Conflict Management And Organizational Productivity
(A Study Of Akwa Ibom Water Company
Limited, Uyo)
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background Of The Study
Attitudes toward conflict in Organizations have changed considerably in the last thirty years. Robbins (2004) traced this evolution. He emphasized the difference between the traditional view of conflict and the current one, which he calls the interactionalist view. The traditional view of conflict was that it was unnecessary and harmful. They believed that conflict world develop only if managers failed to apply sound management principles in directing the organization or if managers fail to communicate to employees the common interests that bind management and employees together. Conflict in the traditional view was seen as being avoidable and optimal organizational performance requires the removal of conflict.
The traditional view of conflict started to change as behaviour scientific researchers and management writers begun to identify causes of organizational conflict independent of management errors and as the advantages of effectively managed conflict started to be recognized.
The current or interactional view is that conflict is organizations are designed and operated. This view still suggests that much conflict is in fact; dysfunctional it can harm individuals and impede the attainment of organizational goals. But some can also be functional because it May make organizations more effective. Conflict can, lead to search for solutions. Thus, it is often an instrument of organizational innovation and change. From this perspective, the task of managers is not to suppress or resolve all conflict but manage its aspects. Such management may even include the stimulation of conflict in situations where its absence or suppression may hamper the organization’s effectiveness.
1.2 Statement Of The Problem
“A conflict situation, as any dramatist would attest to, is much more exciting to the spectator than peace”, Robbins (2004). It is not surprising, then, that our local newspapers carry reports of organization conflict almost on daily basis. It has also been observed that organizations’ embark on strike action frequently for one reason or the other.
Workers too, most often, lay complaints about the attitude of management towards particular issues, behaviour of their superiors and colleagues. Conflict theorists are however, divergent in their views about the functionality of conflict while some scholars see conflicts as an aberration arid unpleasant intrusion into industrial peace; others see it as a normal and useful social phenomenon in the industrial relations theatre. Thus, for the former, conflict is dysfunctional while to the later, it is functional.
There arises the problem and the researcher intention was to find out the validity of these theories in practical field. Therefore, the relative efforts of organizational conflict on management were investigated in this study and Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited, Uyo was chosen as the case study.
1.3 Objectives Of The Study
This study was carried out with the following objectives in mind:
To know the methods of resolving conflicts in organizations;
To know the impact of conflict on organizational productivity
To know the effect of conflict on workers
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated as a useful guide to the execution of this project.
What is the nature of conflict that occur 1 in organizations?
What are the causes of the conflict?
What are the various ways in which conflict is controlled as resolved in organizations?
What are the effects of conflict on workers?
What are the negatives and positives impact of conflict on productivity.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses were developed for the study and are stated here in their null form:
There is no significant relationship between conflict management and organizational productivity.
There is no significant relationship between conflict management and workers performance.
Conflict resolution does not lead to industrial harmony in organizations.
1.6 Significance Of The Study
The significances of this study are:
It will help managers to identify the causes of conflict and provides information to them on the best ways of resolving them.
It is hoped that the findings of this study will contributes to the awareness of the importance of conflict to any organization.
It will provide necessary information to the area of working environment and atmosphere
This study will be of immense use to employers of labour and all those concerned in management of business
It will assist future researcher to arrive at valid and reliable conclusions.
1.7 Scope And Limitation Of The Study
Owning to the obvious constraints of time and funds, this research study concentrated in Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited, Uyo management staff and other employees were contacted as sample for the investigation.
The study would have extended its scope beyond this but for time constraint so the time did not permit a wider coverage. Luke-warm attitude of the respondents affected the outcome of the world. The researcher also noticed scarcity of research materials as well as scarcity of information by some relevant authorities.
1.8 Definition Of Terms
Organization: It is an organized group of people. It is a plan of the company’s structure indicating all the jobs, their relationship with each other, their functions and the duties involved as well as the authority and responsibilities associated with them.
Conflict: It is a disagreement between individuals and groups within the organization stemming from the need to shares scares resources or engage in interdependent work activities or from difference in status, goals, or culture.
Management: Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the works of organization members and of using all available organizational resources to reach stated organizational goals- Managerial performance is the measure of how efficient and effective a manager is – how he or she determines and achieves appropriate objectives.
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