Causes of organizational conflict and management strategies

Causes of Organizational Conflict and How to Handle Them

As organizations carry out their activities, conflicts are inevitable because organizational processes are carried out by human beings. There are several causes of organizational conflict including breakdown in communication, lack of accountability, managerial expectations, and stress. With regards to managerial expectations, conflicts are likely to arise if employees do not meet or misunderstand managers\' expectations. Breakdown in communication contributes to organizational conflict if there is a failure to provide necessary information at the required time. Moreover, breakdown in communication can occur when the desired response is not provided, which in turn generates organizational conflict. Lack of accountability contributes to frustration, which is one source of organizational conflict. Stress contributes to organizational conflict through affecting a person\'s ability to respond to work demands effectively.

Managerial expectations can be prevented from being a source of conflict through ensuring managers spend time and clearly communicate their goals to their subordinates and hold regular meetings to discuss the expectations. Lack of accountability can be handled by ensuring every organizational member sign accountability documents and meet regularly with their supervisors to discuss work progress. Breakdown in communication can be addressed by establishing effective communication mechanisms in the organization. Stress can be dealt with by ensuring employees have adequate workload and proper channels to express their concerns, frustrations, and desires when carrying out organizational activities and processes (More, Vito & Walsh, 2012, p.193).

Major Changes to Public Employee Unions Since 2009

Trade unions played a major role in the 2008 presidential election since they were major supporters of Barack Obama (Riccucci, 2015, p.95). Since President Obama was elected in 2008, there are some changes that have come to public employee unions. One of the changes that have taken place since then is increase in union membership as more public sector employees belong to a union in comparison to private sector employees (Riccucci, 2015, p.95). Since 2009, more public sector employees have continued to become union members while the percentage of private sector union members continue to decline. Secondly, since the election of President Obama in 2008, there has been growth of government-worker unionism as shown in increase in the percentage of unionized public sector employees. This rise of government-worker unionism has been characterized by better wages and benefits that unions have helped in bargaining for. Third, union leadership and high ranking members have continued to campaign for more favorable regulations that would help promote growth in union membership in the public sector because of the existing political environment.

Impact of Chronic Health Issues on Criminal Justice Organization

Chronic health issues and mental health disorders have widespread effects on prisoner populations since they occur at rates that exceed their prevalence in the general population. As a result of this trend, chronic health issues increases the costs of operating a criminal justice organization. The increased costs emerge from the fact that a criminal justice organization is faced with the need to provide treatment to incarcerated individuals. Since treatment is not one of the common services provided by a criminal justice organization, the need to offer such services increases costs of operation. The costs of operating a criminal justice organization also increase because treatment of chronic health issues is expensive and sometimes ineffective.