Conflict Management Styles of Nurse Managers in Hospitals Affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences: 2015

Abstract

Background & Aims: Conflict in nursing profession is inevitable and may result in nurses' dissatisfaction and low quality services to patients. Proper management of conflicts in nursing may result in an increase in nursing productivity. The aim of this study was to examine the conflict management strategies used by the nurse managers of educational hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Materials & Methods: It was a descriptive and cross-sectional study, performed in 2015. The statistic population included 269 nurse managers of educational hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The instrument was a self-made questionnaire based on Thomas-Kilmann conflict management model. The SPSS software version 22 was used for statistical analysis of the data, using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Nurse managers mainly used collaborating, compromising, and avoiding strategies in management of conflicts. There were significant associations between using collaborating style and nurse managers' age, work experience, conflict management training courses and type of hospitals. Those managers who had higher work experience and passed conflict management training courses, mostly used collaborating style (P<0.05). Conclusion: The nature of nursing services requires nurse managers to apply more collaborating and compromising strategies for conflict resolution. Appointing well-experienced nurses as nurse managers and training them in conflict management reduce destructive consequences of conflicts in hospitals.

Conflict and conflict management in hospitals

“…We aimed to examine conflict type and level in TUMS hospitals and identify hospital managers’ conflict resolution strategies. The findings revealed that TUMS managers perceived a moderate conflict level, which is necessary for organizational growth (Mosadeghrad, 2015). While too little conflict reduces employees’ motivation, creativity and productivity and as a result, organizational productivity may diminish, too much conflict causes chaos in the organization, and employees deviate from organizational goals (Çınar and Kaban, 2012; Rahim, 2010).…”

“…Personal and organizational factors cause conflict in organizations. Personal factors such employee personality, values, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, abilities and skills can contribute to conflict (Zakari et al , 2010; Mosadeghrad, 2015). Organizational factors, including heavy workload, time pressure, resource scarcity, unclear job descriptions and responsibilities, role ambiguity, job uncertainty, poor communication, occupational stress, ambiguous rules and policies, managerial expectations and organizational changes are also the main reasons for organizational conflict (Graham, 2009; Pavlakis et al , 2011; Mosadeghrad, 2014a).…”

“…Too little conflict is also detrimental to organizational productivity as there is little chance for change and improvement. An optimal conflict level brings employees closer together, develops a strong team spirit, creates a healthy competition environment, enhances employee motivation to work better and harder, stimulates innovative thinking, generates creativity and creates a challenging and problem-solving atmosphere, which develops employee capabilities and allows underlying problems to be addressed and solved (Henry, 2009; Mosadeghrad, 2015).…”

“…Conflict management is “the process of recognizing the conflict, determining its type and intensity, evaluating its effects, determining and implementing appropriate intervention strategies and measuring their results” (Çınar and Kaban, 2012, p. 199). Conflict management aims to maintain conflict level to the point that causes a dynamic, live and creative organization encouraging people to be innovative and productive (Mosadeghrad, 2015). Managers should encourage functional or constructive conflict and combat destructive conflict.…”

Countries' experiences in reforming hospital administration structure based on the Parker and Harding model: A systematic review study

“…Hospitals are highly sophisticated, bureaucratic, and multidisciplinary organizations that make up a significant contribution of the health system's budget. [ 1 ] In recent years, governments around the world had implemented several types of structural adjustments to hospitals as part of a large reform of the health system. [ 2 ] with aim to increased efficiency, responsiveness to local needs, and health outcomes.…”