An appraisal of the relevance of consultation in organisational conflict management

Abstract

Conflict has been proven to be inescapable in the work environment because of the composite nature of organizations. The study on the Appraisal of the Relevance of Consultation in Organisational Conflict Management evaluated the relationship of consultation with conflict management in an organization. Deploying consultation strategies in conflict management douses the degree of impact and incidence of escalated conflict. The study administered a questionnaire to 200 respondents from Banking & Fintech, Manufacturing, Professional Institutes, Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government, Telecommunication, and Oil & Gas sectors in Southwest Nigeria through Google Forms, while 177 responded. A questionnaire was designed and validated by Industrial and Labour Relations Experts before administering it. Data were analyzed using charts, tabulations, percentages, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) methods. Findings confirmed that relationships exist between conflict management and consultation as a form of social dialogue. Most respondents agreed in strong and mild terms that deploying social dialogue in conflict management can trim down conflict; facilitate collaboration; replace confrontational relationships; establish a harmonious industrial climate; and open and encourage channels for consensus building. Since conflict is an intrinsic feature of organizational relations, sustaining a mutual relationship requires a deliberate commitment to adopt conflict management strategies. Social dialogue through consultation proved to be a potent apparatus for promoting effective conflict management. This highlights the need for organizations to prioritize consultation as a strategic approach to conflict resolution, ensuring harmony and collaboration across workplace dynamics. Hence, it is recommended that consultation should be deployed as a procedure to manage conflict in an organization.