A Review of Workplace Conflicts and Employee Performance in Tamale Metropolitan Assembly of Northern Region, Ghana

Abstract

The study investigated the effects of workplace conflict on employee performance at the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly from where a sample of 194 was drawn. The study adopted descriptive research design. Data was collected with questionnaires, analyzed with SPSS version 26 and the results presented in tables, interpreted and discussed. Results showed that workplace conflicts in TMA were largely interpersonal. Poor communication was rated the highest cause of the conflicts. Negative effects of the conflicts include: reduction of morale of workers, creation of tension and anxiety that weakens abilities of employees to work well, lack of essential information needed for effective job delivery, delayed delivery of assignments and project failures. Positive outcomes of the conflicts are that: they increase employees’ creativity and innovation towards doing things, strengthen bonds and improve relationships when well-managed, they bring on board effective and efficient utilization of scarce resources in the Assembly emanating from best decisions. The study concluded that the overall effect of conflicts in TMA on employees’ performance is negative; resulting in non-optimization of employees’ output. The study recommended that the Assembly should allow free flow of information by improving communication to establish problems facing employees and to promptly address them. Keywords: Organization, Workplace, Conflicts, Performance, Outcomes DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/14-16-01 Publication date: August 31 st 2022