Discussions
Please respond to the below discussion questions:
Discussion #1
The positives (for resolution) and negatives (for resolution) in favor of the management group and in favor of the employee group Conflict in the workplace is sometimes unavoidable especially in an organization in which multiple employees work together. Almost all organizations have employees with different types of backgrounds and beliefs and as a result their opinions could differ. This could be especially true when handling projects in the workplace and also when it comes to compensation as indicated in said case study. While some organizations choose to avoid conflict, others attempt to meet said conflict head-on by the use of a mediator. Some of the positives for both management and the employees alike with dealing with conflict and attempting to find a resolution is the ability for the organization to solve their own problems quickly and in-house. This affords both management and employees to continue their jobs and assignments in the workplace with little to no disruption.
Another positive for conflict resolution to the employees and management alike is reduced tension and animosity in the workplace. Unresolved conflict can result in tension if the disagreement has to stay unresolved. This may result in both management and the employees putting themselves against one another. Employees that believe there is unresolved conflict with management could result in lower morale and negatively impact the overall operations of the organization. The advantages to both management and the employees concerning conflict resolution is that it affords all parties involved to look past their own emotions and feelings in order to make objective and sound decisions. Another positive aspect is that both employees and management alike could learn to interact better and find mutually agreeable solutions during the conflict resolution process. Points of Contention Related to the Positives and Negatives The Employee Survey suggests that there is a general sense amounts employee of Metro Services that they rare treated fairly by management. There appears to be a moderate to strong sense of job security with employees and they generally agree that their salary is fair. There did appear to be a general point of contention with employee's when it came to allowing specialist the ability to negotiate fees with a firm and also when it came to opportunities for promotion.
There can be other points of contention with management if points of contention are unresolved which could blemish the organization's credibility and related record as a high-performance organization. Another point of contention is if the employees ask for an annual bonus despite management believing they already are compensated well and they are paid better than other rival companies. Another point of contention is if the employees form a union that could possibly pit management against the rank-and-file employees. Yet another point of contention could be the result of utilizing a mediator that gets involved and does not understand the nuances of the organization from both the management and rank-and-file perspectives. A time-phased strategy to address the conflict and recommendations for change and resolution.
The Employee Survey suggests that in general the employees of Metro Services are treated fairly by management. There appears to be a moderate to strong sense of job security with employees and they generally agree that their salary is fair. A strategy to deal with the areas of contention from the employee's perspective concerning allowing specialist the ability to negotiate fees with a firm and having the opportunities for promotion. When dealing with points of contention concerning managements perceiving having a blemished reputation to the forming of a union this author will propose the negotiation process occur with select employees and management with the above-mentioned mediator as suggested by Mrs. Islay. This author would propose negotiation occur within a one-week time frame. After the employee's request have been made this author would propose an additional week for management to review the employees request and then bring it back to mediation after they had ample time to assess the situation. The existing benefit package and the 401K incentive can be a bargaining tool for management to bring to the table.
If the employees are also seeking additional compensation, management may propose actually increasing bonuses for the employees if they concede not to unionize. After an additional week this author would once again utilize the mediator during the conciliation process in which hopefully there is a mutually agreeable solution to the employees demands for increased compensation with management. Management may be motivated during the conciliation process to settle with the employees in order to prevent their reputation from being tarnished and related court litigation and arbitration.
Reference
Argosy University. (2017). Conflict Management. Metro Services Case Study.
Discussion #2
Case Study
Unfortunately, conflict in any situation especially a work environment is definitely not good. Distractions take away from the performance of employees caused by some type of conflict. One of the positives of Metro services has been it has employees who have remained with the company in full time positions with contracted companies for at least six months at a time. 90% of the Metro employees have a bachelor's degree and receive a good salary. If conflict is not handled effectively, the results can be damaging. Conflicting goals can quickly turn into personal dislike.
Teamwork breaks down. Talent is wasted people disengage from the work (Sharma, 2014, p. 14). The letter submitted by Mr. James Baker, a one time employee of Metro Services, made employees aware of the substantial financial success of Metro. Based on the survey conducted of the employees of Metro: 80% felt salary was fair 70% felt that they could use their knowledge 64% felt they had job security 90% felt that they could demonstrate their individual performance Because of the Letter provided by Mr. James Baker, employees became aware that the company was making a profit of $8 million annually. Metro Services success has been the result of having a high quality staff. It seems that it is now time that Metro Services should provide a little extra financial incentive to their loyal employees. Extrinsic motivation factors are a reward system or specifically a bonus (de Waal & Roobol, 2014, p. 192). It is becoming common that organizations are providing some type of incentive for their employees including bonuses. The rewards of individuals will be directly relative to the work results of an individual or group.
A bonus system can be seen as a system that rewards performance that is achieved above a pre-set standard (de Waal & Roobol, 2014, p. 193). It may be a good time for Metro Services to implement some type of bonus system. I am sure Metro System would not want a turnover of employees due to dissatisfaction of employees which would definitely jeopardize the Metro Services continued success. Excellent employees with education are hard to come by and the company has been very fortunate to continue to hold on to quality employees.
Reference:
De Waal, A.; Roobol, M. (2014). Applying evidence-based HRM: the case of bonuses in the home furnishing industry. Evidence-Based HRM, 2(2), 192-208. Sharma, P. (2014). Ways of Conflict Resolution Adopted by Supporting Non Teaching Staff in Management Schools. Pranjana, 17(2), 46-55.