CONFLICT MANAGEMENT FOR EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE IN AN ORGANIZATION (A CASE STUDY OF AKWA IBOM STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY)

posted on September 6, 2018

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT FOR EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE IN AN ORGANIZATION (A CASE STUDY OF AKWA IBOM STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In any organization conflicts arising cannot be ruled out, the need for the study on conflicts and the management of conflicts that may arise in an organization. For any organization to succeed and grow, meeting its goals and objectives for setting it up, the issue of conflicts arising should not be overlooked just as the management of these conflicts should be seen as important in order to bring about the attainment of organizations goals and objectives.

Firstly, conflicts can be defined as a disagreement in which parties involved perceive a threat to their needs, interest or concerns. Conflicts tend to be accompanied by significant levels of misunderstandings that exaggerate the perceived disagreements considerably.

Another simple definition to the word conflict may mean a situation in which people perceive a threat that could be emotional, physical, power, status etc to their well being. Conflicts are normal experiences within the work environment. They are also, to a large extent predictable and expectable situations that may arise as we go about managing complex and stressful projects in which we are involved in. as such, if we develop procedures for identifying conflicts likely to arise, as well as systems through which we can constructively manage conflicts, we may be able to discover new opportunities to transform conflicts into a productive learning experience.

In understanding conflicts, there are a level of difference in the positions of the two or more parities involved in the conflict, but the true disagreement versus the perceived disagreement may be quite different from one another, if we can understand the true areas of disagreement this will help us solve the right problems and manage the true needs of the parties involved. In further understanding conflicts, there are often disparities in our sense of who is involved in the conflict. Sometimes people are surprised to learn they are a party to the conflict, while other times we are shocked to learn we are not included in the disagreement. On many occasions, people who are seen as part of the social system (e.g’ workplace, team, family etc) are influenced to participate in the dispute, whether they would personally define the situation in that way or not. People readily take sides based on current perceptions of the issues, past issues and relationships, robs within an organization and other factors.

People respond to perceived threats, rather than the true threat facing them. Thus, while perception doesn’t become reality parse, people behaviour feelings and ongoing responses become modified by that evolving seems of the threat they confront. If we can work to understand the true threat (issues) and develop strategies (solutions) that manage conflicts, we are acting constructively in managing the conflict.

Conclusively however, workplace and organizational conflicts tend to be more complex, for they involve ongoing relationship with complex emotional components. Stating simply, there are always procedural needs and psychological needs to be addressed within the conflict in addition to the substantive needs that are generally presented. It is therefore pertinent to state that conflicts in an organization cannot be ruled out, the need therefore for this study, and the possible ways in which some of these conflicts in an organization can be managed for the effective performance of the organization so that the goals and objectives of the organization are attained.