Download considerations on the causes of conflicts in the organization

Management and Economics
483
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE CAUSES
OF CONFLICTS IN THE ORGANIZATION
Emanoil MUSCALU [email protected]
“Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
ABSTRACT
Conflict is part of our lives. Willingly or unwillingly we all
come into conflict with each other, even though most are minor
conflict situations.
In an organization where people come with ideas, values,
education, their mentality and behaviour, it is easy to be conflicts.
Therefore, efficiency of their activity within the organization depends
on how managers at all levels manage/are able to maintain a
permanent dialogue with the people in their organization to always
know what are the issues they face.
KEYWORDS: organization, conflicts, types of conflicts, causes of conflicts
1. Introduction
Existing human resources in an
organization is a group of heterogeneous
groups that include people with specific
interests, goals and own points of view [1].
Because the organization comprises people
with personalities, attitudes, education,
value systems and different behaviours is
difficult to maintain a climate in perfect
harmony, without conflict. The conflict is a
clash of interests, inconsistent across
groups or people in the organization that
interact to achieve a mission, a goal that
determines further action. Organizational
conflict is often defined as the struggle
between two or more organizational groups
or between two or more organizations [2].
2. The Conflict in Organization
The conflict in the organization
focuses generally on a state or a condition
that favours one group over another and
occurs when the activities of a group affect
other group activities or results.
The opinions of the authors conflict
are the term used to describe [3]:
– Conflict states – resource crisis;
– Moods of the people in the
organization
– Hostility, frustration, agitation,
restlessness, anxiety;
– Cognitive states – awareness of
conflict situations;
– Behavioural states – from passive
resistance to the aggression declared,
without neglecting secrecy, meanness etc.
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Situations where people conflicts
within the organization are numerous,
almost infinite. However, there are a few
main reasons that predispose to conflict [4],
[5], [6]:
– The existence of dualism in human
relationships with each other: people need
to be involved in something, but to stand
aside; to comply, but to and riots; be part of
something bigger and still be outside the
community;
– Differences between the organization
and the individuals who belong to the
organization;
– The behaviour of managers in
relation to individuals in the organization;
– The management approach of
managers;
– In many cases responsibility is to
lead the “whole” (the objectives and values
of the organization) by conducting “parties”
(individuals and independent);
– The existence of different opinions
in departments that make up the organization;
– Lack of communication in the
organization;
– People can agree with the objectives
set, but each comes with its view on how to
achieve the objectives; This is because people
have different value systems, beliefs,
standards of behaviour, manners, priorities,
personalities;
As perpetuating causes of conflict can
be identified three major reasons [7]:
– That we live in a world of
increasingly complex and diverse that
everyone wants different things and there
are few things that can please everybody;
– Whatever organization in which
people operate, they come in contact with
each other, and to work with people means
inevitably
dealing
with
conflict;
misunderstandings,
incompatibilities,
aspirations, offended egos are some of the
many reasons why conflicting collective
activity;
– The world in which we live and
work places limits on our resources; people
rarely get exactly what they want given the
existing options and limitations, leading to
conflicts caused by limited resources and
organizational constraints.
There are many causes that can lead
to conflict, but most conflicts are reduced to
a few basic types [8], [9], [10], [11]:
After effects they generate conflicts
can be:
a) functional (constructive) – resulting
from multiple causes and conducive to
innovation, creativity, change and adaptation,
increase the performance of the organization.
This type of conflict can be kept to a
manageable level, ensure staff motivation
and lead to creative and productive behavior.
b) dysfunctional (destructive) –
generated by managerial errors are
characterized by the tendency of expansion
and escalation.
By their nature, meet the following
types of conflicts:
a) Essential (matter) – caused by the
existence of different objectives, there is a
higher intensity when people satisfy their
own needs through the group.
b) affective – generated emotional
states aimed at interpersonal relations, may
be reduced by eliminating tension, aggression
and/or hostility in relations with others.
Depending on the knowledge of the
conflicting parties, it can be:
a) open – know the warring parties;
b) covered – the warring parties
partially known.
After coverage, meet the following
types of conflicts:
a) intrapersonal (inland) – work carried
occur when requirements are inconsistent
with our values and personal ideals or
ambitions or the concerned consider that the
work performed is in its possibilities.
b) interpersonal – arise between two
or more individuals from the same group or
different groups, caused by rules, interests
and attitudes and/or differences in values
and personality and temperament, some
negative affective (dislike, trace, envy, etc.).
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c) intergroup – frequently occur
between groups with different interests and
objectives and have a complex because their
root-causes and the effects they may have.
After the intensity of conflict:
a) high – incompatibilities of interest
are amplified;
b) Low – specific early signs of
contradictory actions.
Depending on the duration and trends,
conflicts are divided as follows:
a) spontaneous – it is hard to predict
the appearance and evolution, their duration
is short and occurs at the interpersonal level.
b) acute – their cases are known or
obvious, and evolution is short and intense
manifestations are numerous possibilities to
settle.
c) chronic – are conflicts smouldering,
slow-growing and long lasting, and their
causes are difficult to identify. It is
frequently observed at the interpersonal
level, but can occur between groups.
In terms of hierarchical level,
conflicts are:
a) horizontal – between individuals or
groups occurring at the same hierarchical
level;
b) Vertical – occur between individuals
or groups situated on different hierarchical
levels;
c) diagonal conflicts – arising in
connection with the allocation of resources
throughout the organization.
Negative results of the conflicts are [12]:
– Occurrence in some people, the
feeling of being defeated;
– Increase the distance between
people;
– Creating a climate of mistrust and
suspicion;
– Individuals and groups focusing
strictly on their own interests;
– Development of resistance and
opposition when it should be teamwork.
In general, conflict tends to be
associated with negative situations,
inefficiency or lack of functionality in the
485
organization. Thus, the conflict is perceived
as being deviant and divided to be
controlled and changed. But, however, the
conflict is not necessarily a bad thing.
There are theories that claim that
there is a linear relationship between
conflict and organizational performance:
the conflict must produce benefits of
optimal stimulation of ideas and viewpoints
new and strengthen cohesion between groups
and at the same time reducing the negative
effects of behaviours uncooperative or
hostile open from groups and/or individuals
[13]. In some cases, the conflict may be
encouraged him into a constructive force,
energizing and vitalizing and groups within
the organization. The conflict can be seen
as supporting the implementation of
improvements in the design and operation
and decision-making process [14]. At the
same time, conflict can be a factor of
development, helping to internal and
external change of the organization.
3. Causes of Conflict within the
Organization
In an organization, the causes of
conflict can be unlimited. In our work we
will do a review of the causes of conflict in
interpersonal and group level, with negative
effects on work organization.
At interpersonal conflicts are taking
place between two or more people who
perceive themselves as being in opposition
in relation to opinions, emotions, attitudes,
values, behaviours expressed to each other.
The causes of conflicts at the interpersonal
level are [15], [16]:
a) differences in personal training,
exercise capacity, resistance to stress - a
competent employee, worker and will cope
successfully balanced duties received.
Subsequently, the employee will receive
more and more tasks to fulfil. That always
be assigned additional tasks and compared
with other employees, will lead to conflict.
b) differences in character, behaviour
and work style – not all organizations have
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done enough when selected for a job to find
that employee to be compatible with both
fasting and colleagues;
c) challenging behaviours of people in any organization there are employees
who have problems adapting at work or in
relationships with peers. There are
situations where any employee can have, at
one time, difficult behaviour towards others.
d) sexual harassment – increase
workplace stress, mental and psychological
effects
accompanied
by
decreased
performance at work.
e) sexism – a practice is broader than
sexual harassment, it includes any situation
that promote sexual discrimination;
f) scheduling hierarchical superior – a
high number of hierarchical levels,
differentiated between them by various
symbols of power (separate office, reserved
parking space, car available, personalized
telephone subscribers etc.) and differentiated
pay systems can be sources conflict.
Conflict at group level is the process
involving reactions (emotional and cognitive)
and behaviour, since when some perceive it
harmed by another party or that party is
about to do so.
Causes of conflict group [17], [18],
[19], [20]:
a) interdependencies between positions,
functions and departments of the organization
– the interdependence occurs when two or
more parts of the organization depend on
one another in solving professional tasks.
Increasing the size of structures increases
progressively increasing interdependency and
conflicts that may arise
b) the existence of objective cannot
be achieved simultaneously – between
specialized departments of the organization
emerge and develop conflicts arising from
differences in their aims. In general, this
type of conflicts are fuelled by scarce
resources, evaluation and reward systems.
This limitation leads to increased
differences in objectives and determine
with greater intensity conflicts.
c) perceptions, attitudes and opinions
different or even opposing groups on the
same target object – accompanying differences
in objectives, since participation in a formal
creates stereotypes in thinking. Conflicts
thus generated can go from differences in
assessing the timing and its implications to
differences in status and mental clichés
applied to other people, functions or
departments. Conflicts develop when
differences are magnified, stereotypes are
reinforced and deteriorating relations.
d) differences in status – when two
groups with different statuses are forced to
coordinate their activities, conflicts may
occur. The possibility of a conflict is higher
when lower-status group is the one to
initiate activities or influences directly the
group with a higher status.
e) the ambiguity of activities and tasks
– lack of clarity in transmission decisions,
overlapping tasks departments, uncertainty
about tasks, authority and responsibility
lead to conflicts.
f) common resources – the amount of
dependence on scarce resources (money or
capital allocations, physical space, shared
equipment and/or centralized services) will
often cause conflicts. Since the acquisition
of resources can show the power, voltage
occurs and additional competition for
resources increases the possibility of
outbreak of a conflict situation.
g) communication barriers – when the
groups speak different languages, is unlikely
to agree on issues of common interest and
likely to attribute the lack of agreement.
h) stress – permanent source of
conflict is the cause turbulent environment,
the chaos, the pace of activities.
4. Conclusions
 In an organization it is difficult to
maintain a climate without conflict because
the organization includes human resources
staff, mentality, education, value systems
and different behaviours.
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 Conflict is inevitable in the life of
an organization and should be viewed and
judged by its effects on organizational
performance, functional conflicts are
motivating and generating ideas, triggering
changes in the organization.
 Dysfunctional conflicts lead to
waste of energy, time, money and causes
resentment, animosity, fear, aggression,
dissatisfaction, frustration, absenteeism,
stress, low yield, leaving the organization.
 Conflict can be a way to improve
and/or change in the organization or a
source of waste of resources.
REFERENCES
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4. Ibidem., 517.
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