Communication and Conflict Resolution in the Workplace: Overcoming Barriers in Matrix Coating

Abstract

Good communication is required to build and maintain mutual relationship in project teams. This is because effective communication can enable a work team to achieve their goals. This stems from the fact that when the employees understand the management expectations and target goals, they will be able to do their work task based on the required standard. Also, effective communication is critical to the success of team work because the ability to work together without issues is determined by conveying the right information at the right. However, despite the crucial role played by effective communication in a productive work environment, it was found that Matrix Coating Resource Sdn Bhd (MCR) often experience communication issues among the workforce and this result to workplace conflict and employee relationship issues. It was on this note that this consultancy project critically examined the communications and employee relationships practices of MCR in order to determine key areas required to improve project tasks completion. A sample of 50 respondents were chosen from the workforce using both interview and questionnaire instruments. The study found that the staff of Matrix often experience communication issues and this leads to disagreements and misunderstanding among the workforce. This is because proper communication using appropriate channel can help to ease both the number and severity of workplace conflicts. Driven by this, it was proposed that the management of Matrix should do well to employ people with solid communication skills because this will allow them to work together cohesively and professionally, address the issue through training exercises and behaviour modeling. It should conduct constant training programmes especially for the new staff so as to improve their ability to communicate clearly and concisely with colleagues and work team members, include communication skills in the appraisal of employees’ performance and tie the organization’s objectives into performance appraisal so as to achieve the goals of the company and develop team building exercises to strengthen intra-office relationship. This is because high performance teams often become more cohesive overtime as they gain experiences working and communicating with other teams in the workplace. Therefore, exciting activities such as informal networking groups, team exercises and others so as to enable the staff to work together in a cohesive way. The team building process will allow the team members to learn the best ways to work together through team experience without issues.