Conflict randomly occurs in healthcare institutions. Conflicts in hospitals might lead to dissatisfied patients, increased staff turnover, lessened productivity, and a dysfunctional team. Frequent causes of conflict in organizations include unmet expectations, lack of clarity with set guidelines, poor communication, lack of clear jurisdiction, conflicts of interest, personality differences, and changes within the organization. Conflicts occur in individuals, between individuals, and groups. Organizational as well as personal factors provide a fertile ground for the emergence of conflicts. This paper seeks to qualify that hospitals being complex organizations are prone to conflicts.
Conflicts in hospitals are inevitable since people have different personalities, traits, expectations, needs, and beliefs. The most important thing though is they can be managed. setting a safe environment characterized by mutual respect and mutual purpose is vital in effectively managing conflicts. Behavior that causes conflicts might include bullying, lack of communication, verbal, or physical violence. In a hospital, for instance, disagreement between a doctor and a nurse in front of the patient is a debilitating occurrence since healthcare needs effective teamwork and cooperation to function as expected (Overton & Lowry, 2013). Differences have functional outcomes as they may stimulate innovation, growth, and creativity as organizations establish novel ways of tackling problems. At the same time, there might be a marked improvement in decision-making as options for resolving a problem are realized. Surprisingly, performance may be enhanced as new approaches are invented with individuals articulating and clarifying their positions further. On the other hand, conflicts pose dysfunctional outcomes since they may cause burnout, dissatisfaction, and job stress. Furthermore, resistance to new approaches, commitment to an organization, and loyalty are susceptible to the negative effects of disharmony. Consequently, conflicts might hamper communication between individuals arising from mistrust, skepticism, and suspicion. Also, relationships may be damaged leading to a reduction in performance. Furthermore, resistance to new approaches, commitment to an organization, and loyalty are susceptible to the negative effects of disharmony. Managers in hospitals need to have conflict management skills to develop a trusting atmosphere among the nurses, doctors, and support staff at large if ineffective conflict management solutions are applied then, greater conflicts will arise. Incidentally, the hospital administration needs to identify the type of conflict, intensity, and its effects to thoroughly employ effective strategies to address the concern. Largely, appropriate training programs and education remain necessary in raising awareness on the importance of effective resolution of conflicts.
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If conflicts are to be resolved, assertive communication is key with every party being aware of their needs and expectations, defending their rights whilst being attentive to the same for the other parties. According to Rahim (2000), listening actively rather than passively is vital if shared comprehension of a problem is to be achieved. Identifying the cause of the problem is essential if a solution is to be found. A collection of approaches can be applied when solving conflicts including accommodating, avoiding, collaborating, competing, and compromising. Forestalling may be wise especially when the nature of the issue is trivial mostly as a short-term reaction when emotions are high. Avoidance has to do with maintaining silence and deciding not to be involved in the matter leaving the issue unresolved. Accommodation might also prove judicious since one party decides to satiate the other person's interest while giving up on theirs. when one is wrong or when the value of harmony overshadows the need for conflict. Competing on the other hand involves being uncooperative, and assertive since an individual pursues his or her concerns neglecting the other parties' views. According to Overton and Lowry (2013), Collaboration focuses on finding a solution where all aggrieved parties have their needs met because they settle for a solution that satisfies both sides, whilst compromise entails negotiation between parties with comparable power. Largely, being open-minded is essential if positive outcomes are to be realized.
Concisely, conflict is inescapable and both positive and adverse implications may arise depending on the way the struggle is managed. An optimum level of conflict might be beneficial for organizational productivity. Briefly, hospital managers must have conflict management knowledge to tackle issues. At the same length, people must be inspired to counter conflict.
References
Rahim, M. A. (2000). Managing conflict in organizations . Westport: Greenwood Press.
Overton, R. A., & Lowry C.A. (2013). Conflict management: Difficult Conversations with Difficult People. Clin Colon Rectal Surg , 26, 259-264. doi 10.1055/s-0033-1356728
