Most Work Conflicts Aren’t Due to Personality, Article Critique Example

Most work conflicts aren’t due to personality by Ben Dattner

The issue at hand in this article relates to work conflicts and speculations that they are due to the personalities of employees and employers. In this article the author attempts to clarify these assumptions. Emphatically, the writer identifies the situation itself as being the cause of strife in the work environment.Consequently people blame everyone else except the real causative factors whichare institutional, ultimately making incorrect judgments (Dattner, 2014).

These judgments, according to the author, concerning reasons for work place conflict are occurring because of human beings’ evolution. Dattner (2014) cited the human desire to identify and differentiate friend from foe. Insidiously, the friend has to be a person and the foe also. Ultimately, personality is blamed for workplace conflict.

Essentially the relevance of this issue to the problem can be cited in relation to its influence on the industrial relations’ climate. While it is important to maintain a stabled climate void of conflicts, when irregularities occur management along with subordinate staff find it easier to look away from the underlying factors and point the finger at people. More importantly, it is much more difficult to research the issue from an organizational dysfunction level due to its complexity.

Work place conflicts can be minimized if not removed entirely when management establishes structures that enhance cordiality rather than conflicts. Many conflicts emerge when supervisors are not fair in their allocation of tasks, rendering praise or promotion. In some organizations there are distinct favoritism practices when allocating employees’ benefits.This initiates jealousy that has nothing to do with the employee’s personality, but inadequate democratic management.

References

Dettner, B.(2014).Most work conflicts aren’t due to personality. Harvard Business  Review