Assessing the effectiveness of conflict management training in a health sector organisation: evidence from subjective and objective indicators

Abstract

The study assessed the effectiveness of an intervention for handling interpersonal conflicts at work. In contrast to the mainstream approach in the healthcare industry, which focuses on developing formal systems of conflict resolution, our intervention consisted of enhancing healthcare workers’ conflict management skills through training. A pre- and post-test non-equivalent comparison group design was used (intervention group = 258 workers; comparison group = 243 workers). Participants perceived that the training was successful in reducing the number and intensity of conflicts with co-workers, patients and patients’ relatives. Moreover, organisational indicators calculated on the basis of data obtained from Human Resources (HR) records show that the intervention was effective, insofar as the number of requests for third-party interventions to mediate conflicts at work, the number of patients’ complaints, and the level of absenteeism all decreased for trained workers, whereas workers from the comparison group exhibited no corresponding changes over time. In light of these results, this paper discusses the design of conflict management measures which could help improve both employees’ well-being and organisational productivity.