CONFLICT MANAGEMENT LITERATURE

Lim Jin Huan & Rashad Yazdanifard, (2012), The Difference of Conflict Management
Styles and Conflict Resolution in Workplace, Business & Entrepreneurship Journal,
Vol.1, no.1, Issn: 2241-3022 (print version), 2241-312X (online) pp. 141 - 155
This is a summary of the article The Difference of Conflict Management Styles and Conflict
Resolution in Workplace by C Lim Jin Huan and Rashad Yazdanifard in the Business &
Entrepreneurship Journal. The article reviews the conflict management styles and conflict
resolution from the managers and supervisors point of view. In order to form strong
relationships with subordinates, the leaders should understand and apply various conflict
management techniques and conflict resolution styles. According to Stoner and Freeman
(1992), a conflict is defined as a disagreement between two or more parties with perceived
incompatible goals or interest. Many authors define conflict in various ways; the common
point in the definitions offered though is the parties perceived incompatible goals or interest.
Similarly, at workplace there numerous interests are represented by the parties converging at
that location for a common cause work. Management of such interests therefore, requires
dynamic, proactive and creative conflict management systems put in place to ensure a vibrant
favourable work environment.
The authors of the article mention that there are two different types of conflict; task conflict
and relationship conflict by referring to Flanagan and Ruden (2008). Task conflict is about
resolution of problems caused by differences in viewpoints, ideas and opinions. The other
type of conflict is called relationship conflict and concentrates on blaming other parties rather
than resolve the conflict.

The authors state people refer to relationship conflict in negative

terms.
Some of the factors that can cause conflict in the workplace include differences of opinion,
poor communication, role expectation and negative traits. The factors that cited by the

authors were focusing in the medical field.

They also cited three consequences of

unresolved conflict divided into two categories: indirect and direct. The examples of indirect
are negative publicity and media coverage and decreased morale while direct is a barrier to
communication between the members.
About internet conflict, the authors claim there are bound to be conflicts when the emails
replace face-to-face delegations. They suggest people to use email consciously to prevent
misunderstanding and conflicts by using internet. The article also covers on conflict affect
commitment and absenteeism. Research by others has shown that commitment is a critical
ancestor of employee behaviour in common and in absenteeism.
The authors then cite several ways of people deal with conflict, according to Robinson (2010)
and Pruitt and Rubin (1986); passive-aggressive style, avoidance style, compromising style,
collaborating style, forcing style and accommodating style. They also state each conflict
style has advantages and disadvantages by referring to Lussies (2010). Based on Robinson
(2010), the article also list the process of conflict resolution were started with developing
ground rules and followed by select facilitated; uncover the details of the problem and its
history; check the facts and clarify perceptions; focus on individual and shared needs;
develop multiple options for solving the issue; develop doable next steps and ended by
making mutually-beneficial agreement.
Overall, this article covers the various types of conflict management, conflict resolution and
its effects in workplace.

The authors conclude by saying different styles of conflict

management have its benefit and weakness. By following the conflict resolution procedure,
conflicts will be solved easily. They also assert that superior and subordinates should learn to
resolve the conflicts that occur instead of just avoiding the conflict. It is the only way to
ensure that conflicts are handled better in future.

Paluku kazimoto, (2013), Analysis of conflict management and leadership for

organizational change, International Journal of Research In Social Sciences, Vol. 3,
no.1, Issn: 2307-227X pp. 16 24
This is a review of the article Analysis of conflict management and leadership for
organizational change by Paluku Kazimoto in the International Journal of Research in Social
Sciences. The article describes the concepts of conflict management, leadership and conflict
in organizations and conflict management and organizational change.

The author also

examines the elements of a conflict management process and leadership organizational

change and the benefits of managing conflict.
Conflict is generally regarded as disagreement regarding interests or ideas (Esquivel and
Kleiner, 1997). In addition organisational conflict is regarded as the discord that occurs when
the goals, interests or values of different individuals or groups are incompatible with those of
individuals or groups block or frustrate each other in an attempt to achieve their objectives.
That is why various organisations have changed their approaches to enable them to manage
their organisations effectively to avoid conflicts at all costs. Conflict is a fact of life in any
organisations as longer as people compete for jobs, resources, power, recognition and
security. Conflicts commonly arise when employees interact in organisations and compete for
scarce resources. Employees in various organisations are organized into manageable groups
in order to achieve common goal, therefore, the probability of conflicts to arise is very high.
Nowadays, most serious conflicts make headlines in the newspapers, which might affect the
public image of the company. Conflicts have both negative and positive outcomes to the
individual employees and the organization at large. There is no one source of conflicts which
occurs in organisations at all levels of management, (Barker et al., 1987). Therefore, the aim
to this study to examines the sources of conflicts and its effects on organizational change.
There are many causes of conflict at workplace. In this article, according to Grace (2012),

the causes of conflict in an organization are Differing Values, Opposing Interests, Personality
Conflict, Poor Communication; Personal Problems and Preez.
Due to ethnic diversity and globalization, conflicts between individuals are increasingly
characterized by differences in core values between parties with different socio-cultural
identities. When people have differing values, conflicts can result. If one of your personal
values in life is that your family comes first, and if your boss personal value is that work
comes first, conflict can be the result when they ask you to stay late at work or to give up a
planned family vacation due to project deadlines. The author give the example, if one
individual strongly opposes workplace diversity, he may have trouble accepting other
workers different from him. Opposing interest also became as one of the causes of conflict in
the workplace. This occurs when the employee to focus on their own goal, without regard
for the organizational goals. Grace (2012) also states, personality conflicts as causes of
conflict. At some point in our professional lives, most of us will have to deal with people we
just dont like or cant seem to get along with. A clash of personalities or personality conflicts
is most likely at the root of these conflicts. In most cases when personality conflicts happen
in the workplace, the entire team is disrupted as well. Poor communication also can create
conflict in a number of ways. Workers within a department or work team rely on effective
communication to keep everyone on the same page in carrying out business activities. Other
causes of conflict are personal problems Preez. Personal problem occurs when the employee
bring their problems from outside to the workplace.

While, Preez recognized that the

unprecedented change on all fronts that organizations face today has generated considerable
levels of uncertainty. All the above causes are visible in most organizations and peoples
daily life. To conclude, dealing with conflicts is a great challenge to management. Conflicts
commonly arise when employees interact in organizations and compete for scarce resources.

Jai Narain Sharma, (2012),"Satyagraha: Gandhis Approach to Conflict Resolution",

Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, Vol.20, 140 156
This article is about Satyagraha, as practised by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa and later
extensively applied in India. In this article the author describes that Gandhian concept of
conflict resolution consists in resolving differences with the help of violence and truth in the
form of Satyagraha and non-cooperation. As stated in the article, the root meaning of
Satyagraha is holding on to truth hence truth force. It is a combination of two words
Satya and Agraha. The word Satya is derived from Sanskrit Sat which means being or to
exist eternally. Nothing really exists eternally except Truth. Truth is also absolute which
means God. Agraha means holding firmly on to truth.
In this article, the author mentions that the doctrine of Satyagraha was an extension of the
rule of family life in the political arena. Gandhi held that family disputes and differences
were generally settled according to law of Love. In addition, the doctrine of Satyagraha
was meant to show how the man of conscience could engage in heroic action in the
vindication of truth and freedom from all tyranny, in his appeal to justice against every social
abuse and sectional interest.
According to the author, there are some basic factors of Satyagraha like Truth, nonviolence,
ends and means, faith in God, ethics or moral force and brotherhood of man. Truth is the
basic factor of Gandhian concept of Satyagraha.

Gandhi admitted that God and truth are

convertible terms. This inversion of the proposition does not change its basic meaning.
Satyagraha is based on truth or soul force. Inner voice is the voice of truth and justice. The
second factor is nonviolence which means Ahimsa. The author mentions that Gandhi widely
used the word Ahimsa. Ahimsa means non injury or non-killing. Third is end and means.
Ghandian concept Ends and Means is equally important. Gandhi disagreed with some
philosophers that said the ends justify is the means. For Ghandi, ends and means are not

separate each other, both are complimentary component of each other. Faith in God is also
another basic factor of Satyagraha. Gandhi insisted that a true Satyagraha is believer in God.
According to Gandhi there are many religions in the world but there is only one God.
Besides, Satyagraha is generally based on ethics or moral force. It does not inflict suffering
on others. Any person practicing Satyagraha is to keep morality and ethics in his life. The
last basic factor of Satyagraha is brotherhood of man. In Gandhis side, brotherhood of man
means that we are one of another. It means that a person should not injure or harass his
neighbour in words or deed. Gandhi insisted a Satyagraha must honour honesty in his life.
He added, Satyagraha must be prepared to lose his personal and family wealth or possession.
As indicated in the article, Gandhian Satyagraha is used to resolve the conflict without
violence.

Non-cooperation, civil disobedience and fasting are the important forms of

Satyagraha. Non-cooperation is the one of the important methods in Satyagraha. The main
fact behind the non-cooperation, the Satyagraha will be ready to accept the consequences of
fight against injustice. Nonviolent non-cooperation is a process in which Satyagraha refuses
to take part in the activities of his opponents. This involves boycotting the opponents
economic, political, social and educational institutions.
The next step of Satyagraha is civil disobedience movement.
government law and non-payment of taxes.

It is the violation of

The author states that this type of civil

disobediences movement was practiced by Gandhi in Salt Satyagraha in 1930. This article
also mentions that fasting is the most effective weapon in satyagrahi used against injustice or
evil force. According to Gandhi, a Satyagraha should fast only as a last resort when all other
ways been explored and failed.
The author states that Gandhian Satyagraha may be one of the most viable techniques of
conflict resolution.

Gandhi used the method of Satyagraha to resolve all conflicts such as

personal as well as international conflict. In this article, the author came up with 7 methods

in the Ghandian concept of conflict resolution. The first method is nonviolence is a force.
Traditionally we understand that there are two types of forces, physical and spiritual forces.
Physical force is based on violence. Violence cannot be solving any issue, it created more
violence. Gandhi was opposed to this physical force. Gandhian perspective of conflict
resolution emphasized spiritual force. Gandhi considered all human beings are good and their
nature is also essentially good.
Another method in Gandhian concept of conflict resolution is inner purification. The author
explains that inner purification means practicing self-discipline in right belief, right speech
and right conduct. The most important aspect of Gandhis nonviolence is love and inner
feeling in the heart. Negotiation is the primary step in the gandhian concept of conflict
resolution.

In the process of negotiation, Gandhi established certain ground rules for

managing the conflict. Communication or dialogue is used in this approach. Negotiations

also help parties to exchange of information and it leads to joint decision making. According
to the author, even if negotiations fail, the Satyagraha is always willing to utilize any opening
for honourable settlement at every stage of conflict. The error of this opponent is due either
to ignorance or selfishness and ill-well. The selfishness and ill-well are ultimately due to
ignorance. In this situation Satyagraha takes a step in a conflict resolution, be it individually
or collectively in persuasion. In this process a party considers his opponent as a friend.
Persuasion is based in the respect on opponent. Persuasion is conducted in privately and
publically. In addition, conversion is the most important aspect in the Gandhian concept of
conflict resolution. As indicated in the article, the main intention of Ganhian Satyagraha is to
convert both parties so that they both see each other on the same side in a shared attempt to
solve the conflict. In nonviolent conversion, the opponent truly changed his behaviour.
Nonviolent conversion is a term Gandhi considered a philosophical commitment and not just
a strategy. Gandhi sought to convert his opponent by being truthful and trustful. The

following method is self-suffering. The author explains that in a nonviolent resistance,

Satyagraha is not a method of punishing or inflicting pain on others, but method of
converting them by appealing to their better self through a process involving self-suffering.
The Satyagraha has only a way to resolve conflict through self-suffering. Suffering is the law
of human beings. Voluntary self-suffering opens the eyes of the evildoer which are otherwise
shut to the voice of reason. Thus a Satyagraha has to appeal continuously to the evil doers
head and heart combined. The last method is nonviolent action. Nonviolent action is an
important technique for conducting social, economic and political conflict without the use of
physical violence. Ghandian Satyagraha is included in several forms of nonviolent actions
like non-cooperation, boycotts, picketing, leafleting, strikes, civil disobedience and fasting,
with politeness, courage and determination.
For the conclusion, Ghandian technique of international conflict resolution consists in
resolving differences with the help of violence and truth in the form of Satyagraha and noncooperation. According to the doctrine of Satyagraha, social and political conflicts can best
be resolved in an atmosphere in which contestants respect each others moral worth,
distinguish between measures and persons, conduct their battle in a spirit of self-crictism and
abstain from the cruder form of coercion.

Keano Alderson, (2015),"Conflict management and resolution in family-owned

businesses", Journal of Family Business Management, Vol.5 Iss 2 pp. 140 156
The article Conflict management and resolution in family-owned businesses, recommends
corporate governance may reduce and manage conflict.

According to the author, the

corporate governance can function uniquely in family firms as ways to manage conflict in
family firms. The article first presents the causes of conflict in family-owned businesses and
then provides the author's suggestions for several ways to prevent and manage conflict in the
family-owned business.
The first part of the article mainly explains the causes of conflict within the family business.
The author discusses some issues that lead to conflict, including generational conflict,
leadership succession, compensation and owner benefits, estate planning, destructive
entitlement, gender conflict, in-laws, triangulation, and communication. But in this article
review, focusing will be more on how to handle conflict in family owned business.
The author suggests that the use of corporate governance tools is the best ways to manage
conflict in family firms.

The first suggestion of corporate governance is family meetings.

Family meetings are a structured discussion that can help family anger decrease. Families
can use these discussions as simple as lunch or dinner together to resolve specific conflicts
that might have just been argued about business and plans for the future. Families might use
these meetings to discuss issues such as, house rules, vacation plans, sibling rivalry, changes
in the family structure, etc. There are many advantages to having family meetings including
as an efficient way to increase communication among family members.
In this article, the second recommendation in family corporate governance is convening a
governing family council to increase communication and decision-making effectiveness
(Bianchi and Alderson, 2012).

The family council consists of family members both inside

and outside-the-family business who are stakeholders of the business. Tools such as the

family council are thought to enable a family to increase the level of communication in a
family firm and professionalize the governance of the firm, thus resulting in reduced conflict.
Next is the family constitution which is one of the most important tools of governance. The
tremendous value of the constitution is its ability to prevent and settle conflict before it
breaks out by agreeing on corporate policies in advance, before emotions are running high.
The author gave an example, discussing the hiring of a family member is an issue fraught
with potential conflict. Biases come into play and depending on whose side of the family,
they could be pro or con. The advantage of a constitution is to state in writing what has
already decided.
Another tool of corporate governance is family retreat which can be anything from a weekend
gateway to a weeklong vacation where all family members get together socially and
reconnect with distant family members. According to the author, family retreat allows nonworking family members be more involved and knowledgeable concerning the business.
The board of directors is also recommended in this article because the directors have formal
authority as well as liability and can hire or terminate the CEO. This tool is a way to increase
professionalism and improve decision making through the counsel of outside successful
business owners and other professionals.
The last tool is to have cohort meetings for each generation. This often takes place at a
family retreat. The author highly recommended this as a way to begin the conservation
concerning some forbidden topics.
Besides the use of corporate governance tools, the author also mentions that there are other
techniques to prevent and manage conflict in the family-owned business. One technique firms
have used effectively is pruning, or lopping off a branch of the family tree (Poza, 2009, as
cited in Keanon, 2015). Family members who are not happy with the management or with the
direction of the form may accept a buyout from other family members. The spouse also plays

a vital role in the family business. They are often mediate conflict between family members
and act as the glue that holds the family together. In addition, the Co-CEOs in the family
firm could have helped to circumvent conflict and avoid having extended family take sides
among the possible successors. This form of management is relatively unique to familyowned business. The author also pointed a view from Feltham et al. (2005) saying that the
founding owner usually makes the majority of decision in a first-generation family firm. He
was saying that the second generation, the sibling partnership, may have two to six more
siblings. According to Alderson (2009) one study showed such siblings tended to use the
participative consultative approach to decision making. The author also stated engaging with
professional consultants may be necessary if conflict become threatens the effective operation
of the business. Lastly, another solution that suggested by the author is to restructure the
organization. The purpose is to let family members avoid dealing with people with whom
they are in conflict.
This article highlights about the negative effects of conflict among family business and to
make practitioner focussed recommendations for the prevention, management and resolution
of conflict. Research has shown effective governance may reduce and manage conflict in
family-owned businesses.