Workplace Conflict Resolution

Workplace Dispute Resolution

It is inevitable that disputes will crop up in the workplace, but at the same time, it is also natural that companies will have some mechanisms in place to smooth out any creases that might occur. This forms part of workplace dispute resolution; an issue so serious in today's corporate times that solutions are sometimes worked into employee agreements themselves. In that way, employees are virtually obliged to agree to a method of workplace dispute resolution in case a situation occurs in future. There might be disputes between the management and the workers, between two members of the management, between two employees, etc. Thus, problems can occur at various levels. Methods for workplace conflict resolution attempt to solve these problems at any stage that they might occur.

Two of the most commonly used methods for resolution are mediation and arbitration, both of which fall under the ambit of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution). The word 'alternative' indicates that these scenarios take no recourse of the law and in that way they serve as economical solutions for the organization. However, there are definite differences between them. While it can be said that mediation is almost an after-process, in that it is put into place when the dispute has already occurred, arbitration is more of a preventive system that is put into place even when there is no dispute presently.

Mediation is used when the conflicting members are not able to negotiate a common solution. In such cases, a third party, known as a mediator, will be used. The job of the mediator will be to help the two parties in communicating with each other, because most people in a dispute will want to avoid each other. The mediator helps in building communication lines between them. The next part of the process is to allow the two parties to speak out their ideas and opinions without interference from the other. The atmosphere is kept as neutral as possible, with and bickering, taunting or even violence involved. When each party has had their say, solutions will be brainstormed.

The job of the mediator will be to recommend some solutions to both parties that would be as benefiting to both as possible. However, the conflicting parties are not obliged to accept these solutions. The process would continue until a mutual consensus is reached.

In today's work community, mediation is not much preferred mainly because it is quite a mild solution and does not always work in the best interests of the company. It also takes a lot of time. That is the reason an arbitration clause is worked into the employee contracts. By agreeing to an arbitration, the employees agree to allow a third party specialist (known as an arbitrator) to decide for them in cases of any dispute in future. Arbitration is among the steps taken by the management to prevent any setbacks in future due to possible disputes. If arbitration is agreed upon, then the decision of the arbitrator will be binding on both the parties locked in a conflict.

Workplace dispute resolution is one of the examples in which companies try to build a peaceful environment to work in and at the same time try to implement some preventive methods of damage control. Both mediation and arbitration are parts of this aspect that aims at bettering workplace environments and making them more benefiting to everyone involved.

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