What conflict really costs an organization — and why it is better addressed structurally

The article An Investigation into the Effects of Organizational Conflict in the Zambian Civil Service

The article makes crystal clear what conflict does to productivity, motivation, collaboration and employee wellbeing — and therefore to the quality of service delivery.

And although the research was conducted within a government organization in Africa, the patterns are remarkably recognizable in almost every organization I work with.

What do the figures show?

The researchers asked employees at all levels about their experiences with conflict. The outcomes are confronting:

73% saw a clear decline in productivity due to conflict.

Almost 50% reported a loss of motivation.

40% saw collaboration deteriorate.

More than 1 in 3 employees experienced increased stress.

And in 31% of cases, the quality of work also declined.

In addition, conflict led to turnover, absenteeism and higher costs — not only financially, but also in reputation, time and energy.

In short: conflict costs organizations much more than we think.

And yet… conflict does not have to be destructive

The authors emphasize, like much modern conflict research, that conflict can also be something else:

an opportunity to make problems visible,

a trigger for improvement,

an invitation to communicate better,

and sometimes even a source of innovation.

But — and this is exactly what organizations often forget — this only happens when conflict is addressed in a timely, professional and constructive way.

Without those conditions, almost every conflict shifts toward the negative side of the spectrum.

What does this mean for organizations?

The research recommends three things that I see confirmed every day in my work:

1. Conflict management must become structural policy

Do not only intervene when conflict escalates, but invest beforehand in culture, systems and skills.

2. Leaders need conflict competence

Conflicts do not disappear by ignoring them — they only change form. Often into something more damaging.

3. Employees need practical tools

Conflicts become functional when people know how to make tensions discussable, how to communicate under pressure and how to find shared solutions.

Conflict is not noise. It is information.

The article shows that conflict does not have to damage an organization — but it does when we leave it unattended.

At Result ADR, we help organizations stop seeing conflict as a “disruption”, but as a signal.
As an invitation for improvement, transparency and mature collaboration.

Would you like to read the research yourself?

An Investigation into the Effects of Organizational Conflict in the Zambian Civil Service, 2024 (Texila International Journal of Management).

Would you like to know how your organization can become more conflict-competent?

I would be happy to think along with you.