Australian workplaces are among the most diverse in the world. A rich mix of race, culture, background, gender, and generation presents both challenges and opportunities for managers. Embracing difference can lead to more creative decision making, greater innovation, increased adaptability, responsiveness in global markets, a broader service range, and ultimately a deeper pool of skills and experience. 

Optimising diversity, however, can also be a complicated task, because with difference often comes division.  A study conducted by researchers at University of Queensland explored the dynamics of workplace conflict, along with the associated emotional reactions and counterproductive behaviours. Findings from the study revealed that conflict in the three surveyed organisations was triggered by interpersonal and task-related problems, which in turn led to poor group outcomes (e.g. absenteeism and feelings of anger and frustration). In teams that were more eclectic in terms of employee characteristics, conflict was regarded as being a bigger problem than in teams that were more homogeneous.

Where short-term conflict can foster inventiveness and challenge an unhealthy status quo, protracted conflict can be linked to intragroup bullying behaviours. An overwhelming number of respondents perceived that they were being bullied by their supervisors and—to a lesser extent—their colleagues during the course of a conflict. Additionally, employees who perceived higher levels of bullying were more likely to engage in counterproductive and antisocial behaviours.

Authors concluded that it was not necessarily conflict that triggered workplace bullying, but rather the duration, intensity and management of conflict events that had pressing implications for the emergence of bullying. They recommended that managers be sensitised to the link between conflict and bullying, and that they engage in interventionist training, with a focus on emotional intelligence and interpersonal communication strategies.

Although diverse workplaces can be highly valuable to an organisation, learning to handle differences and mediate conflict is an essential skill for modern-day managers.

 Julie Verner-Mackay
Director

REFERENCES
Ayoko, Oluremi B., Callan, Victor J. and Hartel, Charmine E. J. (2003) Workplace conflict, bullying, and counterproductive behaviors. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 11 4: 283-301.