Using Conflict in Organizations / Edition 1

by Carsten K W De Dreu, Evert Van de Vliert

Overview

Challenging the common belief that conflict in groups and organizations should be prevented or resolved to maintain or enhance performance. Using Conflict in Organizations offers an alternative perspective by presenting the increasing knowledge on how conflict can enhance individual achievement, the quality of group decision-making and the productivity in organizations.

Part One provides a general framework which links conflict management to performance and shows how this relationship can be understood. The second and third parts develop and illustrate this framework in a series of thematic chapters. Part Two focuses on performance following intragroup conflict, covering topical areas such as dissent, groupthink and strategic decision-making. Part Three deals with the performance enhancing effect of intergroup conflict and competition, addresses modren issues such as intergroup competition, collective negotiation and diversity management. The final section focuses on applications and intervention strategies that can stimulate conflict in ways that improve performance in groups and organizations.

Offering a fresh perspective on conflict in groups and organizations, based on theory and research, Using Conflict in Organizations will be required reading for academics, advanced students and professionals in organizational behaviour, organizational psychology and management.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761950912
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	11/24/1997
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction
Conflict and Performance: Benefits for Groups and Organizations
PART ONE: CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Productive Conflict - Carsten K W de Dreu
The Importance of Conflict Management and Conflict Issue
Conflict within Interdependency - Dean Tjosvold
Its Value for Productivity and Individuality
The Effectiveness of Mixing Problem Solving and Forcing - Evert van de Vliert et al
PART TWO: WITHIN-GROUP CONFLICT AND PERFORMANCE
Mitigating Groupthink by Stimulating Constructive Conlflict - Marlene E Turner and Anthony R Pratkanis
Minority Dissent in Organizations - Carsten K W de Dreu and Nanne K De Vries
Affective and Cognitive Conflict in Work Groups - Karen A Jehn
Increasing Performance through Value-Based Intragroup Conflict
The Effects of Conflict on Strategic Decision Making Effectiveness and Organziational Performance - Allen A Amason and David M Schweiger
PART THREE: BETWEEN-GROUP CONFLICT AND COMPETITION
The Enhancing Effect of Intergroup Competition on Group Performance - Gary A Bornstein and Ido Erev
Good News about Competitive People - Peter J D Carnevale and Tahira M Probst
Productive Conflict - Linda L Putnam
Negotiation as Implicit Coordination
Constructive for Whom? The Fate of Diversity Disputes in Organizations - Anne Donnellon and Deborah M Kolb
PART FOUR: DESIGNING INTERVENTIONS: TOWARDS APPLICATIONS
Positive Effects of Conflict - Robert A Baron
Insights from Social Cognition
Third Party Consultation as the Controlled Stimulation of Conflict - Ron Fisher
Enhancing Performance by Conflict-Stimulating Intervention - Evert van de Vliert

Editorial Reviews

‘This book contributes significantly to understanding the integrated topic of conflict and performance...the book provides a real review of how to use conflict in organizations' - International Journal of Selection and Assessment

‘Using Conflict in Organizations is an excellent empirical reference text' - Management Learning

‘The authors are of impeccable academic standing. The editorship is thorough and concise. The work presented is stimulating and current' - Therapeutic Communities

From the Publisher