ESG Programs: Training in Communication and Conflict Resolution and the Perception of Organizational Health

Cárita Martins Pellegrini Carizzi; Gabriela Trindade Pinheiro

DOI: 10.22167/2675-6528-202602758

Article derived from a Final Course Work (TCC), with content based on the student’s original work and adapted to the editorial format of the E&S Magazine with the support of the ResumeAI tool, an artificial intelligence solution developed by the Pecege Institute for textual synthesis and organization.

Abstract

A study investigated the effects of a corporate training program on communication and conflict resolution on the perception of organizational health among employees of a medium-sized law firm in the interior of São Paulo. The objective was to analyze these influences by comparing scores obtained before and after the intervention. The research was characterized as a quantitative, quasi-experimental case study. A structured questionnaire, the Organizational Health Perception Scale, was applied at two distinct times. The responses of participants who completed both stages were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical procedures, employing the Paired Samples T-Test. Inferential results did not reveal statistically significant differences between pre- and post-training means, indicating stability of perceptions in the short term. However, descriptive analysis identified subtle variations in responses, with a predominance of discrete reductions in some indicators and marginal increases in others. It was concluded that the training did not generate immediate statistically significant impacts, but may have fostered greater criticality and awareness among employees regarding organizational dynamics. The findings highlighted the importance of longitudinal evaluations and organizational support for consolidating the effects of behavioral training.

Keywords: Learning; Culture; Awareness effect; Managerial support; Learning transfer.

1. Introduction

ESG programs are corporate initiatives aimed at enhancing the sustainability and social responsibility of companies. These actions encompass environmental preservation, care for people, and continuous improvement of governance. In the social pillar, the relational dynamics established between individuals within an organization are crucial, as they affect both those directly involved and the organizational system as a whole (Watzlawick et al., 2007), impacting the quality of life of employees.

Organizational culture, in turn, exerts a significant influence on work effectiveness (Heringer; Oliveira, 2023). It is shaped by the daily behavioral patterns of the organization’s members, with communication being the primary means by which each individual shares the meanings attributed to events and facts that occur in the company (Alves, 2016). Culture management and communication policies, although distinct, must be integrated coherently to ensure clear direction and member integration, as well as to foster the perception that individual contribution impacts the collective, stimulating talent retention (Alves, 2016).

Continuous interactions in the business environment, especially from the perspective of systems theory, naturally tend to lead to conflicts. According to this approach, groups of people are interconnected systems that pursue objectives, and the actions of each participant impact the others (Martinelli, 2015; Torquato, 2015). Conflicts, if managed with a broad and deep perception, can transform into opportunities for individual and collective evolution (Tartuce, 2015). Therefore, it is fundamental that organizations create an environment that, while not eliminating conflicts, is capable of managing them productively (Pereira, 2014).

Organizational effectiveness is intrinsically linked to the organization’s health, a concept that began to incorporate individual health criteria from the 1990s onwards (Gomide Júnior and Fernandes, 2008). For effectiveness to be continuous and sustainable, it is essential that employees are engaged in achieving organizational objectives and broader goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 (Oliveira et al., 2024). SDG 8, which deals with Decent Work and Economic Growth, highlights the need to adequately prepare individuals, with corporate education being an effective way to empower employees and build healthier work environments (Fortaleza and Schadt, 2019; Garcia, 2009).

Despite the indicators of efficiency of communication and conflict resolution training, both in the literature and in employee reports, the objective measurement of the impact of these trainings on the perception of organizational health is of great utility. This practical and theoretical gap justifies the need for studies that validate the application of such trainings and determine the added value they can provide to organizations.

In this context, the present study aims to analyze the effects of a corporate training program in communication and conflict resolution on the perception of organizational health of employees in a medium-sized law firm located in the interior of the state of São Paulo, by comparing the scores obtained before and after the intervention.

2. Material and Methods

The present study was characterized as a case study of a quantitative nature, with a quasi-experimental design and action-research characteristics. The study aimed to analyze the effects of corporate training in communication and conflict resolution on the perception of organizational health of employees of a medium-sized law firm in the interior of the state of São Paulo, comparing pre- and post-intervention scores.

Prior to the collection, the Ethical Referral Form indicated that submission to the Research Ethics Committee (CEP) was not necessary. On October 20, 2025, the researcher presented objectives and methodology to the organization’s Board of Directors, obtaining unanimous approval and the signature of the Term of Consent by the legal representative.

For data collection, a structured questionnaire based on the Organizational Health Perception Scale (OHPS) was used, containing 27 statements answered on a Likert scale from one to five. A pilot round was conducted with three collaborators (a lawyer, a legal assistant, and a member of the administrative team) to test the configuration and usability of the form in the Office365 Forms application.

After the pilot round, the researcher prepared an explanatory text and video for the participants, detailing the objective and the collection procedure. The confidentiality of the responses and anonymity, via an individual identification code composed of the first letter of the mother’s name and the respondent’s year of birth, were emphasized.

The first application of the questionnaire, referring to the pre-intervention stage, occurred between November 8 and 13, 2025. The form link was shared via email and Teams messages, and was answered by 55 organization collaborators. This stage aimed to establish participants’ initial perception of organizational health.

The training in Communication and Conflict Resolution was delivered by the researcher on November 14, 2025, in the auditorium of the National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI) in the city where the organization is located. The intervention lasted three hours and was attended by 34 collaborators. The topics covered included communication axioms, communicator skills, organizational challenges, interpersonal communication styles, and conflict resolution techniques.

During the training, the Wooclap application was used to collect the main internal communication challenges perceived by the participants, through an open-ended question. The responses generated a word cloud, which highlighted recurring terms such as “insecurity” and “fear”, serving as a basis for exploratory inferences.

The second application of the questionnaire, corresponding to the post-intervention stage, was carried out between December 1 and 5, 2025, sixteen days after the training. The same form was made available to collaborators through the same platform and in the same order of inclusion of statements, being answered by 46 participants.

The data collected in the pre- and post-intervention applications were organized into a single electronic spreadsheet. For the analysis, only the responses from collaborators who participated in both stages of the research were considered, totaling 33 respondents. This selection ensured the comparability of the same individuals’ perceptions over time.

Initially, the means of the scores assigned to each of the 27 EPSaO statements were calculated at pre- and post-training moments. For inferential analysis, the T-Test for paired samples was used, suitable for comparing repeated measures of the same individuals at two distinct moments. The hypotheses formulated were the null (H0) and the alternative (H1), with a statistical significance level of 5% (α=0.05) and a two-tailed test.

For the sake of organization and clarity in the analysis, the 27 EPSaO statements were categorized into eight dimensions of organizational health: Strategic clarity and alignment, Internal communication, Cooperation and teamwork, Problem and conflict resolution, Well-being and meaning of work, Leadership and interpersonal trust, Organizational flexibility, and Innovation orientation.

For the preparation of graphs and the final textual review of the work, the platforms Chat GPT and Claude AI were used. These tools assisted in the organization and processing of the spreadsheet data, as well as in the identification of p-values (P(T≤t) two-tailed), without performing the primary statistical analysis or interpreting the results.

3. Results and Discussion

The analysis of the collected data, according to the quasi-experimental methodology employed, revealed that corporate training in communication and conflict resolution did not generate statistically significant differences in the mean perceptions of organizational health among employees. This finding was consistent across all 27 indicators evaluated by the Organizational Health Perception Scale (OHPS), with p-values (P(T≤t) two-tailed) remaining above 0.05 in all cases. Such a result prevents the rejection of the null hypothesis of equality between pre- and post-intervention means, suggesting stability in perceptions in the short term, a period that may be considered limited for the manifestation of complex behavioral changes (Espírito-Santo and Daniel, 2015).

However, the absence of statistical significance does not imply the non-existence of relevant effects, especially when dealing with behavioral and organizational constructs. The descriptive analysis of the means, although not statistically significant, revealed subtle variations in participant responses. A predominance of discrete reductions in the means of 23 out of 27 indicators was observed after training, while only two items registered an increase and one remained practically unchanged. These variations, although of low magnitude, with the largest absolute difference being 0.3126 points in one item, allow for relevant interpretations from an organizational point of view, suggesting an awareness effect.

This awareness effect indicates that the training may have broadened the cognitive and critical repertoire of the collaborators, leading them to re-evaluate their previous perceptions with greater rigor and discernment. Instead of a real decline in organizational conditions, post-intervention evaluations may reflect an increased level of demand and a more independent judgment capacity on the part of the respondents (Abbad et al., 2006). Educational processes often promote greater criticality before the consolidation of behavioral and cultural changes, which is crucial for the effective transfer of learning to the workplace.

Clarity and strategic alignment

In terms of clarity and strategic alignment, the items measuring knowledge of organizational objectives (A1) and understanding of what is important to the organization (A19) showed discrete drops in post-training averages. Item A1 registered a pre-intervention average of 3.48 and a post-intervention average of 3.33, while item A19 had averages of 3.47 and 3.22, respectively. Although these reductions were not statistically significant, they suggest that, even with a moderately positive perception, there is an opportunity to improve the organization’s communication practices, aiming for a more effective dissemination of institutional vision and values among employees.

Internal communication

Internal communication also showed notable variations. Item A4, which addresses access to information necessary for decision-making, presented averages of 3.38 before and 3.28 after training, with a p-value of 0.69. Similarly, item A3, referring to the possibility of dialoguing directly with people involved in problems, registered averages of 3.06 and 2.81, with a p-value of 0.37. The observed decreases, although not statistically significant, are relevant, especially for item A3, which was below the central point of the scale, indicating that open and direct dialogue continues to be a persistent challenge in the office’s organizational culture.

Cooperation and teamwork

Regarding cooperation and teamwork, the results indicated relative stability. Item A6, which assesses cooperation in task execution, had means of 3.63 pre-intervention and 3.44 post-intervention. Collective action planning (A5) registered 3.38 and 3.25, respectively. Joint goal-oriented work (A2) showed itself to be practically stable, with 3.21 and 3.24. These values, although above the midpoint of the scale, indicate a moderately favorable perception of collaboration, but still far from a high level, suggesting that the organization can invest in strategies to further strengthen synergy between teams.

Problem and conflict resolution

The dimension of problem and conflict resolution presented the lowest results of the instrument, situating itself close to the scale’s indifference point. Item A7, regarding problem-solving with everyone’s participation, registered means of 3.03 pre-intervention and 3.00 post-intervention. Item A8, which deals with considering individual needs in problem diagnosis, had means of 2.94 and 2.81, respectively. The stability of these means in an intermediate zone suggests that the organization has not yet consolidated participatory and effective conflict resolution practices, which represents a critical area for organizational development, according to the literature on conflict management (Tartuce, 2015).

Well-being and meaning of work

Regarding well-being and the meaning of work, the results were contrasting. Item A14, which measures the perception of work as important, maintained a relatively high and stable average (3.88 pre and 3.75 post). However, item A15, concerning the perception of work as pleasurable, revealed a low average in the first application (2.84) and declined further in the second (2.59), although without statistical significance (p = 0.29). This drop, even if discreet, points to a vulnerability in the perception of pleasure at work, a fundamental pillar for organizational health that deserves managerial attention and intervention strategies to improve employees’ quality of life.

Leadership and interpersonal trust

The items related to leadership and interpersonal trust indicated a moderately perceived management dynamic. Item A16, on situational leadership, registered means of 3.16 pre-intervention and 3.00 post-intervention. On the other hand, item A17, which addresses interpersonal trust, was one of the few to show an increase in the mean (3.09 pre and 3.19 post), although not statistically significant. This slight improvement in trust among people is a positive finding, as trust is a crucial mediating variable for several dimensions of organizational performance, including the degree of interdependence and commitment (Araujo and Cançado, 2013).

Organizational flexibility

The organizational flexibility dimension showed the largest absolute negative variations in the research. Items A22, regarding policy flexibility, and A23, regarding procedural flexibility, registered pre-intervention averages of 2.53 and 2.72, and post-intervention averages of 2.34 and 2.41, respectively. In addition to being the lowest absolute averages in the entire instrument, these results suggest that the rigidity of policies and procedures is perceived as a significant obstacle to organizational adaptation and effectiveness. This is a critical point that demands improvement, as adaptability is essential for an organization’s health and sustainability (Gomide Júnior and Fernandes, 2008).

Innovation Orientation

The dimension of innovation and future orientation demonstrated heterogeneous behavior. Item A26, which deals with the continuous search for innovations, was one of the only two items to register an increase in average (3.50 pre and 3.59 post). In contrast, item A27, concerning preparation for the future and attention to new work methods, showed a slight decrease (3.34 pre and 3.16 post). This pattern suggests that, although there is a discursive openness to innovation in the perception of collaborators, there are still gaps in the effective and systematic preparation of the organization to face and implement future changes consistently.

The consolidated analysis of the results, considering the word cloud generated during the training, in which “insecurity” and “fear” were the most recurrent terms to describe communication challenges, allows for a deeper interpretation. The predominance of reductions in agreement averages, even if subtle, may be a reflection of greater participant criticality. The encouragement of open and direct dialogue, promoted by the training, may have encouraged the expression of opinions, but the absence of equivalent institutional support, especially from leadership, may have generated frustration, negatively impacting the perception of organizational support.

This asymmetry between the stimulus for expression and the perception of welcome reinforces the idea that the effectiveness of behavioral training depends on multiple variables, including pre-training support and learning transfer support (Abbad and Sallorenzo, 2001). Isolated interventions, without an organizational context that favors the application of developed skills and continuous reinforcement, tend to produce limited short-term effects. Organizational culture, built daily by the behavioral patterns of employees (Alves, 2016), demands time and a general readjustment movement for new perceptions and practices to be accepted and consolidated.

Organizational training processes, such as communication and conflict resolution training, do not always generate immediate and measurable short-term effects, especially when they involve complex constructs like the perception of organizational health and well-being at work. For the effects to be more tangible and lasting, the convergence of variables such as reinforcement of the content delivered, practice opportunities, managerial support, and recognition of employees’ efforts is fundamental (Abbad et al., 2001; Martins, 2016).

The perception that individual performance impacts the organizational collective is a strategic element for the engagement and retention of professionals, as pointed out by Gomide Júnior and Fernandes (2008). The coherence between communication policies and the management of organizational culture is a relevant factor for the integration of members and the construction of a cohesive and predictable environment, where meanings are shared interactively (Ferrari, 2016). The interdependence of individuals’ actions and inactions within the organizational system (Martinelli, 2015) implies that small changes in interactions can trigger broader changes over time, even if they are not immediately noticeable.

The results of this research reinforce the understanding that the institutional capacity to deal with conflicts in a structured and productive way is central to the quality of interpersonal relationships and to the maintenance of a healthy organizational environment. This aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8, which advocates for decent work and economic growth, especially Target 8.3, which addresses the concept of decent work, stimulating innovation and creativity through clear communication and openness to different perceptions.

The use of quantitative instruments in two waves, as in this study, allows for the evaluation of perception trends and patterns, contributing to the validation of the effectiveness of interventions. However, the findings indicate that measuring the added value of behavioral training demands complementary approaches, including longitudinal analyses and qualitative methods. These are capable of capturing deeper and more gradual transformations in the organizational context, overcoming the limitations of short timeframes and the subjectivity of individual perceptions.

One of the study’s limitations was the assessment of organizational health through a self-perception questionnaire, without cross-validation methods such as 360° evaluation, which would allow comparing individual opinion with the perception of other team members. Although individual opinion is relevant, comparison with other perspectives would help reduce biases. Furthermore, the short time interval between questionnaire applications and the delivery of only one training session, without additional reinforcement, may have limited the manifestation of more substantial changes, according to the literature on learning retention (Abbad et al., 2001; Martins, 2016).

Organizational culture is built by concatenated acts that shape the performance profile within the system, and changes in this pattern demand time and a general movement of readjustment for new patterns to be accepted (Abbad and Sallorenzo, 2001). Thus, the results obtained suggest that the training did not cause perceptual ruptures or statistically significant negative impacts, but it may have contributed to a more conscious and critical review of organizational perceptions, especially if the organizational structure supports the application of learned concepts, such as clearer and more objective communication.

From a managerial perspective, the data obtained indicate the importance of continuously monitoring organizational health indicators and complementing training interventions with structural and follow-up actions. It is fundamental to create an environment that stimulates open communication, psychological safety, and the effective transfer of learning. The consolidation of these conditions is essential for communication and conflict resolution interventions to produce lasting impacts aligned with organizational objectives, demanding a cultural conformation, especially from leadership, to stimulate and absorb employee feedback.

In summary, the study demonstrated that short-term behavioral interventions, without structured support for learning transfer, tend to produce subtle and gradual perceptual variations. These variations are more adequately captured by longitudinal designs and qualitative analyses than by immediate pre- and post-test measures. The findings, therefore, indicate that the training did not generate immediate statistically significant impacts, but may have fostered greater criticality and awareness among collaborators regarding organizational dynamics, pointing to the need for longitudinal evaluations and organizational support for consolidating the effects of behavioral training, in line with the objective of analyzing the training’s effects on the perception of organizational health.

4. Conclusion

This study analyzed the effects of a corporate training program in communication and conflict resolution on the perception of organizational health among employees of a medium-sized law firm in the interior of São Paulo, by comparing scores obtained before and after the intervention. It was found that, statistically, there were no significant differences in the mean scores of organizational health perception between the pre- and post-training moments for any of the 27 indicators evaluated. However, descriptive analysis revealed subtle variations in the responses, with a predominance of discrete reductions in 23 indicators and marginal increases in two others, while one remained stable. These findings, although not statistically significant, suggest an awareness effect, where the training may have broadened employees’ critical repertoire, leading them to re-evaluate their previous perceptions with greater discernment, rather than indicating a real decline in organizational conditions. It was highlighted that the dimensions of problem-solving and conflict resolution, as well as organizational flexibility, presented the lowest averages, while interpersonal trust showed a slight increase. The main contribution of the study lies in demonstrating that organizational change processes, especially those related to communication and conflict management, are gradual, contextual, and depend on the interaction of multiple individual and institutional factors, not manifesting in immediate and linear impacts.

Among the identified limitations, the use of a self-perception questionnaire as the sole method for assessing organizational health stands out, lacking cross-validation methods that could mitigate biases. Additionally, the short time interval between questionnaire applications and the execution of only one training session, without further reinforcement, may have limited the manifestation of more substantial changes. From a managerial perspective, the results indicate the importance of continuously monitoring organizational health indicators and complementing training interventions with structural and follow-up actions, aiming to create an environment that fosters open communication, psychological safety, and effective learning transfer. For future studies, it is recommended to conduct new measurements at later points in time after the intervention, combine quantitative and qualitative methods for a more comprehensive analysis of employee perceptions, and include perceived organizational support metrics as a moderating variable. Replicating the protocol in organizations with different cultural and leadership profiles would also allow for the evaluation of the generality of the findings.

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Article originating from the Final Course Work of the Specialization in Compliance and ESG of the MBA USP/Esalq

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