Managing conflict at work – research report

Research exploring the role played by managers in handling disciplinary issues and employee grievances.

Documents

Managing conflict at work – policy, procedure and informal resolution

Details

This report is based on 7 case studies, selected to provide a variety of organisational contexts.

The research explores:

  • the main characteristics of the context within which disciplinary and grievance cases are managed, and the challenges this presents
  • manager confidence in resolving issues informally and at an early stage
  • how managers navigate the transition between informal process and formal procedure
  • how organisations use formal procedure, and the implications for managers and employees

Through this, it aims to:

  • improve understanding of challenges faced by managers in handling formal process and procedure
  • explore how managers can be best supported to engage in effective conflict resolution
  • inform the development of policy and practice

This report was prepared for Acas by:

The views in this research paper are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect those of Acas or the Acas Council. Any errors or inaccuracies are the responsibility of the authors alone. This paper is not intended as guidance from Acas about how to manage disputes in the workplace.