Conflict… though it is an inevitable part of workplace life (Ayoko, 2016, Neuman & Baron, 2005). It impacts the productivity and financial well-being of an organization (Babalola et. al., 2016, Chung, 2015). Moreover, the stress associated with conflict can negatively affect the psychological and physical state of individual members (Brooks et. al., 2020; Borle et. al., 2021, Martínez et. al., 2020). An examination of macro-external and micro-internal factors is critical to understanding how conflict manifests in the workplace (Ye et. al., 2017).
According to Asif et. al. (2020), the current global COVID pandemic has accelerated changes to organizational structures across the world. Many workplaces, educational institutions, social services, and businesses have adopted an online presence and people are increasingly using digital applications for shopping, socializing and entertainment (Borle et. al., 2021). Many workplaces have now adopted remote working mechanisms with the use of learning management platforms (Derr, et. al., 2015). Employees are required to use virtual communication email, text, video conferencing, etc. to meet the demands of their job (Derr et. al., 2015). According to Borle et. al. (2021), these pressures have led to technostress, which are symptoms of anxiety and psychological distress produced by continuous information technology interaction and overload. High levels of psychological stress have been linked to "burnout" and poor job performance (Asif et. al., 2020, Brooks et. al., 2020; Borle et. al., 2021, Martínez et. al., 2020).
Macro-level financial pressures, organizational dysfunction, lack of leadership, and poor communication can increase workplace incivility and fuel conflict (Bai et. al., 2015). This can lead to increased absenteeism, reduced organizational commitment (Ye et. al., 2017), reduced job satisfaction, increased turnover intentions (Bai et. al., 2015, Babalola et. al., 2016, Chung, 2015), affected mental health, well-being (Asif et. al., 2020, Brooks et. al., 2020; Borle et. al., 2021, Martínez et. al., 2020), withdrawal behaviors and distress (Cénat et. al., 2020).
Individual characteristics also play a role in the manifestation of conflict in the workplace (Ayub et. al., 2017). Meng et. al. (2015) found that conflict management styles are indicative of an individual's general tendency to engage repeatedly in a certain type of conflict behavior across situations. These traits are relatively stable personal dispositions (Neuman & Baron, 2005). Those with dominant traits tend to go against processes and procedures established by organizational leaders to manage conflict in the workplace (Ayoko, 2016). While individuals with passive traits may experience bullying and harassment from colleagues and managers without expressing their psychological pain. The long-term consequences of toxic work environments can lead to serious harm for individuals and the organization (Chung, 2015).
To mitigate conflict in the workplace, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods should be adopted and operationalized (Babalola et. al., 2016, Miller, 2017). Training and education with cognitive and behavioral training should be offered to individuals and teams within the organization to optimize performance and strengthen work culture (Bai et. al., 2015, Meng et. al., 2015). Additionally, workers that have been victims of bullying must be supported with EAP counseling and provided legal resources to seek justice.
Dr.Vinita Puri
References
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