Effective Conflict Management: Panacea to Organisational Harmony, HR Togetherness, Team Work and Increase Productivity

Abstract

This paper looks at the possibilities that effective management of conflict in organisations can bring about team work, togetherness, increase productivity and sustainable growth and development 21^st century organisations.  In any functional organisations, conflicts occur at different levels and their management and resolution are one of the important issues that need a lot of time and energy on the part of managers and stakeholders. On the other hand, in current management conditions, however, the occurrence of conflicts is an inevitable organisational fact and it is the managers who should undertake to manage the organisations toward sustainability and progress. Therefore, managers must have efficient information and knowledge about how to deal with conflicts. Conflict is everywhere. Every relationship has conflict. It exists inside us. It exists around us. It is natural and inevitable part of all human relationships. It occurs at all levels of the society. According to new approaches to organisation and management, however, conflict is inevitable and a certain level of conflict is inexorable for organisational effectiveness. Due to its nature, an organisation is a fertile ground for the growth and development of conflicts and disagreements. Negotiation therefore, is one of the techniques that a manager can use. In spite of many studies carried out by scholars and practitioners in the area of conflict management over the years, much still need to be done about conflict management and resolutions and factors affecting it. This paper is builds on previous theoretical and empirical studies to determine the extent to which contextual factors and effective conflict management impact on organisational harmony, HR team work, and productivity. The author concludes that sound management of conflict aids proactive and sustainable growth and development in 21^st century organisations.