Introduction
Organizations have different ways of ensuring their employees follow their policies to achieve their objectives. Most companies use the top-down approach in managing their affairs because they believe that employees should follow what their seniors tell them. However, this approach is not always the best one because companies have different objectives. Employees are human beings, and they have unique ways of expressing their views. The success of a business depends on how managers and their subordinates communicate and understand each other and their roles in achieving the objectives of their employers (Lencioni, 2012). This discussion explains the impacts of high-commitment systems on reducing the prevalence of conflicts in organizations.
Definitions
A conflict is a situation where people present different perceptions about issues, and none of them wants to listen to what others say (Lencioni, 2012). The presence of conflicts does not mean that people should have physical fights or insult each other. Some people may seem happy and working together yet they have conflicts that prevent them from doing their work properly (Douglas, 2013). High-commitment systems are practices that create room for all employees to participate in important issues to promote the success of their organizations. This means that employees are required to direct themselves and do what is right. Managers give employees space to do what they want providing it is within the policies of the company. Investors and managers expect employees to achieve sustained high commitment.
High Commitment and Conflict Management
This practice originated from the need to ensure that the mission of employees and companies are aligned. Therefore, managers had to discuss with employees and ensure they understand the mission of their organizations (Lencioni, 2012). It is necessary to explain that conflicts occur in organizations where there are no clear guidelines that state their missions. High-commitment systems set clear missions and objectives and educate their employees to understand and know how to achieve them. Managers do not just assume that all employees know the mission of their organization by reading it on posters and company websites (Douglas, 2013). This system minimizes conflicts between workers and managers because the former know what they are supposed to do.
Secondly, high commitment means that employees develop self-regulatory practices. Nobody has to be supervised to do something, and this means that there is less room for conflicts. Most organizations experience conflicts because their employees know what they are supposed to do, but they wait until they are pushed by their managers (Douglas, 2013). In addition, it is not easy for them to do something they know will benefit their organizations if they do not get paid. Self-regulatory mechanisms enable employees to make decisions that will help their colleagues and promote teamwork. There is less time wasted in deciding what to do because employees understand their roles in organizations.
Moreover, this system requires employees to integrate their missions with those of their organizations. The performance of an employee cannot improve if the individual does not have a purpose in life. For instance, all employees know that they work to get money for their families and other bills. Therefore, they work hard to ensure their employees get profits so that they can be paid on time. However, employees who do not have a mission in life will not pay attention to the quality of their work (Douglas, 2013). The chances of quarreling with their colleagues are high because they are irresponsible. People that live just because they found themselves on earth do not care about tomorrow. High-commitment systems require employees to integrate their missions with those of their organizations to ensure they do the right thing at the appropriate time. There will be fewer conflicts when employees have missions that integrate with those of their organizations.
Lastly, this system gives employees opportunities to discuss with managers and identify ways of improving their performance (Lencioni, 2012). Managers treat employees like colleagues, and thus they take their suggestions seriously. It is easy to improve an employee’s welfare if managers listen and identify problems that affect productivity. High-commitment systems consider all employees equal and offer them opportunities to present suggestions to improve productivity. Employees have different experiences and abilities, and this means that they cannot perform equally when exposed to similar conditions. However, a discussion between employees and managers will help them to identify what they require to improve their productivity (Douglas, 2013). Therefore, this system is individual-centered and does not place all employees under similar conditions. Conflicts will be minimized because every employee will work in a healthy environment.
Conclusion
It is not easy to practice a high-commitment system in organizations because employees come from different backgrounds. However, managers should take time and educate employees on the need to develop self-regulatory practices to avoid conflicts. In addition, they should encourage them to have missions that are similar to those of their organizations. This will minimize conflicts because their interests will be similar. High-commitment systems make employees responsible for their actions, and this improves their productivity because it becomes easy to identify poor performers. Lastly, this practice improves communication between managers and employees and ensures they understand each other. Therefore, conflicts are minimized because all employees understand their roles in organizations and work hard to achieve their objectives.
References
Douglas, M 2013, Organizational Behavior for Business Management: Maximize Efficiency on a Daily Basis to Increase Progress in Business, Wiley, New York.
Lencioni, P 2012, The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, Jossey-Bass, New Jersey.