Conflict may cause stress, high blood pressure and depression.
Whether it is a simple dispute with a co-worker over using the office microwave or a full-scale war between two countries, modern scholars say human conflict is inevitable. Sociologist Lewis Coser even argued that conflict was "essential" to society's proper functioning. Coser went on to say, however, that an "inability or unwillingness" to deal with conflict can create problems.
Damaged Relationships
A common byproduct of long-running conflicts is irreparable damage to interpersonal relationships. BeyondIntractability.org states that once conflict goes too far, feelings of "distrust, fear and anger become the norm." Opponents in the conflict "tend to be watchful of each other" and "do not share information," which can lead to miscommunication that causes further conflicts. Damaged relationships, the report concludes, "are like one-way streets with no streets to go back."
Reduced Productivity
For a business, excessive conflict's most visible consequence can be to the bottom line. Researchers at Cramby River Consultants list several results of a highly conflicted office: high employee turnover, low morale, increased pressure to perform, reduced collaboration and high absenteeism. All these can lead to poorer performance on the job. Time and money is spent trying to manage conflicts and less attention is paid to actual productivity.
A Negative Spiral
An excessively conflict-ridden environment, once established, is hard to fix. The Communication Institute for Online Scholarship's report on "Conflict Management" states that in "destructive conflicts, no one is satisfied with the outcomes." In essence, conflict begets conflict and a negative downward spiral ensues. The parties in conflict cannot come to an agreement or cooperate on substantive issues. The point of conflict, then, is about "getting even, retaliating or hurting the other person." This mindset leads to no productive gains. Rather, it produces more emotional hurt and hard feelings.
Health Issues
Real mental and even physical health problems can result from excessive conflict. The Centre for Conflict Resolution International says that health care costs for employees who "felt they were under a lot of stress" were 46 percent higher than other employees. High-stress jobs defined by conflict can lead to depression and have also been shown to have a connection to obesity, high blood pressure and smoking rates.
