Relationship Between Organisational Change and Conflict

SBMA7056 Organisational Behaviour

Assignment

Name: Stuart Hay

Student No: 1103187

Word Count: 2887

Critically discuss the relationship between two of the following topics:

• Internal corporate communications

• Team dynamics

• Conflict

• Organisational change

Use the case study to develop your answer. Use academic theory to support your discussion.

Introduction

This question requires consideration of organisational change and conflict.

“There is nothing permanent except change” (Heraclitus)

“Conflict, per se, is not necessarily good or bad but an inevitable feature of organisational life” (Mullins, 2010:98)

Organisational change and conflict are two inevitable phenomenon which occur in organisational life. This assignment will critically analyse the relationship between the two with specific reference to the case study of Build Parts Ltd. However, before this can take place we must look in more depth at organisational change and conflict to understand their basic principles and the effect they have upon organisations.

Organisational Change

“While the phrase ‘organisational change’ is often used in management discourse it is a phrase that is rarely defined at a conceptual level. It is not a unitary concept as organisational change can be implemented using a variety of instruments either in series or, more often in parallel.”

(Worral and Cooper, 2002)

Organisational change is at the forefront of the academic and managerial environment (Pettigrew et al, 2001) and seems to have become one of the few constant factors of the modern organisation. Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) observed that most organisations need to undertake moderate changes once a year, and major changes every four or five years. However, realising effective change can be challenging. According to Kanter, Stein, and Jick (1992), change is so...