Overt and covert conflict in the workplace

‘Industrial conflict manifests in many forms, such as turnover, absenteeism and strikes. Outlawing strikes will not reduce conflict – there would just be a shift to more covert forms of conflict, such as absenteeism and turnover.’ Critically discuss.

Introduction-

· State topic

· Definition of industrial conflict, outlawing strikes, absenteeism

· List body topics

Body 1-

Body 2-

Body 3-

Conclusion-

Conflict is a never-ending issue in many work places. Industrial conflict is expressed and presented in various forms such as turnover, absenteeism and strikes. Outlawing strikes however will not reduce conflict, there would just be a shift to more convert forms of conflict such as absenteeism and turnover.

Industrial conflict is ‘dissatisfaction or disagreement in the employment relationship leading to hostile acts by either employees or employers’ (pp. 363). Strikes are defined as a ‘withdrawal from work by a group of employees in order to enforce a demand, to resist a demand or to express grievance (pp. 365). Conflict can be analysis in a three-stage process. The processes are description, explanation and prescription. In the description stage the process that takes place is to identify the systems or manifestations of the problem. In order words, how do we recognise that there is a problem in the work place? The next stage is explanation. Diagnose the cause of the problem. What are considered to be the factors that explain why the conflict has occurred in the form it occurred. Lastly description. Offer a solution based on the identified systems and diagnosed causes, provide a remedy that will overcome the problem.

There are many different forms on industrial conflict that exist. They are overt, convert, individual, collective, proactive and defensive. Overt conflict is conflict that occurs in the open and is easy to perceive. Convert conflict is conflict that is hidden or concealed. Eliminated overt conflict can lead to an increase in covert conflict. Individual conflict is actions taken by one individual such as absenteeism. Collective is actions taken by a number of people in support of a common claim or grievance such as a stoop work meeting. Proactive is conflict to improve working conditions, earnings or other aspects of the employment relationship. Defensive is to protect against decisions made by management or some other authority, that alter employment decisions.

‘Given the many forms of conflict and the covert, individual nature of some of them, it is not clear that strikes cannot be equated with industrial conflict’. An absence of strikes does not mean a lack of conflict. It may mean that conflict is expressed in some other costly form.

Absenteeism is a temporary absence by an employee from the workplace, (pp. 373) there are two kinds of absenteeism. Involuntary absenteeism and voluntary absenteeism. Absenteeism is one of the most common ways employees act when in very stressful or confrontational working condition (bray 372).

Labour turnover is the rate at which employees resign from their employment.