Strategies for Managing Industrial Conflicts in an Organization, The Study of GreenKapital Energy Gwarinpa, FCT
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main objective of the study is to examine the strategies for managing industrial conflicts in an organization. The specific objectives of this study are;
- To identify the causes of conflicts in corporate organizations.
- To examine the different strategies of conflict management in organizations.
- To determine the extent to which these strategies are effective.
- To determine the impact of conflict on workers’ productivity.
- To determine the impact of effective conflict management on organizational productivity.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
In this chapter, the researcher reviews some relevant literature on the subject-matter.
MEANING OF INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT
Conflict is conceived to be an outcome of behaviour which is an integral part of human life. Dunlop (2012:310) expresses that conflict is a disagreement between two or more individuals or groups with each individual or group trying to make the other accept its view or position. Ugbaja (2012:108) defines industrial conflict as any dispute, individual or group, that arises in the work place which causes disharmony among a group of workers or between an individual and the management. Sinclair (2019:192) sees conflict as a disagreement between employees and their employers.
In analyzing conflict situation in corporate organizations, McDaniel (2020:201) explains that industrial conflicts arise because participants in an organization differ in their attitudes, values, beliefs, goals and understanding. For this reason, conflict is unavoidable. This implies that it is the difference in the orientation, personalities and identities of individuals and groups within an organizational framework that brings about industrial conflict.
In the context of industrial relations, Levine (2000:199) describes industrial conflict as any disagreement between workers and employers over a breach of the tent. As long as workers and employers abide by the terms of agreement there is bound to be organizational harmony. Disagreements arising from breach of the terms of employment contract have been known to result in industrial conflicts. Accommodation and resolution of conflict is the central them and subjectmatter of industrial relations.
Agreements are reached between the workers and employers on the terms of employment and conditions of work. Ubaku (2019:109) explains that the terms of employment of persons include such things as wages, hours of work compensation, leave, promotion, fringe benefits among others. Conditions of work include environment to the workers’ efficiency or his enjoyment of the job, these include safety and working conditions generally, health and welfare of the employee.
Nwatu (2019:81) remarks that in all organizations, employees and employers have common interests in getting work done. What constitutes the work, how the work should be done and the price of labour services in the price of labour services in the work process constitute areas where the interests of the two parities vary. It is therefore essential to put in place machineries for effective management of conflicts naturally resulting from their common and opposing interests.
TYPES OF CONFLICTS IN ORGANIZATIONS
Doyles (2000:32) distinguishes between two types of conflict in organizations. These are individual conflicts (which can arise as a result of one employee feeling aggrieved) and collective conflict (which may originate from an individual employee or many result from a disagreement between the union and management). Accordingly, individual conflict arises when an employee considers that he has been maltreated or deprived something that he is legitimately entitled to or that some right of his has been breached. This may arise from unfair disciplinary measure taken against the individual, lack of promotion opportunities for him, deprival of annual increment, among others. This conflict, unless properly investigated can have adverse effects on the employee concerned.
On the other hand, collective conflict arises either from misinterpretation of collective agreement or non-implementation of the whole or parts of the agreement. It may also result from break down of collective bargaining. Doyles (2000:33) expresses that in some cases, a conflict that begins as an individual conflict can develop into a collective conflict. Generally, conflicts involving an individual are ever having his rights i.e. what he thinks he is entitled to as a workman in his workplace. Collective conflicts are concerned mainly with economic matters except in cases where individual conflicts. The conflict may arise either because of a break down in collective agreement on misinterpretation of collective agreement on, in yet other cases, the non-implementation of the whole or parts of the agreement.
While agreeing with this expression, Dunlop (2012:315) remarks that industrial conflicts that arise from collective grievances may also be the result of non-observance of conditions of an individual or disciplinary measures. A large number of conflicts that occur in organizations may be those concerning situations not governed by rules. Such conflicts emanate essentially from individual workers and may be because of an alleged ill-treatment of the workers by his boss or the result of some claimed right.
Chandan (2019:115) distinguishes between five types of conflicts which occur within an organization. These include the following;
Intra-personal conflict
Inter-personal conflict
Personal-group conflict
Inter-group conflict
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLGY
In this chapter, the researcher states and explains the methodology of the study. This includes sources of data, methods of data presentation and analysis.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design is the approach adopted in carrying out a scientific inquiry (both, 2019:23). It is the plan of the researcher for the study in which he explains the type of scientific inquiry he intends to carry out. The survey research design is adopted in this study. The survey research method involves selection of a small proportion of the entire population through sampling techniques for data collection and analysis.
The findings are used to make generalization.
The method is considered appropriate because the data are collected directly from those concerned with the study. Such data best address the research questions.
SOURCES OF DATA
The sources of data used in this study are both primary and secondary sources.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Primary sources provide data that are original and have not been used in any previous study or emanate from any such study. This implies that primary data are obtained directly from those concerned with the study or those to whom the study relates. Thus, in this study the primary sources of data are those who were selected into the sample for the purpose of completing the questionnaire or interview, They are staff of Greenkapital Energy Gwarinpa, FCT.
SECONDARY SOURCES
Secondary sources provide data or information that are not original. Such data have been used in previous studies emanate from previous studies. In this study, secondary sources of data include textbooks, journals, magazines, periodicals, seminar and workshop papers, among others.
POPULATION
The population consists of the management and staff of Greenkapital Energy Gwarinpa, FCT. They are 205 respondents used as population by the researcher.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESSENTATION AND ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the researcher presents and analyses the data collected from the respondents.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The following are the major findings of the study;
- Conflicts occur in Greenkapital Energy Gwarinpa, FCT. These include intra-and inter-personal conflicts, personal group
- The causes of the conflict include poor communication, organizational policies, individual goals, management style, ineffective reward system and poor superior subordinate relationship. Others include unconducive work environment, poor condition of service, personality traits, bad economic policies among others.
- The conflict management strategies adopted include avoidance, accommodation, competition, compromise and collaboration’s. Others include mediation, counseling, team resolution and modifying organizational policy.
- Specific conflicts re occurs in the organization. But this is not mainly due to poor conflict management.
- Industrial conflicts lowers workers’ morale, discourage commitment to work, de-motivates workers and breeds distrust and suspicious. It also hampers effective inter-personal and group relationships. Besides, it hampers workers’ productivity.
- Industrial conflict leads to loss of time, slows down production process, reduces output and profit levels and output and profit levels and hampers organizational growth.
- Effective conflict management enhances organizational productivity by creating conducive and harmonious work environment.
CONCLUSION
Industrial conflict is a regular feature in corporate organizations which arises whenever there is disagreement between individual or group of individuals and management. Various strategies are adopted in managing the conflicts but the strategy adopted in each instance depends on the nature of the conflict and the person involved. The strategies adopted are largely effective in resolving the conflicts. However, the reoccurrence of specific conflict is not mainly due to ineffective conflict management but the dynamic socio-economic situation.
Industrial conflicts adversely affect employees and management as well as their relationships. It impacts negatively on workers’ productivity and over all performance and growth of the organization.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Management should ensure that there is effective communication between the management team and subordinates. This will ensure that all are aware of management policies and actions as well as contributory to decision-making in the organization. This will eliminate alienation and communication gap.
- Individual aims and organizational goals should not be congruent. Individuals should ensure that their selfish interests do not conflict with organizational goals. Otherswise, personal interests should be re-align with organizational interests.
- There should be effective interpersonal relationships, as well as effective management employee relationships. This should be underscovered by democratic management style. This will ensure that employees’ problems are well addressed and opportunities are always offered to them to achieve their goals.
- There should always be adequate reward system or compensation plan for employees. These include adequate pay packages, prompt promotion and advancement and effective welfare and social security programmes.
- There should always be regular training and development programmes which will not only improve the skills and intelligence of employees but should also make them welldisposed to their work. This will in assignments competently as tasky assignments are an important source of conflict and stress in the work environment.
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