Power and Conflict in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Power and Conflict in the Workplace - Essay Example This paper will discuss how power and conflict arises in a workplace. In a workplace, conflicts are endemic and inevitable. As stated above, there are several issues in a workplace that cannot be ignored. In most cases, these issues are related to the social and personal livelihood of an individual. Thus, these aspects can result to a serious conflict in the workplace. Power in the workplace is considered a vital aspect in the organization. Most organizations have an organizational chart that shows the hierarchy of the employees (Woods, 2010). Research asserts that the continual bickering and conflict within an organization has a severe impact on the business. This is because the relationship between the employees is entirely deteriorated. This highlights that conflict in the workplace is an unavoidable condition. In certain cases, the conflict in an organization can be beneficial. For instance, if the employees have conflicting opinions, the aspect of creativity is substantially enh anced. Conflict in the workplace can also provide a clear insight into some of the weighty issues involving the company (Kusy & Holloway, 2009). However, resolution of conflicts is extremely difficult. The executives of the organization are supposed to identify some of the sources of the conflict to address them properly. There are several sources of conflict including lack of clarity, power struggles, lack of communication, conflict of interest and limited resources among others. According to several scholars, these are the main sources of a conflict in any organization. The employees in most corporations are involved in conflicts when there is the lack of clarity. The aspect of clarity in an opinion related to the organization, which may lead to a turf conflict within the organization (Woods, 2010). Therefore, the executives in an organization are supposed to provide a clear job description to all employees in the organization. Nowadays, most individuals require adequate resources to do their work. Most organizations have even included the employees in the resource allocation process in order to enhance better allocation decisions (Zhang, Dhaliwal & Gillenson, 2011). Furthermore, employees can be involved in conflicts of interest whereby they fight over personal goals. The misunderstanding between the employees can cause a vast setback in the organization. The employees are advised to make sure that their efforts and personal opinions should correspond with the strategic business goals of the organization. In addition, power struggles are also considered as a main source of conflict in most organizations (Gramberg & Teicher, 2006). Power is defined as the force that is used to achieve a set goal. In the contemporary society, the aspect of power is portrayed in a negative way. The need to have control over most of the projects handled in the workplace creates conflicts in the organization. Power struggles can also lead to segregation which entails suspicion, gossiping and ultimate conflict. The election of new executives also leads to various unpredictable policies in the organization (Sorenson, Morse & Savage, 1999). Lack of clear policies enhances conflict. Also, conflict involves exercising the power of an individual to control the resources in the workplace or even influence behavior. For individuals to utilize conflict in a