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Conflict Management and Organizational
Performance in Nigerian Breweries Plc
Abstract
In a society where people with a diverse
interest, views and values coexist, differences between such individuals and
group are to be expected. This research “CONFLICT MANAGEMENT &
ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE”, in Nigerian Breweries Plc, Enugu, is aimed at
critically looking at conflict situations and it’s causes, as well as possible
areas of improvement of conflicting situations for a better working environment
in an Organization. The research shows that Conflict comes from incompatibility
of goals and interest and the result destroys the Organization. Conflict
affects the Organization in several ways such as decreased employee
satisfaction, insubordination, decreased productivity, leads to economic loss,
fragmentation. Descriptive and survey study were the tools used to elicit
information. The major findings are that That Education does not have any
effect on the opinion of respondents on Conflict Management Strategies. That
there is no Significance different between the opinion of male and female
respondents on the causes of Conflict. That there is a significant effect of
Conflict on Organizational performance. The major conclusions drawn are that
management strategies adopted in handling Conflict will not be affected by
differences in Educational Qualification of the respondents, that management
strategies adopted in handling Conflict will not be affected by differences in
Educational Qualification of the respondents, also that the causes of Conflict
in an Organization will not have any difference whether it came from the male
or female respondents. That the causes of Conflict in an Organization will not
have any difference whether it came from the male or female respondents. The
Recommendations are as follows. That Management must adopt Conflict Management
strategies that will improve on the Performance of the Organization. That
management should ensure a free flow of communication between the management
and the employee. Management should encourage and promote interpersonal
relationships among co-workers to improve on their morale.
Chapter One
1.1 Background
of the Study
Within any organization, there are usually different positions and jobs. People occupying these positions have different perceptions, goals, thought and concerns. It is difficult to conceptualize a society or an organization without inherent differences and contradictions and these leads to conflict. Conflict can be a serious problem in an organization. It can create organizational climate that makes it nearly impossible for employees to work together. Conflict is a natural and inevitable part of people working together and should be kept at a manageable level where it will not disorganize the activities of the organization towards the attainment of its objectives. Conflict can also said to be beneficial to the organization where it brings about radical change in the organization existing power structure, current interaction pattern and entrenched attitude and also can lead to increase in productivity. While some conflicts are functional others are not. It can also affect the organization negatively when it is associated with decreased employee satisfaction, insubordination, decreased productivity, leads to economic loss, fragmentation to mention but a few. It is the management major responsibility to device strategies in bringing down conflict as low as possible, which will enable the organization to still function to succeed (Robbins & Sanghi, 2005:418) against this background the study was being carried out on the negative effect of conflict.
1.2
Theoretical Framework
The Theoretical Framework is based on
the effect of conflict on Organizational performance. Conflict is a
disagreement in which parties involved disagree about facts or opinion
expressed by those in authority. There are different views based on those
effects in this respect we shall discuss the functional and dysfunctional
Conflict (Ivanceveich, Konopaske and Matteson (2005: 365). Functional Conflict is a Confrontation
between groups that enhances the organizational performance. e.g. various
department in an organization may be Conflict over most efficient and adaptive
method of achieving a goal. They may agree on a goal but not on the means to
achieving it. Without this type of conflict their will be little commitment to
change. The second is the dysfunctional Conflict and it is Confrontation
between groups that harm or hinder the organizational goal.
Management must seek to eliminate
dysfunctional Conflict. Similarly, (www.ehow.com) view the effects of conflict
as
1. Insubordination- Insubordination
develops because employees do not think management can maintain control over
the company.
2. Drop in productivity. - Allowing a
conflict to continue means that employee attention becomes more focused on the
conflict and not on productivity.
3. Lack of Direction- Conflict can
sometimes arise when management is unable to communicate the direction of the
company to
employees. Conflict will erupt as
employees are allowed to interpret change within the company in their own way.
4.
Fragmentation- Conflict creates rival functions. Sometimes those functions are
individuals, sometimes they are groups. Unresolved conflict can create tension
between groups that may normally need to work together.
5.
Lack of New Ideas- Groups in conflicts tends not to collaborate on new ideas.
When conflicts go unresolved it can be difficult to create new ideas the
company needs to solve problems it is facing. Effects of Conflict also have
both functional and dysfunctional outcome (Robbins and Sanghi, (2006:410).
Functional Outcomes - It is hard to visualize a situation in which open or
violent aggression may be functional. But there are a number of instances in
which it’s on possible to envision how low or moderate levels of conflict could
improve the effectiveness of a group. Conflict is constructive when it improves
the quality of decisions, stimulates creativity and innovation, encourages
interest and curiosity among group members, provides the medium through which
problems can be aired and tension released, and foster an environment of self-evaluation
and change. Dysfunctional Outcomes – The
destructive consequences of conflict on a group or organization’s performance
are generally well known. A reasonable summary might state: uncontrolled
opposition breed discontent, which act to dissolve common ties, and eventually
lead to the destruction of the group. Dysfunctional varieties can reduce group
effectiveness. Among the more undesirable consequences are a retarding of
communication, reductions in group cohesiveness and subordination of group
goals to the primary of infighting between members.
1.3
Statement of the Problem
Every successful organization realizes different opposing views and debate in creating the organizational decisions. The decisions are focused on the side of the business leaders and on the side of the employees, either way, conflict is also present. Organization is clearly described as the collection of people working together to achieve a common goal. In the concept of organization, the people or the members working under the umbrella of the leader are considered as a team that has a harmony and creates relationship in every activity that they do. On the other hand, the conflict is an action where there is a disagreement. The different behaviours of those members working together as a team are sometimes subject to conflict. Conflict come from incompatible goals and interest and the result might destroy the organization. (www.Ivythesis.typepad.com). It also results in decreased employee satisfaction, insubordination, decreased productivity, leads to economic losses, fragmentation e.tc. These problem results in organizational loses which impact negatively on performance. These conflicts are intended to be studied in a broad and detailed manner.
Conflict Management and Organizational Performance in Nigerian Breweries Plc
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