The effect of conflict management on employee performance at the workplace: a case of Kampala Central Police Station

Abstract

Conflict is an inseparable part of people’s lives. It is difficult to define as it occurs in many different settings. The essence of conflict seems to be disagreement, contradiction, or incompatibility. Thus, conflict refers to any situation in which there are incompatible goals, cognitions, or emotions within or between individuals of groups that lead to opposition of antagonistic interaction. It has its positive sides, although varying views of it may be held. Some may view conflict as a negative situation which must be avoided at any cost. The major aim of the current study was to explore the nature and sources of organizational conflict among police officers. Firstly, the study sought to describe the nature of conflict among the police officers. Secondly, the study investigated the sources of conflict among police officers. Thirdly, it established the factors that influenced persistence of conflict in the Police Force and lastly it sought to highlight the strategies currently used and those needed by the police leadership to resolve the persisting conflicts at the institution. A qualitative design was used and Semi-structured interviews were carried out. Purposive sampling was used for the institution and convenient sampling was used for the participants. Two groups of participants involving subordinate police officers and supervisory police officers. Codes were identified and themes were developed through thematic interpretive analysis. Results on the nature of conflict revealed that conflict was characterized by two main forms. Vertical conflict and horizontal conflict which were generally non-confrontational. Eight themes emerged under sources of conflict and these included political interests, tribalism, delayed salaries, overstaying in position of power by managers and lack of dialogue between managers and subordinate police officers. On factors perpetuating the persistence of conflict, the study revealed absence of proper space for dialogue, insufficient education among police officers, jealousy and intimidation. The study further revealed strategies needed for resolving destructive conflict at the institution and these included capacity building of the counseling center, frequent open meetings and the need for police leadership to facilitate conflict resolution more actively. Lastly, the findings revealed that organizational conflict at the institution was largely influenced by cultural, psychosocial and political factors. The study therefore recommends the need for human resource managers in organizations as well as labour policy makers to manage organisational conflict through enhanced transparency, improved communication and capacity building of counseling centers in organizations like Police Force.