Strategies of Managing Industrial Conflict in Unilever Nigeria, Oregun
Chapter One
Objective of the study
General objective
The general objective of the study was to assess the Strategies of managing the industrial conflict of Unilever Nigeria.
Specific objective
- To identify the prevention of conflict management in Unilever Nigeria Oregun
- To identify the outcome of conflict in Unilever Nigeria Oregun.
- To identify conflict management styles of Unilever Nigeria Oregun
- To identify the strength and weakness has Unilever Nigeria Oregun in Strategies of managing industrial conflict
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theoretical review
Conflict defined
Conflict management has been defined differently by different authors. However, there is a common idea that runs through all the definitions given by these authors. Some of the diverse definitions of conflict management given by different authors have been stated below:
Rahim (2002) defined conflict management as”……the process of maximizing the positive aspect of conflict while minimizing the negative aspect of conflict in order to enhance learning and improve organizational effectiveness. “The author also considered good communication and problem solving as vital tools in managing conflicts.
Conflict management was also defined by Burton (1998) as “the process of identifying the main causes of tension in relationships being it interpersonal or intra-personal and dealing with them……..”This definition implied that, effective management of conflict required the identification of the main causes of the problem.
According to Swanstom and Weissmann (2005), conflict management is seen as a requirement that is needed to initiate preventive measures to conflicts.” The author further added that managing conflict required putting down appropriate measures to prevent the problem from reoccurring.
Girard and Koch (1996) viewed conflict management as” the act of putting in place measures to prevent a person from becoming ineffective……..”These authors further explained that anytime there is conflict, the person involved is considered ineffective.
The views on Conflict
It is argued that definitions of conflict vary so much because attitudes toward conflict vary widely as well. When Hocker and Wilmot (1985) conducted a survey in order to identify which associations people have with the word “conflict”, the following responses were given: destruction, anger, disagreement, hostility, war, anxiety, tension, alienation, violence, competition, threat, heartache, pain, and hopelessness. Obviously, people viewed conflict as negative force. Until the early 1960s, even scientists portrayed conflict as an undesirable process that has to be avoided (Simons, 1972). For instance, Hocker and Wilmot (1985) offered a list of negative assumptions about conflict that are widely held:
Harmony is normal and conflict is abnormal.
- Conflicts and disagreements are the same phenomena.
- Conflict is pathological.
- Conflict should be reduced or avoided, never escalated.
- Conflict can be the result of clashes of personality.
- Emotions are different from genuine conflict.
On the other hand, some researchers argue that conflict can be seen as positive. Deetz and Stevenson (1986) introduced three assumptions that indicate that conflict can be positive:
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research approach
Based on the type of data used there are types of the research approach. Research is a way to explore and understand the meaning that individuals or groups attribute to a social or human problem. Qualitative studies are seeking descriptive data through a holistic viewpoint and examine several variables, but only in a small population. In qualitative research data are usually collected in participant’s setting and the data analysis process builds inductively from details to general topics, and a researcher makes interpretations of the meaning of data (Croswell 2009). Therefore the researcher applied a quantitative approach in conducting the study.
Research design
A research design is a blue print for collection, measurement and analysis of data. It links the data to be collected to the research question in the study (Kathari 2004).It is a research plan and procedure that extend decisions from general assumptions to detailed methods of data collection and analysis. The choice of research design is also based on the nature of the research problem or issue being addressed, the personal experiences of researchers, and the masses of the study (Croswell 2009).
In order to determine the Strategies of managing industrial conflict of Unilever Nigeria, the study used a descriptive type of research design was employed. The descriptive research design is used to describe the characteristics of factors and for this the questionnaire as the main part of a survey design uses to collect data from the population.
Target population and sampling
Target population
A population refers to the aggregate of all cases that conform to some designated set of specifications it is the entire set of relevant units of analysis or data. For this study, According to the information from the Unilever Nigeria the target population of this study was 157 employees.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
As it is mentioned in the methodology part, the collected data is analyzed in quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis. Data that was collected by questionnaires analyzed using a quantitative method of data analysis and using the qualitative method of data analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
The main objective of this study was to assess the Strategies of managing industrial conflict of Unilever Nigeria. The study was conducted in Unilever Nigeria Oregun general business p;c. The participants of this study were an employee of Unilever Nigeria Oregun. The researcher selected 157 employees for the sample. The questionnaire was administered to 157 employees they return only 151 employees.
Then after the main data were collected from 151 employee respondents, analysis and interpretation of the data had been taken place by applying the under-listed statistical techniques. To identify the prevention of conflict management in Unilever Nigeria Oregun. To identify the functional or dysfunctional conflict. To identify Strategies of managing industrial conflicts have been adapted in Unilever Nigeria Oregun. Identifying the strength and weaknesses has Unilever Nigeria Oregun in Strategies of managing industrial conflict.
The target company systems were characterized by the use of a moderate level of integrating style, a low level of obliging, dominating, compromising, and avoiding styles. It was confirmed that the integrating style conflict management strategy was more exercised than negotiation.
The findings of this study revealed the prevention of conflict management in the organization, it was observed that there was moderate level prevention in the use of Providing stable, well-structured tasks 3.44 and Avoiding win-lose situations 3.61. While there was a low level of practice in the use of emphasizing organization-wide goals and effectiveness 3.37 and facilitating intergroup communication 3.27. The organization more use for the prevention of conflict management by avoiding the win-lose situation and providing stable, well-structured tasks.
The respondents of reported 88(58.3%) of them said that the conflict’s outcome was functional, 39(25.8%) of them replied as it was dysfunctional and 24(15.9) of them replied as it was both functional and dysfunctional.
The company has strength in conflict management they give a second chance to solve differences and they can be communicated with low managers effectively. The organization employee shares their idea with confidence because of the top managers are open.
The company have weakness on the conflict management they have a family, friendship racism because of these they cannot try to solve rather they can attach on others, the organization doesn’t create teamwork spirit on the employee,
Conclusion
The main findings of the study, as listed according to the research objectives, are as follows:
- Most of the organization lies between the ages of 23-27.
- A large part of the institution’s staff members holds higher educational status.
- The years of experience of, most of the institution’s employee ranges between 10-14years.
- In Unilever Nigeria integrating style was practiced more frequently, next to this avoiding style, obliging style, dominating style, and compromising style was least exercised were used frequently.
- Most conflicts in the organization have functional outcomes.
- In Unilever Nigeria prevention of conflict management was practice frequently by providing stable, well-structured tasks and Avoiding win-lose situations. Next to this emphasizing organization-wide goals and effectiveness and also facilitating intergroup communication.
- The organization have some strength and weakness on the practice of conflict management
Recommendation
- If the organization don’t’ have training program for the employee they should give training to develop skills in using or setting up alternative instructional goals, communication skill, and team working
- The use of a high level of integrating style of conflict management to be encouraged. Moreover, a moderate or a high level of compromising style was also necessary.
Therefore, the low level of compromising style confirmed by the study seems to be improved to a high level.
- On the prevention of conflict management, the company can be facilitating intergroup communication on the employee and them emphasizing organization-wide goals and effectiveness.
- The organization should look they employees equally.
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