Workplace Triggers and Professional Conflict: An Organizational Behaviour Perspective

Abstract Workplace conflict is rarely caused by a single incident or difficult individual. This article examines the emergence and escalation of workplace conflict through an organizational behaviour lens, with particular attention to psychological triggers, latent tension, and overt professional conflict. Written for workplace mediators, HR professionals, organizational leaders, and practitioner–scholars, the article draws on established theories including Affective Events Theory, Self-Determination Theory, Organizational Justice Theory, and Role Theory alongside professional mediation practice. It explores how everyday organizational practices such as feedback delivery, micromanagement, decision-making processes, power dynamics, and role ambiguity can act as emotional triggers that accumulate into unresolved tension over...