Part 1 of 3 3-part series “Employee Relationships – Causes of Conflict.”

As you are well aware without your employees the wheels of progress would come to grinding halt. Your staff is indispensable. But one thing I guarantee that you have encountered conflict and disputes with and between your employees. Disputes come with the human element and stem mainly from conflict, rumor and backbiting.

Your company is made up of individuals. All of these individuals come from diverse backgrounds. It is a fact that individuals think differently and communicate uniquely. Those characteristics make conflicts highly probable. First the cause of the conflict needs to be determined.

Five causes of conflict (Booher, 1999)

• Personality – one individual may be an introvert and the other an extrovert.

• Goals – consider two driven employees having their objectives conflict.

• Values – the most difficult disputes concern individual values. Values are very deep seeded in a person’s life and are therefore important.

• Issue – consider two employees wishing to take vacation at the same time.

• Facts – these facts are sources, authorities and definitions.

Conflicts will always be a concern.  Will resolving conflicts make projects and your business run more efficiently? The answer is a resounding, YES!

Specifically when individuals are brought together for a team project, barriers can arise from one or more of three sources:

• Your company

• The team leader

• Team members

Your company may lack resources: time, money, or supplies. The team leader may be unwilling to take risks, share information and ultimately share leadership of the group. Team members may fail to provide and solicit feedback, work with minimum supervision, or speak up when he or she disagrees with the team leader or team members.

References

Anonymous. (1999 Spring). Resolving Workplace Disputes [7 pages], The Canadian Manager. Available: http://proquest.umi.com/pdqweb?Did=00000004038758&Fmt=3&Deli=1&Mtd=1&Idx=42&Sid=1&RQT=309

Booher, D. (1999). Resolving Conflicts [  pages], Executive Excellence. Available: http://proquest.umi.com/pdqweb?Did=000000041232562&Fmt=4&Deli=1&Mtd=1&Idx=27&Sid=1&RQT=309

Cook, C. (2004 May), Rules of Engagement; Tips for playing a winning marketing game. [2 pages] Network Journal. Available: http://proquest.umi.com

DeVoe, D. (1999). Don’t Let Conflict Get You Off Course [  page], InfoWorld Publications. Available: http://proquest.umi.com/pdqweb?Did=0000000043775269&Fmt=1Deli=1&Mtd=1&Idx=2&Sid=1&RQT=309

Jain, S. (1999). Marketing: Planning and Strategy. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing.

Meyers, J.R.. (1999). To Build A Team, You’ve Got To Tear Down Walls [   pages], Purchasing. Available: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?Did=000000043827692&Fmt=3&Deli=1&MTD=1&Idx=3&Sid=3&RQT=309

Searle, L. (2002), Has talent, needs customers. [6 pages] Strategy & Leadership. Available: http://proquest.umi.comTweet