At the workplace, different individuals interact with varying characters. Therefore, it is no surprise that at such an environment conflict may arise. Conflict at the workplace exists in different natures. Interpersonal conflict may stem from an unhealthy competition, bullying at the workplace, any form f sexual harassment, or even common misunderstanding among employees. The interpersonal conflict has deterred productivity in the workplace as it prevents employees from working together.
In most cases, interpersonal conflict affects the organization negatively as it may damage professional relationships within the organization. It is prudent for managers to ensure that conflict amongst workers is treated with the attention it deserves to prevent the devastating effects of interpersonal conflict. The implications of interpersonal conflict on an organization are irreparable as the productivity and yield of the company is negatively affected.
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The interpersonal conflict has been defined severally by different scholars. However, the terminology implies any disagreement between two individuals or groups within a company involving dissatisfaction or bitterness from employees. Interpersonal conflict arises from misunderstandings amongst peers or workers. The nature of the relationship between two employees or groups within an organization is crucial in determining the type of work environment. Jerng et al. (2017) assert that a good relationship between employees s monumental in creating conducive conditions for work as it reduces the level of stress and misunderstandings within the organization. The former supposition implies that the absence of a good relationship would lead to an ineffective working environment as the employees will be affected mentally and emotionally (Ohsako & Takahashi, 1994). Complex interpersonal dynamics amongst workers may be influenced by factors such as job satisfaction, the type of leadership, and the various methods of rewarding use. Employees just like anyone else have emotions and should thus be appreciated for their efforts and contributions.
Interpersonal conflict in the health sector may have devastating effects on service delivery. Given the critical nature of the industry, any misunderstandings amongst the employees would lead to deterioration of the patient’s health and in some cases may lead to fatality. The types of conflict within an organization may vary in nature from interdependence conflicts and personality clashes. Interdependence conflicts occur when an employee relies on another’s output or input for their benefit (Bao, Zhu, Hu, & Cui, 2016). Interdependence conflicts may unfairly place an individual at a disadvantage as the other benefits. Personality clashes, on the other hand, are fueled by differences in opinion and perceptions of employees (Jerng et al., 2017). Disagreements of this nature may arise from divergent political and personal views. Symptoms of interpersonal conflict among employees may include tensions, decreasing morale, accidents, poor communication, and absenteeism. Interpersonal conflicts have devastating effects on the nature of relationships within the organization which in the long run affect the productivity and performance of a particular organization.
Interpersonal conflict should be discouraged amongst employees within an organization. Although conflict may be inevitable within an organization, it is pertinent for the organization to maintain good relationships. Interpersonal conflict is divided into two; interdependence conflict and personality conflict. Interdependence conflict occurs when an employee depends on the efforts of others to benefit themselves while personality conflict is when two employees or groups of workers clash based on personal beliefs on particular topics. Conflict in critical sectors such as the healthcare industry is fatal as it interferes with the quality of service delivered. Therefore, for an organization to maintain satisfaction amongst employees, it is crucial for them to apply adequate conflict resolution tactics. Interpersonal conflict is thus an essential issue amongst employees within an organization and should be eliminated to promote productivity and growth of the organization.
References
Bao, Y., Zhu, F., Hu, Y., & Cui, N. (2016). The Research of Interpersonal Conflict and Solution Strategies. Psychology , 07 (04), 541-545. doi:10.4236/psych.2016.74055
Jerng, J., Huang, S., Liang, H., Chen, L., Lin, C., Huang, H., … Sun, J. (2017). Workplace interpersonal conflicts among the healthcare workers: Retrospective exploration from the institutional incident reporting system of a university-affiliated medical center. PLOS ONE , 12 (2), e0171696. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0171696
Ohsako, H., & Takahashi, S. (1994). Effects of “Amae”on interpersonal emotions and conflict-solution strategies in interpersonal conflict situations. THE JAPANESE JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY , 34 (1), 44-57. doi:10.2130/jjesp.34.44
