This book explores the process of interpersonal conflict - from the initial decision as to whether or not to confront differences through to how to plan the actual confrontation. It deals extensively with negotiation and, where negotiation proves unsuccessful, with third-party dispute resolution. To avoid destructive or violent behaviour, Donohue emphasizes the importance of keeping conflicts under control and of focusing on the pertinent issues. He argues that the key to managing conflict is to address differences collaboratively so that the parties can create better solutions and, ultimately, strengthen their relationships.

Types and sources of conflict; Methods of conflict resolution and problem solving; The language of conflict and problem solving; Personal styles of conflict resolution; Attitudes and problem solving; Organizing for conlict or cooperation; Early stages of integrative decision making; Later stages of integrative decision making; Changing conflict resolution skills and behavior.

Interpersonal Conflict provides a psychotherapeutic and philosophical understanding of the nature of interpersonal conflict. Arguing that facilitating conflict resolution has little to do with objective logic or rationale, and everything to do with personal (and cultural) values and aspirations, Karen Weixel-Dixon uses the lens of existential psychotherapy to provide innovative skills for conflict management. The book offers a deeper understanding of those theories and practices surrounding currently held perspectives on conflict, and extends the repertoire of communication skills relevant to difficult interpersonal situations, offering theoretical and practical input into the possibilities of reaching a therapeutic result. Interpersonal Conflict will be an engaging and informative guide for professionals in psychotherapy, health, HR, legal and teaching professions working with conflict, as well as students taking courses involving conflict resolution.

This book is about reactions to interpersonal conflict such as avoiding, negotiating, and fighting. It breaks away from the prevailing assumption that conflict behaviours are mutually isolated reactions having mutually isolated effects. Instead, reactions are viewed as components of complex conflict behaviour that influence each other's impact on the substantive and relational outcomes. The simultaneous and sequential occurrence of, for example, problem solving and fighting should therefore be studied together and not separately. The author presents a ladder of stepwise increases in theoretical quality, and designs the sequence of chapters in such a way that the theoretical value increases step by step. The lower steps lead to the description of behavioural components and to a model of integrative and distributive dimensions. The upper steps lead to the dimensions of dual concern for one's own and the other's goals and to complexity explanations in terms of the novel paradigm of conglomerated conflict behaviour. The chapters are summarised into thirty-four interrelated propositions. Six empirical studies demonstrate the validity of crucial propositions at each level of the theoretical framework. This monograph primarily reaches out to an academic readership. However, due to its clear structure, its comprehensive propositions, its frequent use of figures, and its glossary, the book will also provide an invaluable resource for any student and practitioner interested in conflict management and negotiation.

Communicating Interpersonal Conflict in Close Relationships: Contexts, Challenges, and Opportunities provides a state-of-the-art review of research on conflict in close personal relationships. This volume brings together both seasoned and new voices in communication research to address the challenges in evaluating conflict. Contributors review the current state of research on themes related to power, serial arguments, interpersonal and family dynamics, physiological processes, and mechanisms of forgiveness by presenting theoretical reviews, original unpublished data-driven research, and discussions about the methodological challenges and opportunities in studying interpersonal conflict. An essential resource for graduate students and faculty interested in interpersonal conflict in close relationships between romantic partners, families, or friends, this volume is intended for advanced coursework and individual study in communication, social psychology, and close relationship scholarship.

An introduction to the theory and practice of conflict management. This text first describes the components and dynamics of interpersonal conflict then the various strategies for negotiation, bargaining and resolution.

Make workplace conflict resolution a game that EVERYBODY wins! Recent studies show that typical managers devote more than a quarter of their time to resolving coworker disputes. The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games offers a wealth of activities and exercises for groups of any size that let you manage your business (instead of managing personalities). Part of the acclaimed, bestselling Big Books series, this guide offers step-by-step directions and customizable tools that empower you to heal rifts arising from ineffective communication, cultural/personality clashes, and other specific problem areas—before they affect your organization's bottom line. Let The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games help you to: Build trust Foster morale Improve processes Overcome diversity issues And more Dozens of physical and verbal activities help create a safe environment for teams to explore several common forms of conflict—and their resolution. Inexpensive, easy-to-implement, and proved effective at Fortune 500 corporations and mom-and-pop businesses alike, the exercises in The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games delivers everything you need to make your workplace more efficient, effective, and engaged.

This book presents a framework for diagnosing recurring conflicts and suggests several basic options for controlling or resolving them. Included are concepts and methods that are applicable to various types of conflict, both interpersonal and inter system. Three documented case histories of interpersonal conflict are provided as well as a presentation of an international workshop dialogue.

Conflict in the workplace is a perennial problem for organizations. Whether it's a disagreement between colleagues, a dispute with management or large-scale industrial action, conflict negatively affects both people and profits as employee morale and productivity fall. Endorsed by the CIPD, Managing Conflict is an essential guide for HR professionals needing to tackle these problems by not only resolving current issues, but also preventing future instances of conflict. Going beyond interpersonal conflict, the book also looks at resolving board room disputes, disputes with shareholders, in the supply chain, commercial disputes and customer complaints. The first part of Managing Conflict covers the causes and costs of conflict, the impact of the psychological contract and the legal framework for managing workplace disputes both in the UK and internationally. The second part of the book provides a blueprint for redefining resolution and building a culture of constructive conflict management, from designing a conflict management strategy and developing a formal resolution process to embedding mediation, engaging stakeholders and training managers in resolution and mediation skills. This book also includes conflict resolution toolkits for managers, HR teams, employees and unions to help tackle conflict and bullying at work. Packed with best practice case studies from major UK and global organizations, this is an indispensable guide for all HR professionals looking to resolve conflict in the workplace. Online supporting resources include a conflict health check tool, conflict cost calculator, and checklist for developing an internal mediation scheme.