Chapter 3: Conflict Management

Question 1

Outcomes of Functional conflict

Answer 1

• Conflict may lead to an awareness of issues
• Helps team members consider different ideas and thus be more participation from team members that are more susceptible to “group-thinking”
• Misconceptions are cleared
• Individuals views are cleared

Question 2

Possible outcomes of Dysfunctional Conflict

Answer 2

• Creates an environment of mistrust
• Increased levels of anxiety and stress
• Lower work morale
• Blaming, gossiping, backstabbing
• Increased staff turnover
• Waste of time
• Violence

Question 3

Reasons for conflict

Answer 3

• Different personalities that want different things, egos get in the way
• Different cultures, backgrounds, and values creates different perspectives, sensitivity training is needed to learn how to respect different cultures
• Poor communication leads to memners interpretting information differently or information not reaching the correct place/person in time, barriers of communication must be removed
• Change creates discomfort and resistance because it’s more comfortable to do what is familiar
• Competition between employees may create a negative attitude and thus lower productivity and motivation
• Previously unresolved conflict may erupt later in the future and escalate, the manger must deal with conflict immediately

Question 4

Role issues related to poor communication

Answer 4

• Role ambiguity: Team members are not sure of the role they play
• Role overload: One member has to do more than they can cope with
• Role Conflict: More than one person attempts to do the same task

Question 5

Change management

Answer 5

• The business must manage change in a way that allows the business to face challenges effectively
• Create a two-way communication with employees to ensure a better buy-in from them
• Training employees in the new way of doing things to ensure they remain competent
• Create buy-in form the leader so other emloyees can look up to them and cooperate with the change

Question 6

Conflict resolution Approaches

Answer 6

• Accomodation: The person will not be assertive and will compromise their own agenda for the other person in order to resolve the conflict
• Avoid: Person may ignore the issue, get someone else to solve it, withdraws from the situation, or avoids till a later stage.
• Collaborating/cooperating: All parties will try to come to an agreement that suits everyone
• Competing: The party will under no circumstances compromise their agenda and will do everything in their power to win, usually because a person value is involved
• Compromise: All parties will find a solution that fully/partially satisfies their needs by finding a middle ground

Question 7

Work place forum

Answer 7

• A mechanism where employees and employers can make joint decisions on issues(except wages)
• Only for businesses with >=100 employees
• Must have employee representatives and management(no third parties)
• Only exists when a trade union representing majority of employees goes to CCMA and files for a WPF

Question 8

Employer organisations

Answer 8

• COFESA: Confederation of Employers in South Africa
• NAPE: National Association of Private Employers
  Cover issues like:
• Implementation and maintainance of labour law
• Employment contracts
• Training and development
• Disciplinary and grievance procedures

Question 9

CCMA

Answer 9

• Conciliation: Both sides are listened to and given a chance to come to an agreement
• Mediation: The CCMA representative will make a recommendation as to how to conflict can be resolved
• Arbitration: Arbitrator will make a decision as to how the conflict will be resolved, the decision is legally binding on all parties
• Conarb: When conciliation and arbitration happen on the same day

Question 10

Issues that the CCMA provides training for

Answer 10

• Disciplinary procedures
• Affirmative Action programmes
• Workplace restructuring