Conflict

The group that I have taken part in, within the last few years, was Phones4u, while working in this organisation we had to continuous had to work in teams to maximise sales, this was a good experience, because it helped us all get to know each other, and it made it easier for ever employee in the team to hit assigned targets, and group targets.

The group consisted of 4 males and 2 females; all from different backgrounds and different parts of the world, the problems we had all of us had different perceptions, most of us viewed the world in different views, which conflicted with the other employees view, perceptions  are usually seen as peoples reality

Working at Phones4u, entailed each employee to share resources, such as planners, computers to sell contacts, and phones, this created conflict between workers, also when targets were not substantially met, and conflict arose.

Violation of territory is a very common with people who are in touch with their personal space, for example these employees sit on a specific chair, specific tables, specific tables, this can easily bring about conflict in the work places, and working at Phones4u this generated problems between staff, territory at work is taken very seriously by some workers and is compared to the home.

Phones4u made use of Human recourses management and policies and procedures, a review on the HRM policies can reduce conflict in different areas of the organisation, for example this can be done by reviewing the recruitment centre and the system of punishments and rewards. Mullins, (2007). To review conflict situations between staff with different views

After been sent away for group activities in a hotel in central London, so staff could get to know each other better it came to realisation that, Group activity may overlap one group’s problem with another, Mullins (2007). Overlapping different membership with the ‘linking-pin process’ and careful selection of teams can bring out problems, but what may be affecting one group can be beneficial to the other.

After continues disputes amongst staff other resources and different duties, Making it clear to staff that no matter your position once a duty is assigned to you, the employee has to do it, this made it clear that no matter your position in the organisation, every was under the same rules.

Different sources of power

Coercive power: people obey to avoid punishment and dispute from the person in charge. For example the army has coercive power to control people by all means possible.

Expert power: this is where a person has a vase amount of skill and possesses a certain amount of information in this area. For example an engineer has a great amount of information in his job.

Referent power:  this sort of power, people obey the person in charge, because they have respect for them, for example, a lawyer respecting a judge at court

Reward power: the person in control sets targets so people can get rewards. For example, working at Phones4u, bonuses were given for hitting targets, and selling the most stock.

Legitimate power: from being in a legitimate position where, the person has been voted into power for example Barack Obama has legitimate power.

An organisation can make use of,

1.      Non monetary reward- rewards that don’t make use of money

2.      HRM policies and procedures- policies that ensure equal rights

3.      Group activities.–group activities that allow staff to get to know each other and find out if one group’s problem could another group’s benefit. Mullins (2007).

To conclude, organisations make use of different techniques to try to eradicate, conflict however, what organisations cannot prevent is people having different views on life, so their will always be conflict, but these techniques can reduce it. 

references 

Mullins (2004) management and organisational behaviour.  (8^th edition).