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Organizational Conflict
______________________________________________________________________________
Torrey Brown
tbrown26@twu.edu
This paper is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Conflict Resolution 5553-70
Texas Woman’s University
School of Management
Dr. Jacqueline Gilliard
May 08, 2015
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Executive Summary
The nature of conflict within the framework of an organization shows some of the facets
of power. The exertion of power is in play constantly as employees vie for positions, attempt to
“climb corporate ladders”, break glass ceilings, and for some to simply maintain their positions
and livelihoods. Conflict has roots in negativity. However, the negative aspects can be used to
create positive outcomes based on the awareness of the conflict. Organizational conflict is
participated in by some that have a smaller stake and less to lose by the failure of teams,
departments, and divisions, than the owners, shareholders, and individual stakeholders.
Background
Boardrooms and offices hold some of the most heated exchanges as power is exerted,
tested, responded to, and succumbed to everyday. Formal power as is coercive power, reward
power, legitimate power, and personal power as in expert power, and referent power are bases of
power that affect relationships within organizations. Whether real or perceived, power is an
integral part of some relationships within an organization. The means by which the power is
exerted speaks to how the parties involved acknowledge the power. The types of power that
follow will show the potential for conflict and how power plays out in the workplace.
This organization is experiencing conflict due to struggles for power across several levels
of management. Upper management has employed middle management to lower the attrition rate
for a department with a high employee turnover. Each level of management has been given the
responsibility of making an observation as to potential causes for loss of employees as well as
possible solutions to retain a higher number of new employees. This task has created division
and dissension among managers as they point to gaps in other managers’ processes, and
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attributing other factors that show areas of needed improvement within the department. Conflict
is escalating as each manager determines reasons for attrition that are within other areas in the
organization.
Distinctions are being made by levels of power as to which areas bear the most
responsibility for the high turnover. Coercive power is revealed as managers in higher positions
of authority are able to deliver fact and opinion with little to no opposition. While front-line, and
lower-level managers are forced to look within their own ranks to find areas of needed
improvement. In an attempt to avoid punishment and negative feedback by pointing out potential
flaws in upper management processes, true progress may be stifled due to fear. Middle to lower-
level managers are hesitant and provided little feedback to their superiors about their superiors.
Among themselves, each level of management is experiencing in-fighting, gossip
and negative comments being made about other groups. As referent power surfaces within
groups, leaders who want to save face and avoid humiliation are able to persuade their peers to
avoid being overly critical of themselves, suggesting their focus should be on areas outside their
own teams. The goal of reducing turnover begins to become second to finding fault in other areas
to avoid negative attention being focused on themselves. An environment of negative
competition is created within the organization which works against the goal of working out
problems that have been unresolved. These issues have caused attrition to continuously be
present at a rate higher than is preferable.
Coercive power is another deterrent from the goal of being transparent with regard to
issues that may lead to employees leaving the organization. This form of power is contributing to
the conflict as the threat of reprimand prevents honest feedback and full disclosure. Receiving a
poor performance review, being demoted or losing one’s job is forced to be considered when
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coercive power in play. Managers are able to use this power to prevent negative information
from being conveyed about their departments.
Referent power serves as a tool by which trust and respect can be used to influence
behavior. Tenured managers as well as those with likeable personalities are able to use this type
of power to persuade others. In this organization, referent power is another barrier to resolving
the issues within the organization. As referent power is wielded, honesty is withheld, as well as
full disclosure is inhibited. Getting truthful answers to questions becomes a challenge and is met
with opposition.
Within teams in the organization, the ways in which conflict is handled is creating more
tension and distance between the true issues at hand and resolution of problems to be able to
lower turnaround. Focus shifts from the situations that cause “fires” to putting out “fires” that
