Effects of conflict on productivity Essay

List of Figures and bowsPageStudy creation accede 3.18Response ordain -Table 4.19Ca aims of deviation Table 4.29Ca habits of infringe Pie Chart 4.110 make of b aside Table 4.310Effects of battle Pie Chart 4.211(vi)Chapter One en pass judgmentway1.1 inventionLucgeor Enterp jump offs was registered in 1998 as a parking area merchant tune but specialized in supplyof printed and general letter paper amongst early(a)s. Since its registration , Lucgeor has neer looked grit and save dominated the supply of stati 1ry to to the steepest institutionali touchdness of the businesses in Mombasa and surrounding towns.The c exclusivelyer-up has 43 members of cater who ease up the indispensable skills and commitment to the i breeds of the government activity in altogether respect. The wariness of Lucgeor efforts argon people of presbyopic standing ascertain in the Printing and stationery business. They guard instilled good team movement and democratic worry of the face which has seen the discernment take a jumper cable in the stationery supply business.The corporation aims to gain a huge market circumstances done various come upes including cost leadership , benefit divers(prenominal)iation and focused attention aimed at persuading their customers and authorisation clents iof their quality supporter provision and paper bag friendly prices. The comp each makes good use of ICT to execute its clients olibanum saving on time and costs.Lucgeor Enterprises which is base at Bondeni area along Abdel Nasser Street, has for the last twoand half(a) years been going through more or little differences among and amongst its ply. The employments fuddle in out slowed or derailed the radiate operations of the community and more than importantly bear on its service delivery to key clients who adjudge had to custody for hours or days for goods to be delivered. This tr end is various in the past tense when service prov ision took precedence over all else. 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENTThe comp any(prenominal) has had strained dealing amongst its workforce lately which hampers its service deliv eryactivities. The complaints registered with commission regarding poor service delivery to customer sare becoming the norm earlier than the exception. If the trend is non arrested in good time, the fix of the divergences inwardly the ecesis whitethorn end up destroying the company and with it the livelihood of a good moment of employees and until now the owners.1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE hire(i) To establish the pee-pees of involvement at Lucgeor Enterprises (ii) Effects of negates at Lucgeor Enterprises and(iii) To search for toy with solutions to the employments.1.4 seek Questions(I) What are the eccentrics of engagement at Lucgeor Enterprises?(ii) What are the nighbodyal effectuates of mesh at Lucgeor Enterprises and? (iii) Which are the nigh abstract solutions to the deviations? 1.5 JUSTIF ICATION OF THE military issue(i) To the ResearcherThe study would bowl over the investigator a first hand experience on what causes employments, appointment situ ations, make of contraventions on organisational productivity, teams and team work and hope in full enable the queryer to find beaver booking populaceagement approaches which could support governments in impinge t o worst such(prenominal) bout stakes in their governments in the shell way possible . 1recommendations habituated as anecdotes to the passage of arms geticulars in the physical composition soly unlocking the potentials of the business to serve its customers effectively by managing the contrasts sensitively .(iii) To separate ResearchersThe study would give future police detectives ready learning for reference objectives and to enable them fill the gaps that whitethorn be noned and hopefully improve the conflict measure , containment , avoid ance and precaution activities in o rganizations indeed enhancing corroborative industrial relations in organizations, besides change magnitude the body of knowledge available for consultation and experimentation. (iv) To scene Kenya UniversityFuture tecs would utilize the findings of this study for reference purposes and the insane asylum upon which they whitethorn further their search on conflicts, establish on available findings , conclusions and recommendations indeed filling the gaps that whitethorn be noned and hopefully improve the conflict prevent , containment , avoidance and precaution activities in organizations thus enhancing demonstrable indus relations in organizations.1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDYEffects of Conflict on Organizational productivity study, was an distinguish out to understand the effects of conflict amongst employees of an organization on their productivity and the overall productivity of the organization in achieving its objectives.. The study was conducted amongst the employees o f Lucgeor Enterprises at their holding of work at Bondeni area and it took approximately 6 months. 1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY(a) lack of TimeThe police detective overdue to time boundts was faced with serious juggling among the research work ti meand the daily work reckon responsibilities, all of which required a piece of his time. Fortunatelythe researcher was able to work through and ensured that none was addicted a raw deal and the project sinless in time.(b) Limited In fixationThe researcher due to the spirit of organisational policies and communication strategy, received l mited i learning on the basis that the providers i.e the stave, never fully trusted the intentions of the researcher. But to authenticate the randomness provided, the researcher went the extra mile to independently v erifythe same with the top management who were more than ordain to clarify provided information and eve tied the relax ends thus affording the researcher a clear sketch of the in f rmation required for the oresearch work.(c) Reluctance by employees to respondThe researcher faced the prospects of failure by the ply to respond to interviews, upshot questio nnaires.The employees reluctance to respond, our investigations base were due to fear of victimization by management for divulging company information to outsiders whose intentions were non clear to them. To vanquish this, the researcher consulted the management who gave unequivocal pledge to the staff that they lead not be victimized since the researcher was a scholar whose details they had authenticated and was only when doing research as part of their course work. the assurance saved theday and enabled them to respond tyrannically given the requirements of the project.2Chapter TwoLITERATURE REVIEW2.1 INTRODUCTIONConflict is a common denominator to all affectionate life. It is an conducted part of our lives becauseit is related to notes of scarce resources, division of functions, billet rel ations and division differeniation. tBecause of its pervasive and indirect nature, conflicts have led scholars and administrators to qu estionwhether they understand its hold still foring and relevance and how high hat to cope with conflict should one deck up. The normative conception of conflict, strongly influenced by a concentration with stability and equilibrium in organizational designing, cerebrate conflict to violence, destruction, inefficiency and irrationality This form of intellectual shortsightedness was especially invidious in adverting that administrators have th e province of avoiding, controlling or eliminating conflicts. descriptive approaches challenge the upstanding basis and rationale of these assumptions. They earmark usto depart from an outmoded paradigm by suggesting that any social fundamental inter fill in which the parties (however they whitethorn be structured or defined) compete for scarce resources or determine have the potenti l for aconf lict. utilise the term in broad sense , we suggest that conflict refers to all kinds of antagonis ticinteractions. More specifically, it crapper be defined as a space in which two or more partie have sincompatible objectives and in which their perceptions and deportment are able with the incompatibility. This definition is purposely broad. It suggests that conflict is a social phenomenon that is undercoat in person-to-person, crowd or organizational interactions.Conflict t here(predicate)fore has several dimensions.Fink 5 distinguishes among(I) Antagonistic- psychological relations and(ii) Antagonistic behaviorLikewise Pondy 6 observes that conflict is make up of (I)Antecedent conditions (ii) Affective conditions(iii) cognitive conditions and(iv) Behavioural conditionsWe therefore amelioration a conception which emphasizes its three, interrelated dimensions, namely (1)Conflict situation (the raw material incompatibility)(2) Conflict attitudes (Range of psychological sit uationors) and(3) Conflict behaviour (set of related behaviour)Conflict refers to more than just expressed behaviour. Concentrating only upon its behavioural manifestation is an extremely close exercise. The three dimensional conceptions of conflict emphasizes the ne d to econsider the situation in which parties (Individuals, groups or organizations ) come to possess incompatible name and addresss, their structure of interaction and the nature of their goals. We have to consid eremotional (e.g distrust) and Cognitive ( e.g Stereotyping) orientations that accompany a conflict situation as strong as a meander of action undertaken by any party in a situation of conflict. 2.2 Theoritical Review / Conceptual kindworkStephen Robbins makes a strong case for the need for a more rea leaningic approach to conflict with his Interactionist Approach. He states that there are three basic motorbusial attitudes toward conflicwhich the identifies as traditional behavioural and interactionist. The traditionalist, following our so cialteaching believes that all conflicts are destructive and managements role is to buy off them out of th eorganization. The traditionalist, therefore, believes conflict should be eliminated. Thebehaviouralist seeks to rationalize the existence of conflict and accurately perceives conflict as inevitable inomplex corganizations or alliances. thus the behaviouralist accepts it . The Interactionist views conlict as fabsolutely necessary, encourages opposition, defines management of conflict to include stimulationas well as resolving power and considers the management of conflict as a major(ip)(ip) responsibility of all administrators.3The interactionist view is accepted and encourages conflict. Avoiding a disagreement doesnt make t go iaway. We need to be aware of conflict and make conclusivenesss about what we are going to do about it. Conflicts only become blackball when it is not approached and adjournd. Lack of communication amongst gro up members can lead to avoidance of conflict. When that happens, the group can lose its effectiveness. group members and leaders need to to be able to resolve conflict successfully. Likeany another(prenominal) leadership skills, conflict management can be learnt.Conflict worryConflict is inevitable in any interpersonal relationship or among members of any group. Whereas we meet various types of conflicts in our lives, we are at a lose as to what to do when one arises. Ma nypeople pass to leave conflict situations e.g if one breaks out in a group. Why do we shy away from dealing with conflict? . It is because we were raised to believe t hat conflict is some(a)thing to beavoided, an experience of failure. However conflict does not have to lead to failure, or even to the termin ation ofrelationship. we all come to see and experience the innovation in a different way, and we all have different ideas about what is best for my group or our group. Recognizing this feature can foster shift us from the negative conclusion that conflict is a signal of failure.Styles of Conflict prudence(a) Competing An one-on-oneistic resolutenesss his or her own concerns at the expense of the other person. This is a power oriented mode. Competing whitethorn even mean standing up for your adjusts, defending a positio n which you believe correct, or simply trying to win.(b) reconciling The opposite of competing When accommodating, an individual neglects his or her own concerns to fulfill the concerns of the other person. there is an constituent of ego generate this inmode. Accommodating might take the form of selfless generosity or charity, obeying another persons modulate when one would prefer not to, or yielding to another persons point of view. (c) Avoiding- The individual does not immediately pursue his or her own concerns or those of the other person. He or she does not address the conflict Avoiding may take form of diplomatic sidestepping of the issue, postpo ning an issue until a pause time or simply withdrawing from a threatening situation. (d) Compromising The objective is to find some expedient, mutually acceptable solution which partiallysatisfies b parties. . Falls in the middle of Competing and accommodating. oth(e) Collaborating- The opposite of avoiding . Collaborating involves attempt to work with the other person to find some solution which fully satisfies the concerns of both persons. InitiationThe almost effective way to confront conflict situation is to state the manifest effect a conflict ha on you. s(f) officious listening Negotiators must(prenominal) be capable of hearing the other personspoint of view . . while listening, do not think about how to reply in order to persuade . . argument provoking replies should be avoided.. Active listening involves paraphrasing or restating what the other says. Idea or . Content should be considered as well as feelings.(g) Problem solving. Clarify the line of work subsequen tly the preceding(prenominal) steps, each party should have a clear idea about what is the tangible issue.. rag about what is needed or wanted ( be clear on facts and information). . Generate a list of possible solutions.CONFLICT CAUSESNations, organizations and groups are made up of individual pitying beings. distributively person has through experience developed a set of abide bys and evolved a set of behavioural rules. These values and rulesare sufficiently alike in a given smart set to allow justice, morals and ethics to exist and take a shit gener l aagreement about what is right and what is wrong. But the value-rule set for each individual is a uncommon set not fully dual-lane by other humans..These differences in value-rule sets are most likely the basi ccauses of conflict.4Another major cause of conflict is the motivation of the separate individuals. Each person is motiv atedby a unique tip of satisfaction in a set of needfully. It is kinda likely that in a given situation the individual concerned will be aiming their personal efforts at slightly different objectives. such(prenominal) objectives may be similar enough to permanentit conjunct effort but sufficiently different to createsome conflict. A common example is the hot line occupied by umteen air force officers as a operator of staying in touch with the troops. This opportunity to short roundabout superiorvisory gestates often antagonizes intermediate passenger vehicles, who may learn of a problem only when the commander confronts them with it.. because, too, it may be possible for all to be motivated to behave toward the same goal act but to feel that the goal, when attained, will not be great enough for all to share adequately in the reward. Conflict may then pass by as each person strives to attain their place in the sun. EFFECTS OF CONFLICTSConflicts have both imperative and negative effects. It can be positive when it encourages creativity, natural looks at old co nditions, the clarification of points of view, and the development of human capabilities to handle interpersonal differences. All of us have experienced a surge of creativity when we perm the itideas of others to trigger our imagination, as for example in a brainstorming session. Conflicts can be negative when it creates subway to change, establishes turmoil in organization orinterpersonal relations fosters distrust, builds a feeling of defeat or widens the chasm of misunderstanding. . Unfortunately the term conflict has only the connotation of bad for many people, so much that they think principally in terms of supplantion, giving microscopical or no attention to its more positive side.THE PERSON AND THE ORGANIZATIONConflicts occur when the require and goals of the individual are not in harmony with the objectives a nd goals of the organization. Chris Argyris, in his discussion of man versus the organization, indic ates the heights likelihood of the traditional goals and stru ctures of organizations may be in conflict with the needs and goals of the personalities in the organization. This maybe reflected in the efficient and omni potentbureaucracy that places wildness on hierarchy, specialization of work, established norms of conduct ,and definitive rules, often forgetting or overlooking the individual and his unique qualities. Traditionally, personal values tend to be inappropriate toward organizations, big government, big business, bureaucracy, and the military.Again, conflict can arise when interdependency exists. Employees become dependent on the organization to give their lives direction and moment. Such dependency allows them to escape cock the burdens of personal responsibility. whereas we praise individualism in workers, the organization often require that sthe individual be treated impersonally. Efficiency requirements in organizations also acts as a sou of rceconflict because they regularly demand that the goals and needs of the organizati on be given higher precedency than the rights of individual. We therefore yield to the proposition that conflict betwixt organizations and personal values is normal and a fact of life.Managing the inherent conflict betwixt individual needs and organizational need demands a high degree of self sense on the part of the manager. What am I unbidden to do in match of these needs? How much can I hold up of the needs of other human beings in the organization and still serve the great good of the company?One major influence on the managers actions or decisions will be his basic concept or philosophy about the nature of man. Douglas McGregor presents a famous dissertation on this subject in the considera tionof Theory X and Y. Argyris offers a number of managerial consideration as well us Abraham Maslow propositions of various assumptions for managers to adopt for an enlightened approach to the individual-organization conflict situation. Research has led to conclusions that potential indivi dualorganization conflicts are heightened as management acts to reduce orconstrain the individual opportunity to decide. Organizations tend to make concluding decisions without input of the employees wi th the expectation that no mistakes would be made, no errors. This fosters conflict as the expectation may sbe overwhelming. Unless the organization is supportive to the individuals problem -solving efforts, such conflict continues and worsenedns5his ideas.Another source of individual versus organizational conflict is generated by the new man versus the old man. The innovator is always in a less supportive environment than the entrenched old hand. 1. Chris Argyris, spirit and Organization (New York harper Torchbooks,1957), Chapters III andVII. 2. Douglas McGregor, The Human military position of Enterprise (New York McGraw- Hill, 1960) 3. Argyris, pp.232-374. Abraham Maslow, Eupsychian Management (Homewood, Illinois Richard D. Irwin, 1965), pp. 17-33 5. Harry Levinson, The Exceptional administrator A psychological Conception (Cambridge, Massachussets Harvard University Press, 1968), pp. 204-7.6Argyris, p. 2347. Fredrick W. Hertzberg, The Wise experient Turk Harvard Business Review, September- October 1974, pp. 70-80.Sources of conflictFor managers to effectively manage conflicts, they need to understand their source. Basic sourcesof conflict are, semantic , role , values. Semantic sources are those stemming from some failure in communication. Traditionally, semantic has to do with the meaning of words, but here that is just one phase of its role. We use semantics to point out major source of conflict as the failure of two individuals to share fully the meaning of a communicative attempt. The cause of the failure may be technical problems in the communication movement (static, filters, barriers etc)., or they may be ac tualdifferences in perception and understanding. The result being an absence of agreement thus conflict .Role sources are those that rise out of the varying perceptions of people about the expect behaviours of themselves and others. some of these come from the status and position levels in organizations. Others come from the structures and processes devised by management to organize work, channel effort ,and coordinate activity. Value sources have their foundations in the individuals value sets of people. These value sets readily contribute to differences between people because they are different. Theycause each of us at times to respond or behave in an unexpected manner because we are behaving as located by a value set not fully shared by our associates, hence a sense on their part of a difference between us. What is effective in one value conflict situation may not be in the next. The separation as statedabove is for the knowledgeable researcher and other resource persons. But our daily conflict is a combinatio of nelements from more than one source. We can not therefore say that the three sources are distin ct. E achaffects the others to some degree.Individual reaction to conflictSince conflict may be positive or negative, there may be a range of reactions to conflict. Such rea ctionsmay range from high expectations and sport to absolute rejection. Broadly, an individual in conflict situation has only two options i.e sign up or ship out. Massie and Douglas identify certain situation of quandary in the conflict situation which they call partition off of indifference 8. Joseph L. Massie and deception Douglas, Managing A Contemporary Introduction (Englewood Cliffs, New tee shirt Prentice- Hall, 1973), p.219.MEANS TO RESOLVE OR REDUCE CONFLICTBasic to other considerations in resolving conflicts is that the parties to the conflict need to tr st each uother and must be capable and willing to locate the source of the conflict. Conflict situations pre sentdifferent options to the concerned parties. We can decide to do naught about the conflict. But what will be the result of non action?. If one remains in conflict situation then sooner rather than posterior the tension will increase and one of the parties will strive to win over the other o to drive him or her out. Or even rworse, the losing party may become more self-assertive or hostile and counter attack the element frustr ting aThe result of non action may be dysfunctional as the decision to do nothing may not be the best in certain situations while it may be good in some.One mode often applied in conflict situations is the use of super ordinate goals. For example, the entire work force, taken as a whole, is something of a super ordinate goal uniting foreign groups bene ath that umbrella. The manager gets the group to see how conflict affects productivity, thus reducing, the smaller groups stake in the overall organizations success. The approach is similar to the common competitor approach, wherein the groups in competition find unity think an outside group as a common enemy. . This unity can hide or fall conflict in groups.A unique method to resolve conflict is to increase interaction between impertinent groups by physically exchanging persons between conflicting groups. For example, if the gizmo unit is having difficulty dealing with the thingumajig unit, a temporary shifting of people between these groups could help the conflicting elements learn the others problems and frame of reference. the result could be better communications, greater understanding and less future conflict. The quickest resolution is a face-off meeting. The manager should however, be warned that confrontation requires complete preparedness on his part.He must have the facts of the conflict siuation tand confidence in his self-control and his ability to use diplomacy, tact and problem solving. But then, he must appreciate the fact that confrontation may worsen not better the situation. Basic to this efforts to resolve or reduce the conflict is the idea of avoiding win-lose situations. Sports and other recr eational activities often ingest their flavor by win-losesituations, but the same may not be good for an organizational conflict situation. There are situations where the manager may seek to repress confl ict.This is true where the differences between the two conflicting elements are not relevant to the organizational task. Such conflict is bad to the organization. These differences are petty and self serving, thereby causing activity in which the participants try to win to preserve the sanctity of the original stand. A significant aid to the manager in such conflicts is an understanding of the human process of perception, process of use stimuli in accordance with our values, rules, wishes, an dfears. With this understanding , the manager may explain to the conflicting parties how they are read the situational data. thus may find ways to suppress the conflict. 9. Dubin Robert. Human Relations in Administration twenty-five percent Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Prentice- H all, 1974.10. Hersey, Paul, and Kenneth H. Blanchard, Management of Organizational behaviour, bite Edition.Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Prentice- Hall, 1974.2.3 Critique of Existing literary works relevant to the studyBased on past studies and review of major issues, it has been established that conflict has a grea timpact on organizational effectiveness. numerous studies have captured the basic foundations of the co nflictand therefore have provided the organizations with the data and information on best approaches to give in conflict situations. However, the many alternative approaches may not fit every organization and thus some may require unique combinations that may be difficult and hence require high levels of understanding by the management to handle and credibly prescribe best solutions to.7Chapter Three methodology3.1 Research pictureThe research design in the case of Lucgeor Enterprises was the collection of data through intervie ws,questionnaires , observations and surveys. Then the relevant data was sieved and refined to conform with the requirements of the study.3.2 existenceLucgeor Enterprises has an employee tribe of 43 persons both permanent and casual. Because the population was small , the researcher took the whole population for the purpose of data collection. Table 3.1 Study population part no.of RespondentsAdministration5Finance4Marketing6Procurement & Stores11 exertion17Total433.3 sampling FrameDue to the small no of employees , the whole population was considered and thus given equal treatme nt. 3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique nary(prenominal) samples were taken as the whole population was taken for consideration. No technique was thus utilized as the whole population was considered.3.5 InstrumentsThe instruments that the researcher applied in the process were, questionnaires and interviews to corroborate some of the information provided. Use of questionnaires were relevant and convenient because the respondents were all liter ate and thus were able to fill the forms independently. 3.6 info Collection ProcedureThe researcher prepared 43 pieces of questionnaires which he diligently distributed to all employee of sLucgeor Enterprises. the respondents were bespeak to fill the questionnaires within two weeks an d throw the same to the researcher.3.7 entropy Processing and AnalysisData makeed from the respondents through the questionnaires were cleaned, then selected into vari us ocategories by coding . They were then analysed by use of quantitative and qualitative techniques . the information generated from the analysis were thus presented in the form of tables, pie charts, andbar graphs.8Chapter Four look FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS4.1 IntroductionData was presented in the form of tables, pie charts and graphs, which made the interpretation4.2 PresentationThe researcher presented the data in various forms which captured all the areas of interest to the studyas follows.4.3 Response rate.The researcher admini stered 43 questionnaires of which the gift rate was 41 thus constituting an average of 95%. The resolution was such that the researcher was able to gather fully the necessary daa tfor the study.Table 4.1 Response rate.No of questionnairesadminsteredNo. of questionnairesreturned4341Percentage95%4.4 Causes of Conflict at Lucgeor EnterprisesThe researcher administered 43 questionnaires of which the return rate was 41 thus constituting an average of 95%. The response was such that the researcher was able to gather fully the necessary daa tfor the study.Table 4.2 Causes of ConflictCauses of conflictNo. of respondentsPercentage paltry Management1229% short Remuneration1639%512%820%Lack of educational activity and skillsIncompetence amongst staff9Pie Chart 4.1 Causes of ConflictNo. of Respondents distressing ManagementPoor RemunerationLack of readingincompetence amongemployeesAnalysisFrom table 4.2 and chart 4.1 , the causes of conflicts at Lucgeor Enterprises were as follows. Poor Man agementPoor Remuneration29%39%12%20%Lack of prep and skillsIncompetence amongst staffThe above information shows that the one issue which the employees feel as the main cause of conflict with management is poor remuneration. The second item that they prioritize as a major conflict are is athe management of the organization. While the other conflict prone issue is lack of training and skills. The employees feel that the people put in forethought of departments are not decently trained and thus lack the requisite skills to manage the departments. This thus results in incompetency of the employees to perform their tasks effectively.Effects of ConflictTable 4.3 Effects of ConflictEffects of conflictNo. of respondentsPercentagePoor Performance2356%Lack of want1127%37%410% prohibit Stereotyping deformed Perceptions10Pie Chart 4.2 Effects of ConflictNo. of RespondentsPoor PerformanceLack of MotivationNegative StereotypingDistorted PerceptionsAnalysisFrom the above information, the main effect of conflict in organizationsaccording to the responses are, Poor performance, Lack of motivation, Distorted perceptions and Negative stereotyping in that order.DiscussionFrom the above responses, there is a clear pattern regarding the cause and effect relationships amogst nthe various factors at play. It is expenditure noting that the cardinal goal of any organization is the exploit of efficient operational performance and productivity within the standard working hours. When an organization can not achieve the projected production levels within the set time lines, it is a cause to worry. An analysis of the causes and effects gave us results as stated below.The main causes of conflict as stated above is the research were Poor remuneration, Poor management, Lack of training and skills and Incompetence amongst staff in that order. While the effects of conflicts in organizations are, Poor performance, Lack of motivation, Distorted perceptions and Negative stereotyping.11Chapte r louvre succinct, Conclusions and Recommendations5.1 IntroductionWorkplace conflict is a major concern for most companies. It is inevitable in any situation where human beings operate. People have different values , beliefs and ways of life which they probably hold dear or believe to be the best as opposed to what other people have or believe in. Away has to be found to balance the various interests and align the same with the organizational goals. Proper clays of managing conflicts enables organizations to achieve the best out of such conflicts as well as meet the objectives and goals of the organization.5.2 SummaryIf managed poorly or avoided altogether, conflict can be extremely costly to an organization. If managed well, conflict presents an opportunity to get out value and promote a healthy workplace. Many organizations arefinding that their conflict management systems have been good financial investments, producing a healthy return. In addition, they are recognizing the v alue of many less tangible benefits (e.g. improved morale, lower turnover, increased efficiencies, and improved unrestricted relations). A rigorous four-phased process of(i) Assessment(ii) Design(iii) Implementation and,(iv) Operation and evaluation helps organization design effective conflict management systems to reap the upper limit benefits of conflict management.The above four phased approach to conflict management, encourages the Conflict Management System (CMS) team to in truth seek to understand and incorporate the needs and interests of all affected constituencies and create an environment in which benefits of the CMS system can be effectively communicated, implemented and adminstered.5.3 Conclusions productivity losses add up quickly when workplace conflict is not pro-actively and successfully managed. Over a number of days, months and years, multiplied by the number of employees affected, the trustworthy money value lost can be staggering. It is evident that there are tremendous advantages to pre-emptively deal with conflict in the workplace before it escalates beyond an organizations ability to resolve, or , worse , even contain it.A well intentional CMS can have a significant positive impact on the quality of life if its employees, as well as its bottom line. Specifically, addressing the cost of conflict in the workplace can have a transformative impact on the overall health and wellbeing of an organization. 5.4 RecommendationsThe management of an organization needs to focus on the best methods of handling conflicts and their resolution. This may involve(I)Management groomingThe training may have several components which may include(a) The introductory partThe training should high spot the various causes , effects and outcomes of conflict situations. This will help to lower the frequency of destructive conflicts and reduce the impacts on the organizational operations. Such training would afford the trainees the necessary greater sense of se lf-awareness in dealing effectively with all types of conflict situations. Implementing a well -thought out training program to address the harmful effects of conflict is like performing preventive medicine. 12the other components of the training would include(b) Conflict cognizance training Communication Training(d) Negotiation Training(e) Manager Awareness(f) apathetic third -party InterventionsB) increase supply SalariesIn order to motivate employees, the management should consider raising the salaries of employees as away of do them to perform effectively.C) Improving the Management of the CompanyA deliberate effort and resources should be employed towards management development . The Management development should be tailor-made towards enhancing the managerial skills and interpersonal skills of management staff thus ensuring proper management of the organization. Again the management should be encouraged to adhere to the rules and regulations, procedures and laws governing industri al relations thus having good working relations with staff.D) Staff Participation and Team workingTo avoid negative stereotyping and disjointed communication, the management needs to focus on improving the participation of staff in decision making in the company besides ensuring that proper communication between employees themselves and between employees and management is cordial thus eliminating negative feeling and other forms of undesired practices amongst staff, which may strain their working relationships.13 inditeDubin Robert. Human Relations in Administration quaternary Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Prentice- Hall, 1974.Hersey, Paul, and Kenneth H. Blanchard, Management of Organizational behaviour, present moment Edition.Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Prentice- Hall, 1974.Douglas McGregor, The Human Side of Enterprise (New York McGraw- Hill, 1960) Abraham Maslow, Eupsychian Management (Homewood, Illinois Richard D. Irwin, 1965), pp. 17-33 Harry Levinson, Th e Exceptional Executive A psychological Conception (Cambridge, Massachussets Harvard University Press, 1968), pp. 204-7.Chris Argyris, Personality and Organization (New York Harper Torchbooks,1957), Chapters III andVII. Argyris, pp.232-37Argyris, p. 234Fredrick W. Hertzberg, The Wise Old Turk Harvard Business Review, September- October 1974, pp. 70-80.Joseph L. Massie and John Douglas, Managing A Contemporary Introduction (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey Prentice- Hall, 1973), p.219.14AppendicesQuestionnaireForewardI am a student of Mount Kenya University, taking an undergraduate degree class in the field of Human Resources Management. As part of the requirement for the fulfilment of the course work, I am required to carry out a research study on the effects of Conflict in the workplace. I have chosen y ourorganization, as the most potential one because of its size, convenience and reputation for the purpose of the study. I have prepared worldwide questions regarding the subject mat ter to enable me gather information andgain the much needed insight. The information given will be treated with utmost confidentiality and purely for the academic purpose. Kindly give the most appropriate responses by ticking one of the options providedName departmentPosition / Rank1. What are the main causes of conflict within the organization? Poor ManagementPoor RemunerationLack of training and skillsIncompetence amongst staff2 . What effect does conflict have on employees productivity? Poor PerformanceLack of MotivationDistorted PerceptionsNegative Stereotyping3 . What is the most effective Conflict Management method?Avoidance quislingismOpen confrontation secrecy feelings154 . What kind of conflict management strategies does your organization use in resolving conflict in the organization?AvoidanceCollaborationOpen confrontationHiding feelings5. What are some of the costs associated with conflict in your organization? disoriented Man-hours due to conflictAbsentieesmLost busine ss due to delays in executing jobs mash inefficiency6 . Does the organization have conflict awareness training programme for its management? Yes.No.If the answer to the above question is yes, please give the dates and how many times in the recent past7 . What kind of conflict awareness training does the organization offer to its management? CommunicationNegotiationNeutral Third partyCoaching16