Managing Conflict in Organizations - Softcover

Rahim, M. Afzalur

3.79

14 ratings by Goodreads

9781412855792: Managing Conflict in Organizations

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1412855799 ISBN 13: 9781412855792

Publisher: Routledge, 2015

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After much debate by business professionals, organizational conflict is now considered normal and legitimate; it may even be a positive indicator of effective organizational management. Within certain limits, conflict can be essential to productivity. This book contributes to the investigation of organizational conflict by analyzing its origins, forms, benefits, and consequences.

Conflict has benefits: it may lead to solutions to problems, creativity, and innovation. In contrast, little or no conflict in organizations may lead to stagnation, poor decisions, and ineffectiveness. Managing Conflict in Organizations is a vigorous analysis of the rational application of conflict theory in organizations.

Conflict is inevitable among humans. It is a natural outcome of human interaction that begins when two or more social entities engage one another while striving to attain their own objectives. Relationships among people or organizations become incompatible or inconsistent when two or more of them desire a similar resource that is in short supply; when they do not share behavioral preferences regarding their joint action; or when they have different attitudes, values, beliefs, and skills. This book examines these root causes of organizational conflict and offers constructive perspectives on its consequences.

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About the Author:

M. Afzalur Rahim is a university distinguished professor of management and Hays Watkins Research Fellow at Western Kentucky University. He is the founder of International Journal of Organizational Analysis and International Journal of Conflict Management, editor of Transaction’s annual Current Topics in Management, and author/editor of twenty-three books and numerous journal articles.

Review:

“I recommend this work for every serious management library, personal and institutional, for those teaching in the area of conflict management, and for anyone who wants to learn conflict management well enough to do consulting work in this important field.”

—The International Journal of Conflict Management

"Rahim combines an impressive literature review, several empirical studies unique to this work, and textbook-style exercises. This book is a useful resource for business managers as well as undergraduate and graduate students of organizational behavior, organizational and industrial psychology, or organizational communication. Recommended"

—G.E. Kaupins, Choice

"Many books on negotiation and conflict resolution suffer because they do not link the topic to the broader literature on organizational behavior. In contrast, Rahim's book does a nice job of linking conflict to other important organizational activities such as organizational learning, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. The book has value to researchers and practioners alike."

—Donald E. Conlon, Eli Broad Professor of Management, Michigan State University

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