Topic

An investigation of the factors that caused conflict and strategies to mange conflict in Lins Limited.

Aim
The purpose of this study is to investigate the causes of conflicts in Lins limited.

Objectives
To find out:
The possible causes of conflict in, Lins limited? What strategies Lins limited use to deal with conflicts? When would each strategy be implemented?

Methodology
The methods that were used to collect data for the study are interview and questionnaire. The interview consisted of 8 question .the interview was conducted on December 30,2011 with Mrs. Messalina Lin who is the Human Resource Manger of Lins limited . Mrs. Messalina Lin was chosen for the interview because she deals with management of people within the organization and the research will most likely get accurate information and she would be able to answer the entire interview question as she is qualified to do so. The questionnaire consists of a total 10 question of which 2 are open ended and 8 are closed ended. 3 was geared towards the objective of this project, while the rest was ask addition to obtain better information on the topic. These questions were issued to the organization on November 20, 2011. The method of sampling use was random judgmental sampling as the Human Resource Manger issued the questionnaires to the person whom she felt would appropriately answer the question these questionnaire were issued to 12 females and 8 males of different department . Primary source data was used as well as secondary source such as text book and the internet. The researcher design was qualitative as information about the nature and characteristics of the situation are stated.

Description of Business
Lins Limited purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees and sells them, along with fresh, rich-brewed coffees, Italian-style espresso beverages, cold blended beverages, a variety of complementary food items, coffee-related accessories and equipment, a selection of premium teas and a line of compact discs, primarily through its Company-operated retail stores. Lins Limited also sells coffee and tea products and licenses its trademark through other channels and, through certain of its equity investees, Lins Limited produces and sells ready-to-drink beverages which include, among others, bottled Frappuccino coffee drinks and lins Double Shot espresso drinks, and a line of super premium ice creams. All channels outside the Company-operated retail stores are collectively known as Specialty Operations. The Companys objective is to establish Lins limited as one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world. To achieve this goal, the Company plans to continue rapid expansion of its retail operations, to grow its Specialty Operations and to selectively pursue other opportunities to leverage the Lins brand through the introduction of new products and the development of new channels of distribution. The Companys brand portfolio includes super premium Tazo teas, Lins hear music compact discs, Seattles best coffee and torrefazione italia coffee. Lins Limited was established on January 11, 2010. The main company is located on 21 Lewis Street Westmoreland .It opens AT 9 Am TO 5Pm on weekdays and 11am to 3pm on weekends the business currently employs approximately 35 persons.

Module Report
According to the book Management of Business Unit 1 by Peter Stimpson conflict is a natural disagreement resulting from individuals or groups that differ in attitudes, values or needs (pg174). Conflicts lead to lack of understanding of each other views and that in the business being unsuccessful and unprofitable.

Pie chart showing the possible causes of conflict

Possible causes of conflict

30% 40% mangement style competition for scare resource lack of communication

6%

clash of personalities

24%

Fig1 The figure above shows that 30% of workers out of the 20 think that management style, which refers to the way in which managers take decisions and deal with their staff, is a cause of conflict. An abrasive, directive management style can result in disagreement that cannot be

solved because teams or individuals have no way of expressing their views and feelings to senior management. As in any relationship, communication is the key to a strong business relationship. This can be the relationship between business and customer, or, equally as important, the internal relationships among different employees within the company. Communication can be improved in virtually every workplace, no matter the industry or size. After all, it is the only way for information to effectively spread throughout the business so that everybody can be informed to the degree that they required to properly achieve their goals. 24% of workers out of the 20 said lack of communication lead to conflict, poor communication channels often associated with directive styles of management ,misunderstanding caused by the lost message, confused message or the absence of two-way communication channels can lead to unnecessary conflict within an organization.6% say competition for scarce resources ,functional department and work teams will not be able to receive all the resources they believe they need to achieve their objectives .If senior managers allocate resources to one,40% say clash of personalities is the major cause of conflict ,successful organization need people

with strong and distinctive personalities to accept risks, take decision, market products in competitive environment and deals with customers in complaints. These personalities can clash over important or petty issues and the inability to back or even see the others viewpoint can lead to bed relationship and lack of progress for the whole organization.

Strategies to deal with conflicts

Conflict in the workplace just seems to be a fact of life. We've all seen situations where different people with different goals and needs have come into conflict. And we've all seen the oftenintense personal animosity that can result.

The fact that conflict exists, however, is not necessarily a bad thing: As long as it is resolved effectively, it can lead to personal and professional growth.

Bar Chart showing strategies used to deal with conflicts

Strategies used to deal with conflicts

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 avoidance confrontation 5% collaboration 2% compromise 58% 35% avoidance confrontation collaboration compromise

Fig2

In figure2 above 58% of 20 workers think that avoidance is the most effective way to deal with conflict .Both parties agree to ignore the conflict and hope it will go way ,for
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avoidance is that both parties lack the negotiating skills to reach win-win resolution .35%of the 20 workers say confrontation ,which refers to a face-to-face meeting or encounter. Both parties consider that reaching their goals is more important than showing concern about people .5% say collaboration , leads to an improved working together to find a solution both sides will win.2% say compromise ,both parties will gain something by accepting a mid-way solution that does not fully satisfy either group. The principle behind this is that some gain is better than none. Avoiding any confrontation is the defining characteristic of the conflict avoidance style. The individual who exhibits this form of conflict management tends to avoid the situation entirely and deny it exists. They may choose this method because they find it is not worth the trouble or are trying to avoid an angry, possibly dangerous situation. Avoiding conflicts continually may lead to self-esteem issues over time. People who accommodate will give in to a conflict by possibly admitting wrong. It is different from the avoider, because they do admit there is an issue, but they choose to yield to the other person's viewpoint. Compromise is conceding some of your points to another in order to meet in the middle. Collaboration includes and values all opinions and points of view. All these conflict styles differ from avoidance because they all deal with the conflict in some manner.

When each strategy should be implemented

Avoidance

Compromise

Collaboration

Confrontation

When the issue is trivial

When the objectives are important, but not worth the effort or potential disruption likely to result from assertive behavior

When both sets of concerns are so important that only an integrative solution is acceptable; compromise is unsatisfactory

when you are sure beyond all reasonable doubt that you are right

- When the costs outweigh the benefits of resolution When getting more information is imperative Fig3

When there is a "standoff"

When there is a high level of trust

when the issue is critical and the right decision is unpopular

To gain temporary settlements to complex problems

When you don't want to have full responsibility

When issues are vital to the welfare of the organization

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The table above shows the main reason when each strategies should be implemented, the workers stated the points as this was an opened question. Collaborating - the process of working through differences will lead to creative solutions that will satisfy both parties' concerns. Compromising -both ends are placed against the middle in an attempt to serve the "common good" while ensuring each person can maintain something of their original position. Avoiding- Avoids conflict by withdrawing, sidestepping, or postponing. Confrontation - When goals are extremely important, one must sometimes use power to win.

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Conclusion
Based on information collected, the following conclusion can be drawn as related to the objectives: Clash of personalities is the major cause of conflict in Lins Limited. These types of conflict in the workplace are often fueled by emotion and perceptions about somebody else's motives and character.

Avoidance is the most recommended way to solve conflicts in Lins Limited.

Each strategy can be implemented based on the nature of the conflict.

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Recommendations
The following are some recommendations that the business can consider in order to reduce conflict Communication is for managers to beef up listening skills. Active listening involves things like actually trying to understand what the other person is saying, and then communicating to the other person that you do indeed understand what theyre saying.

Establish healthy boundaries. Without boundaries, there will be conflict and squabbles, power struggles and all kinds of circumstances that make for messy situations.

Emotional intelligence. There are many aspects and facets but it basically means developing skills to be more effective by teaching people to combine both intelligence and emotions in the workplace.

Managers to look at communication skills, both in terms of how they communicate and how theyre teaching their employees to communicate with each other. This, of course, includes using I statements instead of you language. Owning your own feelings and your own communication is a much more effective way to communicate and even more,

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teaching your employees to communicate that way with others, goes a long way toward reducing conflict.

The business should seek to have mission statement so that all mangers and staff may work with a shared sense of purpose

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Bibliography

Peter Stimpson & Kathleen Singh. Management of Business Unit 1, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Robin McDaniel (n.d) Conflict Styles & Avoidance. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_7478492_conflict-styles-avoidance.html Daniel Dana,(n.d) Conflict Resolution .Retrieved From http://www.businesslistening.com/conflict_resolution.php

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Appendix
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Questionnaire
1. Gender Male Female 2. Age 17-2 1 22-26 27-31 32-36 Over 40 3. What do you think is the possible cause of conflicts?

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Management style Lack of communication Clash of personality Competition for scarce resources Age difference 4. What strategies would you suggest to solve conflict? Avoidance Confrontation Collaboration Comprise 5. When do you think that the strategy you selected above should be implemented? ______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 6. State why ______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 7. Do you think that conflicts arise between the younger ages? Yes

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No 8. What do you think is the major difference that leads to conflicts? Attitudes Values Needs Others 9. With the strategies used by Lins limited to mange conflict do you think they? Strengthens relationships and builds teamwork Encourages open communication and cooperative problem-solving Resolves disagreements quickly and increases productivity Deals with real issues and concentrates on win-win resolution

10. What do you think is the main strategies for minimizing conflict?

Respect others

Communicate expectations

Encourage teamwork

Empower people
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Interview questions
1. What are the most effective strategies that you would use to solve conflicts? 2. When would you use them? 3. Do you think conflicts in Lins limited can drain your resources? 4. How do conflicts impact on the business? 5. How many persons are currently employed in the business? 6. How do employees react to strategies that are given by the business? 7. When a conflict arises do you meet with both parties? 8. Do you think poor communication leads to a lack of understanding of what is actually causing the conflict? 9. What do you think are the steps to mange conflicts?

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