Personal Conflict Management: Theory and Practice

by Mccorkle; Suzanne

• ISBN13: 9780205499885
• ISBN10: 0205499880
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2009-06-16
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Personal Conflict Managementutilizes a modernized theory/skill approach to interpersonal conflict, placing equal emphasis on the theoretical and practical. Supporting the notion that there is not one correct approach to conflict management, and utilizing the authorsrs" shared experiences as mediators and organizational facilitators, this book demonstrates the value of collaborative models for resolving conflict and the necessity and benefits in understanding competitive approaches. Through the inclusion of both competitive and cooperative theories, the authors present contrasting perspectives of conflict management. Beginning with an introduction to conflict, the book examines the major approaches and theories of conflict management. Following a discussion of the causes and variables which exist within conflicts, the skills necessary for conflict management are analyzed, including listening, the ability to seek information, the importance of understanding personality types and behavior patters, negotiation, and conflict assessment. The final two sections of the book take the reader beyond the basics, exploring the difficulties encountered in conflict management, the aftermath to a conflict, and conflicts in context, applying the theoretical concepts to everyday situations.

Table of Contents

Interpersonal Conflict Causes and Patterns

Conflict in Everyday Life

Why Study Conflict

General Assumptions about Interpersonal Conflict

Beneficial Aspects of Interpersonal Conflict

Defining Interpersonal Conflict

Interpersonal Conflict is Different from Argument

Major Approaches to Conflict Management

The Purpose of Theory

Nature vs. Nurture

Communication Theory

Theories Influencing Conflict Management Studies

Emerging Theories

Competitive and Cooperative Approaches

The Competitive Approach

The Cooperative Approach

When Worlds Collide

Supportive and Defensive Climates

Causes of Conflict

Conflict Topics are Not Necessarily Conflict Causes

Conflict Behaviors Are Motivated by Reasons that Make Sense

Conflict Behaviors are Learned

Goal Interference Causes Conflict

Perception Patterns Affect How Goals Are Interpreted

Goals are Dynamic

Skills to Enhance Goals Analysis and Development

Interpersonal Conflict Variables

Variables in Interpersonal Conflict

Conflict Management Variables

Sources of Conflict Patterns

Conflict Management Skills

Listening and Seeking Information

An Introduction to Listening

Types of Listening

Effective Listening Skills for Conflict Managers

Styles and Behavior Patterns

What is Style?

Personality Styles

Conflict Management Styles

Communication Behaviors that Affect Conflict Management

Emotional Intelligence

Functional vs. Dysfunctional Styles

Negotiation

The Worlds of Negotiation

Competitive Negotiation

Cooperative Negotiation

Moving from Competitive to Collaborative

Additional Negotiation Variables

Conflict Assessment

Understanding Conflict from the Inside Out

Conflict Assessment: First Level Tools

Conflict Assessment: Comprehensive Conflict Checklist

Concept-Based Analysis Tools

Creating an Analysis Tool

Transformation is the Key

Beyond the Basics

Difficult People and Bullies

An Overview of Difficult Encounters

Critical Lessons About Difficult Encounters

Specific Difficult Encounters

Bullying and Violence

Moving Beyond Self Help

Approaches to Solving Conflict

Conflict Coaching

Third Party Resolution Processes

Mediation

Mediator Responsibilities

Mediator Approaches

The Balanced Model of Mediation

Managing the Aftermath: Anger, Apology, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation

Anger

Apologies

Forgiveness

Reconciliation

Conflict in Context

Family Communication and Conflict

The Family as a Communication System

What is a Family?

Satisfaction in Marriages and Families

Conflict in the Family

Conflict Management Skills for Families

Conflict at the Workplace

The Workplace is a Unique Context

Workplace Communication

The Nature of Groups

Conflict in the Work Setting

Preventing and Managing Conflict at Work

Group Conflict

Conflict Management Systems

Conflict and Society

Politics as Personal

Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes

Identify (Face) Threats

Polarization

Means of Managing Social Conflict

Strategies of Group Movements

Reframing Social Conflict

Appendices

A Six Step Method for Managing the Difficult Person Encounter

The University Chain of Command

The Meeting Manager

Essential Skills to Prevent and Moderate Conflict

A Lifetime of Predictable Conflicts

Sample Mediation Case

Media and Family Conflict

Glossary

References

Index

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