Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
In every organization, conflicts are bound to arise between employers and employees due to divergent interest between them. There is no meaningful development that can take place in a state of rancor and perennial disputes. Generally speaking, organizational conflict is one of the most prevailing issues in the world today.
Management of industries is concerned with profit maximization, ensuring the survival of the business and long working hours as their goals while employers have profits, sharing fringe benefits as their goals which contradict the others. These divergent goals of management and employees result in dispute of interest and consequently individual conflict.
Organizational conflict as a concept involves total range of behavior and attitude that expresses opposition and divergent interest between individuals and managers (Alters, 1967).
Therefore, it is good for management of industries, workers and even trade unions to have the knowledge of organizational conflicts so as to know how to handle it. Since one must live with conflict the best attitude on effective and efficient execution should be developed towards it. These should be recognized and developed for understanding of ways of managing, minimizing as well as resolving it. It is in view of the foregoing that this research work will look into the types, organizational and resolution of organizational conflict.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Organizational conflict is a common phenomenon in an organization that create problems as a result of discontent, grievances, disputes, misunderstanding and disagreement of workers and management in a work-setting. This has resulted to strike: economic strike, sympathy strike, sit down strikes, slow down strikes and wild cost strikes. (Holly and Jennings, 1980). It is in view of this that this research is undertaken to look into ways of effectively managing and resolving organizational conflict so that there would be harmony in workplace and the society at large. Solving organizational conflict will help the organization to achieve goals and objectives such as:
- Yielding of high production of goods and services
- It enhances the relationship status among workers.
1.3 Research Questions
- Does lack of meaningful dialogue between management and employee responsible for organizational conflict?
- Does leadership style lead to organizational conflict in organization?
- To what extent does difference between management and labour result in conflict?
1.4 Objective of the Study
The purpose of this study is to have an in-depth knowledge of the organizational conflict in an organization and to find ways of its effective approaches and resolution specifically to
- Whether lack of meaningful dialogue between management and employees is responsible for organizational conflict.
- Whether leadership style can lead to organizational conflict in an organization.
- Identify the extent to which goals difference between management and employees can result in organizational conflict.
1.5 Statement of Hypotheses
- Lack of meaningful dialogue between management and employee is not responsible for conflict in an organization.
- Leadership style does not lead to organizational conflict in an organization.
- Goal differences between management and labour should not be extended to the result in conflict.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study is concerned with the nature or organizational conflict and the methods used in solving it, using Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi Edo state as a case study.
1.7 Significance of the Study
The significance of this study is to enlighten owners of capital or managers and workers on the probable used of conflict in an organization, so that they will know how to prevent it from happening.
In cases where there is already conflict, this study will also help them to know the various ways of managing and resolving it.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
In writing the research work, the following problems were encountered
First, it was very difficult to get at the staffs (respondents) as most of them seem to be too busy to atte4nd to research need
Secondly, time was a limiting factor since the researcher is still a student of that institution, Auchi Polytechnic.
1.9 Operational definition of terms
Organization:
This is a place where business activities are carried out and it has people who manage its affairs and those who work for it.
Employer:
This is a person or group that owns an organization and pays people to work for them so that their aims and objectives would be achieved.
Employee:
Is any person or group of persons who received payment for service they render to an organization.
Divergent:
These are different in ideals, thoughts and interests between people.
Economic strike:
Economic strike refers to stoppage of work by workers to gain economic goals such as higher wages.
Sympathy strike:
This refers to work stoppage by employees who have no dispute with their own employer but decided to down tools in support of another striking union.
Sit-down strike:
This occurs when employee report for work daily but do not perform any duty.
Slow-down strike:
This is a situation where an employee works at a slower pace to express a grievance or to achieve a contract demand.
Wild-cast strike:
These are strike which violates provision of the labour agreement.
Motivation:
Is what inspires people or someone to behave in a favorable way.
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