example, placing a nonsupervisory employee in an unofficial position of "supervising" another employee;
• A systemic circumstance such as a workforce slowdown, a merger or acquisition, or a reduction in force;
• Mismanagement of organisational change and transition;
• Poor communication, including misunderstood remarks and comments taken out of context;
• Differences over work methods or goals or differences in perspectives attributable to age, sex or upbringing.

Employers can manage workplace conflict by creating an organizational culture designed to preclude conflict as much as possible and by dealing promptly and equitably with conflict that employees cannot resolve among themselves.

To manage conflict, employers should consider the following:

• Make certain that policies and communication are clear and consistent and make the rationale for decisions transparent;
• Ensure that all employees—not just managers—are accountable for resolving conflict.
• Do not ignore conflict, and do not avoid taking steps to prevent it;
• Seek to understand the underlying emotions of the employees in conflict;
• Keep in mind that approaches to resolving conflict may depend on the circumstances of the conflict.

How to Handle Conflict

Learn about some practical strategies you can use to handle conflict in the workplace.

1. Talk with the other person.

• Ask the other person to name a time when it would be convenient to meet.
• Arrange to meet in a place where you won't be interrupted.

2. Focus on behaviour and events, not on personalities.

• Say “When this happens …” instead of “When you do …”
• Describe a specific instance or event instead of generalizing.

3. Listen carefully.

• Listen to what the other person is saying instead of getting ready to react.
• Avoid interrupting the other person.
• After the other person finishes speaking, rephrase what was said to make sure you understand it.
• Ask questions to clarify your understanding.

4. Identify points of agreement and disagreement.

• Summarise the areas of agreement and disagreement.
• Ask the other person if he or she agrees with your assessment.
• Modify your assessment until both of you agree on the areas of conflict.

5. Prioritise the areas of conflict.

• Discuss which areas of conflict are most important to each of you to resolve.

6. Develop a plan to work on each conflict.

• Start with the most important conflict.
• Focus on the future.
• Set up future meeting times to continue your discussions.

7. Follow through on your plan.

• Stick with the discussions until you’ve worked through each area of conflict.
• Maintain a collaborative, “let’s-work-out-a-solution” attitude.

8. Build on your success.

• Look for opportunities to point out progress.
• Compliment the other person’s insights and achievements.
• Congratulate each other when you make progress, even if it’s just a small step. Your hard work will pay off when scheduled discussions eventually give way to ongoing, friendly communication.

Business Case

A well-functioning work environment is one in which employees communicate with respectful, inoffensive language; show tolerance and acceptance of differences among each other; and demonstrate respect for all individuals in the organization regardless of position, status or tenure.

If an employer has mechanisms in place to resolve conflict at its early stages, employees will generally see their employer as fair in their dealings with them and will likely be more satisfied with their jobs. Reductions in employee conflict can lead to increased employee productivity, greater motivation and loyalty, lower medical costs, fewer workers' compensation claims, and reduced litigation costs.

Unresolved issues of interpersonal tension and conflict can create emotional stress for employees, politicise the workplace and divert attention from the organisation's mission. If employers do not act, conflicts will escalate into larger problems, discrimination and harassment complaints may increase, and the employer's reputation could be damaged. Other possible consequences of failing to manage workplace conflict include:

• Absenteeism. Unscheduled absences drive up employers' costs through benefits outlays, the use of replacement workers, higher stress levels among employees and a decrease in overall employee performance.
• Turnover. When employees mistrust management or perceive the organisation as acting unfairly, turnover may increase. This can lead to recruiting and training expenses for new hires and the costs attributable to a slippage of performance until new employees become fully proficient in their jobs.
• Unionisation. When employees perceive their employers as unfair, they are more inclined to seek outside resources such as a union to help protect them and to negotiate on their behalf on matters such as employment, compensation and benefits.
• Litigation. An employee who cannot achieve a resolution of a workplace conflict may seek outside legal help, which can cause an organisation to mount a costly defence or agree to an expensive settlement. Lawsuits resolved in an employee's favour can result in significant financial penalties for the employer and can even produce criminal sanctions.

Employers should also take steps to manage the growing trends of incivility and bullying in the workplace. Employers are well-advised to treat such types of power conflicts seriously and to seek to address them proactively.

The Role of Human Resources

The human resource team has a leadership responsibility to develop and implement workplace conflict policies and procedures and to create and manage conflict-resolution programs. HR also initiates employee communication on conflict and tracks the metrics and costs of conflict-resolution efforts. Many HR professionals receive conflict-resolution training, often as part of their professional development, and many are accustomed to conducting such training or enlisting outside training resources for supervisors and managers.

HR professionals often become involved in settling workplace conflicts, particularly if the employees and their supervisors cannot achieve a resolution. If HR cannot resolve a conflict, an outside specialist may be needed to work out a settlement.

In many instances, however, HR does not learn of workplace conflict until differences have escalated. HR professionals must be made aware of workplace tensions before they grow into larger problems, and managers should act as HR's "warning system." HR must always be informed about certain types of workplace conflicts, such as those that may involve harassment, discrimination, illegal activities, or other matters that could lead to lawsuits or involvement of law enforcement.