Kultura konfliktu w organizacjach

The objective of the paper is to identify the sources, to describe the process, and to characterise the out¬comes of conflicts occurring in modern organisations. The notion of the culture of conflict refers to the en¬tire range of accepted formal (legal and administrative) and moral norms which regulate collaboration and problem solving in an organisation. The present analysis uses papers (written by Master’s programme stu¬dents) about case studies of conflicts in the workplace. 130 case studies have been selected out of 300 as supplying the most qualitative and comprehensive information. Three groups of conflicts were discerned: 1). those which were provoked by incorrect managerial decisions; 2). those arising from organisational dysfunc¬tions, and 3). conflicts of moral and ethical nature. The procedure of appointing unit executive officers is one of the most serious sources of conflict among employees. The risk of this kind of conflict can be re¬duced by holding opinion polls in which workers can make their expectations known, explaining the reasons for candidate selection, introducing newly appointed persons to their teams and supporting their initial activ¬ities. Inflexible and high-handed management style can be regarded as another source of dispute. Monopo¬list power is often used to favour some persons or to discriminate others. The hard style of management demotivates subordinates, reduces scope for initiative, provokes explicit or latent objection. Conflict creates an atmosphere of competition, especially when it is the main tool of organisational management. Social in¬teractions dominated by competition carry a high risk of mobbing and may lead to the loss of confidence and solidarity. Prior studies have described cases of employees privileged thanks to close private relation¬ships with their superiors. As a consequence, other members of staff lost motivation for conscientious work, while their sense of justice was undermined. The paper concludes with some generalised observations.