Andrew is a government social researcher at Acas, working across evaluation and policy research programmes to support service delivery and contribute to wider policy debates.
Last month, Acas published the findings of Skilled Managers Productive Workplaces, a study by the University of Westminster that examined the impact of an online training intervention aimed at helping managers prevent and resolve workplace conflict. The promising results have led Acas and Westminster to collaborate in making the training widely available to employers.
The project addressed a challenge highlighted in previous Acas research: managers who lack confidence tend to avoid conflict and tackle problems by rigidly applying procedures rather than seeking mutually beneficial solutions. The training aims to correct this by bolstering their 'conflict confidence', enabling them to manage conflict early and informally – and, by extension, inexpensively. (The higher costs of bypassing informal resolution were detailed in a previous analysis for Acas.)
Formal vs informal: achieving the right balance
Of course there is no one single 'best' way to resolve conflict. Each situation is unique, and what's appropriate can change between and throughout disputes. Notwithstanding the virtue of informal resolution, using formal procedures is often necessary and essential – not every conflict can or should be resolved with a proverbial 'quiet word'; the key is finding the most appropriate approach and having the skills and confidence to do it well.
To better understand what prevents managers from achieving this, Acas funded a sister study, also conducted by the Westminster team, focusing on managers' relationships with formal procedures in their organisations. This study involved interviews and workshops with a subset of managers using the training.
Key insights from the research
- Confidence varied, with newer managers feeling less equipped for early interventions. Managers often lacked the necessary skills and support; training was found to be patchy and typically focused on procedural compliance rather than early resolution.
- 'Informal conflict resolution' can be an esoteric concept: while managers generally supported the principle, they were often unclear about what it entailed in practice. This was compounded by a lack of clear explanations in their organisations' policies and procedures.
- Conversely, managers appreciated the clarity provided when procedures outlined the steps for disciplinary action or a grievance response. It is not surprising that they may rely on processes to navigate these issues, but the research indicates a tendency for written processes to focus disproportionately on investigation, rather than resolution.
- While acknowledging that proper investigation is a crucial component of the management of discipline and grievance, the research suggested that the way in which investigations are conducted is sometimes problematic. The complexity of their organisations' processes around investigations imposed significant time and resource burdens on some, leading to delays and increased stress for both managers and employees. Ironically, these delays 'crowded out' time for pursuing informal resolution, creating a vicious circle of escalating tensions.
- Although the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures specifies that the nature and scope of investigations should depend on the circumstances of each case, it appears that this flexibility is not always being consistently utilised in practice.
Implications for practice and policy
The report calls for greater emphasis in organisations' policies regarding informal resolution, and suggests that targeted training could enhance managers' conflict confidence. Additionally, the authors raise 2 important questions for Acas and others to consider:
- How to achieve greater clarity around the concept of 'informal resolution' within organisational policies and procedure – and provide managers with more defined processes for doing it.
- How to encourage managers and HR practitioners to fairly utilise the discretion afforded by the Acas Code and accompanying guidance to ensure that the nature and extent of investigations are appropriate – rather than following a one-size-fits-all and potentially overly complex approach.
Mediation: a missing piece of the puzzle?
Mediation is well-known to be a valuable tool which can provide an alternative to a formal disciplinary or grievance procedure – yet it was notably largely absent from the policies of the case-study organisations in the research.
While the Skilled Managers training focuses on early conflict management, mediation can offer a structured yet informal approach for parties to find mutually acceptable solutions. This underscores its role in a broader conflict management strategy.
Find out more about mediation at work
Building an evidence base on 'disrupting' conflict
This research is an important next step in understanding how to better support managers in effectively resolving workplace conflicts. Next month, these findings will be presented by the authors alongside those from the main Skilled Managers study and an earlier project on mediation in an NHS Trust.
Together, these studies contribute to a growing body of Acas evidence that can guide future efforts to 'disrupt' workplace conflict before it escalates. They highlight the financial benefits of effective conflict management as well as the opportunity to foster happier teams by alleviating tension and promoting a more collaborative environment.
Read the full research report, Managing conflict at work – policy, procedure and informal resolution