HRM Report: Conflict Resolution, Ethics, and Interview Techniques

This report, prepared for the BUSM4590 People and Organisations course, critically analyzes key Human Resource Management (HRM) practices. It delves into the resolution of dysfunctional conflicts within organizations, exploring various conflict management strategies such as collaborating, competing, compromising, accommodating, and avoiding, with examples from Marks & Spencer. The report also examines the promotion of an ethical organizational culture, highlighting the role of training, mentoring programs, and rewards and recognition in fostering ethical behavior. Furthermore, it explores different questioning techniques used in job interviews, including closed, open, probing, leading, loaded, funnel, process, and rhetorical questions, to ensure effective information gathering. The report concludes with recommendations for improving conflict resolution, promoting ethical practices, and enhancing interview processes, supported by relevant literature and workplace examples. The report emphasizes the importance of open communication, teamwork, and ethical conduct in achieving organizational goals.

HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Resolving dysfunctional conflicts between employees................................................................3
Promoting an ethical organisational culture.................................................................................5
Interviewing job candidates using questioning techniques..........................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource Department of a company focuses on implementing various practices
and activities that helps in effectively managing the business operations and activities. The HR
practices are focused for developing the organizational culture and behavior of employees in a
way that it leads to accomplishment of overall goals and objectives. Marks & Spencer is a British
multinational retailer business that offers wide range of products and services to its customers.
The company focuses on implementing different HR practices that ensures smooth functioning
of business activities and also satisfies employees. The present report explains about relevant
theories and workplace examples for explaining different practices implemented by organization.
The report further provides well-supported and set of logical recommendations which are related
to literature or with theories provided.
MAIN BODY
Resolving dysfunctional conflicts between employees
Dysfunctional conflicts may happen between employees at the workplace. Dysfunctional
conflict may refer to a kind of conflict that may lead to bring decline in the group performance or
may also create communication gap. The employees' attitude, ego and their competing ambition
may lead to create dysfunctional conflict within the workplace. For example, incompatibility,
recognition, behaviour of other employees or their reaction acts as a source of dysfunctional
conflict. Thus, Marks & Spencer focuses on implementing effective HR practices that can
resolve the dysfunctional conflicts happening between employees at the workplace.
The HR practices of Marks & Spencer also ensures that employees move towards
effective conflict style which promotes functional conflict rather than dysfunctional conflicts.
For example, Human Resource Department of Marks & Spencer guides its employees for
making use of different styles for handling conflicts and selecting effective conflict handling
mode (Banfield, Kay and Royles, 2018). Company makes use of preferred way for dealing with
conflict and this serves well in different business situation. Following is given different conflict
management strategy which are used by HR for resolving dysfunctional conflicts.

Illustration 1: Conflict management or resolution styles
 Collaborating: In this style, managers encourage employees to work in team and in
collaborative way so that it develops a win-win situation. Collaborating approach focuses
on developing a solution that effectively meet everyone's need and want.
 Competing: This style is considered as an aggressive one and can be adapted when any
urgent and quick decision needs to be made at workplace (Conflict-Handling Modes,
2017). For example, Marks & Spencer makes use of this style when someone is taking
advantage of certain situation.
 Compromising: Every person gives up something which further contributes for
resolving the conflicts. For example, company can make use of this style when conflict
resolution is important as compared to making individual win.
 Accommodating: This is considered as the most passive methods for resolving the
conflicts as every individual gives in something for other persons to get what they want.
For example, this conflict resolution approach can be used when maintaining relationship
is more essential as compared to winning (Sun, Liu and Chen, 2018).
 Avoiding: This style describes that employees need to avoid the conflicts entirely in
order to resolve it. Employees adapts this style and avoid confrontation, accept certain
decision without asking any questions and also delegates difficult task and decisions. For

example, Marks & Spencer makes use of this conflict resolution method when they know
that it will resolve itself in the near future on its own.
HR practices also ensures that it effectively promotes the functional conflicts at the
workplace as it is considered as good and effective for business. Functional conflicts provides
various benefits such as it promotes healthy exchange of views, ideas and creative thoughts.
Human Resource Department of Marks & Spencer ensures that it effectively transforms and
builds the conflicts into decision-making process.
Promoting an ethical organisational culture
Organizational culture is considered as the method that describes about how a company
function. The organisational cultural is driven by effectively combining the different leadership
practices or styles, organisational culture and various program implemented and adapted by
company (Yu and et.al., 2018). Marks & Spencer aims at implementing ethical workplace
culture that gives priority for rights of employees, fair procedures and also promotes equity for
promotion and pay. The ethical practices also promote compassion, tolerance, honesty and
loyalty regarding the treatment of employees and customers as well. Following is given brief
theoretical description about HR Practices which are implemented by Marks & Spencer for
promoting ethical behavioural and culture.
Training and mentoring Programs
Human Resource Department of Marks & Spencer focuses on providing guidance, training
and mentoring programs so that it helps in promoting the ethical organisational culture
(Vasilopoulos And et.al., 2018). For example, training and mentoring program implemented by
Marks & Spencer develops the workplace in such a way that it consists of established codes for
personal and professional conduct which stays in compliance with all the governing laws and
regulations of business.
It is necessary for company to implement the ethical organisational culture otherwise the
unethical behaviour may bring impacts on company’s profits as because a million dollars fines
are levied on corporations that are practising unethical behaviour. HR aims at implementing
ethical and moral practices within workplace so that it can make Marks & Spencer a great place
for working. The benefits of training and mentoring of HR practices includes ethical behaviour

and practices builds the best products and services, do not cause unnecessary harms and uses
business for inspiring and implementing solutions regarding the environmental practices. Marks
& Spencer ensures that ethical training and mentoring programs needs to:
 It helps people for understanding the ethical judgement philosophies and also heuristics
of decision-making process (Sun, Liu and Chen, 2018).
 This HR training and mentoring program helps in addressing the various areas of ethical
concern within workplace organisation.
 This teaches employees and members about the ethical expectations and rules of the
company.
 Mentoring program assist employees for understanding their own tendencies regarding
organisational ethics.
 These programs take a realistic view while it also elaborates on problems and difficulties
within ethical decision-making process.
Rewards and recognition
Ethical behaviour of employees can be effectively developed by recognizing their efforts
and also rewarding them for the same. Marks & Spencer focuses on building and promoting
ethical organisational culture by making use of effective HR practices and activities.
Performance management practices of Human Resource may help in effectively recognizing and
rewarding the candidates and promoting ethical corporate culture. Rewards and recognition
practices of HR serve as an effective tool within the Marks & Spencer organisation for
promoting organisational culture that is based on the ethics (Building an ethical culture, 2019).
For example, Marks & Spencer promotes ethical business culture by pushing the rewards
and recognition activities and practices so that it elevates and also boost morality of employees
(Riivari and Lämsä, 2019). Business organisations can also implement quarterly awards that
demonstrates about values and norms of company, integrity and ethical practices on the part of
employees. This brings great results and outcomes for company and also helps for evolving
around the ethical behaviour and business culture.

Interviewing job candidates using questioning techniques
There are different types of questioning techniques that are used by marks & Spencer for
ensuring that it leads to effective and open communication. The different questioning techniques
used by HRM also ensures that required information is acquired effectively. Marks & Spencer
makes use of various questioning techniques in the interview process as it is said that answer
which interviewer gets entirely depends upon the questions being asked to candidates.
Closed questions: This type of questions have short answers such as, “yes” or “no” or may be in
a word or two (The 8 essential questioning techniques you need to know, 2018). For example,
“What is your name?” or “Where did you go to College or University?”.
Open questions: This requires more thought process and it also encourages respondent for
having more elaboration and discussion (Hoffmann and Musch, 2018). HR of Marks & Spencer
can ask questions like “Why did you choose this job?” or “What do you think about this
discussion?”.
Probing question: HR can ask this type of question in the interview process so that it can gain
clarification and also encourage people for telling more information on a specific topic or
subject. For example, “Tell me more specifically regarding your career goals and objectives
within the organisation.”
Leading questions: HR asks this type of questions to lead the respondent towards particular or
desired routes. For example, “What do you prefer, XYZ or ABC, as this both have similar
features?”.
Loaded questions: These questions are considered as straightforward and closed questions. HR
prefers this type of questions to be asked in interview process as this contains assumptions of the
respondent (Hoffman and Malone, 2018). For example, “What is the biggest risk that is taken by
you?”.
Funnel questions: HR asks this type of questions in order to diffuse the tension and it helps in
building effective relationship. For example, “What sort of behavior do you exhibit and expect?”.
Process or Recall questions: HR prefers this type of question in the interview process as in this
respondent includes their personal opinions in the answers (Fotohabadi and Kelly, 2018). For
example, “What benefits can you bring to this company that other candidates cannot?”.

Rhetorical questions: HR asks this type of questions for persuading people and also building
effective communication and engaging them in the interview process. For example, “Isn't it good
to work with collaborating and friendly team?”.
CONCLUSION
Every business organisation aims at developing organisational cultural in such a way that
employees feel satisfied and motivated. The Human Resource Department of company plays an
important role and focuses on effectively managing the human resources and business activities.
Different practices are adapted and implemented by business so that it can achieve great results
and also overall objectives of company. The report explains about HR practices that helps in
resolving the dysfunctional conflicts happening between employees. 2 Key human resource
practices are described in brief that helps in promoting ethical business culture. Further some
questioning techniques are given in brief that are employed during the interview process. These
techniques ensure that effective communication happens and also required information are
acquired in the process of interview.
RECOMMENDATIONS
HR practices aims at helping employees for understanding their preferred conflict
handling mode so that it does not create any dysfunctional organisational conflict. Organisation
also needs to focus on encouraging team work and collaboration so that it leads to bring effective
results and also does not create conflicts (Folse, 2018). Employees needs to be encouraged for
adapting to suitable styles for handling the conflicts in effective way and promoting the
functional conflicts within the workplace. The conflict situation needs to be considered and its
effectiveness as well before choosing any resolution. Open communication needs to be
encouraged as it will help in reducing and easily resolving the conflicts at workplace.
The culture of the workplace effectively brings influences on the employees’
performance and their behaviour as well (Banfield, Kay and Royles, 2018). Thus, Marks &
Spencer needs to focus on promoting various other HR practices that supports and assists ethical
organisational culture. Company can also draw clear lines that states about the aftermath for
indulging in various unethical practices or fraudulent actions. For example, Marks & Spencer
can create HR practices that focus on identifying the unethical or fraudulent actions and taking
actions against such activities.

HR team of Marks & Spencer needs to focus on asking variety of questioning techniques
to candidates in the interview process (Driskill, 2018). The questions should be formed in a way
that it leads to acquire all relevant and required information from the candidates. Selection and
recruitment of candidate needs to be made on the basis of candidate's performance in the
interview process and their responses.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Banfield, P., Kay, R. and Royles, D., 2018. Introduction to human resource management.
Oxford University Press.
Driskill, G. W., 2018. Organizational culture in action: A cultural analysis workbook.
Routledge.
Folse, V. N., 2018. Communication and conflict. Leading and Managing in Nursing-E-Book,
p.123.
Fotohabadi, M. and Kelly, L., 2018. Making conflict work: Authentic leadership and reactive
and reflective management styles. Journal of General Management. 43(2). pp.70-78.
Hoffman, P. T. and Malone, D. M., 2018. The effective deposition: techniques and strategies that
work. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.
Hoffmann, A. and Musch, J., 2018. Prejudice against women leaders: Insights from an indirect
questioning approach. Sex Roles. pp.1-12.
Riivari, E. and Lämsä, A. M., 2019. Organizational ethical virtues of innovativeness. Journal of
Business Ethics. 155(1). pp.223-240.
Sun, H., Liu, J. and Chen, H., 2018. Communication in Human Resource Management. Human
Resources Management and Services. 1(1).
Vasilopoulos, T. and et.al., 2018. Understanding conflict management styles in anesthesiology
residents. Anesthesia & Analgesia. 127(4). pp.1028-1034.
Yu, Y. and et.al., 2018. Questioning supports effective transmission of knowledge and increased
exploratory learning in pre‐kindergarten children. Developmental Science. 21(6).
p.e12696.
Online
Building an ethical culture. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategic-hr/building-ethical-culture-11468 >
Conflict-Handling Modes. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<http://tutorials.istudy.psu.edu/conflictmanagement/conflictmanagement4.html>
The 8 essential questioning techniques you need to know. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.typetalk.com/blog/the-8-essential-questioning-techniques-you-need-to-
know/>