Functional conflict in an organization serves a purpose, such as the interest, while dysfunctional conflict threatens the organization (Kinicki A. Kreitner R. 2008 p. 277). There are five antecedents of conflict: overlapping or unclear job boundaries, inadequate communication, unreasonable or unclear policies, standards or rules, unreasonable deadlines or extreme time pressure, and competition for limited resources (Kinicki A. Kreitner R. 2008 p. 77). Overlapping or unclear job boundaries are common in workplaces. I personally experienced this when working as a receptionist for a company. Within three months of starting the job, I was asked to assist with a patient by another employee and willingly did so. However, this led to being assigned various tasks like ordering supplies and checking in patients which resulted in my work overlapping and causing delays in submitting paperwork to the department that required it for their work.
After discovering that there were no boundaries to my job, I spoke with management about the issue. They informed me that my responsibilities would be increased and promised to send a letter outlining these changes. However, two weeks later, I chose to resign from the company due to an overwhelming workload. If I had known about these additional duties when I was first hired, it would have helped me make a better decision about accepting the position. Insufficient communication can have detrimental effects on a company, highlighting the significance of efficient employee-employer communication for organizational success.
If the company had communicated the upcoming changes beforehand, I would have taken them into account before resigning. However, my colleagues informed me about management’s instructions instead. It should not have been my responsibility to seek information from management; a notice should have been sent to all employees. I firmly believe that this would have been an effective form of communication. It is crucial to highlight any unreasonable or unclear policies, standards, or rules prior to an employee starting their job. For instance, there have been cases where a company policy or rule was ignored.
This policy is focused on diversity, which is considered one of this company’s best qualities. Working in the human resource office exposes me to various experiences and observations, but one particular situation has stayed with me. An individual who possessed all the qualifications the company was seeking was ultimately not hired because, according to one of my coworkers, they already had sufficient representation from that particular group. When I inquired further about this statement, the coworker explained that the company strives to have a certain number of employees from different backgrounds and had already met their quota for that specific group, thus preventing the hiring of that individual.
Unreasonable deadlines or extreme time pressure can result in employees being overwhelmed by receiving multiple tasks in the morning and expected to complete them by the end of the day. This overwhelming workload can lead to stress, potentially causing mistakes that negatively impact the company. Furthermore, limited resources like funds for specific projects may create a situation where employees must compete with each other to secure those resources for their own work, creating a survival of the fittest dynamic.
According to Kinicki and Kreitner (2008), conflict can have three desired outcomes: agreement, stronger relationships, and learning. In certain job situations, if employees reach an agreement, one struggling employee can receive input from another without any resentment. Cultivating stronger relationships among employees creates a more pleasant work environment where everyone respects each other’s opinions and positions. Additionally, learning is an ongoing process through life, allowing individuals to learn from others as they progress.
Reference: Kinicki, A. Kreitner R (2008) Organizational Behavior: Key concepts, skills & best practices, Third Edition. Boston, New York: McGraw- Hill Company.
