Personalized and substantive conflicts in workplace management

Conflicts are common occurrences and part of human life. At the workplace or homes, people have conflicts, which could be either foreseen or spontaneous. Managers at workplaces always grapple with the problem of solving conflicts that arise within the organization among the workers. If managed well, conflicts can lead to fortunes. Managers need to ensure that workers live harmoniously and with understanding among each other. There are two types of conflicts: personalized conflicts and substantive conflicts. Personalized conflicts are those conflicts informed by the emotions and anger. They lack objectivity and purpose. People who engage in personalized conflicts are often in pursuit of selfish emotional satisfaction. In contrast, substantive conflicts are those that entail logical arguments often relating to work and profession. If managed well, substantive conflicts bring fortunes to the parties. At the workplace, managers deal with such conflicts so that they can keep organizations intact (Shachar, 2011).

Source of conflict within an organization

As presented in the article, conflicts normally arise from within the activities that employees do as required by the management. Some are triggered by emotional reactions to each other while others are on matters of principle. Conflict of interest is one characteristic source of conflict in organizations. On this, conflicts can be said to be arising from the fact that people have differing interests at the workplace. They have divergent interests the can lead to conflicts if not addressed and sorted amicably. In a conflict characterized by a lack of understanding and ill motives, the parties are likely to differ on the mandate with which they can relate. In a conflict that touches on the work requirements, losses occur to the parties as well as to the organization. This justifies the actions aimed at making the conflict subdued. In a crisis, proper management of conflict can lead to extensive gains (Guttman, 2009).

Understanding the sources

Recognizing the sources of the conflict in any organization is an essential process. This will ensure that the management has an informed approach to the process of resolving the conflict. The process is thus boosted when some information can help in determining the source of the conflict. The two main sources of conflict may include employees at a low level and the management class. Disciplined employees will extend respect to others irrespective of their positions whether junior or senior. However, most of the employees are peace loving and will thus be able to foster a zero-conflict environment within the organization. The contrary happens to the employees with negative emotions (Stone, 2012).

An effective conflict resolution process requires the creation of an independent but powerful body. This body will gain independence from any external influence. Resolving a conflict is a collective duty that has to be done by management to ensure an ample working environment. The first source of conflict is the misunderstanding among workers. This source can be prevented from producing more conflicts only if the management can understand it as well as strive to solve it. While addressing this issue, the management at work needs to take note of the pros and cons attached. Besides, conflicts are also brought about a lack of understanding between the management and staff. The staff might be interested in some issues which the management wants pursues (Shachar, 2011).

Conclusion

Conflicts arise every time. Conflicts are everywhere. People are reminded of the many issues that need to be protected through conflicts. For instance, conflicts can lead to losses in business or lead to destruction among the people who are married. The alternative calls for the parties to be patient with each other and learn to understand the cause of the conflict. Conflict management is special in that it first solves the problem at hand and secondly, it brings new insight into management as well as the people at the lower level. Conclusively, conflict management is the task that deals with rectifying situations as well as fostering a good working environment for all (Guttman, 2009).