Difference between Conflict and misbehavior at work
Question
Briefly, explain the differences between conflict and misbehavior at work and between official and unofficial industrial action. In your answer, give a brief review of contemporary trends in the type of conflict and industrial sanctions. The term conflict and misbehavior at work, however, means different things to different people. While to some, conflict involves fighting, trade embargoes., and even war, to others, and especially in the workplace, differences in opinion, personalities, and perspectives often result in tensions, negatively affecting workplace performance
Here we focus on the conflict at work – you can think here of industrial action and of lower-level conflict that might be exhibited in tensions between the employee and line manager. Explain the difference between conflict and misbehavior. Then, with specific reference to industrial action, explain the difference between official and unofficial action. Finally, refer to some data that explains recent trends in conflict and specifically in industrial action. conflict and misbehavior at work
Answer
Wiener and Vardi (1996), define misbehavior as “any intentional action by members of organizations that violates core organizational and/or societal norms.” There is sufficient evidence that members of an organization are sometimes involved in sabotaging processes, harassing others, stealing, misappropriating or damaging company property, cheating the government, and even misleading customers. These are all forms of misbehavior. The underlying thread in the definition of misbehavior is the intention that underlies the misbehavior, leading to the categorization of misbehavior as either type S, whose intention is the benefit of others, such as stealing, or type O, which is intended for the benefit of the organization, such as cheating the government, and finally type D, which is intended to inflict damage, such as damaging company property or sabotaging company processes. Regardless of the type, misbehavior is eventually costly to the company, country, and individuals. Therefore, management should be on the lookout for any misbehavior in the organization and take appropriate action to nip it in the bud.
Unlike misbehavior which is individual-centered, conflict is a natural phenomenon that is bound to occur either in workplaces, associations, or groups, as long as people from different/diverse backgrounds congregate. It increases in frequency, especially where there are expectations that need to be fulfilled, or where the parties involved are meant to stay together for a longer period in pursuit of either personal or corporate goals and targets. The term conflict, however, means different things to different people. While to some, conflict involves fighting, trade embargoes, and even war, to others, and especially in the workplace, differences in opinion, personalities, and perspectives often result in tensions, negatively affecting workplace performance.
In the workplace, conflict includes any type of disagreement that takes place in the workplace or among workers, and potentially includes conflicts that occur between and among workers outside the set working hours. Current definitions of conflicts in the workplace go beyond basic disagreements to include interpersonal conflicts that arise from clashes in personality and difficulties in working with one another, both of which can lead to negative impacts on the organization (Volosevici, 2015). The contemporary definition of conflict also encompasses workplace complaints such as disagreements with organizational policies and managerial decisions, which culminate in conflicts between employees and the employer, or between employees and the employer’s representatives.
Official and unofficial industrial actions
When conflicts arise between employers and employees, there is every reason for efforts to be expended to ensure that they are resolved before they escalate to an industrial action, especially in unionized work environments where conflict and misbehavior at work. Oftentimes, employees conflict with their employers due to a myriad of issues, such as a clamor for better working conditions, better pay, unfulfilled promises, unmet collective bargaining agreements, etc. If these issues are not resolved amicably to the satisfaction of either party, an industrial action may result. In the context of labor relations, industrial action is any action taken by trade unions to reduce productivity in the workplace and often takes the form of strikes, go-slows, overtime bans, etc.
Current trends in labor relations point to increasing levels of unionization (John, 2015). Many employees are voluntarily joining trade unions to protect and enhance their employment interests. When there is an unresolved conflict relating to the above-mentioned issues, between employees and employers, trade unions step in to try and find solutions, failing which they result in an industrial action. An industrial action is ‘official’ if it’s formally backed by a trade union, with members of the union taking part in it. Since industrial actions mean a breach of employment contracts, the proper legal procedure must be followed to ensure that the action is ‘protected’ against unlawful employment actions such as dismissal and lack of pay. Sometimes, some employees may call an industrial action such as a go-slow without the backing of their trade unions. Such actions are deemed ‘unofficial’, are often not protected, and therefore, employees risk dismissal.
Since conflicts, misbehavior, and industrial actions, whether official or unofficial, have a significant negative impact on an organization, it’s important that managers enhance their capacity to identify and manage misbehaviors and conflicts before they destroy their organizations or escalate to industrial actions, which can be very costly. conflict and misbehavior at work Having proper disciplinary mechanisms for discouraging and punishing misbehavior in their organization while effectively managing conflicts reduces the chances of industrial action. Proactive managers should also be able to manage disputes between management and employees before they escalate to industrial actions, which significantly affect productivity. On the other hand, employees must be aware of the legal implications of engaging in industrial actions and ensure that they are official and protected to reduce their chances of being dismissed without recourse.
References
Wiener,Y and Vardi, Y. (1996). Misbehavior in Organizations: A Motivational Framework. Journal of Organization Science, 7(2) pg151-165
John, K. (2015). Conflict: trends and forms of collective action, Employee Relations, Vol. 37 Issue: 6, pp.720-732, https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-06-2015-0102
Volosevici, D. (2015). Trends in Industrial Relations in the European Union. Economic Insights – Trends and Challenges Vol.IV(LXVII) No. 3/2015 117 – 124
