Conflict management among health professionals in hospitals of Cyprus

Aim To record the types of conflict management that health professionals in Cyprus hospitals encounter in their daily work and to explore the conflicts, their parameters and causes, and the role ambiguity faced by the hospital employees. Material and Methods This is a descriptive study in which data were collected with an anonymous self‐referral questionnaire. The study population consisted of 300 health professionals from six different hospitals in Cyprus. Data are presented with averages and standard deviations. Results The health professionals identified the following causes of conflicts in the workplace in descending order: heavy workload, low pay, and varying instructions from different leaders. To deal with the conflict, 73.2% of the participants reported using avoidance, 54.2% engaged in negotiation for mutual benefit, and 40.5% cited compromise as a method. Conclusions Identifying the way in which conflicts are managed contributes to the smooth functioning of organisations, and it improves the effectiveness of the services provided. Implications for Nursing Management It is generally known that the high levels of conflict in hospitals are associated with increased mistakes and low employee satisfaction and performance levels. Managers deal with conflict‐management issues within organisations on a daily basis. It is therefore essential to comprehend the reasons behind conflicts and provide suitable training for the development of communication skills and conflict‐management strategies.