The Importance Of Organizational Conflict

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Introduction The term conflict has acquired a multitude of connotations due to its ubiquity and pervasive nature. The semantic jungle around the concept has produced substantial ambivalence and has left many scholars unsure about its meaning and how best to deal with it. Nonetheless, conflict is regular in every kind of sociable situation. It is a process in which one side feels that the other side is sidelining their interests and ideas. In regards to organizational conflict, it occurs when a group's goals and values are incompatible with another group's or one frustrates the other so that they could achieve their own aims. The turbulent environment in which businesses operate breeds conflict as they search for improved performance and a…show more content…
As per this view, conflict could only be resolved by management or should be completely avoided. The contemporary view sees conflict as a natural phenomenon occurring whenever groups of people work together and accepts that it could be beneficial to a team. The view holds that conflict should not be avoided outright, but instead the organization should focus on solving only large and grave conflicts. The interactionist view posits that conflict is not only positive but also leads to increased organizational performance. The process of resolving the conflicts involves challenging contemporary organizational processes, and these efforts generate better productivity and innovation. This conceptual conflict framework identifies various reasons for conflict including task, content, goals, relationship and process conflict (Robbins & Judge, 2016). Forms of Conflict Some scholars deduce that effective managers ensure a healthy work environment by making sure that conflict does not arise. However, a large group of researchers believes that conflict is a necessity but should be avoided and contained while some other theorists, often placed in the private sector, hold that conflict leads to engagement providing a deeper understanding and comprehensive analysis of the problem at hand. Conflict can take both a positive and negative connotation. Thus, there are five…show more content…
It occurs due to the variation in race, gender, ethnicity, language religion and sexual orientation. The media has promoted the idea of cultural diversity, and how it underpins innovation, increased employee competence but in reality, the situation may be different—especially in Arab and African countries (Al-Jenaibi, 2011). Cultural diversity has its negative aspects including miscommunication, dysfunctional adaptation behaviors and numerous barriers. The different backgrounds of employees could lead to conflict due to divergent opinions, customs, values, norms, traditions and beliefs. When culturally diverse individuals are placed in a group, the various opinions and beliefs could hinder
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