THE ROLE OF NEGOTIATIONS IN INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION

By

MUDZO KUHENDERWA NZILI

Kenya Methodist University

THOMAS SENAJI

Kenya Methodist University

JANE MUNGA

Kenya Methodist University

CITATION: Nzili, M. K., Senaji, T., Munga, J. (2017). The Role of Negotiations in Industrial Conflict Resolution. International Journal of Human Resources and Procurement. Vol. 6 (5) pp 35 - 48

ABSTRACT

Conflict is a fact of life in organizations as well as other areas of life, as people compete for jobs, resources, power, acknowledgment and security; dealing with it is difficult because it arouses primitive emotions such as people feeling threatened. Poor workers’ welfare and insensitivity on the part of employers or their management representatives offer some explanations for causes of conflicts in organisations. Salaries/emoluments are not only poor, but payment can be quite irregular. When this is viewed against the backdrop of ostentatious living among political leaders/elites and managers of the Public Sector, conflict becomes inevitable especially in situation where the machinery and process of negotiation is not given firm footing. The widely held misconception that union-management interaction must be adversary and combative is anchored on the existence of dual interest groups (in organisations) with different goals and motivation. An attempt was made in this study through to examine how negotiations can be employed as a strategy for industrial conflict management and to promote harmonious worker-management relations at the workplace generally. A critical look at the respondents’ views has amply demonstrated that negotiations have gained prominent degree of recognition as an effective approach to conflict management and industrial harmony not only in the literature but also in practice. This agrees with Ubeku (1985) and Fashoyin (1992) findings that strike is destructive both to the employer, employees and the society at large, leading to decrease in productivity, loss of contract year, loss of profit resulting from loss of revenue, net earnings and idle equipment. Negotiators must therefore deal with differences in a way that optimizes the chance of reaching a fair outcome efficiently and amicably; that rewards those who are better prepared, more skilful and efficient, and who have the better case as measured by objective standards of fairness; and that makes each successive negotiation likely to be even better.

Key words: Negotiations; Industrial; Conflict; Resolution

Full PDF Format