What Causes Conflicts to Escalate in the Workplace

Conflicts are inevitable in every workplace but some can escalate to an extent that they cause uncontrollable and even irreversible damage. Often companies have to suffer losses in the billions resulting from workplace conflicts they were unable to contain in the initial stages. 

While we know that conflicts are inevitable and stem out of a variety of reasons, what could be the cause of escalation? In this article, we will examine the triggers or explosive causes that make workplace conflicts run rapidly out of our control. 

Conflicts often arise when there is miscommunication in the workplace. Lack of communication between the conflicting parties and the management can escalate conflicts further. This is why business and HR experts stress the importance of establishing clear communication policies. 

These policies work as platforms where employees can voice their concerns freely to their management. This allows management to gain firsthand information of what’s happening in the workplace and proactively resolve issues before they flare out of control. 

Moreover, strong communication also helps set clear standards of conduct and acceptable behaviors in the workplace. When employees have complete information, it takes away any excuses they could later present for ignoring or breaking regulations and rules of the company 

One of the greatest causes that adds fuel to fiery conflicts is the disparity among designations, status and responsibilities at work. When managers or team leaders openly favor one party over the other and give them undue benefits, it triggers an environment of hostility. 

Such disparities could create jealousy, hostility and negative feelings between two workers. Discrimination at workplaces, especially in the form of status inconsistencies still runs rampant and should be taken seriously when complaints arise. 

Workplaces tend to have people with similar interests and beliefs form groups among themselves, while isolating the employees who don’t fit into their group. As a result, the group that has bonded can become a problem for others in the workplace by taking an action such as everyone ganging up against a particular employee that they dislike. 

Groups also tend to fall victim to group think and if one member of the group blames someone for an action, the others tend to fall in line out of loyalty. This gives rises to groups working for their own personal interests, alliances and for preserving their workplace territories. 

In the end, minuscule conflicts grow in size because what triggered one triggered the rest of the group too. Institutional hostility is a leading cause of conflict escalation for if one disagrees with something or someone, the whole group refuses to cooperate. 

Workplaces need a jurisdiction that leaves no ambiguity in matters relating to responsibilities, roles and authorities. Workplace conflicts tend to escalate where jurisdiction is unclear, meaning situations where workers are unsure of the responsibilities of the job and where they lie. 

Here is an example of what an ambiguous jurisdiction looks like: When a new employee is hired two departments (such as HR and the recruiting department) have to collaborate on the selection procedure. 

Since both departments have to work in unison while hiring the employees, what happens when one department wishes to hire an individual but the other disapproves? Before this conflict arises, the workplace should be clear about where the authoritative responsibility lies.

It is clear that when departments are unsure of jurisdictional authorities, even small workplace conflicts can escalate quickly. 

Nothing drives workplace conflicts more than personal vendettas which individuals harbor against one another. Often under the guise of workplace issues, workers tend to take out their personal hostilities on each other. 

In such cases, it does not take long for a work argument to escalate into a personal one which shifts the focus away from the real issue. Disagreements that become personal run the risk of becoming physical as emotions will be running hot.

In scenarios where an issue becomes personal parties may display negative behaviors such as name calling, labeling, stereotyping and physical attacks. If one or more employees resolve to embarrass or undermine a colleague because of a personal vendetta they harbor, there is little chance of constructive resolution. 

Regardless of how much management tries to resolve the issues, the underlying vendetta will always keep triggering situations erupting from the personal hostility. Poor communication, poor productivity, personal and group hostilities are signs that conflicts are erupting out of control in a workplace. 

    6. Common Resource Pools or Scarcity of Common Resources 

Another factor that could trigger workplace conflicts into escalating is the shortage of common resource pools. When more than one department has to share resources which are scarce, it could cause conflicts between departments. 

The end goal of every employee is to prove themselves by achieving objectives and meeting project deadlines. If a department fails to do that due to the scarcity of shared resources, it could turn internal working relations sour and cause major conflicts to break out. 

Scarcity of resources gives rise to a zero-sum game within the organization. In cases such as these, there is always one department that will invariably win and another who will invariably lose. 

Workplace conflicts are inevitable but not unsolvable. In most cases the practice of catching the bull by the horns, or resolving a conflict in its initial stages through constructive solutions, puts an end to the trouble. However, there are several factors that can cause minor conflicts to explode and escalate beyond control. 

Watching out for the telltale signs and taking proactive measures will help protect the organization from a dealing with escalated conflicts. These conflicts may be caused by group and personal hostilities, favouritism, responsibilities and authorities and jurisdictional imbalances. By working on these, you will help to create a more peaceful and calm workplace environment. To learn more about conflict resolution training please visit the Stitt Feld Handy Group website.

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