Using an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective, this study explores the dynamics of conflict and its resolution in a group of American professional organizations. The analysis is performed on a convenience sample of 318 professionals. The context for the study covers seminal studies on organizational conflict in national and international settings. Issues explored include the prevalence and intensity of conflict; relationships among power, cliques, and conflict; the use of non-professional decision criteria in professional decisions and their implications for conflict; and conflict resolution styles. The results point out several new directions that may contribute toward the development of a more comprehensive social-psychological theory of organizational conflict.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AhmadAqueil. 1980. “Conflict: Sources and Resolution,” pp. 155–170 in Management of Agricultural Research: Problems and Prospects, edited by AhmadAqueil. New Delhi, India: Allied Publishers.
2.
AhmadAqueil. 1996. “Powerful Reaction to Powerlessness.”Peace Review, 8:3, 423–29.
AstleyW. G.SachdevaP. S.1984. “Structural Sources of Intraorganizational Conflict: A Theoretical Synthesis.”Academy of Management Review, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 104–113.
5.
BalserDeborah B.SternRobert N.. 1999. “Resistance and Cooperation: A Response to Conflict over Job Performance.”Human Relations, Vol. 52, Issue 8, August, pp. 1029–1053.
6.
BaronPaul A.1969. The Longer View: Essays Toward a Critique of Political Economy.New York: Monthly Review Press.
7.
BaronPaul A.1988. “Attribution and Organizational Conflict: The Mediating Role of Apparent Sincerity.”Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 41, Pp. 111–127.
8.
BaronPaul A.1989. “Personality and Organizational Conflict: Effects of the Type A Behavior Pattern and Self-Monitoring.”Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 44, pp. 281–297.
9.
BernardChester I.1938. The Functions of the Executive.Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
CliffordC. C.DouglasLipp G.. 1998. “Conflict Resolution for Contrasting Cultures.”Training and Development, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 20–34.
15.
CoserLewis A.1956. The Functions of Social Conflict.Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
16.
DarlingJ. R.FogliassoC. E.1999. “Conflict Management Across Cultural Boundaries: A Case Analysis from a Multinational Bank.”European Business Review, Vol. 99, Issue 6, pp. 383–94.
17.
DahrendorfRalph. 1959. Class and Class Conflict in Industrial Society.Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
18.
DonaldsonLiam. 1995. “Management for Doctors: Conflict, Power, Negotiation.”British Medical Journal, Vol. 310, January 14, pp. 139–155.
19.
DonnellonA.KolbD. M.1994. “Constructive for Whom? The Fate of Diversity Disputes in Organizations. Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 50, No. 1, Spring.
20.
EisenhardtKathleen. M.KahwajiJean L.BourgeoisL. J.III1997. “How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight.”Harvard Business Review, Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 77–86.
21.
FloydSteven W.LanePeter J.. 2000. “Strategizing Throughout the Organization: Managing Role Conflict in Strategic Renewal.”Academy of Management Review, Vol. 25, Issue 1, pp. 154–177.
22.
FordR. C.FottlerM. D.1995. “Empowerment: A Matter of Degree.”Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp.21–31.
23.
FoxmanL. D.PolskyW. L.1991. “Share the Power.”Personnel Journal, Vol. 70, No. 9, pp. 116–120.
24.
FrenchJ. R. PRavenB.1959. Studies in Social Power.Ann Arbor, MI: Institute of Social Research.
25.
FreundJulien. 1986. Pareto, edited/translated by DraghichiS.. Washington, D.C.: Plutarch Press.
26.
GaventaJohn. 1980. Power and Powerlessness.London: Oxford University Press.
27.
GreenbergJerrladBaronRobert A.. 1993. Behavior in Organizations.Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
28.
GreenbergJerald. 1996. Managing Behavior in Organizations.Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
29.
Gwartney-GibbsPatricia A.LachDenise H.. 1994. “Gender Differences in Clerical Workers' Disputes over Tasks, Interpersonal Treatment, and Emotion.”Human Relations, Vol. 47, No. 6, pp. 611–639.
HallJ.1969; also 1973, 1986. Conflict Management Survey.Conroe, TX: Teleometrics.
32.
HallEdward T.1976. Beyond Cultures.Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
33.
HallEdward T.HallMildred R.. 1990. Understanding Cultural Differences.Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
34.
HardyCynthia. 1994. “Power and Politics in Organizations,” pp. 220–237 in Managing Strategic Action: Mobilizing Change, edited by HardyC.. London: Sage Publications.
35.
HardyCynthiaLeiba-O'SullivanSharon. 1998. “The Power Behind Empowerment: Implications for Research and Practice.”Human Relations, Vol. 51, No. 4, pp. 451–483.
36.
HaywardMathew L. A.WarrenB.1998. “Power and Conflict of Interest in Professional Firms: Evidence From Investment Banking.”Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 43, Issue 1, pp. 1–22.
37.
HofstedeGeert H.1980. Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-related Values.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
38.
KabonofBoris. 1991. “Equity, Equality, Power, and Conflict.”Academy of Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 416–441.
39.
KellerTiffanyDansereauFred. 1995. “Leaderhsip and Empowerment: A Social Exchange Perspective.”Human Relations, Vol. 48, No. 2, pp. 127–146.
40.
KotterJ.HeskettJ.1992. Corporate Culture and Performance.New York: The Free Press.
41.
KozanM. KamilErginCanan. 1999. “Third Party Role in Conflict Management in Turkish Organizations.”Human Organization, Vol. 58, No. 4, Winter, 405–415.
42.
LawrencePaul R.LorschJ. W.1967. Organization and Environment: Managing Differentiation and Integration.Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.
43.
LipsetSeymour M.TrowM.ColemanJ.1956. Union Democracy.New York: The Free Press.
44.
MinzbergHenry. 1983. Power In and Around Organizations.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
45.
NicoteraAnne M.RodriguezAmardo J.HallMauriceJacksonRonald L.. 1995. “A History of the Study of Communication and Conflict,” in Conflict and Organizations: Communicative Processes, edited by NicoteraA.M.. New York: SUNY Press.
46.
OetzelJohn G.1998. “The Effects of Self-Construals and Ethnicity on Self-Reported Conflict Styles.”Communication Reports, Vol. 11, Issue 2, pp. 133–144.
47.
PfefferJeffrey. 1981. Power in Organizations.Marshfiled, MA: Pitman Publishing.
48.
RahimM. Afzalur. 1983. “A Measure of Style of Handling Interpersonal Conflict.”Academy of Management Journal, 26, pp. 368–76.
49.
RahimM. AfzalurBlumAlbert A. (eds.). 1994. Global Pespectives on Organizational Conflict.Wesport, CT: Praeger.
50.
RobeyDaniel. 1991. Designing Organizations.Richard D. Irwin, Inc.
51.
RousseauDenise M.1990. “Quantitative Assessment of Organizational Culture: The Case for Multiple Measures,” pp. 153–192 in Frontiers of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 3, edited by SchneiderBenjamin. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
52.
SchoenfeldC.1994. “Campus Cultures in Conflict.”CUPA-Journal, Vol. 45, No. 4, Winter, pp. 29–33.
53.
SchumpeterJoseph. A.1951. Imperialism and Social Classes, edited by SeewzyP. M.NordenH.. New York: A. M. Kelly.
54.
ShawVivienneShawChristopher T.. 1998. “Conflict Between Engineers and Marketers.”Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 27, Issue 4, pp. 279–292.
55.
SimonHerbert A.1979. “Rational Decision Making in Organizations.”American Economic Review, Vol. 69, pp. 493–513.
56.
SkolnickJerome H.1969. The Politics of Protest.New York: Ballantine.
57.
StrebelP.1996. “Why Do Employees Resist Change?”Harvard Business Review, May-June, pp. 86–92.
58.
ThamhainH. J.WilemonD. J.1975. “Conflict Management in Project Life Cycles,”Sloan Management Review, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 31–50.
Ting-ToomeyStella. 1988. “International Conflict Styles: A Face Negotiation Theory,” pp. 213–235 in Theories in Intercultural Communication, edited by KimY.GudykunstW.. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
61.
Ting-ToomeySGaoG.TrubiskyP.YangZ.KimH. S.LinS. L.NishidsT.1991. “Culture, Face Mainatenance, and Styles of Handling Interpersonal Conflict: A Study in Five Cultures.”International Journal of Conflict Management, 2, pp. 275–296.
ThompsonJames D.1967. Organizations in Action.New York: McGraw-Hill.
64.
TjosvoldD.DreuC.1997. “Managing Conflict in Dutch Organizations: A Test of the Relevance of Deutsch Cooperation Theory.”Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 27, No. 24, pp. 2213–2226.
65.
Van de VliertE.KabanoffBoris. 1990. “Toward Theory-based Measures of Conflict Management.”Academy of Management Journal, 33, pp. 199–209.
66.
VecchioR. P. (1987) “Situational Leadership Theory: An Examination of Prescriptive Theory.”Journal of Applied Psychology, August, pp. 444–451.
67.
WaltonRichardMcKersieRobert. 1963. A Behavioral Theory of Labor Negotiations: An Analysis of a Social Interaction System.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
68.
WeberMax. 1991. From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology edited and translated by GerthH. H.WrightC.. Mills. New York: Routledge.
69.
WilkeArthur S.AhmadAqueil. 1990. “Conflict in Indian Science and Technology Settings: An Exploratory Survey.”Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research, Vol. 49, August, pp 377–389.
