Benchmarking informal approaches to managing workplace conflict
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Line managers are failing to handle workplace conflict effectively and frequently cause conflict to occur, the latest XpertHR Benchmarking research suggests. Line managers are the party most frequently tasked with resolving instances of workplace conflict informally. But many employers have serious doubts as to whether or not they are up to the task. Just over half of organisations surveyed by XpertHR say that their line managers are either ineffective or very ineffective when it comes to handling workplace conflict. |
This figure rises sharply in the public sector to almost three-quarters of organisations.
These are among the key findings of the 2011 XpertHR Benchmarking survey on managing workplace conflict, which focuses on how employers manage workplace conflict and settle disputes via informal approaches, rather than via the formal discipline and grievance route. The survey is based on responses from 190 organisations with a combined workforce of 340,284 employees.
Are line managers exacerbating workplace conflict problems?
Line managers could actually be making the problem of workplace conflict worse. The survey suggests that ineffective line management is one of the most common causes of workplace conflict:
- Two-fifths cite ineffective line management as an occasional cause of workplace conflict, while a further one-third say that it is a frequent cause.
- By sector, ineffective line management is significantly more likely to be an underlying cause of conflict in the public sector than it is in the private.
Subscribers to XpertHR Benchmarking can drill down into the complete benchmarking data from the 2011 survey on managing workplace conflict.
Workplace conflict levels are on the rise
Levels of workplace conflict are on the rise in 2011. Two-fifths of employers report that the amount of time spent resolving individual workplace conflicts has increased over the two years since 2009. Nearly half said it was unchanged, while fewer than one in 10 reported a fall.
Key findings on levels of workplace conflict between individuals include the following:
- On the whole, employers tend not to view the level of workplace conflict at their organisation as excessive - just over half describe the level of workplace conflict as "low," while two-fifths say that it is "average."
- Levels of conflict increase in line with size of organisation. By workforce size, the smallest organisations report the lowest levels of workplace conflict.
- By sector, public sector employers tend to deal with a higher number of instances of workplace conflict than those in the private sector.
Types, causes and consequences of workplace conflict
The survey reveals the following about the types, causes and consequences of workplace conflict:
- By far the most common types of workplace conflict are disagreements between employees and their line managers and those between employees on the same team.
- The four most common causes of workplace conflict are: ineffective line management; personality clashes; lack of effective performance management; and perceived bullying/harassment.
- The most common consequences of unresolved workplace conflict are: low team morale; increased absence; recourse to formal disciplinary or grievance procedure.
Dealing with workplace conflict
The survey also looks at the ways in which employers deal with workplace conflict:
- HR facilitation is most the commonly used tool for informal management of workplace conflict, followed by an open management style.
- More than half of respondents say that managing workplace conflict takes up to 10% of HR's time. A further quarter say that it accounts for between 11% and 25%. One organisation in 25 says that it takes up more than 50%.
You can also access XpertHR's detailed written analyses of the survey
findings on workplace conflict, looking at: levels and causes, management tools and techniques and mediation practices.
Michael Carty, benchmarking editor
