Improving Workplace Relationships Through Conflict Management

This essay delves into the critical role of conflict management in fostering positive professional relationships within the workplace. It begins by defining conflict management and highlighting its importance in resolving disagreements and improving outcomes. The essay explores various causes of workplace conflict, such as differing values, perceptions, and inequalities, emphasizing the need for individuals to develop conflict resolution skills. Key skills discussed include effective communication, active listening, and maintaining a positive attitude. The essay also examines the benefits of conflict management, including improved employee performance, increased productivity, and higher staff retention rates. Furthermore, it discusses the importance of emotional intelligence, patience, and conflict competence in managing workplace conflicts effectively. The essay concludes by emphasizing the significance of conflict management in building strong employer-employee relationships and creating a harmonious work environment.

Skills for Higher
Education

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Learning about conflict management that help to improve professional relationship at the
workplace.....................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Conflict management is the approach of being determine and handle issues sensibly. In
other word, it is the process of eliminating negative aspects of conflict and improving positive
outcomes of conflicts. Such management plays efficient role within workplace such as
employees who understand conflicts then they easily resolve all issues effectively. Today’s
world conflict management must practice by individuals because it will lead extensive
understanding to manage issues precisely and builds dynamic capabilities in them. In this essay
will discuss about learning about conflict management that supports to enhance professional
relationship within workplace.
Learning about conflict management that help to improve professional relationship at the
workplace
Conflict is the general part of the life that occurs between two or more than two people. it arises
when two people or large group of people are not agreed with common statement then initiates
argument later on become conflict issue for everyone. Conflict arises in both small and large
level so it will not good to say it just issue. There are various reasons of conflict occurrence such
as when two or more than two people are disagree in respect of values, perception, motivation,
ideas or desires. Such disagreement often messes’ up relationship between people i.e. team
member. As same concept implements for the workplace whereas occurrence of conflict is quite
normal because there are lots of people who works together within workplace. There are various
conflict issues such as unfair treatment with staff member, harassment, discrimination, gender
inequality and others that arises in the workplace (Burr, 2016). When a workplace occupies wide
number of diversities in people that situation also arises conflict issues because there is lots of
people who keeps difference from each other in term of age, sex orientation, gender, language,
culture and others. So, it is essential for all people to understand about conflict consequences
then they can deal with situation effectively. Workplace conflict is quite dangerous as compared
another place because there are lots of employees who works in particular platform. If two
employees argue with employer then others can easily provoke that destroy relationship between
employer and employees as well as brings negative publicity in the business market. To achieve
all goals and objectives effectively resolves all conflicts by management practices in the

workplace. So, it is essential that individual must have conflict management practice then they
can keep their wellbeing within workplace for long time (Einarsen and et.al., 2018).
Workplace conflict can be decreased effectively when individuals develops skills and practices
them effectively to deal with conflicts. Effective communication skill is the one of the best
practices that helps to determine issues that takes place of conflict. Leaders and managers of the
company have such skill then they can communicate with staff members to understand their
issues and raise creative solution to resolve conflicts. Another is active listening skills that must
have in individuals because it makes them more sensible to understand things as well as reduces
conflict issues. If individuals communicate with each other and gives proper time to keep their
viewpoints in the workplace that brings strength in the workforce and influences them to
cooperate each other. Positive attitude is another approach that also helps individuals to become
optimist in each situation and keeps them sharp to deal with conflict issues effectively. Only a
positive attitude of individuals keeps them diversified from others because a positive prospect
lead creativity in their resolution process and keep them flexible in each situation either
favourable or hostile. Conflict management approach become one of the most famous approach
for the companies because today’s world all companies have occupied diversity within
workplace in order to gain competitive advantage as well as stay long run in their business
sectors (Kay and Skarlicki, 2020). Whereas conflict management approach plays productive role
within workplace because with this approach managers or leaders understand issue of diverse
staff then maintains their wellbeing by resolving their issues effectively. There are other skills
that supports to improve professional relationship within workplace by effectively conflict
management. Such as:
Emotional Intelligence is the approach of reading and understanding individuals’
emotions as well as themselves. This approach includes number of skills such as self-awareness,
self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. If individuals have effective emotional
intelligence skill then they can deal with all situation and quite successful as compared others
because if any unfavourable situation occurs in front of them, in that phase they can creatively
effectively instead of resistance or panic. It is highly essential for the conflict management
because it resist escalation. According to this approach if individuals directly communicate with
other people calmly instead of provoking them (Lewis, Heathershaw and Megoran, 2018). It

also supports to improve communication, management, problem-solving as well as builds strong
relationship between management and employees. Patience is another effective practice that
give huge contribution to eliminate issues within workplace. leaders and managers must have
patience because sometime conflict or issues are not resolved in right manner, even the solution
is quite obvious. With this approach managers or leaders can understand others by
communicating them effectively and allows individuals to share their viewpoints regrading
conflict, either solution is clear or not. The reason behind is that most of the time rushing
towards solution can make people feel like they have left-out in decision-making process. Thus,
manager or leader can establish strong relationship. Conflict competence is another approach
that can develop management or leader in themselves. With this ability management or leaders
enables to use emotional, cognitive and behavioural skills to deal with conflict management and
raises productive outcomes of conflicts within company. When management or leaders’ posses’
high understanding of conflict management then they can understand needs and expectation of
individuals at the workplace which can take place of conflict. Thus, management fulfil all needs
of employees regrading workplace that will maintain wellbeing of them and builds professional
relationship between them.
As same concept for the staff members such as when individuals have good conflict
management practice then before arguing with someone, they actively understand other
employees then keeps their viewpoint. Thus, such conflicts do not impact on among employee’s
professional relation and encourages their wellbeing with company. There are various
organizations that avoids conflicts or does not give any response regrading issues which occurs
in the workplace as result reduces employee retention ratio and brings weakness between
employer and employee relation (McKibben, 2017). To build healthy professional relationship,
commitment and morals needs to understand needs of employees by employer and take effective
initiatives to make them feel that they are valuable part of the company. It is actual that if staff
member feels themselves more comfortable that raises different views in them. Apart from this
when complaints or concerns are listened by management that will strength relationship between
employer and staff members.
Significance of conflict management for the workplace

When people posses’ high understanding about conflict management then it brings major
benefits on the workplace of company such as it influences performance of individuals because
employees concentrates to improve their working efficiency instead of sticking with conflict
issues. Apart from this, managers or leaders also enables to improve individual’s performance by
enhancing employee engagement. Effective conflict management also improves productivity of
staff within workplace as well as motivation. For example, when leaders or managers keeps fair
treatment within individuals that automatically remove conflict issues as resultant, they like to
give high attendance within workplace. It also brings high retention of staff member in the
company. For example, when company are highly active for the conflict management then it is
quite obvious that employees like to keep continue in the company. Conflict management is also
considered one of the motivational factors. There is an example to understand this statement such
as when employees are treated fairly within workplace and resolves their all issues related to
workplace or employee engagement by management and leaders that will maintain their
wellbeing and influences them to give high performance at the job place, so, it is included into
motivation factor. Reduces cost is another benefit of conflict management (Valentino, 2017).
For example, when employer takes effective initiative to resolve conflict issue of employees that
leads satisfaction in them for the job. Then it became easy for the company to retain talented
staff for long time as result that enhance ability of management to make productive decision.
Management can take new initiative more effectively with the support of staff members. High
employee retention rate within company decline recruitment and training costs.
CONCLUSION
This essay provided understanding that conflict management is a effective approach for
the organizations because it supported them to manage their staff members effectively and
influenced them to give high performance within workplace by resolved their all issues related to
workplace, discrimination, salary and others. it has been discussed about skills that required to
practice conflict management more effectively such as emotional intelligence, open
communication, patience, positive attitude and others. it further has been concluded benefits of
conflict management such it boosted professional relationship between employer and employees.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Burr, M.W., 2016. Organizational conflict management systems in small business.
Einarsen, S and et.al., 2018. Climate for conflict management, exposure to workplace bullying
and work engagement: a moderated mediation analysis. The International Journal of
Human Resource Management, 29(3), pp.549-570.
Kay, A.A. and Skarlicki, D.P., 2020. Cultivating a conflict-positive workplace: How mindfulness
facilitates constructive conflict management. Organizational Behavior and Human
Decision Processes.
Lewis, D., Heathershaw, J. and Megoran, N., 2018. Illiberal peace? Authoritarian modes of
conflict management. Cooperation and conflict, 53(4), pp.486-506.
McKibben, L., 2017. Conflict management: importance and implications. British Journal of
Nursing, 26(2), pp.100-103.
Valentino, C., 2017. Conflict Transformation not conflict management: The key to sustainable
diversity management. The Journal of Health Administration Education, 34(2), p.243.