Conflict - Right where it really happens!

Organisational conflict is like an iceberg - most of it is hidden in the fabric of everyday interactions in contrast to the tiny portion which appears above the visible horizon in the form of dramatic confrontations, public disputes or in formal grievance channels or resolution procedures.   In fact we often don't even call it conflict until it has become public, heated or resulted in some collateral damage.  Organisational conflict has come to be seen as a correctable failure rather than the growing pains of a living dynamic entity and a pervasive if not essential element of organisational life and interaction. 

Conflict is endemic in organisations and contrary to belief, not always problematic.  J. K. Galbraith said  "The picture of the great corporation as a peaceful cooperative of its participants is more than highly improbable, it is extraordinarily fraudulent.  It depends on a compelling commitment by all parties not to avoid dispute, conflict and hostility but to keep it out of sight". Most of us who have had experience of working in organisations would probably agree, on reflection, that is more or less what tends to happen.  Most disputing is informal, controlled and "below the conflict radar" though potentially no less damaging to an organisation.

So what is our experience of the secret conflictual life of organisations?  Some have stories of gossip, collusive sub-grouping and conspiracies, others of theft or sabotage, yet others of resentment, depression, stress and illness - much of which can be attributed to unacknowledged or unresolved conflict.  Some simply give up hope of having their voices heard and sink into a lethargy of compliance, apathy or irresponsibility.  Many are afraid to assert their needs, rights or points of view, while some fail to blow the whistle on serious misconduct or malpractice.  Some just can't be bothered yet feel secretly ashamed at being lesser human beings for not caring enough.  A few, in positions of power, fight each other to a standstill and bring themselves and their organisations to the brink of destruction, and sometimes over it, with great financial loss and personal suffering as I have unfortunately witnessed in the case of owner directors.

Much personal conflict is non rational and processed in our minds, hearts and bodies  - most of which is hidden from external observation.  Our awareness, emotions, thoughts, defences and plans of attack, motivations and suffering often occur in secret whether for self-protection or potential advantage.  We know that internal conflict can bring about indecisiveness, lack of coherence or even personality disintegration in extreme cases.  Why should we expect any less of our groups and organisations? 

To understand organisational conflict we need to pay much more attention to the way that conflict is lived out in our organisations rather than just focusing on formal, rational and public methods of fixing it as we tend to do at present. We know on a personal level that acknowledging and surfacing the conflicting elements of personality can bring about de-stressing, integration, increased effectiveness and vitality.  The same is true for organisational conflict.  Much of the work to be done requires illuminating the hidden conflict - bringing it to consciousness and acknowledgement.

Public acknowledgement of being in conflict somehow confers an affirmative status on protagonists, an acknowledgement of one's right to conflict - to be treated seriously.  Getting to this stage is therefore important.  However, many conflicts never get publicly acknowledged because one party (usually the more powerful one) does not acknowledge the grievance of the other.  Sometimes it takes someone with greater power than the dominant party to act as advocate - to use their leverage to establish the right of the less dominant party to be heard and engaged with.  This is very different from a powerful third party imposing a solution or acting as arbitrator, which tends to undermine both parties.

Similarly in organisations, new or emergent perspectives, meanings or values are often defined as merely attempts to undermine the dominant one thus denying them the status or right of a separate, equally valid, fledgling but conflicting perspective or stance.   In such circumstances the conflict then tends to go underground or gets displaced into safer territory and issues or personalised, thus distorting and occluding the original tension, which remains hidden, while continuing to undermine the organisations effectiveness and vitality.  It also becomes increasingly difficult to discern what the conflict is really about or to free up the organisation amidst such displacement and distorted behaviour.  Good leadership or eldership by credible figures can support new or emergent voices and hold the space for dialogue and inquiry between parties.

Research shows us that the way hidden conflict is acknowledged and surfaced can significantly influence the success and even the likelihood of a positive outcome.  This requires valuing and building informal conflict handling competence.  However the defining emphasis in most current management theory on harmony and cooperation militates against the surfacing of conflict rather than encouraging it.  Much of the conduct of conflict remains consigned to the shadow side of the organisation and is likely to remain so unless its potential value is appreciated and harnessed.

Tips for Resolving and Transforming Organisational Conflict:

Recognising suppressed organisational conflict can be difficult because of displacement and distortion: signs can include behind-the scenes gossiping, coalition-building, disloyalty, ongoing bitching and complaining that is not pursued, feigned helplessness, camouflaged resistance, non-cooperation, unreturned phone calls, irritating minor rule-breaking, passive-aggression, lack of responsibility, recurring miscommunication, pointless personality clashes, and especially combinations of these which are usually denied or deflected when confronted.

Conflict is often rooted in organisational structure and culture.  How conflict is dealt with relates to issues of social/organisational control and change.  Inquiring into how conflicts are enacted, into how members actually respond to the organisations ways of controlling them can be illuminate how organisational energy is sidetracked or drained.  It is important to differentiate between those structural tensions in organisations that are beneficial and those that are not.

Prevailing management theory emphasises cooperation and harmony and tends to view expression of conflict as asocial and disruptive or abnormal.  The tendency is to avoid, control or frame conflict as a problem to be solved through better decisions or communication.  As a result existing systems and structures go unchallenged and conflict is often personalised or deflected away from structural, cultural or value issues.  Exploring what is at stake and what is at risk, what is being sustained and what is being threatened may help surface the underlying assumptions that need to be confronted.

The way conflicts are handled often tends to reinforce already established power and authority relationships especially if, as is so often the case, they are addressed in an inquisitorial or adjudicative manner or avoidance and tolerance predominate.  Such conflict almost inevitably recurs albeit in different forms.  Creating space for inclusive, off-line expression and inquiry, which can take place outside the boundaries of position, rank and power, is needed if the underlying issues and the generative forces of the conflict are to be addressed.