Organizational Conflict Management – Role of HR

3rd Party Role to Dealing with that Conflict

Today in the fastest growing economy, the role of HR as a third party contributes the significant contribution to the management to resolve conflict between top management which includes (directors, boss) and the lower management (supervisor, general employee). Conflict in the workplace is fact of life which nobody can deny. Managing different aspect of employees on daily basis is a complicated task, which consumed a substantial amount of time and energy to manage all this activities. In order to overcome to this conflict between upper level and lower level of management in an organization the giant companies and organization are starting outsourcing their human resources department to the HR professional.

HR professional are getting more popularity day-by-day as a part of third party or intermediary for organization and companies and traditionally they are ones who are responsible for, these include recruitment; benefits plan design, payroll, better communication, retirement service and human resources record keeping service and in medium size companies have their own HR department play same role within the organization and HR consider one the important department in the organization which is linked to every individual department in the organization and it’s their responsibility to provide the right person to the right position in each individual department.

World economy is moving very fast, every companies want to grow internationally and to accomplish their goal and task. Everyone in the organization have to respond on their part which may result conflict in the organization between co-workers to co-worker, boss to employee, manager to employee and question raised how do deal with conflict. Some people in the organization see conflict as a competition win or lose side of an argument and some of them see conflict as a largely positive process of unbridled engagement where they are challenged to think critically and ultimately and more effective solution.

In an organization conflict takes many shape and forms. It can be as overt as a strike by employee over an issue of concern or covert as an individual, unhappy with his or her lot expressing anger and frustration as increased absenteeism, less productivity or disruption. Some conflict are related with managerial decision- making from top level and as result conflict is rise in organization it may between boss to employee, manager to worker or between anyone and at this level the role of HR as third party to come with win-win situation where both the party are mutually agreement of that conflict.

Some problem won`t solve easily in the organization where employee have work-related conflict or disagreement with their top management and due to some power status or informal structure and improper communication. The employee won`t able to solve those conflict easily and they want to other person as third party who can play a neutral role to resolve those conflict and disagreement in workplace and third parties helps your discussion get off to a good start.

The role of HR as third party to make participants to show trust and respect for each other involved in the process and build trust and respect means that those are related must keep the content of the discussion confidential until it’s agreed that the information can be shared with others. Now how third party takes this problem into an account and how they will go to solve the conflict between particular employee and top management (Boss). The third party professional have to look that conflict or issue from both perspective of employee and as well as boss.

The basic step and outline take into the account by third party to resolve that conflict which may include; explore issue, understand interest, develop options, choose the alternative, implement those alternatives, evaluate outcome and celebrate outcome.

As a third party professional before you explore the any issue you must have think on several things. The first step is what is an issue? The reason or subject you need to talk about the problem that needs to solved then how do you explore those conflict? Then second step understands interest? A concern about an issue why you care about the issue. How do you understand interest? Listen for what people need (interest) not what they say they want (position). Then third step is developing option means what is an option? A possible solution that satisfies both the shared and separate interest of the people involved in a conflict. Then how do you develop options? Generates as many option as you through brainstorming with people in the room. Often those who are closest to the best position to suggest option. Then fourth step choose the alternative? An option that resolve the issue by meeting the stated interest of those concerned and provide alternative which is simple, efficient, affordable, acceptable and flexible to the problem. Then fifth step implement the alternative that how do you implement a solution? Come up with the plan and actions which tells you what will be done and how they will do it or whether any special steps need to be included in the way. Then sixth step is evaluating the outcome. Why evaluate the success of the outcome? Measuring the success of what you`ve implemented will let you know whether the solution was correct choice.

Third parties, having an insider’s perspective of the negotiation process, can make public announcements that the domestic audience can easily achieve and understand. Third-party conflict professional can thus help signal the prudence of concessions when the public is hesitant to make them. Third-party conflict management can help challengers save face by counteracting some of the audience costs generated from making asymmetric concessions after initiating a dispute on a salient issue.

References:

Brien, E. O., & Linehan, C. (2014). A Balancing Act: Emotional Challenges in the HR Role. Journal of Management Studies, 15(8), 1257-1281.

Glaister, A. J. (2014). HR outsourcing: the impact on HR role, competency development and relationships. Human Resources Management Journal, 24(2), 211-226.

Gramberg, B. V., & Teicher, J. (2005). Managing Neutrality and Impartiality in Workplace Conflict Resolution: The Dilemma of the HR Manager. WORKING PAPER SERIES