• Write a 2,000 word (+/- 10%) business report in the role of an HR consultant for a medium-sized company without conflict resolution policies.
• Provide recommendations on managing workplace conflict.
• The report should address 3 key questions:
  • The role of HR, unions, and stakeholders in conflict resolution
  • Recommendations for managing and resolving workplace conflict
• At least 12 scholarly references and apply RMIT's Harvard referencing style.

1. Conflict resolution - The methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of conflict.
2. Stakeholders - Individuals or groups with an interest or concern in an organization's activities.
3. Unions - Organizations that represent the collective interests of workers.
4. Workplace conflict - Disagreements, differences of opinion, or hostile interactions between workplace participants.
5. Negotiation - A discussion among parties intended to produce an agreement mutually acceptable to all.
6. Mediation - An attempt to bring about a peaceful settlement between disputants through the objective intervention of a neutral party.
7. Arbitration - The hearing and determination of a dispute by an impartial referee agreed to by both parties.
8. Collective bargaining - Negotiations between an employer and a group of employees aimed at reaching an agreement regulating working conditions.
9. Industrial action - Organized refusal by employees to work under their current conditions, meant to force an employer into granting concessions.
10. Picketing - The standing or marching near an employer's workplace by striking workers, meant to persuade or coerce employees to join the strike.

Executive Summary

Outcome: Summarizes report findings

Suggested flow: Introduce the Focus on Conflict Management in HR →  Discuss the Role of Line Managers and Trade Unions  →  Highlight Limitations in Current Arbitration Terms  →  Discuss the Influence of Gender Roles and Uncertainty Avoidance →  Mention the Economic Impact on Conflict Resolution  → Recommend an Integrated Conflict Management System

Example: This executive summary outlines the HR department's shift towards a strategic conflict management approach, aiming to align with the company's goals and support managers. It highlights the role of line managers in informal conflict resolution and trade unions in backing legal claims, pointing out the diverse conflict resolution methods within the organization. However, arbitration terms often fail to resolve conflicts effectively, underscoring the need for better strategies. External factors like economic changes and gender roles also impact conflict management. To tackle these challenges, implementing an Integrated Conflict Management System (ICMS) is advised, blending rights-based and interest-based approaches for a more unified and effective conflict resolution framework.