Conflict Identification and Resolution
Conflict is defined as a circumstance in which one party negatively affects or seeks to negatively affect another party (Baack, 2012). In an organization conflicts arise among employees when there are scarce resources, differences of opinion and communication barriers between management and their subordinates. Similarly, conflict can result from the members of a group disagreeing on how a work task should be performed and this can cause problems with group cohesiveness as well as hinder group performance in the organization. This research paper will describe an intragroup conflict among the employees in an inbound call center, identify the source and level of the conflict as well as propose steps to resolve the conflict. In addition, the author will describe several conflict outcomes that could occur as a result of conflict resolution in an effort to identify the reasons for conflict and explore how they can be successfully addressed in a team environment.
In an inbound call center, the phone agents are expected to answer calls from customers regarding a variety of concerns including billing questions, customer experience and the benefits of membership with the organization. As the phone agents work to answer questions and provide great customer service there are several types on conflicts that may arise to include conflicting work styles, competition for recognition by the company’s management and for available resources as well as differences in perception. Similarly, miscommunication and a difference in work ethic may arise as these individuals work together to answer customer inquiries and if managed effectively this conflict can in fact have positive benefits such as greater team and agent self-awareness as well as collaboration and creative problem solving in various areas of work.
At the Enterprise Rent-A Car customer service call center the phone agents are grouped into teams of 15 – 20 individuals...