Explain the nature of conflict in the case of African Crafts by specifically referring to:

1) the causes of conflict in employment relations and specifically in the case of African Crafts; (5 marks)

2) the different types/levels of conflict in employment relations and at African Crafts specifically(5 marks);

3) the stages of the conflict management process in practice and specifically in the case of African Crafts. (5 marks)

CONFLICT AT AFRICAN CRAFTS

African Crafts is an organisation that employs 75 employees. These employees are all employed to make African crafts such as sculptures and beadwork, which are sought after by tourists. As all the employees are from rural areas, the owner of African Crafts provides a bus to take them home. On Friday afternoon, a difference of opinion broke out between Tshiro and Bongi about a soccer game that was to take place on Saturday. The difference in opinion soon became heated and the two not only argued about the soccer game, but about the way Bongi's sculptures have been decreasing in quality over the past few months. The argument got so heated that Bongi assaulted Tshiro. Tshiro is Bongi's subordinate. The bus was full of other employees who witnessed the events and some of them reported the matter to the Head: Personnel the following Monday. Bongi has been known to verbally abuse other employees (he received a written warning for this - eight months prior to the incident on the bus). He has been with African Crafts for 10 years. Tshiro has only been in the service of the company for four years, but he has a clean disciplinary record.