Human Relations and Organizational Conflict Resolution; A Study of Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria

Abstract

Increasing uncertainty and complexity in the operating environment of organizations provide fertile ground for the beginning of conflict in the workplace. This study was conducted to examine the effect of human relations in resolving conflicts in an organisation using manufacturing firms in Delta State as a case study. The study, anchored on the human relations theory, adopted the survey research design hence data were collected through the use of questionnaires as research instrument. Findings of the study indicate that human resources management style, employee’s job description and alternative dispute resolution strategies all have positive effect in organizational conflict resolution in surveyed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. The study therefore concludes that positive human relation is important in resolving conflicts in an organistion and recommends amongst others the need for management to adopt the use of alternative dispute resolution strategies to avoid the attendant costs and manhour lost inherent in litigations