Constant Conflict
Justin Hanna
I am currently doing part time work while studying as a console operator at a Caltex service station. It may sound like a very easy way to earn money however it is such a busy, chaotic place when busy, it places a huge amount of conflict and resulting stress on staff, the manager and customers alike. Recently there hasbeen a great deal of publicity on the price of petrol. There is a petrol pricing system these days which makes fuel the cheapest on a Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning. This is when the majority of people are filling up their vehicles. The approach – avoidance conflict that comes about for customers in this situation is “do I fill up my car while it’s cheap and save money versus having to wait in the line up for 20 minutes”. Sometimes when petrol is cheaper on a Tuesday there will be severe cases of road rage in the car park as customers fight for position in the queue.
So much conflict can build up as these customers go from the conflict of whether to get petrol or not, to frustration of waiting, being anxious about possibly being late due to waiting so long and finally anger building up at people in front of them taking so long. So many times defence mechanisms are observable about their stress as customers come in to pay for their fuel, rationalization, intellectualisation and projection being the most popular used by customers. It is not just customers however placed under stress and conflict in this working environment. Myself, from a staff point of view, can say that I experience conflict also within the job. Being predominantly younger uni students working at this location, many times staff members call in ‘sick.’
The Manager's policy on this is that the staff member unable to work has to find a replacement. So often on my days off I am faced with the approach avoidance conflict. I want the money that comes with working but don’t want to stand behind the counter all afternoon. This conflict for us staff can also lead to frustration, anxiety and anger resulting from one simple phone call from a staff member. People with a type A personality are placed under even more stress in this situation as they are constantly trying to keep busy and get so much done at once that they may find it difficult to say no to working even if they have a full schedule.
The manager of the organization also has conflicts to deal with on a daily basis. Being the individual responsible for wages and expenses in the company, he has to decide whether to employ a second staff member on busy days or for himself to help out. This conflict would be the avoidance – avoidance conflict; not wanting to pay wages and also not wanting to take time away from his other important work. It is obvious from these above examples that conflicts and disputes arise in this environment on a constant basis. Stress results from these situations after the conflict turns to frustration, anxiety and anger. This brief example into a common day at work shows the constant conflict we experience in everyday life. These conflicts we encounter lead us to make choices and decisions that can affect small aspects of our lives or change our lives dramatically.