"Conflict in the Workplace" Abstract

Conflict is defined as “competitive or opposing action of incompatibles: antagonistic state or actions”. In the business world, conflict is something that management must deal with constantly. Tension between workers, between the workers and their supervisors, between levels of management, and almost any other combination imaginable within an organization are all possible sources of conflict. Many businesses encourage creative tension as a way to spur the workforce and encourage competition as a way to move the company forward and motivate people to maximize their efforts. Additionally, as companies go to new methods, like Self-Directing Teams, new types of conflicts can arise which have not been seen before and will require new solutions. However, there are instances where this conflict goes too far, or is not occurring in a way that is productive to the company, and then it must be dealt with in a way that allows both parties to resume their duties without fear of recurrence. This paper will look at some of those conflicts that can arise in an organization, and the steps that can be taken to resolve those issues and improve the workplace environment for all employees.