What is Conflict?
The term conflict can be defined as a
disagreement or an issue which arises due to two contrasting ideas or interests.
Brooks (2006) stated that conflict is “apparent when at least one party
perceives that it exists and where an interest or concern of that party is about
to be or has been compromised or frustrated.” (Mary Simpson)
An example of a conflict i experienced was at work when i newly joined. I started working in a care home for elderly people. I realised that some of the older staff were taking advantage of the new staff as we were being asked to do tasks which were not set for us. I was in my shadowing period and was supposed to be watching other staff doing their duties as i did not have full training so i was not supposed to be doing any physical work, however instead of showing me procedures and the rules and regulations of the care home i was being asked to do things like emptying the dishwasher, the laundry and making hot drinks. I was not being shown around and did not get an opportunity to shadow the old staff properly, this was a huge disadvantage for me because i was working with vulnerable people and needed to know exactly what to do in challenging situations and how to provide a safe service for them, but in order to do this i needed some guidance and watch how things were done.
Also there was some staff who did alot less work than others, they relied on myself and some co-workers to complete the day to day duties before the end of the shift. This put me in alot of pressure. Staff had formed a circle of friendships so they would spend too much time talking and giving orders rather than pulling their own weight, there was poor communication between some of the old staff and the new staff members. This is also a type of interdependence conflict as i felt i was taken advantage of and certain co-workers were relying heavily on my input in order to get our work completed by the end of the shift. I finally decided to have a quiet word with two of the staff who i felt were not doing their job adequately, that's when the conflict started as they became aggressive and rude to me. They were not happy that i had approached them and did not like me telling them what to do. I felt awkward and uneasy around them and i felt i had made matters worst by approaching them.
Ways I dealt with the conflict
Firstly i had a quiet word with the staff about the lack of interest and the lack of work they were doing. This did not help at all because they felt they had more previous experience than me and knew much more about the job than i did. As this issue did not improve i then went to the senior nurse and made a complaint. She then began to keep a close eye and monitored what was going on, without letting any other staff member know about it. She would occasionally pop in and observe the way staff were working in a team and individually. This helped because she realised that friendship groups had formed in the care home and some staff were not treating their co-workers as they would like to be treated.
She also realised that the new staff were doing much more work that certain old staff and there was a lack of communication between us. A staff meeting was arranged and all staff had to attend, she talked about what she observed and talked about the importance of team work. During this meeting we did some team work exercises. During the exercise i realised that everyone has a different way of working and learning. We were able to bring different ideas and skills together and combine them so that we could improve the work we were doing and to support and encourage each other. This brought the group closer and I got to know the staff a little more than I did before.
Thirdly a suggestion box was put in the main office so staff and visitors could have their say and put in any complaints and opinions that would help make the care home a better place and to improve the service we provide for the patients. The suggestion box was a good idea because we could keep our complaints, queries and opinions anonymous.
French and Ravens 5 sources of power
Reward Power has the ability to bribe people into doing something by giving them what they want in return. Reward can be anything from money, or certain objects which one finds desirable, or even precious words from the mouth, a handshake or a pat on the back. Caffe Nero use this type of power as their employees get a free drink and doughnut on a daily basis as long as they provide excellant service and work to the best of their ability at all times.
Expert power consists of one individual having certain
knowledge or skills that the rest of the group or team do not have or might lack. This is a
very common form of power and is often used by Trade Unions when they promote
their members to strike for better pay or working
conditions. another example can be an expert accountant influencing how junior accountants learn and undertake their tasks.
Legitimate Power refers to actual power to control an event/organisation or a country. Examples of legitimate power
can come from managers and the president because his authority is due to his position in a chain of command. Sometimes people who have this type of power often forget
that people are not obeying them but instead obeying the position they are
working in.
Referent Power comes from another individual
respecting, being inspired, and idolising a certain person. This is the power of
charisma and fame, celebrities, footballers and also leaders can come under this category of
power. Gandhi had this type of power as he was able to inspire and influence people with
his speeches.
Recent Article on the News Linked to Work Related
Stress
Well-designed, organised and managed work helps to maintain and promote individual health and well-being. But where there has been insufficient attention to job design, work organisation and management the benefits and assets associated with ‘good work’ could be lost. http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress
Work related stress is not an illness itself but can be
the foundation of many illnesses. Organisational stress can be defined as a
negative reaction workers experience due to extreme pressure and, or having too
much demands placed upon them.
(Mary Simpson, Lecture
Notes)
"Work-related stress can kill, study finds" this is a recent article on work related stress which can lead to illnesses such as heart disease and depression these can be caused from working long hours, as it consists of unmanageable workloads that exceed the person’s capacity and capability to cope. The article further mentioned work related stress is a significant cause of illness and disease and is known to be linked with high levels of sickness absence, staff turnover and other indicators of organisational under performance - including human error.
(Michael Kahn 2011)
Employees are given more time off work when it is due to
stress related illness compared to other illnesses. The average length of an
employee taking leave from work due to stress is 21 days; this is a large amount of days off and has a negative impact on businesses
financially.
References
References
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