To better understand what prevents managers from achieving this! Acas funded a sister study! also conducted by the Westminster team! focusing on managers’ relationships with formal procedures in their organisations. This study involved interviews and workshops with a subset of managers using the training.
Confidence varied! with newer managers feeling less equipped for early interventions. Managers often lacked the necessary skills and support; training was found to be patchy and typically focused on procedural compliance rather than early resolution.
‘Informal conflict resolution’ can be an esoteric concept from the research
While managers generally bolivia phone number library the principle! they were often unclear about what it entailed in practice. This was compounded by a lack of clear explanations in their organisations’ policies and procedures.
Conversely! managers appreciated the clarity provided when procedures outlined the steps for have you ever heard of seo consulting? action or a grievance response. It is not surprising that they may rely on processes to navigate these issues! but the research indicates a tendency for written processes to focus disproportionately on investigation! rather than resolution.
While acknowledging that proper investigation is a crucial component of the management of discipline and grievance! the research suggested that the way in which investigations are conducted is sometimes problematic. The complexity of their organisations’ processes around investigations imposed significant time and resource burdens on some! leading to delays and increased stress for both managers and employees. Ironically! these delays ‘crowded out’ time for pursuing informal resolution! creating a vicious circle of escalating tensions.
Although the Acas Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures specifies that the ao lists and scope of investigations should depend on the circumstances of each case! it appears that this flexibility is not always being consistently utilised in practice.
Implications for practice and policy
The report calls for greater emphasis in organisations’ policies regarding informal resolution! and suggests that targeted training could enhance managers’ conflict confidence. Additionally! the authors raise 2 important questions for Acas and others to consider:
How to achieve greater clarity around the concept of ‘informal resolution’ within organisational policies and procedure – and provide managers with more defined processes for doing it.