The major factor militating against organizational productivity is conflict between individuals or groups of individuals and the management. In any work situation, people are bound to have different interests and aspirations which may tend to conflict with each other. For example, management is committed to pursing a goal of profit maximization policies, while the workers through their unions want higher wages and a lucrative welfare package which tends to result in higher cost of doing business to the management. At times, unions want effective participation in most organizational decisions, even at the expense of encroaching on areas that fall exclusively within the confines of management prerogatives. Management cannot but resist this unwholesome behaviour. In the process, conflict would ensue. Therefore, an important duty of line for mangers to promote organizational productivity is through peaceful resolution of conflicts in the organization.
Collective Bargaining and Conflict Resolution in Education : The Evolution of Public Policy in Ontario, by Bryan M. Downie, Kingston, Ontario, Industrial Relations Center, Queen’s University, 1978, 179 pp.
