Workplace Conflict Essays (Examples)

Workplace Conflicts

Microsoft Corporation is one of the largest software companies in the world. The company deals in software development, manufacturing and licensing software products including operating systems, server applications, business and consumer applications, internet software technologies and services as well. Under the leadership of Bill Gates Microsoft has succeeded in placing at least one of its products in every personal computer world wide.

Over the years, Microsoft has experienced growth as a result of the creative and innovative nature of the employees. The chief executive Steven A. Ballmer (2010), said that the standards of business conduct are an extension of Microsoft's values and the foundation of their business tenets. This shows that Microsoft is a consumer oriented company that has the interests of the end user at heart. He goes on to say that all Microsoft employees are responsible for understanding and complying with the standards of business conduct,…

e., Americans are generally not 'timid' and avoid confrontations), it would be unlikely that the Chinese workplace environment would have a good fit with American workplace environments.

3. Leung's article on workplace conflict among Hong Kong employees demonstrates the importance of respect to superiors and authority in the workplace, no matter is s/he has incorrectly done something or was wrong in an argument with another employee. Because Chinese culture is generally a high uncertainty avoidance culture, it is best to approach conflicts in an indirect manner. Employees could take advantage of their collectivist nature to work together and invite the conflicting parties to a private (yet social) gathering or event. The team could work together to make the two parties feel at ease with each other, if not directly reconcile in front of their teammates. This subtle way of conflict resolution is appreciated more in Chinese workplace environments than direct…

Workplace Conflict Resolution

Work place conflict resolution

Management Role

In this case I will be assuming the role of direct supervisor for the operations department, which oversees the shipping and manufacturing functions at the organization. Each of the employees involved in the case study analyzed will report directly to me, and therefore I will be responsible for developing a solution to their problems and enforcing disciplinary action if necessary.

As a direct supervising manager and operations manager, I am personally accountable for any issues or loss of profits that might arise from shipping malfunctions, and therefore must resolve and find the source of the shipping problem because it could possibly cause the organization additional expenses.

Narrative Analysis

In this particular case, two individuals have initiated a heated debate which revolves around assigning responsibility for a shipping mistake that might cause the company lost production dollars. Neither employee at this point…

workplace conflict in the educational environment. The selected organization is a large educational institution, specifically its independent learning department, where there is tension and workplace conflict among the staff members. Specifically, there is tension between the full-time staff and part-time student staff, due to mismanagement and misunderstandings. One manager favors student staff over the full-time staff, since she was once a student worker herself, and it has driven a wedge between staff members, and several staff members have left or transferred to other departments.

First, it helps to define leadership, and what a good leader hopes to accomplish. One author notes, "Leadership means influencing people beyond routine compliance with directives and orders" (Levinson, 2005). Organizations employ leadership in many different ways. Author Levinson continues, "Leadership provides the key dynamic force that motivates and coordinates an organization to accomplish its objectives" (Levinson, 2005). Good leaders are examples to their staff, and…

Culture and Diversity: Workplace Conflicts

Workplace Conflict: Diversity Training

Diversity-training is one of the most common methods used by organizations today to address cultural differences among employees, and thereby minimize the risk of workplace conflict (Samovar, et al., 2009). It basically entails i) educating employees on how cultural differences at the workplace could affect the way people interact, and ii) raising their personal awareness on the compliance issues of sexual harassment, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), and Affirmative Action (AA) (NCVE, n.d.). If conducted effectively, diversity training not only improves the way employees interact with each other, but also increases job satisfaction and reduces the rate of employee turnover (Samovar, et al., 2009). esearch has shown that more than 60% of companies in the U.S. conduct diversity training; however, the same studies have also shown mixed results in regard to the success of these diversity programs (NCVE, n.d.). So, why are…

Work Environment and Conflict esolution

The team is expected to give guidance to the security organization when they are switching from a full in-house security team to a partial in-house and partial contract security model. This change within the organization needs to be conducted efficiently in order for it to be effective. There are key factors in the work environment that have to be addressed in order for the change process to be effective. Creating a work environment in which employees are productive is quite essential when it comes to increasing the profits for the organization. The factors that have to be considered in the new department include the office environment. The actual physical layout of the new department is important when it comes to maximization of productivity. The employees have to feel comfortable hence, there is need to ensure that the working area is conducive in terms of space.…

According to marketing consultant Heather Huhman, if a person's work was somehow impacted negatively, or that person was passed up for a promotion, because the person said something to a supervisor regarding the harassment he or she received, the company could be liable.

hen Mark Hurd was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, he became "embroiled in a workplace ethics issue" because, according to Susan Heathfield, among other things, he "failed to disclose a close personal relationship he had with a contractor." That ethical lapse was not sexual harassment in the workplace, but it was sexual in nature because ethically, an executive cannot become romantically involved with a contractor (or a vendor) that supplies the company with products or services. He was fired due to the conflict of interest, that is, a breach of ethics.

In conclusion, every worker should carefully read the company's workplace guidelines regarding what is considered ethical and…

Organizational Behavior (OB) theory

Organizational Behavior is a study that fosters the understanding of the relationship between the employees and the organization and that between organizations themselves. In an organization, the way in which the employees with their seniors are very important to the determination of how the company will perform. In this case, a company that has a chance to maintain a good relationship with its employees will always register a good performance (Nelson, and Quick, 2012, pp. 8). This paper discusses the organizational behavior practices and effects in Aluminum Elements Corp (AEC). This is an aluminum company in the United States. The aim of this study is to come up with ways of handling the practical Organizational Behavior objectives of the company and the industry in general.

Organizational Behavior and its objectives

There are three levels of organizational behavior. They are classified according to the parties that are…

Louis PD

Police departments can be stressful places to work. There are many internal stressors, such as dealing with co-workers, the politics of the job, or workplace issues such as lack of support. Then there are external stressors -- the job by its nature puts officers in contact with violent people and dangerous situations. There are many areas of conflict that can arise. These might include interpersonal conflict that arises when there are differences between two people, power conflict when people seek to maximize their power at the expense of others, and values conflict, where the values of people differ in a way that creates opposition. There are many environmental conflicts as well -- external pressure from the city (who runs the department) or from the media, or members of the community. Consider the pressure put on members of nearby Ferguson Police Department -- the external environmental pressure can be…

Conflict in the orkplace

orkforce within organizations, whatever the level, constitutes one of the most important resources within such environments. Harmony among the human resource and shared vision among employees is one mandatory factor in ensuring that goals are appropriately met. Conflict if however, one inevitable occurrence in the workplace and organizational leaders has to deal with it appropriately (Flagan & Craig 8). Conflict in organizations neither occurs nor happens in a vacuum. Usually, there are some underlying issues which instigate the conflicts either between workmates or teams. Fortunately, the capacity of conflict management can help in such situations and even turn the organization into a better place. This can be achieved either through preventing the conflicts or resolving them. Personally, I have been in a conflict situation within the office; a state which was handled appropriately by the management but would however been avoided had appropriate prevention structures been…

Workplace Conflict Management

The modern business environment comprises individuals from different nationalities, racial and ethnic backgrounds because of increased globalization and rapid technological advancements. As a result, human resource management practices in today’s business atmosphere have incorporated diversity as a crucial component towards promoting the wellbeing and success of the workforce. Diversity is seen as an important factor in enhancing the contributions of the workforce toward achievement of organizational goals and objectives. However, organizations are faced with the need to handle conflicts effectively because of the diverse nature of the workplace and workforce (Oni-Ojo, Iyiola & Osibanjo, 2014). Therefore, workplace conflict management has emerged as an important factor toward promoting the suitable functioning of the workforce. Effective workplace conflict management requires understanding the causes and impacts of conflict and utilizing appropriate strategies to lessen unnecessary conflicts and/or deal with them.

Causes and Impacts of Workplace Conflict

According to Overton &…

Workplace Conflict and Injustice: Mediation Options

It’s difficult to discuss an employee dispute or issue of recent times without thinking of the #timesup and #metoo movements. While these movements have been most visible in Hollywood, they definitely impact women in every industry and workplace scenario. More and more women are refusing to be silent when it comes to dealing with sexual harassment and related toxic behaviors in the workplace—and they shouldn’t have to be. This paper will examine an instance of employee conflict that occurred not within the entertainment world, but within an adjacent industry—the lifestyle and sports apparel industry, concerning one of the giants in the field—Nike.

The problems at Nike involved inappropriate behavior in the workplace, sexual harassment, and even sexual assault. Women within the company detailed workplace violations such as, “ There were the staff outings that started at restaurants and ended at strip clubs. A supervisor…

Conflict in the Workplace

One of the things that makes us human is our need and ability to form groups. We thrive in groups, merge into groups, and even the process of civilization and moving from hunter-gatherers to cities was part of group behavior. owever, when groups form, any number of interesting psychological issues occur: behaviors change, organizational issues occur, bonds and alliances are formed and lost, and even individual leadership behaviors change (Johnson and Johnson, 2008). Whether it be individuals, small groups, or large groups -- sometimes behavioral issues arise that cause conflict. Breaking one or more of these rules, however, or disagreeing with them to the point where it becomes unbearable or makes the group ineffective then becomes "conflictual" (Corey, 2008, pp. 149-51). This conflict happens in most cultures and some time or another. We see it in animal behavior as internal aggression. In some human cultures, while…

Building Trust and espect through Constructive Conflict esolution

One of the most significant advantages of genuine conflict resolution (i.e. through effective communication, validation, and specific methodologies that address underlying causes of conflict) in the workplace is that it typically generates increased mutual respect and trust among coworkers (Blair, 2003; Kinicki & Williams, 2005; Wisinski, 1993). Whereas superficial (i.e. supervisor-imposed) solutions to isolated conflicts tends only to resolve those specific conflicts in the short-term, more in-depth resolutions can eliminate conflicts at a more fundamental level by addressing and actually resolving the underlying sources of those conflicts in principle (Blair, 2003; Kinicki & Williams, 2005; Wisinski, 1993).

The problem is that isolated, superficial, and primarily operational solutions that focus only on the outcome of the negotiation do not address the respective sentiments of the individuals involved (Kinicki & Williams, 2005). Conversely, when more thorough solutions address the underlying issues at the root…

This naturally tends to exacerbate the tension and increase the potential for conflict; as with many competing visions and views there are bound to be differences of opinion and consequently conflict between different individuals." As a result many people in many organizations are forced to invent their own corporate vision. When you have different versions of goals, direction, and values among different individuals and groups, you increase the probability of unproductive conflict. " (Landau, Landau, and Landau 9)

An example given by Landau et al. illustrates this important point. The authors describe a situation where each individual working in a museum visualized the aims and goals of the institution differently.

One visualized the museum as primarily an educational institution, whereas the other saw its primary goal as entertainment. The business of the museum could not be carried out without the collaboration of these two officers, but unfortunately the difference in…

However, such strategy has the outcome in compliance in absence of commitment and feelings of frustration and resentment.

The fourth strategy is I lose a little, you win a little. The placate yield style represents a concern for the effects of conflict on the welfare and durability of all relationships that is entered. The hypothesis is that human relationships are so flexible that they cannot endure the trauma of working through normal differences. Therefore, the inclination is towards withdrawing from the conflict and pleases others by ignoring, denying and avoiding conflict. When the differences continue it is found worthwhile in placating and submitting oneself to ones objectives being seen as effective modes of self-protection and safeguarding our relationships with others. One-sided domination in ones relationship is evident in such type of strategies.

Finally, the strategy is 'I win, you win'. This approach to conflict resolution is regarded as the dominant…

From the HR perspective, all employees should be treated equally, regardless of extenuating circumstances. To do otherwise but create legal risk for the company. Thus, the first step is to here the complaint out and if a formal complaint is filed, an investigation will need to be conducted. In this situation, the human resources department needs to remain neutral in the dispute, so it is important that the process be as professional as possible. However, it is important to the company that it not be used as a pawn in the conflict, because that not only creates bad blood but it sets a poor precedent and costs the company money.

Thus, during the initial contact the HR department should be professional. However, the issue should be delayed for a short while, and the wife brought back to discuss the issue with HR before taking any further steps in the investigation.…

esolving conflicts within Internet schoolwork teams can often be a challenging task. At the University of Phoenix, as well as elsewhere, such conflict must be successfully managed in order to achieve peak team performance. While Internet-based team situations often face special challenges, the fundamentals of conflict resolution remain applicable. Successful conflict resolution involves a number of aspects, including exploring the reasons for the conflict, determining solutions, agreement on the solution, implementation and evaluation of the solution, and practicing the conflict resolution process.

Conflict is often a natural result of teamwork. However, the fact that conflict is natural does not mean that it cannot be managed in order to get the best team result.

It is important that team members understand that individual members have strong, and often different emotions and feelings, and that different opinions can be one of the most important benefits of teamwork (Penn State University).

Conflict can…

Introduction
Conflict occurs in our everyday lives. When we go to work, school or market place there are always two people of a different opinion. Human being live in conflict since on our day to day lives we encounter experiences that do not satisfy us. Logically, there is always a concern as to whether we can live in peace given that we are so diverse. It might not be easy but we go out of our way to be good to people and avoid conflict.
The cause of a conflict is difficult to identify. There is sometimes a buildup of events that sparks up a massive one. Negativity though is the main cause of a conflict since naturally, if someone disagrees with you, you are bound to be at loggerheads. This is a natural phenomenon as earlier stated so the only way to handle is to identify sources of conflicts…

marketplace, employers recognize that success requires attracting a talented workforce. Talent comes from all sources. Doing more than simply accommodating changing demographics, successful organizations have come to value the contributions that people from differing backgrounds bring to the workplace. To recruit and maintain a diverse workforce, an employer must have a plan for creating a work environment that makes all of its employees feel welcome."

In corporate settings, demographics of the organization play a large part in the workings of that organization.

Large corporate settings by and large indicate hierarchies and bureaucracy and, in many cases, people within the organization can feel that their diverse viewpoints, needs and backgrounds are stifled or simply not heard.

Also, problems of stereotyping, sexism, racism, and lack of upward mobility are problems that affect many members of a diverse workforce.

These problems often breed inefficiency in the workplace and at times, workplace conflict.

In…

gender on Conflict management styles and perceived effectiveness

There has been great concern on whether there are differences in gender in effective management, which has been caused by the increase in female organizational managers in the past decades. Skills in managing conflict are important in the effectiveness of leadership. In addition, the perception of females' inability to deal with conflict and crises are often seen as barriers to their promotion as executive members. Furthermore, the supervisors' popularity among their juniors has been regarded as greatly significant in the recent times, since researchers have found that the main reason for many people quitting is the fact that they are not on good terms with their supervisors. This study is meant to look at the differences in gender; in the way supervisors manage conflicts. This study also seeks to determine the relationship between them and the popularity and effectiveness of the supervisors…

The three parties met at a round table with the mediator at the head of the table. Each party was allowed to speak without interruption for five full minutes, explaining the signature style they wanted for the firm and why. Then each party was encouraged to make a proposal to the other side in search of a potential compromise. For example, one side suggested that if they were allowed to the keep the signature style classic, they would allow the office and headquarter to be decorated in a minimalist style. All in all, the proposals made by all sides were not balanced enough and the mediator had to suggest several potential proposals before one was eventually agreed upon.

Part Three

Had I been the mediator of this case, I would have used some of the techniques taken by the mediator and thrown out others. For example, I like the way…

A good facilitator will be able to use active listening skills to gently guide the discussion to this more productive tone. Allowing the colleagues to work together to come to a solution will generate team-building skills and will likely create a stronger relationship between the two. Even if they come up with the identical solution -- moving one person into a private office -- the process will empower both workers and the solution is less likely to lead to future problems down the road.

Another process solution to this conflict might stem from ongoing team-building exercises. In fact, groups that participate in regular group cohesion exercises are less likely to experience conflicts and such a process may effectively have solved this problem before it began. When colleagues are given the chance to get to know each other in a non-threatening environment, they will build relationships. As a result, they will…

Conflict esolution

CONFLICT

Conflicts in the workplace are a common phenomenon and people are usually anything but shocked to find themselves or their colleagues in such conflicts. But the ubiquity of such conflicts doesn't follow we are equally ready to tackle them properly. In fact on the contrary, most people have absolutely no idea what needs to be done when conflict arises. Conflict resolution and management are certainly the key words these days because of intensely competitive and diverse workforce of today yet it appears that most companies hardly pay any attention to conflict resolution training and thus are not properly prepared to handle such situations.

In my workplace, I have noticed that despite diversity training and supposedly polite and healthy working environment, conflicts are almost a norm and most of them are grounded in interpersonal problems. Personality clashes are common and on numerous occasions, we find employees complaining about…

Workplace Dilemma

The Experience

Most of us have experienced a few common workplace dilemmas in our careers. I work for a Defense Contractor in the IT security field, and I state that my experience is no different. These dilemmas can range from personal value dilemmas to substantial dilemmas, such as legal issues. Most of these internal conflicts center on issues such as office gossip, negativity, or bullying. Ones that are more serious involve violence or sexual assault. In my experience, I have seen colleagues experience some of these dilemmas, and they have affected their careers very much. However, in this discussion I would like to focus on a specific dilemma that few speak about but that many think about daily: the boss who sabotages your career.

This dilemma simply means that even though a boss may not appear to be "out to get you," so to speak, he or she…

In the incipient stages, change causes reticence and this reticence is mostly obvious in the case of the more mature group of employees. While the younger staff members are more opened to change and will embrace it as a new career opportunity, the older population is simply looking to perform its current tasks into retirement. When reticence occurs among the younger population, it can be reduced through change management programs. The reticence of the more mature population cannot however be reduced as it a deep rooted within the individuals.

A second impact, obvious at the level of all employee groups, is that of strain creation. Fedir and Herold argue that organizational change creates two sets of strains. The first set is given by the possibility for the change to modify the job specifics. In other words, the employee is worried that modifications would be incurred in the way in which…

Conflict Management in Organizations

Apple and Samsung Drop Patent Disputes Against Each Other Outside of the U.S.

The business conflict covered here involves the two smartphone giants that operate globally with great reach and hold of the market not only in the U.S. But also across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Over the last three years, these two companies have filed more than 40 cases against each other involving patent issues. These suits have seen them go through a lot of cost of conflict, however, at last they agreed to sign an agreement that saw each side drop all the cases that they had against the other side but this was limited to the U.S.A. And they insisted that the cases within the U.S. courts were to continue to the logical conclusion (Chowdhry A., 2014).

The cost of conflict in any business conflict does not just come in the forms…

He can be articulate, but often complains about managerial policy, and I do not want to seem to be condoning backbiting. It is also difficult to be enthusiastic about a task, when someone is constantly complaining.

Select at least three strategies to enhance your relationships with these three people for a more productive workplace environment

egarding my boss that plays favorites, the best strategy is to simply 'stick with the facts.' Instead of focusing on personalities, I should try to make my conversations with this boss issue-based, and try to win points based upon the issues. If the bosses' directions are unclear, I must demand clarification, and if she is impatient, I will try to frame this as a positive, saying that it is because of my desire to do a good job that I am asking for clarification.

egarding my 'over-sharing' colleague, allowing her to vent occasionally may be…

Conflict Management

Conflict resolution, conflict management, and mediation are essential components for the success of an organization. Given the diversity of the workplace and the varying needs of individual organizations, developing an approach to conflict management can be tricky. The three articles: Work 911's "Organizational Conflict: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," and Tim Hicks' "What Is Mediation And How Does It Fit Into The Workplace?" And "Steps for Setting Up an Effective Conflict Management System" examine the ways organizations can manage conflict effectively. Each article offers something new for the reader to ponder when designing and implementing a conflict management system.

"Organizational Conflict: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" offers a unique perspective to conflict management. According to the author, there are two ways of looking at conflict. The traditional way is to see it as something to be avoided, as something inherently negative. This view of…

9. Supporting organizational teams provides employees with a medium to discuss concerns and problems as well as an opportunity to help discharge emotional pressure. Sharing in a group serves as a catharsis and stress release system.

10. Guarantying employees have the freedom to work effectively as well as ensuring they sense their work contributes to a greater purpose decreases workplace stress (Raitano and Kleiner).

Secondary Prevention

hen implementing secondary prevention method, the organization moderates the stress response. Some ways the organization may apply these strategies include:

1. Aerobic exercise and weight training as well as other physical fitness techniques and/or sports opportunities help monitor the body's adverse reactions to stress.

2. Providing access to relaxation training can contribute to reducing workplace stress. hen the individual participates in exercises like deep breathing and engages in mental imagery; focusing on a relaxing environment, this helps enhance his moods and permit him to…

Conflict esolution

The organization is Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, which is a new hospital. FBCH is a joint military hospital replacing the old Dewitt Hospital in the same location. The hospital is part of the military health system in Washington, DC, an area also served by a wealth of civilian hospitals and complementary medical services. With a focus on innovation and the military market, FBCH plays an important role for the military community in the region, as a provider of health care.

The Hospital is relatively new, and one of the challenges that it faces is to build the organization from the ground up. This means setting out policies for just about everything, building new systems from scratch, and also it means building a new organizational culture. Many staff members have prior experience either at Dewitt or at other military hospital facilities, though some are new staff members or have…

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…

Workplace behaviors reflect a combination of individual personality and the environmental context. We each have a personal schema about ourselves, others, and social norms (Arvinen-Muondo, n.d., p. 4). My perceptions of situations frequently influence the way I react to specific situations. Often, I misinterpret the words or actions of others and have learned the importance of gaining clarity through clear communications. Unfortunately, clear communication is not always possible in an organization like mine, in which there is an organizational hierarchy in spite of its being a small company. Ours is a small private ambulance service, and I serve as a medic. We are the core personnel and yet often medics are treated with less respect than they could be. As Duggan (n.d.) points out, unfamiliar or ambiguous situations tend to trigger stress and difficulties communicating in the workplace.

One behavior I have exhibited strictly due to my perception of ambiguity…

Social Media/Workplace Conflict

Every day, most of us create permanent records of our lives and the things we do through our Internet use, emails, texts, tweets, blogs, and similar technology. Information intended for friends and family can sometimes be disseminated more widely than expected or planned. Unless one avoids these technologies altogether -- a difficult feat in today's society -- one can no longer be assured that a private life is truly private. Further complicating the issue is the use of these technologies in the workplace. The line between our public and private selves continues to blur. Current legislation is aimed at protecting privacy rights of employees in balance with employers' concerns about the use of social media during work hours and, in some cases, with the use of employer-owned devices. Legal issues can quickly become complex and there is not sufficient practical guidance to help employers navigate an increasingly…

Where, those facilities that had an adversarial relationship between management / employees or other groups saw dramatic long-term effects. As productivity, higher costs and increased amounts of waste would occur at these facilities. This is significant, because it shows how various issues of conflict are like a cancer that will eat away at the most productive of organizations. In the case of the organization that we are examining, this shows that immediate action must be taken to rectify the situation. The longer the conflict is allowed to occur between the two sales people, means that the various emotions will continue to fester. At which point, it is only a matter of time until the situation will spiral out of control and the long-term productivity of the organization can be brought into question.

Hyde, M. (2006). Workplace Conflict esolution and the Health of Employees. Social Science & Medicine, 63 (8), 2218…

Post Modernism Related to the Workplace

What are the long-range effects of the generation gap in the workplace and how will organizational leaders deal with a possible solution?

The biggest long-term effects of the generation gap in the workplace are that managers must have increased levels of communication with employees. As, they will need to understand what is important to each generation and then allow them to deal with issues in way that makes sense for them. This means that instead of having a traditional workplace that follows one standard protocol for addressing various problems. There will be numerous strategies and approaches that are utilized in solving the challenges that are being faced. The best way for leaders to deal with possible solutions is: to have increased amounts of training about what is important to each generation of employees. At the same time, they must be able to serve as…

Professional/orkplace Dilemma

Before I embarked upon my study at the University of Phoenix, I found myself embroiled in a rather uncomfortable, albeit unspoken workplace conflict of professional ethics and personalities. A member of my office, who I will call a Ms. X, often used the workspace and place time to conduct her personal business. Frequently, my own nearby work was interrupted by her loud comments, as she discussed her various personal affairs and her out-of-work part time business dealings (she frequently sold products through the Internet, as well as worked in my place of employment, I gathered) and made it very clear, to me, as well as to other members of company staff that often her life outside the office took up a great deal of her paid work time.

As I was not her immediate supervisor, at first I thought this was none of my business. I tried to…

esolution of a Business Conflict

Conflict at the workplace is largely unavoidable. This is mainly because in most cases, people tend to view things differently and in that regard, different viewpoints may get in the way of a harmonious workplace environment. This text concerns itself with workplace conflict. The link to the article I will make use of is: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/03/us/new-york-racial-slur-lawsuit/

The article I will concern myself with in this case is titled Black Boss's N-Word ant to Black Employee Cost Him, Nonprofit $280,000. Written by Erinn Cawthon and Kristina Sgueglia, the article was which appeared on CNN's website on the 4th of September 2013. Essentially, the story is about a worker who sued her employer for using what she considered to be derogatory language. In the resulting lawsuit, Brandi Johnson (the aggrieved employee) claimed that "she was a victim of a hostile workplace after enduring verbal harassment and a series…

Diversity Workplace religio

Annotated Biliography

Borstorff, P., Arlington, K. (2010). The Perils of Religious Accommodation: Employees' Perceptions. Proceedings of the Academy of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues, 14 (1), 1-6.

The Perils of Religious Accommodation: Employees' Perceptions attempts to analyze, and to a certain degree to quantify, the effectiveness of employers in the workplace in their allowance for differences in faith in terms of religious oservance for their employees. The primary methodology for this particular source was to conduct a voluntary, confidential online survey of 80 people with gainful employment to determine their opinions aout the effectiveness of their varying employers' work-related policies regarding religion. Significantly, the majority of those surveyed (83%) were of Christian faith. Findings revealed that employers are not doing enough to accommodate for the differences in religion found in a country (U.S.A) with increasing levels of immigration and religious diversity. Approximately half of the respondents indicated…

hen negotiating a workplace conflict, it is a good idea to first consider having an initial discussion about a change in working patterns to see if agreement can be reached informally. Be direct, yet diplomatic with the person one is in conflict with. If you have a problem with someone, don't express it in personal terms, rather address the issue at hand, such as 'this aspect of the project needs to be reconsidered.' However, if the conflicts are irreconcilable or involve racial, sexual, or discriminatory harassment, it may be necessary to make a formal application for a mediator from human resources. ("Negotiating within the orkplace," 2004) This may be the best option, to gain a third, objective ear and to prevent the conflict from spiraling out of control. At least, with mediation, effective negotiations can potentially be generated from the conflict at hand.

orks Cited

Marshall, Jacqui Love (Summer 2005)…

For example, in a group meeting: 'I understand that you're angry about the fact that the administrative staff is consistently late, and you think a time clock is the best way to address this issue, but I'm not sure this addresses the real, underlying issue that most of the staff is unhappy with their schedule.' or, on an individual basis, when faced with the prospect of being forced to wait: 'I understand that the restaurant is understaffed tonight, but my wife and I were looking forward to dining here, and unfortunately we have theater tickets for a performance in an hour. Could you perhaps seat us at a table in your bar and serve us there?'

Self-awareness of how an individual functions or how a group functions is thus critical to creating an effective conflict management style. ithout understanding one's personal bias, not simply in terms of specific issues, but…

Conflict

The Situation

Conflict is something that we come across in our everyday life-be it at the workplace or in our homes or with the neighbor. The basic source of conflicts is disagreements. In this paper we would restrict ourselves to the conflicts at workplace. There are several aspects in which conflicts at workplace can happen. Conflicts can be between co-workers and between workers and the management or between the management and the union (Lansford, 2008).

The way to resolve conflict at workplace-or for that matter at any other place, is through negotiations. Negotiation is the term that is given to the process of dialogues to resolve disagreements two persons or two groups of persons and when the disagreement is based on interest, goals, values or beliefs (Deutsch & Coleman, 2000). The process through which such parties arrive at a common goal or a possible agreement is termed as negotiation.…

motivation to an age divese wokplace. It ceates the undestanding of motivation in the context of a divese wok envionment. The pape explains why it is impotant fo manages of oganizations to acquie skills and knowledge egading divesity management. It pesents vaious challenges that manages face when motivating a divese wokfoce. The pape pefoms a desciption of the divese skill set that benefit oganizations which incopoate diffeent geneations of employees. The eseach fostes knowledge on the chaacteistics of vaious geneations, fo example, the Wold Wa II geneation, Baby Boomes, Geneation Xes and the millennial geneation. On this, it identifies vaious aspects such as attitudes, pefeences, and ways of thought and factos that motivate them. It descibes how an oganization benefits fom young and old geneation wokfoce in tems of taditional and technological skills. The pape povides infomation on the consequence of divesity, fo example, impovement of output, pomotion of innovation…

esolving Conflict

Conflict is inevitable. Individuals or groups of people have differences in gender, race, ethnicity, religion, values, beliefs, and personality. These differences can often be a source of conflict (aines, 2012). This is particularly true in the organisational environment, where individuals work alongside others in the accomplishment of set goals and objectives. In such an environment, conflict is bound to occur. The likelihood of conflict is even greater where an organisation's workforce comprises individuals from diverse backgrounds. Accordingly, an organisation must create an atmosphere where conflict is resolved in a proper manner. Without effective resolution of conflict at the workplace, the achievement of organisational goals and objectives may be hindered. This paper focuses on a number of issues relating to conflict resolution. Attention is specifically paid to conflict resolution strategies, whether conflict is always bad, conflict management in a diverse workforce, as well as the role of supervisors in…

Managing Conflict in the Workplace

In every organization, a conflict exists, which indicates that the organization has a healthy exchange of ideas and creativity. Nevertheless, conflicts that are counter-productive result in employee dissatisfaction, poor service to clients, increased employee turnover, reduced productivity, absenteeism, increased work-related stress or litigation based on harassment claims or a hostile work environment. For instance, Coca-Cola was sued for racial discrimination, which was under the U.S. Civil ights Act in April 1999 by four former and current African-American workers in the U.S. The claims of the appellants were that they suffered discrimination in promotions, pay, and performance evaluations, and they were able to provide statistics to support their claim. It also showed their average salary, which was one-third less than what their counterparts, the whites, in the company received. The advancement of African-Americans to senior levels in the company showed the great heights of discrimination the…

Diversity in the Workplace

The increase in globalization has resulted in greater levels of interaction of individuals from diverse cultures and beliefs than ever before in the history of the world. As noted in the work of Green, Lopez, Wysocki and Kepner (2002) "People no longer live and work in an insular marketplace; they are now part of a worldwide economy with competition coming from nearly every continent." (p.1) Diversity is defined as "The variety of experiences and perspective which arise from differences in race, culture, religion, mental or physical abilities, heritage, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other characteristics." (University of California, San Francisco, 2012, p.1)

Challenges, arriers, and enefits to Workplace Diversity

The Multicultural Advantage website reports that there are specific barriers and challenges to workplace diversity and that these are inclusive of: (1) communication; (2) resistance to change; (3) Implementation of diversity in the workplace policies;…

The Need to Rein in Stress at the Workplace

Introduction

Human capital is a key component in the organizational success equation. For this reason, an organization ought to adopt the appropriate strategies with an aim of protecting and promoting this key resource. Organizations that are able to effectively manage their human capital are likely to outperform their peers in the marketplace because organizational culture as well as the skills and competencies of employees cannot be replicated by competitors. When employees have mental or emotional concerns that prevent them from performing at optimum, organizational performance suffers as the said employees are likely to be less focused and motivated. Towards this end, employees should be taught stress management strategies and techniques so that they can be able to better perform optimally at the workplace; as this would further enhance the performance of the organization.

Discussion

There are many strategies that organizations could…

…Occupational Stress and Scientific MonitoringLiterature eview2.1 IntroductionThe definition of the term occupational stress is derived from the definition of its two constituent words. In this context, occupational refers to anything that is related to the workplace while stress is defined as a natural body reaction from physical, mental or emotional strain in an individual. Thus, occupational stress can be defined as any mechanism by which the body attempts to adapt to the workplace environment. These include normal mechanisms for dealing with workplace stress, commonly known as the fight or flight response as well as any expected or unexpected reactions in response to the workplace. These include eyestrain because of staring at computer screens for too long, emotional and physical stress, depression, anxiety, aggression, cognitive impairment such as degraded memory or reduced concentration span, etc. All of these reactions can lead to poor work output, increased employee turnover, higher absenteeism, cardiovascular…

Integrate the elevant Information Found Both In Organizations Today and in esearch

Human resource management HM is considered to be an integral part of any organization to make it run effectively and efficiently. Fundamentally, the principal objective of HM is to upsurge the economic profitability from employees through making them organized in a productive, inventive and powered force (Price 2007, p.31).

H function includes many activities like planning, recruitment and appraisal (Pulignano, 2010). But this paper will only focus on the employee relations, with certain details about conflict resolution. The objective of this paper is to familiarize the reader to the critical concerns in conflict management. To attain this objective, employees' relations will be highlighted from H point-of-view, which will eventually reveal various levels of conflicts taking place in an organization. Different methods and disputes will be discussed which are adopted by H managers to solve employee alterations. The role…

The problem is that many people are simply not used to dealing with conflict in a reasonable manner. Instead, they believe that all conflict must be resolved in a competitive manner, and that there is always a loser in each conflict.

Conflict resolution should be taught and implemented at all possible points of conflict in an organization. These include, but are not limited to, interpersonal conflicts, conflicts in meetings, conflicts in negotiations, conflicts in resource allocation, conflicts in workload distribution, and the conflict inherent in any organizational change. If employees and managers know to anticipate conflict and are trained in how to resolve conflict, then most conflict should never reach the level of needing attention from H. Instead, H's emphasis on conflict can be on training.

3. Is it important or necessary in an organization, to understand these sources of conflict, as we have an autocratic structure that can impose…

workplace is facing a generational adjustment of values, learning and working styles that will have a huge impact on how business operate and leaders think and act. Generation X and Generation Y will transform the nature of the workplace. This dissertation will focus on this important topic and show how the management of the skills and unique characteristics of these various generations can help in achieving success in the workplace while minimizing conflict.

To define terms, Generation X (born 1965-1980 and approximately 55 million in North America) in general accept diversity; they are skeptical, pragmatic and practical, self-reliant, independent and individualistic; they reject authoritarianism and control; they were latchkey children and separate friends from family. They like a casual, friendly work environment, seek challenge, involvement and flexible learning arrangements (Deal, 2006). Work-life balance and family priorities are very important to Gen Xers. Generation Y (born 1981-1999 and approximately 80 million…

personal conflict style. This assessment is based upon scores received from the Conflict Management Style Survey. This essay will address several key issues related to management styles including my primary conflict management style and my least preferred style. The different types of conflict associated with my style will also be discussed to give some context to the application. The essay will conclude with ideas on how to successfully integrate and improve my style into a better and more functional management tool.

Test Results

The following data represent my test results: Collaborator: 20, Compromiser: 28, Accommodator: 18, Controller 30, Avoider: 24. The results of this test survey suggest that my preferred style is Controller and my least preferred is Accommodator.

When Controlling Works Best

While not one single approach is generally considered better than another, it is important that the right style is adopted by the person who can best utilize…

Deutsch, Coleman and Marcus (2006), conflict is an inevitable consequence of the human condition. Conflicts betweens humans frequently involve competition over scarce resources, but history has shown time and again that conflicts can occur for virtually any reason and that some people thrive on conflict while others actively avoid it. One recent conflict that has gained national attention has been the series of strikes by fast-food workers seeking a higher minimum wage. These strikes have gained momentum and the most recent one in December 2013 affected fast food establishments in more than 100 American cities across the country. This paper provides a description of this conflict situation, a description of the social context and participants, and an identification of antecedent conditions to the strikes. An identification of the behavior reflecting the cognition and personalization by individuals of the conflict and identification of a relevant conflict management model, the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict…

The different types of harm that could happen are when the author is discussing specific effects that this will have on unborn baby. These include: unhealthy genetic material being passed to the embryo, this will have an impact on the development of the organs and it weakens the child's immune system.

Worker's Compensation is when there is a focus on having different provisions in place to ensure that women's health along with the fetus will not be impacted by the chemicals they are exposed to. As, this policy is designed to ensure that corporations are not in violation of the law.

While the various steps that can be taken under federal regulations is when someone who is exposed to these conditions is discussing what action women can take. This includes: damages, when to sue for causation and the standards of care. These different elements are important, because they are illustrating…

Working with and managing diverse teams can be rewarding, stimulating creativity and even leading to greater satisfaction for some employees (Stahl, Maznevski, Voigt & Jonsen, 2010, p. 690). As Cox & Blake (1991) also point out, cultural diversity in a work group imparts a competitive advantage for the organization. However, the research on cultural diversity in workgroups yields some troubling and contradictory results. Recent research shows that diversity does not necessarily lead to social integration, and can even adversely impact team performance (Horwitz & Horwitz, 2007). Stahl, Maznevski, Voigt & Jonsen (2010) also found “cultural diversity leads to process losses through task conflict and decreased social integration,” (p. 690). Thomas & Peterson (2018) agree that cultural diversity in a work group has “positive and negative elements,” (p. 166). The conflict between Darius and Harpreet has been festering for months, causing what is most likely a “high level of stress for…

individual deals with conflict reflects on his or her attitude, maturity level, and self-confidence. Explain how you would use the five basic rules when dealing with conflict to handle a conflict that you experience at work. Explain in detail.

Maturity and the ability to think and behave rationally is obviously the linchpin of dealing with conflict properly. Many people tend to react viscerally and with no hesitation when it comes to conflict. This would be a mistake…and potentially a big one. Rather than acting too prematurely and without the proper amount of diligence, a thorough and well-considered assessment of the problem should be done. Further, other parties involved in the issue should be approached with respect and deference and only when emotions are not flaring. If things get heated, people should disperse and circle back later. Further, getting heated in general over something that is not life and death is…

This is an important aspect as it allows those involved to see the conflict from more than just their point-of-view, which has been found to be advantageous in solving conflict situations. This valuable management skill is a very useful addition to later life-skills that can be applied to adult life and everyday conflict scenarios. Another important finding in the application of the conflict management program was the fact that it led the protagonists in the conflict to, "...thoughtfully examine.... The consequences..." (Techannen-Morgan, 2001, p.4). This also led to new strategies in solving the conflict. These aspects could be applied to life-long conflict resolution.

3. Should such a program be implemented in the work place? Explain your answer.

There is little doubt that conflict management program similar to the one discussed in the article would be beneficial in the contemporary workplace. For example, the concept of mediation and particularly peer mediation…

Sexual Harassment

orkplace Sexual Harassment: A Legal and Psychological Overview

orkplace Sexual Harassment, as delineated in the text by Anne C. Levy, & Michele A. Paludi (2001) is a complex issue, marrying human psychology and human sexual and cultural assumptions with the daily demands of the business environment, an environment that can be stressful for everyone where personal relations are concerned. This is why Part I of the text explains not only the American legal system regarding sexual harassment and employment law. It also looks at sexual harassment from a psychological perspective, how women have been perceived in the modern, American workplace. The two perspectives are married in many legal instances. For instance, in terms of setting what the courts have variously considered harassment, the courts have eventually evolved what is called a 'reasonable person' standard as to what constitutes harassment. This has changed and evolved, however, as cultural norms…

Conflict

How do I react to conflict? I took the Conflict Style Questionnaire and for the rating on person "A," I had 4 out of five between 15 and 20, which is representative of a "strong style." That is a dear female friend of mine and I tend to say away from strong arguments, hence several number "4's" in that part of the questionnaire.

The second person ("B") I included in my rating was a person whom I argue with often, who has an intolerably hard-nosed stand on political and environmental issues. Otherwise he's a gentleman, a good father and friend, and we go to ballgames together where political issues never are raised. But when we talk about government or the environment, he's quite far to the right. For example, I never try to "split the difference" (#3) because he gets his information on global climate change from a right…

Whether at work, school, home, or in our own life, conflict is inevitable. We are bound to experience situations in which we are disappointed by or disagree with others. While some conflict situations end well, others turn out to be bad experiences. Personally, I have had a number of bad experiences with conflict. One situation that comes to mind occurred during my first job. At some point, my supervisor and I had a miscommunication regarding an assignment that involved a new client. The assignment turned out to be more complex than I anticipated. I requested for more time to work on the assignment and the supervisor approved the deadline extension. Nonetheless, closer to the initial deadline, she asked whether the task was complete. She was annoyed that some of the work had not been completed. I was disappointed as she had forgotten that she had granted me a deadline extension.…