Question

Q1. The interactionist view is that conflicts are inevitable and necessary for healthy development.

Summarize the reasons why conflicts are considered healthy in organizations.

Answer 1

Reasons why conflicts are healthy for the organization:

• It can encourage new thinking: though some people think that conflict can create problems, certain people enjoy conflict to an extent because it can encourage new thinking. Conflicts can open up new possibilities & generate new ideas that otherwise may not be considered.
• Conflicts raises questions: organizational conflicts can encourage people to raise new questions by people on both the sides of the issue. Rising of questions can lead to new ideas & breakthroughs that can benefit individuals, organizations & departments. Changes can’t happen if there are no conflicts. Conflict provides an opportunity to reconsider which can result in breakthrough thinking.
• Helps to build relationships: conflicts between organization, departments & competitors can help to build new relationships through mutual understanding & respect. Conflicts can make the leaders to change themselves to some extent so that they start listening to their employees as a result of which employees consider them to be valuable. When employees feel that organization is listening to them they value their work as a result of which they become more dedicated towards their work.
• Conflicts beat stagnation: organizations that are avoiding conflicts are avoiding entry of changes to the organization which can stop the growth of even successful organization. Companies & their staffs who deal conflicts in positive manner can beat stagnation that can open doors to the competitors & challenges the ability & continuity to provide customers with new solutions.
• It can open minds: organizations can provide employees opportunity to deal with conflicts effectively that can lead to innovation. Exploring new ways of dealing with a problem can pave the way of growth both for the organization & its employees.