Power and Conflict within Organisations

Definition of Conflict:

Conflict is where two groups or individuals disagree or clash about particular things and they will argue or debate until a solution arises. Usually a conflict arises when people have different views or opinions on a certain subject. Conflict is not necessarily only a bad thing, as in some circumstances in can be used to make changes for the better, for example during World War Two, had we not disagreed with Hitler, we would now be under his rule! Businesses try to minimise conflict as much as possible in order to help maintain a friendly working environment. Conflict is apparent when at least one party perceives that it exists.

Conflict at school:

During my time in secondary school, I recall a time when conflict arose between me and my team mates as to who should be captain of our school football team. People were unsure as most individuals in the starting eleven wanted to be captain. The issue was resolved in the end because the manager picked me to be captain. If he had not stepped in, the conflict may never have been resolved. I had however suggested that we could have a team vote where none of us could vote for ourselves, and this was a suggestion which was regarded warmly amongst my team mates. It was not however needed, as our manager decided that he wanted me to be captain due to my contribution to the team on and off the field. Being good friends with everyone on our team, meant there was no argument when our manager named me as captain and as he had authority over all of us, his word was law and there could be no disagreement.

Sources of Power:

There are five different sources of power:

· Reward Power
· Coercive Power
· Expert Power
· Legitimate (Position) Power
· Referent Power

Reward power is one way of resolving conflict within an organisation. When an employee performs well, rewards such as a pay rise, or work recognition will keep the employee happy and therefore reduce conflict and also possibly increase motivation. Subordinates comply to a manager’s requests because they expect to benefit. Reward power is more likely to be associated with a democratic style of leadership. An example of reward power would be a manager giving a box of chocolate to an individual who has performed well and completed his/her designated tasks on time. Reward power is basically giving the employee an incentive to work harder and can be used to boost motivation and create friendly competition. Managers who use reward power may find that staff respond positively and are willing to offer ideas and suggestions as well as taking on more roles and responsibilities.

http://www.simonstapleton.com/wordpress/2007/12/17/the-five-sources-of-a-leader%E2%80%99s-power-and-how-and-how-not-to-use-them/


Coercive power is the exact opposite of reward power. Instead of using rewards, it uses punishment. Fear is the controlling factor with this source of power. This power is the perceived ability to punish those who do not comply with the ideas and demands set for them An example of a person who has this power would be a school teacher as they have the power to give detention’s to, suspend, and in some cases even expel students who do act badly and against the rules or do not complete set tasks. My first ever detention was given to me simply for forgetting to bring blue socks to football as these were our school colours.

Expert power involves people who have particular expertise, skills and knowledge. Leaders with these attributes have the power to make decisions as subordinates are likely to recognise the leaders’ expertise and be willing to follow their suggestions. The more important and unusual the expertise, the greater the power associated with it. An example of a leader with expert power would be Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United. He is an expert at managing football teams, and former Manchester United players who played for him go to him for advice regularly, e.g. Steve Bruce (manager of Birmingham City) and Mark Hughes (former manager of Manchester City).

Legitimate (Position) power derives from a person’s position or job in an organisation. Legitimate power increases as you move up the hierarchy of an organisation. An example of a person in a position of legitimate power would be the Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Research in multinational companies shows that employees say that legitimate power is the major reason for why they follow their bosses’ orders.

(Chapman.T 2006, Applied Business, Collins, Hammersmith, London)

Referent power derives from a leader’s charisma. People are more likely to follow the lead and listen to instructions from someone they like and admire. Many employees identify with managers who hold referent power, seek their approval and also use them as role models. Subordinates identify with a charismatic leader, and they are more likely to believe in and work hard to achieve the leader’s policies and goals. As employees and subordinates share the same beliefs and goals, it encourages interaction between managers and subordinates. Anyone in a business may have charisma and be well liked, regardless of their status; therefore meaning that referent power can be used at all levels within an organisation. An example of a person with referent power is Cheryl Cole. She is popular and attractive and many people worldwide look up to her and try to be like her.

Strategies to Overcome Conflict at Work:

It is important for an organisation to try and minimise conflict. In order to do this, organisations an organisation must:
· Ensure Human Resources department sets out fair policies, such as equal opportunities and equal pay in order to ensure all employees feel and are treated equally.
· Have disciplinary procedures in place to protect in case of conflict situations, e.g. bullying or fighting.
· Clarifying goals and objectives with employees will help employees avoid misunderstandings and therefore avoid conflict with other employees on the task.
· Have a bonuses and rewards system in place for if employees work hard, behave appropriately and complete the set tasks in order to help increase their motivation and reduce the likelihood of conflict.
· Ensure employees have good communication, are involved in decision making, and are given the chance to talk about any problems or issues they may have. Managers need to involve their staff with decisions that are made so they feel that they are involved. For example, if a manager isn't communicating much with the employees, the employees might begin to dislike their manager and lose motivation. Employees need to feel that they are able to talk about any problems they may have in order to avoid possible future conflict.

Conflict situation:

A conflict I witnessed recently, arose when my best friend’s girlfriend started claiming he no longer cared as much about her as they barely saw each other anymore and he was so busy with work, he did not have much time for phone calls. The situation has not yet been resolved, because there is very little communication between the two. I know for a fact that my friend is very busy with work and has very little free time, however I also know that he has not really explained this to his girlfriend, or told her of how he feels for her, as he has told me. Perhaps if they were able to communicate more during his free time, and he explained to her that he still does care very deeply for her, the conflict will be resolved.

Conclusion:

Conflict in any organisation is inevitable. People just need to try and minimise it as much as possible, and avoid it from getting out of hand. Conflict should be used as something positive as a new view and changes can be brought up to help run organisations more efficiently and effectively. Sometimes Conflict allows an organisation to become a better place to work in because it allows people to speak their minds and put their opinions across in order to clarify a point. However if a conflict is not dealt with quickly, it could lead to a worse situation which will be harder to resolve and therefore could create a bad image for the organisation.

References:

· Management and Organisational Behaviour Mullins (2007) Pearson : Essex
· (Chapman.T 2006, Applied Business, Collins, Hammersmith, London)