Research Paper on Interpersonal Conflict in Workplaces: 3 Components & Its Impact

Introduction

Institutions experience a lot of interpersonal conflict among their employees. Interpersonal conflict is a prevalent conflict within workplaces, and it occurs when an individual or a group of people in the work environment interferes with or frustrates other people's efforts in achieving their goals (Mukolwe, 2014). Such conflicts are majorly an aggregate of three components, which are the behavioral component, cognitive component, and affective component. The behavioral part of the conflict is where an individual or a group of people interfere with another person's objectives. The cognitive component is where there is a disagreement between the parties, and this illustrates the difference in their goals and interests of the parties. Lastly, the affective component is in line with the negative emotional states of the parties that conflict with the other.

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Background of the Problem

Workplace interpersonal conflict is a problem in the workforce and to the organizations experiencing it. Up to 65% of performance problems faced by organizations result from the interpersonal conflicts between employees, and this makes it extremely expensive for the organizations (Haq, 2011). Despite being unrecognized, when the interpersonal conflicts are not resolved, it represents a reducible cost in most businesses. Interpersonal conflicts are, therefore, a stressor, and it suppresses organizational outcomes.

Some of the possible causes of the workplace interpersonal conflict include personality clashes caused by a fall out among two colleagues, or when a new staff member joins. It can also be caused by unrealistic goals and expectations set by the employees, or if the employers ignore the needs of their employees. Unresolved workplace issues are another major contributor to WIC. Another possible cause of the WIC is the security of valued resources within the organization like transfers, office space, raises, and budget (Mukolwe, 2014).

The effects of workplace interpersonal conflicts are many and cannot be listed in entirety. However, among the most outstanding impact of WIC include the reduced productivity of the organization since the workers are not in a position to deliver their best. The rates of employee retention also become low, making the human resource processes very expensive as the organization is involved in the hiring and training of new employees now and then (Haq, 2011). There is a lack of collaboration between the employees, which results in the organizational goals no being achieved. There is also a waste of time and resources through rumor-mongering and when the workers divert from their intended works since they lack the motivation as a result of workplace interpersonal conflicts. The wastage of time may also be as a result of the employees spending much time thinking of other things like the conflicts and the possible adversaries that may come up as a result of the conflicts.

Solutions to the Problems and Further Research

The managers should formulate appropriate and diverse strategies aimed at solving and managing conflicts before they grow to unmanageable levels. Besides, managers should not overlook the outcomes of interpersonal conflicts, which sometimes tend to account for them as normal outcomes of the organizational business, but they should instead be minimized by clarifying to the staff on where to seek advice in case of any conflicts (Crosby, 2018). Another strategy is that managers ought to put efforts to occasionally inspire constructive task conflict through the encouragement of different views and giving rewards to departments and staff for their outstanding performances while preventing relationship conflicts.

Managers need to create an environment where the employees can come to them with their problems without fear. When the employees are comfortable, then it becomes extremely easy solving the interpersonal conflicts since the situation will be handled properly. Employees should also learn that in as much as their employers are willing to create tools that would help them in solving their interpersonal conflicts, it is also essential, and employers appreciate I they can solve the problems on their own (Crosby, 2018). Being able to mediate the problem with the conflicting party or a third party is essential as it helps a big deal in saving the employer severe headaches.

To explain these solutions to my manager, I will have to learn more about the specific organizational structure and the nature of work and the environment within the given organization. I will also need to know if there are any previous or underlying workplace interpersonal conflicts faced by the organization, and the ways that have been employed either by the managers or the employees in solving them.

Rationale and Conclusion

The focus of the paper is on workplace interpersonal conflict, and the key areas covered include the definition of the term, the factors that influence workplace conflicts, the consequences of effects of the problem, and the possible ways of dealing with or mitigating workplace interpersonal conflicts. The research is worth doing as it aims at solving a critical challenge facing the corporate world that has suppressed the productivity of many organizations. The reader should develop an interest in reading this problem to equip themselves with the appropriate ways of dealing with such problems in their future or current workplaces. If the problem is not solved, then organizations will continue experiencing low productivity and incurring high costs due to the lack of motivation among their workers, and the costs of hiring and training new employees. The solutions I have provided are ideal in solving the problem since they create a long-term solution to the problem.

References

Crosby P. (2018). From Both Sides: How to Deal With Interpersonal Workplace Conflict. The Uncommon League. https://theuncommonleague.com/blog/2018109/from-both-sides-how-to-deal-with-interpersonal-workplace-conflict

Haq, I. U. (2011). The impact of interpersonal conflict on job outcomes: Mediating role of perception of organizational politics. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 25, 287-310. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811023767

Mukolwe, E. (2014). Effects of interpersonal conflict on organisational performance of selected Hotels in Kisii Town (Doctoral dissertation, Moi University). http://41.89.160.13:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/620